What’s the best guitar jam you’ve ever seen?
It doesn’t have to have taken place in an arena with big-name players. It could’ve been at a club, a bar, hell, a garage. Tell us your story
![Journey drummer [left] Deen Castronovo, plus keyboardist/rhythm guitarist Jonathan Cain and lead guitarist Neal Schon](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9kstjKg53FEL6BCbUpYMpR-320-80.jpg.webp)
Latest News
What’s the best guitar jam you’ve ever seen?
It doesn’t have to have taken place in an arena with big-name players. It could’ve been at a club, a bar, hell, a garage. Tell us your story
Stanley Jordan is writing a metal album on James Hetfield’s signature ESP
Some guitar players struggle to play one guitar. Stanley Jordan? He's using two of them simultaneously, and he's making a metal album
![Journey drummer [left] Deen Castronovo, plus keyboardist/rhythm guitarist Jonathan Cain and lead guitarist Neal Schon](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9kstjKg53FEL6BCbUpYMpR-840-80.jpg.webp)
Journey show halted after two songs after drummer Deen Castronovo has medical emergency onstage
After a delay, Castronovo's drum tech sat in for the rest of their Tulsa show while Neal Schon dedicated the night to him
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Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill retires after nearly 60 years, names replacement
Hill will now spend meaningful time with his family as his struggles with “evil arthritis” worsen
Ex-Martin employee says destruction of 145-year-old acoustic in Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight was no accident
Six prop guitars were made, but Martin’s former in-house historian says they were purposefully sidelined for the iconic scene
7 Comments
Andrew Watt and Tony Iommi are at odds over why the final Black Sabbath album never happened
Iommi recently explained why he turned down the chance to make an album with the hotshot producer, but Watt remembers it differently
How to watch Oasis: Don't Look Back In Anger
Liam and Noel Gallagher's new documentary lands on streaming October 9. Here's how to watch, no matter where you are in the world
Artists
How a bass she borrowed (and never gave back) helped shape the sound of Rhonda Smith’s new supergroup
Rhonda Smith opens up about her new supergroup with Cindy Blackman and Orianthi – and the lessons she learned from Prince
5 basslines that made Paul Simon a superstar
From David Hood’s deep Southern grooves to Bakithi Kumalo’s groundbreaking fretless work, Paul Simon has always known the value of a great bassist
Michael Hampton, aka Kidd Funkadelic, on the making of the band’s mysterious 1975 classic
Funkadelic history is a little fuzzy. The credits are disputed. But Hampton was there. He takes us back to 1975 to revisit the making of Let’s Take It to the Stage
Alek Darson was mixing a new prog project with Animals as Leaders’ drummer – then he found himself in the band
The Berklee-trained guitarist and producer was originally inspired by Dream Theater and went on to play on a Jordan Rudess album. When a cinematic prog metal project made its way to his studio, he found himself reaching for his WoodGuerillas
How Gwen Stefani’s dad and a Yamaha employee discount set Tony Kanal on the road to bass stardom with No Doubt
Kanal later discovered a BB3000 in a Japanese music store and has been playing them ever since – with one crucial modification
Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher and Nick Johnston on the evolution and survival of prog-metal’s big beast
The loss of Brent Hinds would have broken most bands. But with Nick Johnston, Mastodon plowed on, and Marrow Deep is a tribute that cuts to the bone
Anthrax on how Mr. Bungle, family trauma and late-night calls with Dimebag inspired an album 10 years in the making – but will it be their last?
Anthrax lifers Scott Ian and Charlie Benante weigh in on returning to sub-four-minute thrash songs and contemplating the end on Cursum Perficio
Gear
A deep dive into the wild, booming world of online guitar giveaways
I took a punt and ended up receiving one of my dream guitars for less than the price of a pack of strings
“At $25, having one in your back pocket to spark ideas seems like a bit of a no-brainer”: Devi Ever : fx Plugins review
Devi Ever is back, at least in plugin form
“An addictively playable, lightweight, lively guitar”: West Valley Fever Rambler review
An old-looking newcomer from UK brand West Valley – will this Fever get the mercury rising?
Best amp modelers 2026: rack-mounted and floorboard options for every budget
Want a bunch of amp sounds packed into one unit? Start your research with our pick of the best amp modelers for guitarists
Decoding the mysteries of a 1953 Stromberg Master 400C – one of the rarest jazz guitars in the world
This mid-’50s cutaway model is one of only seven made by the Boston-based company
Best acoustic guitars for beginners 2026: My top picks for new players, reviewed by a pro
I've tested epic affordable six-strings from Fender, Taylor, Yamaha, and more – read on for my best beginner acoustic guitar recommendations and watch my video demos
Ned Steinberger’s headless revolution looked like a world first – until Les Paul dropped a bombshell: he’d already built one
Having already transformed bass design with Stuart Spector, Ned Steinberger turned his attention to eliminating the headstock altogether – only to discover that Les Paul had beaten him to it
Lessons
Eric Gales shows you 7 ways to get across the fretboard that unlock his secret to improv
The blues-rock maestro explains how position shifts can shape melodic ideas in his latest lesson column
I’ve been using a violin bow on my guitars for years. Here’s how to make it sound more “ethereal” and less “screeching cat”
Jimmy Page, Adrian Belew, Lee Ranaldo and Sigur Rós popularized the use of the violin bow on guitar, but there’s a knack to making it sound good
Don’t be intimidated by acoustic bluegrass – this lesson is the perfect primer (just watch out for the F6/9!)
Bluegrass folk blues can take many forms, incorporating influences from both sides of the Atlantic, but it all comes down to two hands and the acoustic guitar
How to make your guitar look and sound more vintage – for very little money
Era-specific parts, upgrades and mods can make all the difference
Alex Skolnick shares his legato secrets – and how Holdsworth made the technique his own
Returning as a GW columnist after a 30-year gap, Alex Skolnick is wasting no time with a lesson that'll expand your scalar vocab and work on your legato
Charlie Starr on why choosing the right guitar for the song makes all the difference
The Blackberry Smoke frontman on how sometimes it’s the guitar's tone that’ll unlock the secret to the song
“The most common mistake is thinking it’s an out-of-tune guitar”: What people get wrong about microtonal music
You might think Angine de Poitrine are pioneering a new form of composition. They’re actually popularizing a very ancient approach to creativity
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Reviews
“At $25, having one in your back pocket to spark ideas seems like a bit of a no-brainer”: Devi Ever : fx Plugins review
Devi Ever is back, at least in plugin form
“An addictively playable, lightweight, lively guitar”: West Valley Fever Rambler review
An old-looking newcomer from UK brand West Valley – will this Fever get the mercury rising?
HeadRush FRFR-12 review
One of the originators of the guitar-focused FRFR speaker finally gets around to updating its offering
"If you live to chug, you’ll find a lot to love here": Cort KX500 Baritone review
Cort’s new KX500 Baritone is a lightweight, low-action six-string built squarely for modern metal with Seymour Duncan humbuckers and a 28-inch scale
Eastman Kauffmann Series SC Classic review – individual new design
Another sharp-looking model from the Eastman stable, hailing from across the North Sea in Holland and built from super-lightweight Oregon pine
"It's a bit of an acquired taste, aesthetically": Washburn Scavenger SB4R review
A classic US brand shows some new signs of life…
“Truly an amp improver – you’d instantly miss it if you turned it off”: ThorpyFX Kudu review
Named after a huge antelope, the colourful new ThorpyFX drive pedal is a versatile tone-enhancer designed for stacking
Buying Guides
Best amp modelers 2026: rack-mounted and floorboard options for every budget
Want a bunch of amp sounds packed into one unit? Start your research with our pick of the best amp modelers for guitarists
Best acoustic guitars for beginners 2026: My top picks for new players, reviewed by a pro
I've tested epic affordable six-strings from Fender, Taylor, Yamaha, and more – read on for my best beginner acoustic guitar recommendations and watch my video demos
Best tremolo pedals 2026: from classic amp pulse to chopped-up stutter
Whether you need subtle vintage amp warmth or high-speed rhythmic chops, these are the tremolo stomps that belong on your pedalboard, from TC Electronic, Electro-Harmonix, Boss, Strymon and JHS
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 boost pedals 2026: lift your tone, push your tube amp and cut through the mix
Best boost pedals 2026: including the best clean boost pedals for guitar Vamp up your tone with the best boost pedals for guitarists, as well as the best clean boost pedals for making your electric guitar solos really sing
Best combo amps 2026: all-in-one tone, power, and versatility
From stage-ready tube icons to powerful digital modellers, here's our pick of expert-tested combos for every budget and playing style
Best 12-string guitars 2026: our pick of 12-string acoustic and electric guitars
Our expert guide to the best 12-string guitars from Taylor, Rickenbacker, Fender, and others
