Looking to start your metal guitar journey? The Ibanez GIO RG range will get you set up and shredding in no time
Entry level electrics and basses from Ibanez’s affordable GIO RG lineup offers a range of colorways and tonal options
![Tracy G [Left] and Ronnie James Dio.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iugfWHaLQSmhSYrHWzXprK-320-80.jpg.webp)
Latest News
Looking to start your metal guitar journey? The Ibanez GIO RG range will get you set up and shredding in no time
Entry level electrics and basses from Ibanez’s affordable GIO RG lineup offers a range of colorways and tonal options
![Tracy G [Left] and Ronnie James Dio.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iugfWHaLQSmhSYrHWzXprK-840-80.jpg.webp)
“If you take solos from me, then I’m out”: Tracy G on why he walked out of Dio’s band
Tracy Grijalva joined up with Ronnie James Dio in ’93. But by ’99 he was out when he was made an offer he couldn’t accept
The best new gear this week, feat. a new type of metal guitar and a Fender collab we didn’t see coming
Big moves in the gear world this week from PRS, Fender, Gibson, DiMarzio and more...
Fender released a $32 Telecaster chopping board – and someone turned it into an actual guitar
The body size is to scale, but the dimensions led to a few problems
Richie Kotzen all-but-confirms he has a new signature Strat on the way – and it might be his best yet
Kotzen tells players to “stay tuned” in a teasing Instagram post
Two-hand tapping is coming to Guitar Hero’s spiritual successor thanks to a new controller from Fender
Stage Tour launches in December, so Fender has teamed up with Drakong to make a fully modular, Tele-shaped controller that you can tap on
The first time Marty Friedman saw Randy Rhoads play
It was a show that left a lasting impact on Friedman
![Robin Davey and Greta Valenti of Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse [left]; and Joe Bonamassa wears a ball cap and plays an ES-335 at B.B. King's Blues Summit 100.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/s6DKBqWznhGbtEAfJk3YV3-840-80.jpg.webp)
Artists
How Conrad St. Clair went from Juilliard-trained flautist to playing fretless 6-string bass with a Frank Zappa tribute band
The Furious Bongos’ Conrad St. Clair explores the musicianship, chemistry and creative thinking behind Frank Zappa’s music
How Jake Xerxes Fussell’s adventures with blues guitar’s hidden gems have shaped him for life
The folk alchemist treads a transformative path, rendering old songs new with little but a Telecaster and a tube amp
Mark Hoppus on blink-182’s triumphant third act, their next album and his one-off Fender Jaguar Bass
One of pop-punk’s most influential bassists reveals what songwriting with Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker is really like, the guitar parts you might not realize he wrote and why his new signature bass is unique for every player
Steve Lukather on the two players that nearly made him quit guitar
From the Archive Turns out, even the Toto guitarist and session ace went through a phase of doubting his abilities...
Session king Larry Mitchell on Nile Rodgers, Tracy Chapman, and what Steve Vai taught him
The NYC sessioner shares war stories from a charmed career – and reveals his one big regret
Keith Urban doesn’t want to stop learning
He discusses what it’s like to play with some of his heroes, his favorite rare guitar, and the quirk of his playing that sometimes frustrates him
Malina Moye on the making of her signature Kramer Pacer Deluxe
The blues-rock guitarist reveals how four years, four prototypes, one vision and raw emotion turned into her first signature guitar: the Kramer Malina Moye Pacer Deluxe
Matt Bellamy bought the firm that makes his guitars. Now he’s using it to update Muse’s sound and build instruments for icons
The Muse frontman wound up owning Manson Guitar Works after 20 years of FX-loaded collaborations. He details its forthcoming Graham Coxon signature model and why mistakes are an important part of his playing
Gear
“I’m so happy that the playability has escaped any sense of compromise”: Cort KX500 Pale Moon review
Cort's $900 S-type is packing heat and some standout looks, and it might just throw a cat among the pigeons of the sub-$1K metal guitar market
Gretsch G6134T-58 Limited Edition Penguin with String-Thru Bigsby review
The mythical Penguin, one of the rarest vintage guitars of all, gets reissued in an eye-catching Light Blue Pearl finish with plenty of bling and exciting pickups – it can only be a Gretsch
“It just works. Remarkably well. Invisibly so”: Shure GLXD16+ wireless guitar system review
Shure’s pedalboard-friendly wireless system for guitars is a pro-grade masterpiece
Boss EX-4 Effects Expander review
Boss's new EX-4 boasts a host of the company's famous effects in a compact package, in what could be a valuable addition to your board.
"A compact guitar with genuine shred appeal": Jackson Minion JS1X Dinky review
Jackson shrinks its iconic Dinky design, letting young metalheads and travel guitarists shred on a diminutive scale at an affordable price
“An unusually exceptional budget electric guitar”: Squier Paranormal Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster XII review
The QOTSA guitarist's new signature Fender collab is a weird-ass Squier 12-string with Custom Shop provenance
Best amps for metal 2026: tried and tested metal amps for heavy guitar tones
These powerhouse metal amps from EVH, Orange, Peavey, ENGL, and more will have you primed to seek and destroy
Lessons
Blackberry Smoke's Charlie Starr on the delicate art of overdubbing guitars
Taking Morningside as an example from Blackberry Smoke's You Hear Georgia, Charlie Starr demystifies an approach perfected by Keef
“Starting acoustically is a good foundation for tone”: Jake Kiszka’s top 5 tone tips
The Greta Van Fleet guitarist says it’s time we reconnected with combo amps – and don’t forget that technique is fundamental to tone
People ask me: “How do I get out of the pentatonic rut?” This is what I tell them
10 things we learned from B.B. King, Peter Green, Stevie Ray Vaughan and more that will improve your soloing
“One pickup, two knobs – what more do you need? Well, some of us need a front pickup, too!” Joe Bonamassa compares Les Paul Juniors and demonstrates how they change his playing
Joe Bonamassa explains how not all Juniors are created equal, but they all have something magical about them
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
Reviews
“I’m so happy that the playability has escaped any sense of compromise”: Cort KX500 Pale Moon review
Cort's $900 S-type is packing heat and some standout looks, and it might just throw a cat among the pigeons of the sub-$1K metal guitar market
Gretsch G6134T-58 Limited Edition Penguin with String-Thru Bigsby review
The mythical Penguin, one of the rarest vintage guitars of all, gets reissued in an eye-catching Light Blue Pearl finish with plenty of bling and exciting pickups – it can only be a Gretsch
“It just works. Remarkably well. Invisibly so”: Shure GLXD16+ wireless guitar system review
Shure’s pedalboard-friendly wireless system for guitars is a pro-grade masterpiece
Boss EX-4 Effects Expander review
Boss's new EX-4 boasts a host of the company's famous effects in a compact package, in what could be a valuable addition to your board.
"A compact guitar with genuine shred appeal": Jackson Minion JS1X Dinky review
Jackson shrinks its iconic Dinky design, letting young metalheads and travel guitarists shred on a diminutive scale at an affordable price
“An unusually exceptional budget electric guitar”: Squier Paranormal Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster XII review
The QOTSA guitarist's new signature Fender collab is a weird-ass Squier 12-string with Custom Shop provenance
"Takes the fight to Darkglass with a very distinct character of its own": EarthQuaker Devices Scrolls Bass Odyssey review
EarthQuaker and Kentaro Nakao join forces for a new bass preamp. Let's unfurl the Scrolls…
Buying Guides
Best amps for metal 2026: tried and tested metal amps for heavy guitar tones
These powerhouse metal amps from EVH, Orange, Peavey, ENGL, and more will have you primed to seek and destroy
Best acoustic electric guitars 2025: electro-acoustic picks for every guitarist whatever your budget
Stand and be heard – embrace the creative opportunities an acoustic electric guitar presents, whether live on stage or in the studio
Best pedalboard power supplies 2026: expert-reviewed power for pedal nerds
I put budget-spanning pedal power supplies from Fender, Cioks, Walrus Audio and more through their paces – these were my standouts
Best guitar capos 2026: 6 expert-tested options for acoustic and electric players
Our guide to the best guitar capos for electric, acoustic, 12-string and beyond, and for every budget and level of player
Best guitar audio interfaces 2026: tried and tested for low latency
From budget-friendly desktop hubs to premium studio options, I've rigorously tested the top audio interfaces for recording guitar
Best guitar amp headphones 2026: expert-approved cans for silent practice
From studio stalwarts to all-in-one wireless rigs, these are the best headphones for use with guitar amps
Best headphone amps for guitar 2026: silent practice solutions
You don’t need to sacrifice tone to practice quietly with my expert pick of the best headphone amps for guitar players
