Big Country's golden guitar rule that steered them clear of the blues
The band drew great inspiration from Thin Lizzy’s sonic template, but they made a concerted effort to avoid being labeled as a blues band
Latest News
Big Country's golden guitar rule that steered them clear of the blues
The band drew great inspiration from Thin Lizzy’s sonic template, but they made a concerted effort to avoid being labeled as a blues band
Eric Johnson on why a guitar's age, value, and cool factor don't necessarily make it a better instrument
Flirtations with vintage gems haven't always yielded the results the virtuoso wanted
The All-American Rejects cancel show after gear is “mistakenly shipped across the country”
The band have staked their claim for the ‘weirdest gig cancellation’ of the year
Donn Landee, the engineer who masterminded 5150 Studios, and helped shape Van Halen’s sound, dies at 79
The recording engineer was a key figure in Van Halen’s first eight albums and made Eddie Van Halen's ahead-of-his-time vision for 5150 Studios a reality
All the guitar gear that caught my eye this week – including the most outrageous Ibanez I think I’ve ever seen
Feast your eyes on all the weird and wonderful guitar gear that dropped this week, with new releases from Strymon, Ibanez, Catalinbread, and more
The real reason why relicing is so popular, according to a Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilder
The pre-worn fad is sweeping the guitar community, but why do some deride the concept as ‘stolen valor’?
4 Comments
Mark Lettieri on his jams with John Mayer, and how they ended up working together on PRS' 40th anniversary show
Three guitar greats needed a band, and Lettieri came to their rescue
Artists
Doug Pettibone on taking lessons from Andy Summers, touring with Jewel, and not getting fired by John Mayer
The first-call guitarist explains why he loved working with Lucinda Williams but had to leave, how he got the gig back, his chemistry with Marc Ford, and faking it on pedal steel until Mayer helped him make it
Joe Perry put his “desert island guitar” through hell but it’s still his number one
Perry’s Fender/Warmoth “Burned Strat” aka the “Rat Strat” was the main guitar on Aerosmith’s recent collab with Yungblud
![The Collect Pond’s Danny Moffat [left] and Ben Bonadies do their thing](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/L2Jpm4Y4bHkP2xSxEhcF2M-840-80.jpg.webp)
Danny Moffat on how The Collect Pond are wearing a '90s pejorative as a badge of honor
A jangle-pop-inspired Boston post-punk band that shares its name with a putrid body of water in 19th-century Lower Manhattan? What’s not to love!
Avenged Sevenfold’s Zachary Baker on cooking up a country album with a modeler and an Epiphone acoustic
He built his name shredding stages with one of metal's biggest bands. Now, Zacky Vengeance talks us through the making of his debut album and why he relied on digital modelers over amps
The unsung 1986 album that inspired the ’90s Britpop boom
The big-name fans. The studio where the Smiths tracked The Queen Is Dead. The bird that got caught in the control room. This is the story of the Chameleons’ Stranger Times
Bobby Rush salutes his old friend B.B. King
In his own words, Rush reflects on the brilliance of B.B. and what he learned from the King of the Blues
Jimmie Vaughan on the Fabulous Thunderbirds’ Top 40 hit that got Al Bundy – and Hollywood’s – seal of approval
The year was 1986, London was calling for Jimmie Vaughan, where album sessions alongside Dave Edmunds led to a classic LP, and this is how it all went down
Alt-rock icon Kim Gordon on the secret to making great music on bad guitars and why she never saw herself as a bassist
Returning with solo album Play Me – a stinging broadside against the modern age – the alt-rock talisman remembers the bad guitars and renegade tunings of her ’80s breakout with Sonic Youth
Gear
What this pristine 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard tells us about the myth of the ’Bursts
A so-called Double-O, this 1960 Les Paul was made from ’59 parts, and is a bona-fide grail. But this was not always the case. Back in the day, players just didn't get the appeal
“It can get loud enough to annoy my partner, which is good enough for home use”: Laney Prism-Mini review
This mini practice amp doesn't tether you to your smartphone, but there are some growing pains
How a Swedish luthier used by Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton created the iconic ABBA star guitar
Meet Göran Malmberg, maker of the ultimate glam-rock axe that Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA walked on the Eurovision stage with in 1974
"I need to be honest about how well this pedal holds up for down-tuning against the newer competition it faces": DigiTech Drop Limited Black Edition review
The Polyphonic Drop Tune pedal first landed in 2014, and now a limited run in a new finish gives us a good opportunity to check where it stands today
Best compressor pedals 2026: control your tone with the must-have utility pedal
My pick of the best guitar compressor pedals will enhance your tone with options from Boss, Keeley, MXR, and more
“A high-octane character that’s occasionally stubborn, but it stands out from the crowd”: Fender 75th Anniversary American Professional Classic Cabronita Telecaster review
The Telecaster’s “asshole cousin” trades traditional twang for a boutique growl that looks as sharp as it sounds
How EarthQuaker Devices went beyond the boutique pedal boom and took left-field tones mainstream
EQD founder Jamie Stillman on the pedal that made the company famous, why the overcomplicated is not for him, and the stompbox that serves death metal and country guitarists alike
“It really has everything going for it”: Faith PJE Legacy FG4 Earth review
Patrick James Eggle’s take on the OM body shape is built by Faith’s facility in Indonesia and based around PJE’s Linville model from his acoustic-building days. But does it rock our world?
“It’s the same, loud, high headroom amp but with a more open-sounding clean tone that boasts a little extra life”: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 30th Anniversary review
Fender celebrates 30 years of the ubiquitous Hot Rod Deluxe with an Anniversary edition that boasts a speaker change and a classy aesthetic
3 Comments
Lessons
A blues guitar hero showed me how he held his pick – and it changed the way I played guitar
Some sage advice has shaped my entire playing journey – and anyone can give it a go for immediate results
Philip Sayce: The 5 techniques that define my sound
Turbocharge your fretting hand stretches, screaming bends and blues-rock intensity with the core techniques that shaped Philip Sayce’s signature sound
Welcome to Mike Stringer’s downpicking bootcamp, in which he teaches us the punishing string skipping techniques behind Spiritbox’s Jaded
In his debut GW column, the prog-metal master teaches you the punishing seven-string string-skipping techniques behind Spiritbox’s Jaded
Paul Gilbert: What I learned and taught at GIT
Paul was a student and a tutor at LA's G.I.T. (Guitar Institute of Technology). Here are the shred secrets he learned there – and taught
How Joe Bonamassa and Slash channeled BB King and the Edge for an iconic cover of an iconic tune
In his latest lesson for GW, Joe Bonamassa celebrates B.B. King’s late '80s collaboration with U2
Jared James Nichols on the melodic soloing ideas every guitar player can take from Eric Clapton
In his latest Guitar World column, the blues powerhouse channels Slowhand (and uses his own track Threw Me to the Wolves) for a lesson in lyrical leads
“It’s about building intensity… think of Jeff Beck shifting to Billy Gibbons!” How to solo over one-chord blues
Soloing over changes is cool, but sometimes the blues is all about exploring melody over a single chord
Reviews
“It can get loud enough to annoy my partner, which is good enough for home use”: Laney Prism-Mini review
This mini practice amp doesn't tether you to your smartphone, but there are some growing pains
"I need to be honest about how well this pedal holds up for down-tuning against the newer competition it faces": DigiTech Drop Limited Black Edition review
The Polyphonic Drop Tune pedal first landed in 2014, and now a limited run in a new finish gives us a good opportunity to check where it stands today
“A high-octane character that’s occasionally stubborn, but it stands out from the crowd”: Fender 75th Anniversary American Professional Classic Cabronita Telecaster review
The Telecaster’s “asshole cousin” trades traditional twang for a boutique growl that looks as sharp as it sounds
“It really has everything going for it”: Faith PJE Legacy FG4 Earth review
Patrick James Eggle’s take on the OM body shape is built by Faith’s facility in Indonesia and based around PJE’s Linville model from his acoustic-building days. But does it rock our world?
“It’s the same, loud, high headroom amp but with a more open-sounding clean tone that boasts a little extra life”: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 30th Anniversary review
Fender celebrates 30 years of the ubiquitous Hot Rod Deluxe with an Anniversary edition that boasts a speaker change and a classy aesthetic
3 Comments
EarthQuaker Devices Towers review
The latest entry into EarthQuaker Device's range of revolutionary ambience machines will make you rethink your relationship with reverb
“The best Big Muff there’s ever been for bass”: Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi 2 review
A long-lost EHX Big Muff variant, made real – and now made for bassists to enjoy too.
Buying Guides
Best compressor pedals 2026: control your tone with the must-have utility pedal
My pick of the best guitar compressor pedals will enhance your tone with options from Boss, Keeley, MXR, and more
Best chorus pedals 2026: My pick of choices for your 'board at every price point
From analog to digital, and shimmery to subtle, let me show you the top chorus pedals you can buy today from the likes of Boss, Ibanez, MXR and Walrus Audio
Best 3/4 acoustic guitars 2026: small-bodied, short scale sensations from Taylor, Martin, Fender and more
I count down the best compact acoustics for new players, smaller guitarists and those looking for a neat 'couch guitar'
Best beginner guitar amps 2026: my top picks from over a decade working in music retail
After nearly ten years working in a busy high-street music store, I’ve seen which beginner amps truly deliver, offering the best value, most useful features, and long-lasting popularity from brands like Blackstar, Fender, Positive Grid, and more
Best bass amps for practice 2026: top combos for working on your chops at home
Get the most out of your playing at home with one of these great bass practice amps
Best Stratocasters 2026: The best Strats for every budget and playing style
Find your fit with our top pick of the best Fender Strats
Best guitar capos 2026: These are the tried & tested options I'd recommend for acoustic and electric players
I tested 10 of the most popular capos on the market. Here’s my expert picks for electric, acoustic, 12-string and beyond
