Simon McBride has a hot tone take you’ve probably never heard before
The Deep Purple guitarist prefers guitars that forego truss rods – here's why
Latest News
Laura Cox on the challenges of transitioning from YouTube to the studio – and how to conquer them
The French guitarist made her name with classic rock videos on YouTube, but when it came to cutting her teeth in the studio, Cox admits it was another story altogether...
JHS Pedals corrects its biggest error with the relaunch of the DIY Dumble pedal
The Notadümble now correctly features Mayer’s magic clean boost circuit – and it’s been given some key new upgrades to boot
Did you miss Amazon's biggest sale of the year so far? Well, luckily, these 16 outstanding Prime Day guitar deals are still live – save on guitars, pedals, amps, accessories, and more
Missed out on an epic Prime Day bargain? Fear not, these deals are very much alive and kicking
My pick of the best new guitar gear launched this week – and the new drops you might have missed
My personal highlights from a week that brought us a single-pickup PRS for Jon Jourdan, Eventide's next-gen H9, and more. Have a highlight of your own? Let us know in the comments
How Jeff Beck and Brian Robertson swapped guitars – and brought guitar synths to Motörhead
Robertson’s ill-fated stint in the band was short, but Jeff Beck helped him introduce an oddball instrument into their lore
Prime Day guitar deals 2026 LIVE: last chance to save on guitar gear at Amazon, Sweetwater, Guitar Center, Fender and beyond
I'm rounding up all the hottest guitar, amp, pedal, and accessory deals throughout the final day of the Prime Day sales. Stick with me for all of the biggest news, deals, tips, and tricks for saving money. But remember: today is your last day to save!
Didn’t find a Prime Day guitar bargain this year? These 3 shops have kicked off their July 4th sales already and I've picked my highlights
These early 4th of July sales include major savings on Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Duesenberg and more
Artists
Remembering Dave Mason, the former Traffic guitarist who made a habit of playing on iconic tracks
The Traffic guitarist’s best work of the ’60s and ’70s was magical, but the stop/start nature of his career held him off household-name status
How Marla Kether landed the Little Simz gig and made her debut on the UK’s biggest festival stage
The London-born bassist, DJ and producer enjoyed a baptism of fire on the Pyramid Stage – now her solo work brings her Afro-Brazilian influences to the fore as she plans her next step
A guide to the basses, amps, and signature tone of Jefferson Airplane bassist Jack Casady
From his early-‘60s Jazz Bass to a Flying V, Jack Casady was among the first to embrace custom bass builds – and it changed his tone forever
Peppino D’Agostino on his nylon-string collab with a neuroscientist that could literally heal your mind
Serenity now! One of the world's most “transcendent” players teams up with a neuroscientist on pipe organ for an album of brain-healing melodies and zero harsh frequencies
Steve Vai, Nita Strauss... Bella Perron? Why the former Plush guitarist could be our next Ibanez-toting guitar superstar
Wildfire shredding and whiplash licks prove that this Maine-bred gun-for-hire can hold her own. Now based in L.A., she’s in extra-high demand
Yungblud’s right-hand man Adam Warrington talks Idols, smashed gear – and keeping big-rig arena shows alive
Dom Harrison’s closest collaborator shares his playing journey, from tough gigs to broken rigs to meeting Ozzy – and on to the world-conquering, pyro-laden Idols tour
Tom Morello’s riff writing formula – and his 36 hour race to make a Final Fantasy song
The Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave legend says people call him all the time to ask him to guest on their records – and sometimes he just can’t say no
Gear
Why Furch’s new Red Series acoustic is the $7,000 guitar that dreams are made of
The Furch Red Deluxe GC-LI 2026 combines high-end aesthetic flourishes with some seriously well thought-out design elements – and we don't want to hand it back.
"A tale of two halves – I found the clean tones to be quite lackluster": Gretsch Electromatic Jet Baritone review
Gretsch's gargantuan scale metal machine gives players an option to downtune without resorting to a 7 or 8 string, but it surprisingly leaves traditional tones in the dark
“A no-nonsense digital amplifier”: Kustom Amplification Carbon 100 review
Is this simpler approach to modeling amps a breath of fresh air?
A 1960 Les Paul Custom in Cherry? This vintage stunner was once owned by Neal Schon – and it might be a true unicorn
It may look like a ‘70s survivor, but this Les Paul Custom is one of six from a limited 1960 run
Fender vs Everyone: what you need to know as the world’s largest guitar firm takes on, er... the world
Fret Buzz Retail giant Thomann is taking legal action, guitarists are exploding on both sides of the debate, and Stratocaster has become a dirty word. How on Earth did we get here?
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He played bass with Robert Plant, gave Tony Iommi his sound and created an iconic British amp brand – the life and times of Lyndon Laney
The loved and respected founder of the Midlands amp company was behind the seismic sound of Black Sabbath and countless more
Mad Professor Little Green Wonder review
"An impressive drive pedal with a unique Body control": Mad Professor Little Green Wonder review
“A much more versatile pedal than you might think”: Strymon Canoga Vintage Silicon Fuzz review
The wizards of digital stompbox design conjure more analog magic with a two-knob fuzz box promising vintage Hendrix flavors and then some
Guitar Center CEO Gabe Dalporto aims to defy skepticism with his new house brand
The CEO’s Guitar Labs ambition – to create an in-house guitar brand that’ll last a century – has its detractors, but Dalporto argues his crowd-sourced approach is essential in achieving such a lofty goal
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Lessons
Mike Stringer gives us an “unapologetically heavy” lesson in how to combine power chords with hammer-ons and pull-offs
The Spiritbox riff-master shows you how to chug along to Angel Eyes
Pinch Harmonics made easy: how to get the perfect squeal
Our definitive guide on how Billy Gibbons, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai and Zakk Wylde make their guitars scream
The secret to great guitar solos isn’t technique – it’s rhythm
All the greats put themselves into their phrasing, and that identity was not only note choice but rhythm. Here are four ways you can add rhythmic interest to great effect
If you learn one thing from Jake E. Lee it should be this: bigger stretches for better shredding
Try this enhanced lesson to strengthen your fourth finger and use your thumb for wide fretting like the iconic Ozzy Osbourne guitarist
How to funk up your blues solos
Taking cues from John Mayer, Jimi Hendrix and Nile Rodgers, this lesson offers three examples of phrases that add rhythm and movement to blues
“To some people, this is more of a ‘jazzy’ sound”: How to use dominant 7 arpeggios in a guitar solo
Because you can't have enough exit ramps from traditional blues phrases, here's how you can use the notes of a dominant 7 chord to spice up your solos
5 chords that sound like they’re in an open tuning (but aren’t)
Because sometimes retuning your guitar is, well, a pain in the backside – and there are workarounds
Reviews
"A tale of two halves – I found the clean tones to be quite lackluster": Gretsch Electromatic Jet Baritone review
Gretsch's gargantuan scale metal machine gives players an option to downtune without resorting to a 7 or 8 string, but it surprisingly leaves traditional tones in the dark
“A no-nonsense digital amplifier”: Kustom Amplification Carbon 100 review
Is this simpler approach to modeling amps a breath of fresh air?
Mad Professor Little Green Wonder review
"An impressive drive pedal with a unique Body control": Mad Professor Little Green Wonder review
“A much more versatile pedal than you might think”: Strymon Canoga Vintage Silicon Fuzz review
The wizards of digital stompbox design conjure more analog magic with a two-knob fuzz box promising vintage Hendrix flavors and then some
Flattley The Joker review
The latest from the UK-based pedal company gives you licence to rock with the choice of dirt or filth
Gibson J-185 Century 12-Fret and J-45 Century 12-Fret review
A pair of historic acoustics from Gibson’s illustrious catalog to celebrate its century of flat-tops. But wait, these are 12-fretters. What’s going on?
Marshall x Jimi Hendrix 60th Anniversary JMH Half Stack review
Paying tribute to 60 years of one of the most iconic pairings in guitar history, Marshall releases a signature Hendrix amp bundle, featuring not only an amp and cab, but a Fuzz Face and some very collectable extras.
Buying Guides
Best bass compressor pedals 2026: expert picks for the ultimate in low-end control
From studio-style levelers to stompboxes that squash, we put the market-leading compressor pedals for bass to the test
Best amps for metal 2026: my top picks for high-gain heroes
These powerhouse metal amps from PRS, Orange, Friedman, EVH, and more will have you primed to seek and destroy
Best pedal amps 2026: top preamps, power amps, and amp modelers
We rank and review the best guitar amp pedals from Strymon, Universal Audio, Blackstar, and more
Best guitar plugins 2026: my top plugins to level up your recorded guitar tones
Get better guitar tones for recording and practice with my pick of the best guitar amp plugins
Best guitar straps 2026: play in comfort and secure your guitar in style – budget-spanning choices from a guitar salesman
My expert pick of straps for electric, acoustic and bass, covering all budgets and materials. Plus, buying advice to help you decide
Best single coil pickups 2026: from trailblazing designs to vintage traditionalists
From Fender Telecaster twang to Gibson P-90 bite, we’ve compiled our pick of the best aftermarket single coils your money can buy right now
Best budget guitar amps under $500 2026: cost-cutting amplifiers for every player
Get great sounds and features without blowing your budget – from affordable tube amps to wallet-friendly digital modeling amps and everything in between
