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Paul Stanley with Matt's Guitar Shop holding his Gibson Flying V

“This is unforgettable. This guitar will stay in my private collection”: Paul Stanley played this Gibson Flying V at the final Kiss concerts – now he’s gifted it to a high-profile vintage guitar dealer

By Matt Owen published

Don't expect it to crop up on the private collector's circuit soon, though – its new owner has decided to add it to his personal collection, and we don't blame him one bit

Ron Bumblefoot Thal performs in a stormtrooper mask

“The iconic solo was about to come up and it's like, ‘Oh god. This is not gonna work out well’”: Bumblefoot says he received death threats after fumbling the Welcome to the Jungle solo – while he was stuck in a stormtrooper helmet

By Matt Parker published

The guitarist ranks the onstage mishap with Guns N’ Roses as his ultimate Spinal Tap moment

Guitarist playing a guitar on a backlit stage

What’s the best guitar riff of 2023?

By Matt Owen published

Recap a year of riffage and help us find the best of the best

Power Rangers and Eddie Van Halen

“Eddie Van Halen handed me a guitar and said, ‘I had to learn that damn riff for Wolfie. Show me how you played it!’” Power Rangers composer Ron Wasserman discusses how he “fooled the master” in his performance of the iconic theme

By Matt Parker published

The man behind the X-Men and Power Rangers soundtracks says EVH asked him for pointers on the track he wrote in just two-and-a-half hours

Ace Frehley

“Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have tried to destroy my reputation over the years. 10,000 Volts is going to make them look like imbeciles”: He may have missed Kiss’ last-ever performance, but Ace Frehley is set to make a statement with his new solo album

By Matt Owen published

The former Kiss guitarist says he's “always been the kind of guy to let the music do the talking” – and that's exactly the plan for his forthcoming record

Soldano Astro 20

“20 watts, four Galaxies, IR equipped”: Soldano’s Astro 20 is a tech-ed up tube amp that offers another dimension (or rather three of them) for high gain tone

By Matt Parker published

The tube amp stalwart turns its eye to the stars with this forward-thinking take on a modern, made-in-the-USA amp design – and all for less than $2,000

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Power Rangers and Eddie Van Halen

“Eddie Van Halen handed me a guitar and said, ‘I had to learn that damn riff for Wolfie. Show me how you played it!’” Power Rangers composer Ron Wasserman discusses how he “fooled the master” in his performance of the iconic theme

By Matt Parker

Paul Stanley with Matt's Guitar Shop holding his Gibson Flying V

“This is unforgettable. This guitar will stay in my private collection”: Paul Stanley played this Gibson Flying V at the final Kiss concerts – now he’s gifted it to a high-profile vintage guitar dealer

By Matt Owen published

Don't expect it to crop up on the private collector's circuit soon, though – its new owner has decided to add it to his personal collection, and we don't blame him one bit

Ron Bumblefoot Thal performs in a stormtrooper mask

“The iconic solo was about to come up and it's like, ‘Oh god. This is not gonna work out well’”: Bumblefoot says he received death threats after fumbling the Welcome to the Jungle solo – while he was stuck in a stormtrooper helmet

By Matt Parker published

The guitarist ranks the onstage mishap with Guns N’ Roses as his ultimate Spinal Tap moment

Guitarist playing a guitar on a backlit stage

What’s the best guitar riff of 2023?

By Matt Owen published

Recap a year of riffage and help us find the best of the best

Soldano Astro 20

“20 watts, four Galaxies, IR equipped”: Soldano’s Astro 20 is a tech-ed up tube amp that offers another dimension (or rather three of them) for high gain tone

By Matt Parker published

The tube amp stalwart turns its eye to the stars with this forward-thinking take on a modern, made-in-the-USA amp design – and all for less than $2,000

Denny Laine performs onstage at Bogie's in Westlake Village, California on February 1, 2018

Denny Laine, Paul McCartney & Wings, Moody Blues guitarist, dies at 79

By Jackson Maxwell published

Aside from Paul and Linda McCartney, Laine was Wings' only constant member

A group of 70th Anniversary Fender Stratocasters

“Blending the timeless essence of history with the spirit of the modern musician”: Fender is starting the Stratocaster’s 70th anniversary celebrations early, with souped-up Player and American Professional II models and the return of a beloved finish

By Matt Owen published

2024 will see a major milestone for the iconic model, and the Big F has previewed a year of special celebrations and releases with six appropriately styled six-strings

Graph Tech Un-Lock

“The future of guitar tuning”: Graph Tech’s new ‘game-changing’ sub-$30 Un-Lock Nut looks to replace the locking nut – and solve your tremolo issues in one go

By Matt Owen published

Tired of locking nuts? Suffering annoying tremolo troubles? The Un-Lock Nut could be the answer, with some choice innovations promising to deliver “the future of guitar tuning”

PRS NF 53

Step aside, Silver Sky: PRS’ best-selling guitar of 2023 wasn't John Mayer’s signature guitar – it was its all-new ‘Telecaster’-style NF 53 and Myles Kennedy models

By Matt Owen published

Despite only launching in June, the two new entries to the PRS ranks rose straight to the top of the brand's best-selling six-strings of the year

Michael Lemmo

“The last person to really play it like that was Ed”: Eddie Van Halen personally gifted this guitar to Jason Becker in 1996. Now Norm’s demo whiz Michael Lemmo puts the #69 Peavey Wolfgang through its paces in a killer EVH-style demo

By Matt Parker published

The guitar is headed to auction later this month and was brought down to Norman’s Rare Guitars for a preview

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Guitar player Steve Vai poses at a Hotel in Amsterdam, Netherlands on 24th April 1990.

The ‘90s was a watershed era for gear, and set the template for the future of the electric guitar – these are the retro designs, digital innovations and misfit toys that defined a decade and beyond

By Chris Gill

Limp Bizkit

10 late ‘90s nu metal albums that don’t suck

By Andrew Daly published

Big shorts, seven-string guitars, hip-hop beats and a full workout of the quiet/loud dynamic guaranteed

SSD's Al Barile performs live

“I had to stop buying records. I stopped being a fan of music – I felt that was affecting my individuality and my style”: SSD were hardcore legends, then Al Barile sold his guitar gear to buy a jet ski. Here’s how he found his way back to his Gibson SG

By Gregory Adams published

He may have been schooled on AC/DC, Van Halen and classical guitar, but Al Barile attacked his instrument with a vicious physicality inspired by his love of hockey. He looks back on his love-hate relationship with music – and the ‘80s SG he snapped after performing a jump-kick at CBGB’s

Hotline TNT perform live

“Most people think three guitarists is a lot, but to me, it’s the minimum – it sounds way thicker and heavier”: Meet Hotline TNT, the Jack White-approved shoegaze band who don’t like pedals

By Ellie Rogers published

Think shoegaze is all reverb, delay, fuzz? Well, there's another sonic path, and Hotline TNT are taking it with three guitarists. Will Anderson unpacks the approach behind their acclaimed noise-pop sound

Dan Maher

“We had to perform 700 songs in the space of five weeks, but we had to learn 1,200. I didn’t sleep for seven weeks”: Being a guitarist on TV is no walk in the park. Just ask The Voice and The Masked Singer six-stringer Dan Maher

By Gregory Adams published

The seasoned session guitarist has played with Rita Ora and Adam Lambert, and tackled an impossible number of songs for Australia’s premier primetime TV shows. Maher explains what it’s like to accompany an avocado, why playing AC/DC made him more nervous than anything else, and that time he got a FaceTime call in the middle of a live show… and couldn‘t read his charts

Paul McCartney and Denny Laine

“I’m actually surprised we’re that well-remembered. I’m just a normal musician who doesn’t really think about the fame side of it”: In his final interview, Denny Laine looks back on the breakthrough success and enduring legacy of Paul McCartney and Wings

By Bill DeMain last updated

1973 was the year Paul McCartney’s ragtag group, Wings, first scored Beatles-sized success. As late guitarist Denny Laine recalled, they were no overnight success

Trevor Rabin

“The guitar is such an interesting instrument; it can be a sound palette, create harmonies and be presented in endless ways”: Trevor Rabin breaks down the tales and tools behind some of his greatest guitar highlights

By Andrew Daly published

The six-string wizard (and songwriter) behind Owner of a Lonely Heart shares the stories behind six classic Yes tracks and six tracks from his masterful new album, Rio

Jien Takahashi

Jason Becker hailed his “stunning technique and explosive guitar tone” – now Jien Takahashi is building a unique brand of shred shaped by Ritchie Blackmore, Morbid Angel and a quest to prove “a guitar solo can be as persuasive as a singer's voice”

By Andrew Daly published

The rising Japanese virtuoso has an undying love for the shred heroics of Becker and Marty Friedman, but also uses his Ibanez, PRS and occasionally his $50 Legend Strat copy to traverse much wider melodic ground

John Cale

“I tend to brutalize electric guitars, so anything I have in my personal stash stays away from the live stage these days”: John Cale opens up about AI, amp exploration and the emotional potential of effects

By Bruce Fagerstrom published

The Velvet Underground co-founder returns with Mercy, a new solo album featuring Weyes Blood, Actress and Animal Collective – and Cale's typically restless search for new sounds

Ian Hill of Judas Priest performs in support of the Redeemer Of Souls Tour at Fox theater on October 19, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan.

“McCartney was fantastic. Mind you, I tried one of those Hofner basses and I thought it was crap”: Judas Priest’s heavy metal veteran Ian Hill picks his top 5 bass albums

By Joel McIver published

From the Beatles to the Bluesbreakers, we asked Ian Hill to name five albums that helped him along the righteous path to metal glory with Judas Priest

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Sophie Lloyd

Welcome to Sophie Lloyd's melodic rock soloing masterclass – essential techniques to take your lead playing to the next level

By Charlie Griffiths

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stevie Ray Vaughan virtually defined the art of the Texas shuffle – learn the playing style that shaped the sound of blues to come

By Jamie Humphries published

The late, great Stratocaster master’s techniques will add some Texas heat to your blues playing, guaranteed

Paco de Lucia

Known for his superhuman technique, Paco de Lucía is one of the all-time guitar greats – learn how to add his Nuevo flamenco flavor to your playing

By Declan Zapala published

Uncover the explosive possibilities in your fingers with this crash course in flamenco guitar playing

Neal Schon

With an anthemic, ultra-melodic approach, Neal Schon helped define the sound of ‘80s rock – upgrade your chops with a deep-dive into the Journey virtuoso’s legendary rhythm and lead styles

By Martin Cooper published

Don't stop believin', but do start practicing on this video and tab lesson that unpacks Schon's tuneful, radio-friendly approach to rhythm and lead guitar

John Wheatcroft

With over 700 recorded versions in the last 45 years alone, Silent Night is one of the world's most popular Christmas carols – learn a spellbinding solo jazz guitar arrangement inspired by Larry Carlton and Django Reinhardt

By John Wheatcroft published

Get to grips with a Christmas classic that will improve your chord-melody chops and impress your family

Andy Summers

Reach further on the fretboard and expand your playing possibilities with these guitar finger stretching exercises

By Simon Barnard published

Reduce pain and increase your vocabulary of chords and techniques with this Andy Summers and Allan Holdsworth-inspired lesson – just be sure to warm up first

Jimmy Vaughan

Jimmie Vaughan may be Stevie Ray’s older brother, but he paved his own way to blues guitar stardom – learn his red-hot brand of Texas blues that left even Clapton in awe

By Phil Short published

Jimmie Vaughan is a bona-fide blues great, whose techniques are compulsory learning for any guitarist. This tab and audio lesson takes you into his style, and how you can spice up your pentatonic lines with Dorian flavor

British musician Jimmy Page, of rock group the Firm, plays guitar as he performs onstage at the Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 7, 1985.

DADGAD guitar tuning: an introduction to the (not quite) open tuning favored by Jimmy Page

By Richard Barrett published

Here are five ideas to get started with DADGAD tuning, so you can get on with the important business of writing the next Kashmir

Josh Middleton

“String skipping can mimic sweep picking and cover a lot of ground”: Learn how to make your shred solos sound a whole lot more evil with this exclusive Josh Middleton video lesson

By Josh Middleton published

The Sylosis virtuoso teaches you five approaches to improve your metal guitar solos – and make them that bit more sinister

Eric Bibb

Your acoustic blues playing will come on leaps and bounds with new fingerpicking patterns – here are 10 you need to know

By Stuart Ryan published

Ditch the pick and dive into these fingerpicking style guitar lessons on some of blues guitar's finest fingerstylists, including Eric Bibb, Rory Gallagher and Leo Kottke