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Mastodon’s first single with their new guitarist is a powerful tribute to Brent Hinds
Your Ghost Again is the lead single from the band’s ninth album, Poisonous Weapons
Latest News
Mastodon’s first single with their new guitarist is a powerful tribute to Brent Hinds
Your Ghost Again is the lead single from the band’s ninth album, Poisonous Weapons
JHS Pedals once mistakenly put an ultra-rare Dumble boost circuit into one of its DIY pedals – now it’s been launched as an $89 standalone stompbox
A clone of John Mayer's elusive Dumble BBC-1 has been released after it was accidentally put in the Notadümblë
Is Joe Bonamassa warming to modeling amps?
If a recent social media post is anything to go by, the tube amp traditionalist may be coming around to digital guitar tech
Rowan Robertson on the key advice he received from Ronnie James Dio on how to faithfully play Tony Iommi’s riffs
Though Robertson was only 17 at the time he was hired for Ronnie James Dio's band, the legendary frontman had the utmost confidence in him
TONE3000 rolls out potentially game-changing new A2 NAM modeling tech
Open-source Architecture 2 is promising to deliver “the best sounding amp modeling technology in history”
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Positive Grid branches out from the Spark with the Reactor – an AI-powered combo that can generate tones from images and adapts to your playing
The firm’s first major foray outside of the Spark family could become a fierce new force in the smart amp market
How Dave Davies wrote the savage solo for the Kinks' breakthrough hit
Davies debunks false claims that the track featured Jimmy Page and reveals how it all came about
Artists
Josh Klinghoffer on the Chili Peppers vs. Pearl Jam, and the oddball ‘60s Strats that live in his studio
These days Klinghoffer’s leaving his most road-worn guitars at home; and on his new Pluralone album he went back to his beloved 1947 Martin. He only wishes he could record in Andrew Watt’s studio
Bruce Watson on the gear behind Big Country’s sound
The Big Country guitarist pulls some choice guitars and amps out of the vault, and explains why the Esquire beats the Tele
Randy Rhoads was his guitar teacher. Then he ended up in Ozzy Osbourne’s band
Joe Holmes looks back on his time with Ozzy and David Lee Roth, and explains why his upcoming solo album, featuring former Ozzy band members, captures everything he’s learned up till now
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Bill Laswell on Lemmy, Paul Simon, and his failed studio session with Jaco Pastorius
The visionary producer also had his say on Lemmy, Paul Simon, and his failed studio session with Jaco Pastorius
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Smashing Pumpkins’ Kiki Wong on how Billy Corgan led her down the stompbox rabbit hole
Kiki Wong discusses her pedalboard strategy for nailing classic Pumpkins tones and credits Corgan as a bona-fide guru of effects
Reb Beach on working with David Coverdale, and what comes next now Winger and Whitesnake are over
With both his star bands calling it quits, the ace sideman finds himself at a career crossroads. But which path will he choose – jazz-fusion or stand-up comedy?
Sully Erna is optimistic for Godsmack 2.0, and he can't wait for you to hear their new guitarist
The Gibson devotee reveals why he's feeling excited about working with new lead player Sam Koltun, discusses the photo that made him want a Les Paul, explains why he won’t use amp modelers, and tells you why you should play drums
Sean Lennon on too many pedals, embracing Acoustasonics, and caring for his dad’s instruments
He’s glad Yoko Ono stopped him playing John Lennon’s guitars at the age of 12, as he looks forward to touring the new Claypool Lennon Delirium album, using as little gear as he can get away with
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Gear
Best octave pedals for bass 2026: Pitch-shift your playing with my pick of essential pedalboard additions
Looking for a new octave pedal to add to your bass rig, or are you entering the world for the first time? Here's are my top choices along with expert buying advice
Positive Grid Reactor 100 Intelligent Guitar Combo Amp review
Positive Grid is branching out from the market-conquering Spark family with a bold new lineup that could spell trouble for the Boss Katana
Best 3/4 acoustic guitars 2026: small-bodied, short scale sensations from Taylor, Martin, Faith, and more
I count down the best compact acoustics for new players, smaller guitarists and those looking for a neat 'couch guitar'
What two 1967 prototypes tell us about the evolution of the Telecaster Thinline
Dave Davidson of Well Strung Guitars describes how, during 1967, Fender got busy developing an alternative to heavy ash Telecaster bodies
“Waiting to throw a spanner in the works of your guitar tone”: Electro-Harmonix Pico Atomic Cluster review
EHX’s new Pico pedal is designed to deconstruct your tone to an atomic level
The story of the Boss digital delay pedal that changed the world
Despite advances in technology, elite players such as Joe Bonamassa, Tom Morello and Brad Paisley still keep a DD-2 or DD-3 on their 'board
Best overdrive pedals for bass 2026: The ultimate in bass saturation at all price points
My pick of the top-rated overdrive pedals for bass players from the likes of EBS, Electro-Harmonix, Origin Effects, and more
Lessons
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
Charlie Starr on how to play “Piedmont” fingerstyle guitar
The Blackberry Smoke frontman goes unplugged to give us a lesson in the fingerstyle techniques he applies in his day job
Hidden for four decades, the story behind the (almost) unheard outro solo on John Farnham’s smash hit, You’re the Voice
Celtic rock bagpipe phrasing, THAT blazing arpeggio and a crazy bend that broke a string – learn how Brett Garsed played his solo in this exclusive feature
Joe Bonamassa breaks down the differences between P-90s and PAF humbuckers
In this lesson, the blues maestro demonstrates how pickup choice affects the tone and can be used for different purposes
How to survive setbacks when music is your identity, not just your job
Australian metal veteran Glen Phillips on what he wished he knew when he was starting out
Reviews
Positive Grid Reactor 100 Intelligent Guitar Combo Amp review
Positive Grid is branching out from the market-conquering Spark family with a bold new lineup that could spell trouble for the Boss Katana
“Waiting to throw a spanner in the works of your guitar tone”: Electro-Harmonix Pico Atomic Cluster review
EHX’s new Pico pedal is designed to deconstruct your tone to an atomic level
“It’s a guitar that can indeed be a singer-songwriter’s tool, or a guitar for chugging metal”: PRS SE Ed Sheeran Hollowbody I Piezo Baritone review
One of the biggest names in pop delivers a first signature electric that bridges the gap between open chords and heavy metal chugs
Fender Vintera III Early '60s Bass VI review – is this oddball offset really worth the hype?
Fender's cult classic offset, beloved by The Beatles and beyond, is back and supposedly better than ever
“Bright, lively, and surprisingly loud, it projects with a clarity and presence that belies its compact footprint”: Faith Nomad Mini-Neptune Trembesi review
This scaled-down Neptune is worlds apart from some of its travel guitar competition
“No guitar does everything, but this comes dangerously close”: PRS DGT Semi-Hollow review
After testing the water with a limited-edition version, PRS has added David Grissom’s semi-hollow signature to the Core lineup. But are we worthy?
EarthQuaker ZEQD-PRE review – the ultimate tube-equipped tone-sculptor for your pedalboard?
EarthQuaker Devices and Dr Z join forces for a tube-based preamp and boost with flexible connectivity
“A strange and weird anomaly that stands apart not only from most known octave fuzz designs, but also from fuzzes full stop”: JHS Coyote review
A fascinating lost octave fuzz gets a reissue
"I would prefer to see Fender tweak the pickups rather than the aesthetic": Fender Vintera III Mid '60s Telecaster review
Shifting the focus from the highlights of a decade to more specific years, Fender updates its Vintera range in a way that will please those who get a kick out of attention to vintage aesthetics
Buying Guides
Best octave pedals for bass 2026: Pitch-shift your playing with my pick of essential pedalboard additions
Looking for a new octave pedal to add to your bass rig, or are you entering the world for the first time? Here's are my top choices along with expert buying advice
Best 3/4 acoustic guitars 2026: small-bodied, short scale sensations from Taylor, Martin, Faith, and more
I count down the best compact acoustics for new players, smaller guitarists and those looking for a neat 'couch guitar'
Best overdrive pedals for bass 2026: The ultimate in bass saturation at all price points
My pick of the top-rated overdrive pedals for bass players from the likes of EBS, Electro-Harmonix, Origin Effects, and more
Best Squier guitars 2026: the ultimate guide
We check out the top Squier guitars, including the Classic Vibe series, Affinity series, Debut models, and Paranormal series guitars
Best modeling amps 2026: get iconic amp and effects tones at your fingertips
I break down the best modeling amps available, covering a range of budgets, brands and sizes
Best mini amps for guitar 2026: power up your practice with these tiny towers of tone
My top picks of small guitar amps that pack a punch and let you practice when you're short on space
Best parlor guitars 2026: sofa-friendly acoustics for every budget
The grandfather of acoustic guitars – our top parlor guitar picks from Gibson, Martin, Yamaha, and more
