Have you ever regretted selling a guitar?
It’s a crossroads that nearly every guitarist has come to at some point or another. Share your story with us
Latest News
Have you ever regretted selling a guitar?
It’s a crossroads that nearly every guitarist has come to at some point or another. Share your story with us
Following the record-breaking sale of Jerry Garcia’s “Tiger,” more Grateful Dead and Garcia guitar gear is coming up for auction
More than 300 pieces from the inner circle of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia are currently up for grabs – including Garcia’s studio‑ and video‑played pre‑war Gibson Super 400N
This guitarist played Les Paul’s Number One guitar at Les Paul’s recording studio
Dre DiMura was given a personal tour of the Les Paul Recording Studio and got his hands on some historic gear
Ryan Gosling insisted Slash was flown in from Thailand to play a guitar solo at the Oscars
The superstar actor reveals that the now-iconic performance wouldn't have happened without Slash's involvement
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Beach Boys hire new bass player from social media – after he made a video on how to sound like the Beach Boys
Chris Cron's unassuming clip went viral, and soon he was learning Carol Kaye’s basslines for the real deal
Jon Gomm reflects on the horror fall that almost ended his career
The percussive acoustic maverick fell two meters off a badly-lit stage onto concrete, but he’s on the road to recovery
Brian Setzer shares autoimmune disease struggles – and how he recovered
The Stray Cats guitarist details his hard-fought journey to recovery, after an autoimmune disease stopped him in his tracks last year
Guitar World deals of the week: get an ESP LTD for nearly half price, save $390 on a Fender Strat, plus some sweet savings on accessories from the Amazon Spring Sale
Your weekly digest of the best deals on guitar gear from all corners of the web, hand-picked by Guitar World's team of guitarists
Artists
How Allen McGrier brought his Jamerson-approved Detroit swagger to a classic R&B ballad
Bassist Allen McGrier grew up in the shadows of Motown and the Jamerson family in particular
Meet STONE, the Liverpool alt-rockers who quit their major label, wowed Yungblud’s fans and wrote their new album on a Gibson missing a string
Second album AUTONOMY is a strike for freedom for the Liverpool quartet, who felt limited in their corporate environment
Jim Gustafson and Poobah endured decades in the dark, but now their early albums are selling for $1,000 a copy
Even though his band was produced by Billy Cox and opened for Judas Priest, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, and countless others, industry issues held him back. And yet, powered by his original Marshalls and pedals, Jim Gustafson's determination means he’s still out there today
Joe Perry gives us a decade-by-decade guide to the amps behind his Aerosmith tone
Is Joe Perry a Marshall guy, Fender guy, boutique guy, pedal amp guy? Answer: he’s all of the above
Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti on making an Alter Bridge album at Eddie Van Halen’s studio
An invite from Wolfgang Van Halen led to the recording experience of a lifetime as Alter Bridge decamped to 5150 Studios for their new “straight-ahead hard-rock record”
John Frusciante on the challenge of replacing Hillel Slovak in the Red Hot Chili Peppers
The funk-rock guitar icon joined his favorite band at 18 years old, but finding his groove took time. He explains how studying Slovak helped him find his own voice – and ultimately made the Chili Peppers one of the biggest bands on the planet
How a custom SG gifted from The Mars Volta and a voice memo fed into Blackwater Holylight’s doomy shoegaze masterpiece
The Portland trio started out playing house parties. But a move to LA helped them evolve into an atmospheric powerhouse that’s the missing link between Deftones and Radiohead
"The bush can make you whacky, especially if you’re running from a few coppers who are shooting at you": William Crighton on bush psychedelia, collaborating with the late Rob Hirst, and his new LP Colonial Drift
Guitarists The Australian singer songwriter talks the gestation and creation of his fourth album.
Gear
“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
EarthQuaker Devices Towers review
The latest entry into EarthQuaker Device's range of revolutionary ambience machines will make you rethink your relationship with reverb
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
“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.
The ultimate guide to guitar amps: from vintage vacuum tubes to modeling marvels
Everything you need to know about the tech, tones, and tools that define your sound
10 sleeper guitar amps that deserve legendary status
From overlooked British combos to U.S. workhorses, these may not have the Plexi's prestige, but they deliver world-class tone for players willing to look beyond the obvious
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Lessons
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
Charlie Starr on the origins of the B-Bender – and how you can play those licks without one
No B-Bender, no problem, as the Blackberry Smoke frontman shows us 9 licks for that faux pedal-steel sound
5 altered chords you need to know – and how they get their names
Altered chords can be intimidating at first, but here we demystify the naming conventions, and once you understand that, you can easily find your own
Cory Wong on why doubling the bassline is one of the “most badass” things a guitarist can do
Cory Wong uses Vulfpeck's Jaco-inspired Dean Town to teach us the value of doubling a bassline on guitar
How to play B.B. King’s greatest song (with some help from Joe Bonamassa)
Bonamassa says B.B. King’s The Thrill Is Gone is so perfect that he initially couldn’t find anyone to cover it on his tribute album. Here, he unpacks the tones and approaches of the King of the Blues
Reviews
“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
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.
“Arguably the most practical single pedal you can put in front of an amp”: Flattley The Outlaw review
Flattley combines the functions of two of its pedals into one chassis to create a Marshall-flavoured drive and boost
"It’s one of the most satisfying stacking combinations I’ve encountered in a dual-channel pedal for a very long time": Wampler Golden Jubilee review
Wampler is going for gold with a versatile, fun and pretty great-sounding dual drive pedal
“More aggressive, more physical, more raw and in tune with the animal kingdom”: Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi 2 Dual Op-Amp Fuzz review
A schematic, lost in the shuffle, resurfaces with the help of JHS Pedals supremo Josh Scott, and presents us with a fresh slice of Pi
Buying Guides
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
Best short-scale basses 2026: the ultimate guide to the greatest pint-sized bass guitars at all price points
From Fender to Gibson, Gretsch to Spector, here are our top picks for the best short-scale basses on the market right now
