Yngwie Malmsteen announces 23rd studio album, Hell or High Water – hear the first single
Malmsteen said that the meticulous songwriting process he undertook for the album enabled him to traverse genres and craft a massive number of songs
Latest News
Yngwie Malmsteen announces 23rd studio album, Hell or High Water – hear the first single
Malmsteen said that the meticulous songwriting process he undertook for the album enabled him to traverse genres and craft a massive number of songs
Marcus King’s new Epiphone signature recreates the prized childhood acoustic his father gave him
The El Dorado was the bluesman’s first guitar. This new model revives the vintage acoustic with personalized touches
Line 6 launches free Helix Stadium plugin: every amp and effect you can play at zero cost
Helix Stadium Native Intro arrives alongside a fully fledged plugin that brings next-gen Line 6 tones to your DAW
Fender CEO responds to backlash after comparing cover bands to AI
Edward “Bud” Cole came under fire after his controversial comments concerning AI from earlier this year were recirculated online
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Steve Vai and Adrian Belew announce new BEAT tour, with lineup change
A new member has been drafted in as the King Crimson offshoot announce more US and Canadian dates
Don Felder says playing the Hotel California solo note-for-note is his “obligation” to Eagles fans
The guitarist doesn’t take the task of playing the iconic solo lightly
How Keith Urban found Clarence, the Telecaster that's still his number one
Urban looks back on the origin story of his 1989 Fender 40th Anniversary Telecaster, which has defined his guitar tone and playing style
Artists
Kurt Vile on meeting Neil Young, his prized vintage offset and why he prefers dead strings
Kurt Vile’s 10th album, Philadelphia’s Been Good to Me, was written by night – but the prince of indie-psych says it charts his journey out of darkness
Billy Howerdel is trying to avoid being “too good”, as he writes A Perfect Circle’s next album
Having dropped the all-new single Starless in May, Howerdel says a new record is incoming but “You've got to be a Buddhist about it”
“I’d love to go and see him but I probably wouldn't stay for the whole concert”: What Jeff Beck thought about Eddie Van Halen
Beck shared his thoughts on the Van Halen school of guitar back in 1985
The 25 Stratocaster players who revolutionized the guitar
The Fender Stratocaster would just be a glorified carpentry project without the players who danced across its neck and gave it life. Here we celebrate 25 of the best
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The Edge has never been impressed by players who try to imitate his sound
The U2 guitar icon discussed the value of developing your own voice during a 1996 interview
“All I was using was one Fender Twin Reverb, which I stole off Bob Marley… I had it turned up to 10 the whole time”: Stolen amps and punk rivalry – inside the making of the Sex Pistols’ Never Mind the Bollocks
Guitarist Steve Jones reflects on the making of the Pistols' incendiary studio album, Johnny Rotten's overdub myths, and why they had to keep Sid Vicious away from the studio
Blondie's Chris Stein on his greatest (and strangest) guitar shopping spree
Blondie’s days in rugged CBGB’s were many chart-topping hits behind them in 1980, when Stein told GW about the time he and his bandmates got themselves into an unassuming dream guitar store...
Gear
"The Floyd Rose genuinely feels like the finishing touch this model always needed": Gibson Victory Floyd Rose review
Gibson’s latest iteration of this cult, rediscovered ‘80s model is the big win fans have been waiting for
Best FRFR speakers 2026: transparent tone for multi-effects and amp modelers
Get the most out of your digital modeler with the best FRFR speakers, from on-the-go options to arena-filling mammoths
"It can go from barely there room sound to a drawn-out blooming reverberance": JHS 3 Series Reverb review
This budget reverb pedal delivers impressive tones, a handy pre-delay switch, and an ultra-rugged build quality, all for just $99
Harley Benton TE-62LA review
With superb playability and an awesome neck pickup for under $250, the finish may be divisive, but Harley Benton's new Aged series is undeniably great value for money
“A clever expanding pedalboard that solves a real gigging problem, but it isn’t without practical compromise”: D'Addario XPND 1 pedalboard review
D’Addario’s XPND range brings telescopic pedalboard expansion with a rugged design built for real-world use – but is it genuinely practical, or just clever engineering?
“Not your average digital delay by any means”: Beetronics Pollinator Hazee Delay review
Beetronics cross-pollinates delay and modulation to create textural sounds that blur the boundaries between them
Meet the 1968 Gibson Super 400 that was customized for Merle Travis – the ultimate artist’s guitar (even if the materials aren’t that great)
With a thinner neck and P-90s instead of humbuckers, this is the kind of unicorn that pops up very rarely on the vintage guitar market
Lessons
How to install LR Baggs’ HiFi Duet acoustic pickup – and yes, we’re gonna drill a hole in Chris Buck’s guitar
Chris Buck bought a new acoustic for tour, but he needed a pickup installed. Enter Huw Price and his drill
Why muting the low E string is one of the most important lessons any beginner guitarist can learn
Learning to mute individual strings makes all the difference when mastering your first guitar chords
Spiritbox’s Mike Stringer on how extended-range guitars open up new possibilities with chord voicings
Mike Stringer's progressive metal masterclass continues as he teaches you how to play Spiritbox’s Tsunami Sea
Charlie Starr on how to turn a simple, catchy riff into a killer song
The Blackberry Smoke guitarist pays tribute to the power of the almighty riff in his latest GW lesson
How to build a compelling rhythm guitar part with triads
Confused about triads? They are just chords with three notes, and as Corey Congilio demonstrates here, they can be the building block of a great guitar part
If you learn one thing from Buddy Guy it should be this
Get that Buddy Guy-like phrasing by mastering his signature style: rhythmic on-grid and off-grid phrasing
Switching guitar chords is one of the hardest parts of learning. This exercise will help you master changing chords faster
Beginner guitarists, this is your fast track to nailing those chord changes in time with the music
Reviews
"The Floyd Rose genuinely feels like the finishing touch this model always needed": Gibson Victory Floyd Rose review
Gibson’s latest iteration of this cult, rediscovered ‘80s model is the big win fans have been waiting for
"It can go from barely there room sound to a drawn-out blooming reverberance": JHS 3 Series Reverb review
This budget reverb pedal delivers impressive tones, a handy pre-delay switch, and an ultra-rugged build quality, all for just $99
Harley Benton TE-62LA review
With superb playability and an awesome neck pickup for under $250, the finish may be divisive, but Harley Benton's new Aged series is undeniably great value for money
“A clever expanding pedalboard that solves a real gigging problem, but it isn’t without practical compromise”: D'Addario XPND 1 pedalboard review
D’Addario’s XPND range brings telescopic pedalboard expansion with a rugged design built for real-world use – but is it genuinely practical, or just clever engineering?
“Not your average digital delay by any means”: Beetronics Pollinator Hazee Delay review
Beetronics cross-pollinates delay and modulation to create textural sounds that blur the boundaries between them
"The build quality is superb, it plays like a dream": Sire Larry Carlton S7 Ash Top review
With a raft of premium features, Sire's super value-for-money S-style makes a concrete case for dodging the big brands
"Any aspiring dirt purveyor worth their salt will naturally gravitate toward the HalfLife’s crushing wall of sound" EarthQuaker Devices Sunn O))) HalfLife Octave Distortion & Booster review
EQD’s HalfLife pedal delivers the droned, bottom-heavy fury inspired by Sunn O))) with uncompromising force
Buying Guides
Best FRFR speakers 2026: transparent tone for multi-effects and amp modelers
Get the most out of your digital modeler with the best FRFR speakers, from on-the-go options to arena-filling mammoths
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 bass preamp pedals 2026: consistently great tone, wherever you are
Unlock bass preamp power with our expert picks from Orange, Ampeg, Electro Harmonix and more…
Best acoustic guitar pickups 2026: electrify your acoustic with our expert picks
Whether it be for performing live or recording at home, the best acoustic guitar pickups from LR Baggs, Fishman and others will help you enhance your tone
Best online guitar lessons 2026: I tested 20+ apps and sites to help you play faster, smarter, and cheaper
Learning guitar online is cheaper and more flexible than traditional tuition, but only if you choose the right platform. Together with Guitar World’s expert team, I’ve put the top lesson sites to the test for every budget, genre, and skill level, including a fantastic free option
Best electric guitars 2026: our top picks for every playing style, ability and budget
Useful buying advice and our expert pick of the best electric guitars for newcomers to pro players
Best beginner electric guitars 2026: top electric models for new players, reviewed and demoed by experts
So you're a budding guitarist? Get started with our pick of the best beginner electric guitars from Squier, Yamaha, and Epiphone
