Brad Paisley will personally build 19 of his new signature Lost Telecasters – and he plans to get experimental
The guitarist is taking matters into his own hands for the extremely limited batch of Paisley-made Teles
Latest news
Brad Paisley will personally build 19 of his new signature Lost Telecasters – and he plans to get experimental
The guitarist is taking matters into his own hands for the extremely limited batch of Paisley-made Teles
An affordable signature version of Alex Lifeson's ‘Whitey’ Gibson ES-355 could be in the works
Alex Lifeson's iconic “Whitey” ES-355 featured on almost every Rush album – and an affordable signature version could be in the works
Brian Ray’s audition to join Paul McCartney’s band was a live performance – at the Super Bowl
The multi-instrumentalist didn't have long to prepare for one of the most public auditions in the history of rock and roll
Gary Holt's favorite pedal emulates Eddie Van Halen's iconic “Brown Sound” – and it retails for less than a $100
Holt reveals his new go-to budget-friendly brand – and offers some of his mini-pedal recommendations
How Robin Nolan went from busking in Amsterdam to collaborating with George Harrison
The gypsy jazz virtuoso would later go on to complete a long-lost Harrison song that had been scribbled on an envelope
Peter Frampton joins Pearl Jam and trades solos with Mike McCready over Black during Nashville performance
Frampton – who has had to adapt his playing technique as he battles a degenerative disease – traded licks with McCready during the surprise guest spot
Todd Rundgren reveals the real reason why he decided to produce Meat Loaf's off-kilter debut Bat Out of Hell
The Wagnerian rock record was initially rejected by many a record label – but would go on to become one of the best-selling albums of all time
Artists
Richard Z Kruspe explains why guitars are like kisses, reverse kill-switches – and how he launched Rammstein with a riff
Fresh from launching his new RZK-III signature model, the German fire-raiser discusses the Custom Shop guitar that changed his thinking on collecting – and how he manages to live and let live with colleague Paul Landers
Jimmie Vaughan on his three favorite guitars – and the megabucks Fender he gave to his brother
The Texas blues maestro takes a trip down memory lane and pulls out three desert island six-strings
Connor Kaminski and Keyan on the secrets behind one of the year’s hottest guitar collaborations
With Jack Gardiner and Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood joining in, the duo's Kinetic EP might just be the most head-turning guitar collab of the year
A guide to every guitarist who played with Prince
From Dez Dickerson's timeless Little Red Corvette solo, to Wendy Melvoin's sublime work on Purple Rain, a number of guitarists made significant contributions to Prince's stage and studio output. Here's a guide to all of them
Mattresses for isolation? How Jonathan Hultén recorded an entire album in his walk-in closet
The former Tribulation guitarist goes full on dream pop on his sophomore release, Eyes of the Living Night
David Hood on Aretha, what Otis Redding taught him, and tales from Muscle Shoals' golden age
In this interview from the Bass Player archive, Hood reflects on his career as a ‘Swamper’, playing on hits by Paul Simon, the Staple Singers Aretha Franklin and more
Watch two funk-rock guitar gods unite for the ultimate acid guitar jam
Woodstock '69 finally had some competition as the ultimate acid guitar jam when Rockpalast 1985 united two funk-rock guitar gods under a trippy groove
Gear
“Does a damn good job of delivering searing metal tones that go far beyond what you’d expect from the price point”: Jackson JS Series Dinky JS11 review
I put Jackson’s cheapest electric guitar to the test to see if it really does chug
Their job titles are ‘Wrangling Hellcat’ and ‘Waste Management’ – meet the minds behind Jack White’s Third Man Hardware
Dan Mancini shares the stories behind the collaborations that have helped White and Third Man Hardware to demand attention from players of all, er... ‘stripes’
Guitar pedal footswitch toppers explained – and why they could be your pedalboard’s new best friend
We dive into the pedal topper trend and what’s behind it, highlighting the key types you need to look out for
“A true preamp unit with an enormous range of gain”: Fortin Meshuggah Preamp/Distortion review
Plug in, turn on, tune down, tune down some more...
"With a rugged build and more gain than should be legal, this pedal is a must-have for any metal guitarist looking to chug": Solar Chug Lite high-gain distortion pedal review
Solar's new Chug Lite provides all the full-fat fury of the original with none of the bulk
“With its tone knob backed off this thing gets sasquatch-hairy without losing clarity. It’s a surprisingly killer stoner rock machine”: EVH SA-126 Standard review
Wolfgang Van Halen’s adventurous high-gain-friendly, semi-hollow signature gets a budget build – but does the magic carry across?
Best modeling amps 2025: get iconic amp tones at your fingertips with these top picks
I break down the best modeling amps available, covering a range of budgets, brands and sizes
Lessons
Erja Lyytinen shares her 6 go-to slide licks for unlocking more expressive soloing
She wowed Sonny Landreth and Carlos Santana called her the “future” – Erja Lyytinen shares her 6 go-to slide licks for unlocking more expressive soloing
“The passion of Gary Moore with riffs inspired by Zeppelin”: The searing lead guitar of ’80s rock’s great journeyman
Exploring the lead guitar style of John Sykes, a player who – like Page, Blackmore, and Moore – balanced flair with power
How to get better at guitar – 10 proven ways to improve your playing fast
These small details can separate an amateur-sounding guitarist from a professional one
5 lo-fi guitar chords to add to your progressions
These chord voices are so cool they're worth the stretch
Unlocking the power of 7th chords: expand your guitar chords beyond the basics
From The Doobie Brothers to The Smiths, James Brown to Metallica, 7th barre chords are fundamental for playing with more color and sophistication
How to weave crosspicking and Carter picking into your acoustic guitar playing
In this lesson inspired by Molly Tuttle, Trey Hensley and the O.G. of acoustic folk playing Maybelle Carter, we'll make one guitar sound like two with arrangements alive with rhythm and melody
Jared James Nichols on adding fingerstyle “snap, crackle and pop” to your sound with banjo rolls
Here's a blues power-up for your fingerstyle technique, as the big man combines chicken pickin' with snappy pops on the strings
Don't let chord inversions bamboozle you. This lesson explains all (and 5 ways you can play a Bmaj7)
Inversions are essential for jazz players, virtuoso cats such as Martin Tyler, but they are super-useful for any player looking for a fresh chord voicing. Let's take a look and demystify them with 5 ways you can play a Bmaj7
Reviews
“Does a damn good job of delivering searing metal tones that go far beyond what you’d expect from the price point”: Jackson JS Series Dinky JS11 review
I put Jackson’s cheapest electric guitar to the test to see if it really does chug
“A true preamp unit with an enormous range of gain”: Fortin Meshuggah Preamp/Distortion review
Plug in, turn on, tune down, tune down some more...
"With a rugged build and more gain than should be legal, this pedal is a must-have for any metal guitarist looking to chug": Solar Chug Lite high-gain distortion pedal review
Solar's new Chug Lite provides all the full-fat fury of the original with none of the bulk
“With its tone knob backed off this thing gets sasquatch-hairy without losing clarity. It’s a surprisingly killer stoner rock machine”: EVH SA-126 Standard review
Wolfgang Van Halen’s adventurous high-gain-friendly, semi-hollow signature gets a budget build – but does the magic carry across?
I bought the cheapest bass Fender makes from Amazon and it genuinely surprised me: Squier Debut Series Precision Bass review
The Amazon-exclusive Debut Series is aimed at beginners, but could it also be ideal for modders and guitarists who need a bass for recording too?
“As a compact amp modeler/cab simulator/Capture device, this is perhaps the best option out there, screen or no screen”: Neural DSP Nano Cortex review
The follow-up to the game-changing Quad Cortex is here at last, and with its ultra-powerful Nano Cortex, Neural DSP has set its sights on challenging IK Multimedia and Kemper to offer the ultimate all-in-one rig solution
"A very cool guitar with a lot of style, and fortunately, it has the substance to match its good looks": Squier Limited Edition Paranormal Offset Telecaster SJ review
On paper, a Telecaster/Jazzmaster hybrid sounds like an absolute winner. But can the Squier Paranormal deliver the goods?
Buying Guides
Guitar pedal footswitch toppers explained – and why they could be your pedalboard’s new best friend
We dive into the pedal topper trend and what’s behind it, highlighting the key types you need to look out for
Best modeling amps 2025: get iconic amp tones at your fingertips with these top picks
I break down the best modeling amps available, covering a range of budgets, brands and sizes
Best cheap acoustic guitars 2025: budget acoustics with genuine pedigree
Great tone doesn’t have to break the bank – these are the best cheap acoustic guitars from Fender, Yamaha, Alvarez and more
Best Strat-style guitars 2025: Our choice of the finest S-style guitars for all budgets and players
Don’t want a Fender? Here’s our expert pick of the top Strat-style electric guitars from the likes of Ibanez, Yamaha, G&L, PRS and more
Best practice amps 2025: hone your chops at home
My tried & tested pick of the best guitar practice amps to get your playing up to speed without any noise complaints
What's the best guitar cable in 2025? These are the tried & tested options I'd recommend to any player
There's a lot of snake oil when it comes to the top guitar cables – I'm a professional guitar gear reviewer and I've tested 11 of the best to help you find your perfect match
Best tremolo pedals 2025: Top pedal choices, from old-school vibe to chopped-up tones
The best tremolo pedals on the market right now, from the likes of TC Electronic, Electro-Harmonix, Boss, Strymon and JHS
