Alice Cooper’s new guitarist on why Glen Buxton is a seriously underrated guitar hero
The Alice Cooper Band’s Gyasi Heus argues that Buxton’s guitar is the essential ingredient in those classic Coop recordings – and the legend Bob Ezrin agrees
Latest news
Alice Cooper’s new guitarist on why Glen Buxton is a seriously underrated guitar hero
The Alice Cooper Band’s Gyasi Heus argues that Buxton’s guitar is the essential ingredient in those classic Coop recordings – and the legend Bob Ezrin agrees
Kirk Hammett’s mystery SG from Back to the Beginning was built by Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian
The one-of-a-kind metallic silver axe was used to cover a Sabbath classic and is being sold to raise funds for Gibson Gives
Tony Iommi reflects on Sabbath’s final performance – and reveals the songs they dropped from the set
Concerns about the show’s scheduling and drummer Bill Ward’s first Sabbath gig in 20 years cut Sabbath’s final set to just four songs. Iommi says there was a couple more in the tank
How Chris Turpin found the perfect foil for Jake Kiszka’s Number One Gibson SG
The Ida Mae and Greta Van Fleet guitarists came together and bonded over a shared love of the blues to form their new band, Mirador
Why session legend Tim Pierce never joined Bon Jovi
Pierce helped record a Bon Jovi classic but a few considerations made him unsuitable for the gig
Stephen Carpenter shares his power chord addiction as Deftones announce new album
In a candid conversation with Zane Lowe, Stephen Carpenter and Chino Moreno describe how they search for soundscapes instead of songs – while Carpenter reveals his long-lasting guitar tone influences
How Norman Harris helped reunite a Beatle with his long-lost Les Paul
The Lucy Les Paul was gifted to Harrison by Eric Clapton and used on a score of iconic recordings. When it was stolen, Harris came to his rescue
Artists
![Goose’s Rick Mitarotonda [left] and Peter Anspach at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall, June 25, 2022](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tUcaeZE77iRm3AJSfFSZkK-840-80.jpg.webp)
How Goose took flight to become the world’s hottest jam band
Rick Mitarotonda and Peter Anspach play without fear, reading the room, letting their improv instincts guide them. But those rooms are getting mighty big. Just how did a Connecticut jam band reach Madison Square Garden?
Thunderstruck on bass? With slapping and tapping? Bass hero Toby Peterson-Stewart flexes his chops in tribute to AC/DC
From parallel distortion to cutting-edge tapping, Toby Peterson-Stewart breaks down some of the highlights from his latest cover
Junior Marvin on Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Survival – and the influence Hendrix’s guitar pedal guru had on its sound
After the success of Exodus and Kaya, Bob Marley took the Wailers into a more politically charged direction to deliver a slept-on classic in the Wailers’ discography
My day interviewing Hank Marvin over beans on toast and chickening out of a Paul McCartney 'audition'
Neville Marten's first assignment for Guitarist was one for the ages, at a venue that is now sadly lost but for a time was the place for the biggest bands to rehearse
Tetrarch on the joy of handing out signature models to their heroes and designing metal’s gnarliest tones
The Ugly Side of Me is an utterly crushing exercise in 21st-century riffs and tones, and if you're wondering how they get these sounds, well, Josh Fore and Diamond Rowe take us behind the scenes and tell all
Steve Stevens on his Dave Friedman pedalboard, his fave klone and why he can't quit guitar synths
The effervescent Billy Idol guitarist reveals the secrets of his pedalboard
Jake E. Lee on his wild Ozzy Osbourne days and why Tony Iommi is harder to emulate than Randy Rhoads
Arthritis and the small matter of being shot didn't stop Jake E. Lee from honoring his old bandmate/boss Ozzy Osbourne and hero Tony Iommi at Sabbath's final show. And Tom Morello needed him bad
Gear
"Crisply built and shines like a gem on the live stage": Taylor 314ce Studio review
An attainably priced “serious” Taylor with high-end touches
“Not just another copycat design”: Eastman Fullertone SC ’52 and DC ’62 review
Last year’s D’Ambrosio series guitars signified numerous firsts for Eastman, not least that they were US-made with boutique prices to match. These new FullerTones capture the magic at a fraction of the price
"This is the kind of guitar that encourages you to play your best, allowing you to perform faster, smoother, and more expressively than you thought possible": Gibson Marcus King ES-345 review
Marcus King delivers a royal reimagining of an ES classic – and it may take the crown as the finest signature guitar of the year
ESP LTD RZK-III OW review
Rammstein’s riffer-in-chief Richard ZK returns with his third signature guitar, marking a departure from its predecessors with an arsenal of fun features
“If you think PRS just makes guitars for well-heeled doctors and dentists, you might have to change your opinion”: PRS SE NF 53 review
A new month, a new PRS. This time the USA NF 53 gets the affordable SE treatment
Up close with Fender Custom Shop’s ’59 Journeyman Stratocaster – a stunning vintage repro fresh out of the box
Eschewing the heavy relic work of many Custom Shop Strats, the Journeyman nails that ‘one careful owner’ vibe
“It can definitely zero in on the Beatles’ retro tones. But there’s more to it than that”: Aclam Go Rocky Go review
Aclam releases its third pedal inspired by vintage Vox amps and the Fab Four’s guitar sound
Lessons
What funk maestro Cory Wong learned from James Hetfield
Papa Het has got a brand new bag when it comes to downpicking, and it’s full of lessons for the funk guitar player
The secret behind Marcin, Matteo and Paco? How rest note picking can improve your tone, speed and volume
Paco Peña, Marcin Patrzałek and Matteo Mancuso all use rest strokes to play powerful single notes – here's how to make them work for you
Buddy Guy influenced Clapton, Page and Hendrix – here’s what you can learn from the blues icon
No-one plays the blues like Buddy Guy – but that doesn't stop us trying. We look at four ways the blues icon approaches his solos. Warning: it's going to get fiery
Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones explains what people get wrong about his Black Dog riff
In his inaugural Guitar World lesson column, authored in 1996, the legendary bassist also revealed why he used pick to lay the song down in the studio – and why he later would use an eight-string bass to play it live
Can you keep up? 6 minor pentatonic licks that go FASTER!
Turbo-boost your pentatonic lead playing by learning from Nuno Bettencourt, Joe Bonamassa, Jimmy Page and more
Sue Foley pays tribute to blues icons Johnny Winter and Muddy Waters with 4 essential soloing licks
Sue Foley returns to help us navigate the I-IV-V changes and come up with some soloing ideas that enhance your melodic sensibility – and add a bit of fire along the way
30 beautiful acoustic guitar chords every player needs to know – and how to play them
Increase your musical vocabulary and expand your compositional horizons, in each and every key
Reviews
"Crisply built and shines like a gem on the live stage": Taylor 314ce Studio review
An attainably priced “serious” Taylor with high-end touches
“Not just another copycat design”: Eastman Fullertone SC ’52 and DC ’62 review
Last year’s D’Ambrosio series guitars signified numerous firsts for Eastman, not least that they were US-made with boutique prices to match. These new FullerTones capture the magic at a fraction of the price
"This is the kind of guitar that encourages you to play your best, allowing you to perform faster, smoother, and more expressively than you thought possible": Gibson Marcus King ES-345 review
Marcus King delivers a royal reimagining of an ES classic – and it may take the crown as the finest signature guitar of the year
ESP LTD RZK-III OW review
Rammstein’s riffer-in-chief Richard ZK returns with his third signature guitar, marking a departure from its predecessors with an arsenal of fun features
“If you think PRS just makes guitars for well-heeled doctors and dentists, you might have to change your opinion”: PRS SE NF 53 review
A new month, a new PRS. This time the USA NF 53 gets the affordable SE treatment
“It can definitely zero in on the Beatles’ retro tones. But there’s more to it than that”: Aclam Go Rocky Go review
Aclam releases its third pedal inspired by vintage Vox amps and the Fab Four’s guitar sound
“An ideal ‘gateway’ instrument for electric players”: Cort Sunset Nylectric DLX review
Cort's stylish single-cut might be the hybrid nylon-string that electric players are looking for
Buying Guides
Best compressor pedals 2025: control your tone with the must-have utility pedal
With great options from Boss, Keeley, MXR, and more, there has never been a better time to add a comp pedal to your 'board
Best acoustic guitar pedals 2025: pedals to transform your tone and boost creativity
Improve and shape your tone with the best acoustic guitar pedals from the likes of Boss, Fishman, MXR & LR Baggs
Best locking tuners 2025: improve your performance with these powerful upgrades
Keep your guitar playing consistently with our top locking tuner picks from Fender, Schaller, Sperzel and more
Best guitar slides 2025: every budget and material covered, plus how to choose the right slide for you
Getting into the bluesy world of slide guitar? From Shubb and Dunlop, to Taylor and Ernie Ball, these are our top choices
Best pedalboard power supplies 2025: juice your ‘board with my pick of pro-grade power, fully tested
I put budget-spanning pedal power supplies from Fender, Cioks, Walrus Audio and more through their paces – these were the standouts
Best cheap looper pedals 2025: bang-for-your-buck loopers for your ’board
Score a looper for under $80 and spark your creativity with our pick of the best budget pedals from TC Electronic, Electro-Harmonix, Boss and more
Best baritone guitars 2025: pick up the slack with these long scale guitars
Get low with my expert pick of the best baritone guitars from PRS, Gretsch, Chapman, Jackson, and loads more
