Country star surprises seller as he personally shows up to buy Facebook Marketplace find
Jacksonville singer-songwriter Riley Green shrugged off his rising fame to personally collect the Gibson J-45
Latest News
Country star surprises seller as he personally shows up to buy Facebook Marketplace find
Jacksonville singer-songwriter Riley Green shrugged off his rising fame to personally collect the Gibson J-45
Ronnie Wood joins Joe Perry and Johnny Depp for two blues rock classics in London
The Hollywood Vampires just got even more star-studded as they kicked off their European tour in London
Joe Bonamassa has a new Martin signature – and he's already played it live with a guitar legend
Two new models are inspired by Bonamassa’s prized 1937 00-18 Shade-Top
Ritchie Blackmore reunites with Deep Purple for the first time in 33 years – watch him play Smoke on the Water
The rock guitar legend announced he’d hatched surprise plans to join the band on stage earlier this year
Albert Lee reveals the guitar technique Eddie Van Halen was reluctant to try
Lee looks back on his days in one of guitar’s all-time greatest secret supergroups
The future of the S-style market? LsL Instruments shares first model since Fender cease-and-desist
The family-owned guitar maker was the first to publicly confirm it had been targeted by Fender’s legal action – and it’s taking steps to offset the impact
3 Comments
Guitar Center names its best-selling electric guitar strings – and there’s a surprise silver medalist
An industry staple claims top spot, but there’s a few surprising inclusions elsewhere in the top five
13 Comments
Artists
Why Ritchie Blackmore’s iconic Marshall stacks were actually Vox amps in disguise
From the Archive Back in the ’70s, the Deep Purple guitarist was on the hunt for a specific sound, look and wattage, so the Marshall team found a way to get the best of all worlds (even if it meant using a rivals’ components)
Bass journeyman Kasim Sulton on Meat Loaf, Todd Rundgren, Joan Jett, the New Cars, and the hand he never got to shake
Keeping his bass rig simple for the most part, he recalls the fun of overplaying on Bat Out of Hell while thinking it would sink without trace, and writing Utopia’s only hit in 20 minutes after reality struck
“I hit the first chord and my Marshall blew up”: Richie Sambora on Bon Jovi's nightmare arena debut
Reflecting on the experience decades later, Sambora said that – embarrassing as they are in the moment – mishaps like that are “what shape you as a pro”
“If it had failed and sold nothing, I still would have been happy with it”: Martin Barre on the making of Jethro Tull’s Benefit
It was 1970. The British prog institution was in transition, full of inspiration, and ready to do what it takes. No-one saw what came next
Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament recalls the wild night that brought his custom “NBA” bass to a brutal end
Built by renowned bass builder Mike Lull, both of Ament’s “NBA” basses would eventually meet their demise on the road
Why Jeff Beck said no to replacing Eric Clapton in the Bluesbreakers
From the Archive Beck was asked to follow Slowhand’s footsteps out of the Yardbirds and into the Bluesbreakers before he decided to go solo
Brad Gillis on the story behind his 1985 custom Hamer S-style: “I was just stroking Hamer, to be honest!”
We revisit February 1989, when Brad Gillis and Jeff Watson of Night Ranger appeared on the hot-pink cover of GW
“My hands just wouldn’t work... There was no way I could play”: The triumphant return of Brian Setzer
With his autoimmune condition in remission, the Stray Cats frontman tells us he’s at 98%, but he sounds just as good as ever. He talks touring with Stevie Ray Vaughan and why he’s fallen for the Flying V
Gear
“At this price point, there is no room for anything other than excellence, and despite a few niggles, that is what this guitar delivers”: Gibson ES-335 ‘50s review
Harking back to the golden age of guitar innovation, Gibson promises to deliver stellar vintage tones with this authentically spec’d 335
Hang about! If you're in the need of something to display a single or multiple guitars and to always have an axe to hand, this is my pick of the best stands and hangers for your guitars right now
Hang about! These are the best stands and hangers for your guitars right now
Best travel guitars 2026: top acoustic and electric options designed for portability and performance
My top travel guitar choices and expert buying advice for musicians on the move
"There isn’t a bad sound here": Attic Audio Putty Saturation Preamp review
Delivering always-on tone-boosting and heavy, saturated fuzz, this overdrive pedal proves there's still plenty of room for innovation
“I’ve tested my fair share of import guitars – this Hawk flies above the rest”: Washburn Hawk review
There’s plenty to love about this refreshed reissue of Washburn's original Hawk guitar
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
Best acoustic guitar amps 2026: let your acoustic tone shine
Our expert pick of acoustic amplifiers for all budgets, from AER, Boss, Fishman, and others
“Fuzz pedals live or die on personality, and the Dirty Boy Jr. Fuzz has enough of it to justify a spot in an already crowded market”: Warm Audio Dirty Boy Jr. Fuzz review
Warm Audio teams up with boutique builder Dirty Boy to shrink the coveted Afro Fuzz circuit into a compact, wallet-friendly stompbox
Lessons
Decoding the notes between the notes – the ultimate guide to microtonal guitar
Ready for a math and history lesson? We break down microtonal music’s mind-bending tones for the modern guitar player
Don’t barre the F chord. Try embellishing it instead
John Frusciante and Lindsey Buckingham are both advocates for alternative F chord shapes that give you extra options for color
How recycling chord shapes can unlock new and surprising sounds
By recycling open chord shapes in different positions, you will uncover a wealth of fascinating voicings – just ask Jimmy Page. Here are 5 chords to get you started
Feel is more important than accuracy. Just ask Kim Thayil, Alex Lifeson and Jimmy Page
Sofia Victoria on how imperfect vibrato, wrong notes and open string noise can add substantial character to conventional soloing
How to install LR Baggs’ HiFi Duet acoustic pickup – and yes, we’re gonna drill a hole in Chris Buck’s guitar
Chris Buck bought a new acoustic for tour, but he needed a pickup installed. Enter Huw Price and his drill
Why muting the low E string is one of the most important lessons any beginner guitarist can learn
Learning to mute individual strings makes all the difference when mastering your first guitar chords
Spiritbox’s Mike Stringer on how extended-range guitars open up new possibilities with chord voicings
Mike Stringer's progressive metal masterclass continues as he teaches you how to play Spiritbox’s Tsunami Sea
Reviews
“At this price point, there is no room for anything other than excellence, and despite a few niggles, that is what this guitar delivers”: Gibson ES-335 ‘50s review
Harking back to the golden age of guitar innovation, Gibson promises to deliver stellar vintage tones with this authentically spec’d 335
"There isn’t a bad sound here": Attic Audio Putty Saturation Preamp review
Delivering always-on tone-boosting and heavy, saturated fuzz, this overdrive pedal proves there's still plenty of room for innovation
“I’ve tested my fair share of import guitars – this Hawk flies above the rest”: Washburn Hawk review
There’s plenty to love about this refreshed reissue of Washburn's original Hawk guitar
“Fuzz pedals live or die on personality, and the Dirty Boy Jr. Fuzz has enough of it to justify a spot in an already crowded market”: Warm Audio Dirty Boy Jr. Fuzz review
Warm Audio teams up with boutique builder Dirty Boy to shrink the coveted Afro Fuzz circuit into a compact, wallet-friendly stompbox
“Scratches the Dumble itch without a rockstar’s budget”: VHT D-20 Tube Amplifier Head review
VHT attempts to emulate the much-vaunted Dumble sound with this moderately priced all-tube amp
"A high-quality alternative… that could also save you a wad of cash": Sire Larry Carlton L7dx review
With a reputation for quality on a budget, Sire shows us what it can do beyond entry-level guitars
"The only limiting factor here for any style of playing is technique": Harley Benton ST-62HA review
Harley Benton's budget relic S-type delivers supreme playability and classic tones, but what about that finish?
Buying Guides
Hang about! If you're in the need of something to display a single or multiple guitars and to always have an axe to hand, this is my pick of the best stands and hangers for your guitars right now
Hang about! These are the best stands and hangers for your guitars right now
Best travel guitars 2026: top acoustic and electric options designed for portability and performance
My top travel guitar choices and expert buying advice for musicians on the move
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
Best acoustic guitar amps 2026: let your acoustic tone shine
Our expert pick of acoustic amplifiers for all budgets, from AER, Boss, Fishman, and others
Best Telecasters 2026: top Teles for all tastes and budgets
Whether it’s your first Telecaster or you’ve walked in the boots of guitar-playing royalty, our top Telecasters will help you get your twang on
Best FRFR speakers 2026: transparent tone for multi-effects and amp modelers
Get the most out of your digital modeler with the best FRFR speakers, from on-the-go options to arena-filling mammoths
Best guitar plugins 2026: my top plugins to level up your recorded guitar tones
Get better guitar tones for recording and practice with my pick of the best guitar amp plugins
