Why Rick Beato stopped playing solos – and why it was good for his playing
Beato’s approach to soloing was revolutionized by his break as he came back with a clean slate
Latest news
Why Rick Beato stopped playing solos – and why it was good for his playing
Beato’s approach to soloing was revolutionized by his break as he came back with a clean slate
This innovation might have completely changed the way you dial in effects pedals forever
The Knobyfier could revolutionize the way you interact with your pedalboard
The one thing stopping headless guitars being embraced by traditional players, according to Ola Strandberg
Strandberg instruments have been pigeonholed as metal guitars, but the company wants guitarists to realize they aren't just for prog players
This Japanese guitar maker is fashioning phone cases that make your mobile look like vintage instruments – and the internet is going crazy for them
Moonshine Craft & Custom has been overwhelmed by demand for its phone cases, which flash burst finishes and pickguards
All the guitar gear that has caught my eye this week – including the Hummingbird’s evil twin
A host of highly anticipated signatures, some surprising company-firsts, and the evil twin of the classic Hummingbird all landed this week
Scotland’s Kenny’s Music is the latest guitar shop chain to close its doors – despite strong sales figures
Kenny’s had a physical presence in Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Dunfermline and its closure continues a worrying trend that has seen UK gear heavyweights GAK and PMT go to the wall
Manson Guitar Works' debut fuzz pedal is here, but will Matt Bellamy’s high-end boutique stompbox be worth the wait?
Co-designed by the Muse frontman, designed to go into your amp or direct to desk, and built in partnership with Thorpy FX, the Supermassive Black Fuzz is a lot of pedal – and it ain't cheap
![Dave Mustaine of Megadeth [left] plays his signature Gibson Flying V live. On the right, an archive pic of Metallica frontman James Hetfield playing his white V copy, in his element circa 1984](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZsDUCbn7ybdedwDKg7VxW6-840-80.jpg.webp)
Artists
Described as the 4-string equivalent of painting with a sledgehammer, Van Halen’s Ultra Bass was not your typical bass solo
Michael Anthony’s Yamaha BB2000 would get rebuilt after every show following his foundation-shaking solo spot
How Ace Frehley came back from the brink with his first solo album in 20 years
In 2009, the late Spaceman took GW inside the inner workings of rock’s makeup-clad warriors – like that time he forged ahead after getting electrocuted onstage – and explained why he always valued spontaneity over rigorous practice
How Sting’s 1953 P-Bass set the tone for this Police classic
Taken from the fourth Police album, Ghost in the Machine, Sting's fretwork is filled with chord inversions, syncopations, and dynamics – all the right stuff for a dynamite bassline
Deftones' White Pony was one of the first metal masterpieces of the new millennium. Its creation was anything but smooth sailing
Resident riffmaster Stephen Carpenter minced no words in this 2000 interview, rolling his eyes at “our friends” Korn, and even – before walking it back – calling his bandmate's guitar-work “awful.” Still, though, he was proud of the band's “really awesome record”
Ricky Byrd on tracking with Joan Jett, his Franken-Tele, and how sobriety has improved his playing
Byrd has seen the world of rock ’n’ roll go through changes, but one thing he’s stuck with is his “tricky” approach to playing – and he’s full of optimism for the future
The life and times of Brent Hinds, the visionary guitarist with a maverick style who made Mastodon a big beast of metal
Guitar World pays tribute to the late Brent Hinds, one of metal's wildest and most inventive players, who died on 20 August
For John McLaughlin, it all comes back to Montreux – this is how he took his playing there to the 4th Dimension one last time
The six-string legend is signing off with a live album that chronicles one of the greatest shows of his stellar career, but his journey with guitar is far from over
How Geddy Lee created one of the most outrageous bass tones of all time for a Rush fantasy classic
The Rush frontman played a Rickenbacker 4001 on nearly every track from 1975’s Fly By Night, but found a new bass sound for the role of By-Tor
“Extreme music expresses hardship and suffering – but we’re reaching towards joy”: Introducing Agriculture, the “ecstatic black metal” band who recorded their sophomore LP as the LA wildfires closed in
Ahead of the quartet’s US tour, guitarist Dan Meyer, guitarist/producer Richard Chowenhill and bassist Leah Levinson discuss the secret behind their prolific work ethic, meeting Joe Satriani and the making of a dream guitar
Gear
“It would be criminal if this didn’t hit a stage”: Patrick James Eggle Oz-t Cabronita Thinline review
Upholding the craft of the luthier, Patrick James Eggle’s latest build is another reason to look to the UK if you want the best
"Will it knock your socks off? For some, absolutely, but for me, I find it works admirably in a cranked rig and stacks nicely with other gain pedals": Warm Audio Tube Squealer overdrive pedal review
Warm Audio’s latest overdrive machine serves up the three greatest hits of the 'Green Screamer' overdrive in one stompbox
Best guitar cleaning kits and tools 2025: Keep your guitar looking and sounding sweet
Keep your instrument in its prime with my pick of the best cleaning kits and maintenance tools
Best guitar picks 2025: My choice of tried-and-tested plectrums to upgrade your playing
My expert guide to the best picks for electric, acoustic, and bass guitar covering new players through to guitar veterans
Best Christmas gifts for guitar players 2025: the ultimate festive gift guide for guitarists
Treat them right this Christmas with our pick of the 46 must-have guitar items, essential accessories, clever gadgets and instruments for every budget
“Boss’s claims of the pedal being artifact-free more than hold up”: Boss XS-1 Poly Shifter review
The Japanese giant's new pitch-shifting algorithm has been in its laboratory for years, but patience has proven a virtue with this small-but-mightily-usable stompbox
The 16 most expensive guitars of all time
Fenders owned by Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, Martins belonging to Kurt Cobain and David Gilmour, and one independently made axe headline the list of most profitable guitars sold at auction
Best Christmas gifts for bass players 2025: the ultimate festive gift guide for lovers of low-end
Show your bass-playing buddy, parent, or partner some love this Christmas with 15 brilliant gift ideas for bass players
Through a Dumble it sounds “like Madison Square Garden” and it’s totally unique – meet Tony Mottola’s 1968 Gibson ES-355TDR
Although similar to a Gibson Crest, Tony Mottola’s guitar is essentially a rosewood ES-355 with Les Paul’s low‑impedance pickups – and it is strictly one of one
Lessons
David Gilmour is a master of melodic bluesy phrasing – here are 3 minor blues approaches you can expand your soloing vocabulary
Whether you call these solo ideas minor blues or embellished pentatonic/blues scale, the effect is the same, freeing you up from established patterns to hold your audience's attention
How you can swap the notes in a chord to give it a different feel
A lesson in second inversions sounds like advanced physics but it's simply swapping the root note for the 5th, expanding your chord vocabulary with a minimum of fuss
Power-up your blues with a turnaround trick that was a specialty of the great Freddie King
This masterclass in turnarounds explores different ways to approach an essential blues technique, so of course it finishes up with a look at how the master of turnarounds did it back in the day
Jared James Nichols explains how to use open strings and Drop D tuning to bulk-up your blues fingerstyle
Park your electric guitar in Drop D. Throw your pick in the trash. It's time for some muscular fingerstyle with the purveyor of blues power himself
Learn the chord secrets of Joe Pass, Barney Kessel and Wes Montgomery with this iconic jazz progression
Want to add sophistication to your chords? Master this essential chord progression as played by 5 guitar legends
Joe Bonamassa on his love for the Gibson ES-350 – and why it's a blues powerhouse
The ES-350 was a big favorite of Chuck Berry's. Well, well, well, it's no surprise that Joe Bonamassa loves it too. And here he puts it through is paces, and takes us to the B.B. Box in the process
How to master the art of tremolo picking – the indispensable picking technique heard in everything from death metal to surf rock that can power up your playing
Sharpen your chops and ramp up your speed with our technique-focused workout inspired by power pickers Dick Dale, Jonny Greenwood and Kerry King
Reviews
“It would be criminal if this didn’t hit a stage”: Patrick James Eggle Oz-t Cabronita Thinline review
Upholding the craft of the luthier, Patrick James Eggle’s latest build is another reason to look to the UK if you want the best
"Will it knock your socks off? For some, absolutely, but for me, I find it works admirably in a cranked rig and stacks nicely with other gain pedals": Warm Audio Tube Squealer overdrive pedal review
Warm Audio’s latest overdrive machine serves up the three greatest hits of the 'Green Screamer' overdrive in one stompbox
“Boss’s claims of the pedal being artifact-free more than hold up”: Boss XS-1 Poly Shifter review
The Japanese giant's new pitch-shifting algorithm has been in its laboratory for years, but patience has proven a virtue with this small-but-mightily-usable stompbox
“Can absolutely replace going the traditional route of a practice amp”: Positive Grid Spark Neo Core review
PG's follow-up to its first wireless amp-headphone solution for guitar gives players a massive price cut, but it doesn't get everything right
“All-solid body construction and premium electronics for under $350? You have my attention”: Harley Benton CLC-650SM-CE review
Harley Benton is once again pushing the boundaries of what 'bang for your buck' actually means
“The standard-bearer against which to judge all small combo amps”: Fender Blues Junior IV 30th Anniversary review
Decked out in tooled western-style livery with a saddle bag’s worth of speaker and circuit upgrades, this anniversary edition stands strong in the lineage of the classic benchmark combo
"The effects pedal equivalent of a jukebox packed with classics and overlooked gems – but how well it fits your needs may depend on how much extra you're willing to spend": Boss PX-1 Plugout FX pedal review
Its announcement stirred up plenty of opinion online, but is the reality really so controversial?
“Boss has worked hard to counter the DigiTech Whammy's biggest pitfalls, but whether it dethrones it outright is a matter of taste”: Boss XS-100 Poly Shifter review
After years of dominance, the DigiTech Whammy’s expressive pitch-shifting has a worthy challenger – but can it raise the bar?
Buying Guides
Best guitar cleaning kits and tools 2025: Keep your guitar looking and sounding sweet
Keep your instrument in its prime with my pick of the best cleaning kits and maintenance tools
Best guitar picks 2025: My choice of tried-and-tested plectrums to upgrade your playing
My expert guide to the best picks for electric, acoustic, and bass guitar covering new players through to guitar veterans
Best Christmas gifts for guitar players 2025: the ultimate festive gift guide for guitarists
Treat them right this Christmas with our pick of the 46 must-have guitar items, essential accessories, clever gadgets and instruments for every budget
Best Christmas gifts for bass players 2025: the ultimate festive gift guide for lovers of low-end
Show your bass-playing buddy, parent, or partner some love this Christmas with 15 brilliant gift ideas for bass players
Best guitar capos 2025: 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 clip-on guitar tuners 2025: hit the right note with my top pick of cost-effective tuners
Whether you play acoustic, electric, or bass, these clip-on tuners offer a quick, easy, and affordable way to achieve concert pitch every time you pick up your instrument
Best guitar straps 2025: play in comfort and secure your guitar in style – top picks from a guitar salesman
My expert pick of straps for electric, acoustic and bass, covering all budgets and materials
