July 2025 Guitar World Editors' Picks
New cuts from Deftones, Big Wreck, Wet Leg, Eric Gales and more...
Latest news
July 2025 Guitar World Editors' Picks
New cuts from Deftones, Big Wreck, Wet Leg, Eric Gales and more...
Why Eddie Van Halen didn’t double-track his guitars
Recording engineer Ross Hogarth recalls working with the late guitar icon and helping him broaden his sound on A Different Kind of Truth
How a support slot with Deep Purple and a last-minute guitarist replacement led to Eric Johnson meeting Christopher Cross
Johnson cut his teeth as a session player for the likes of Cat Stevens, Carole King, Steve Morse, and, of course, Christopher Cross
What gives a Fender guitar its spirit? For the Custom Shop's Senior Master Builder, there’s only one answer
Paul Waller has singled out what he believes to be the defining feature of a Fender guitar – and it might surprise you
How Kurt Cobain brought a more aggressive edge to Nevermind with the help of Slayer’s producer
Cobain sought out Slayer collaborator Andy Wallace to help give Nevermind an extra edge
Jason Richardson leaves All That Remains after 7 years
The guitarist leaves after seven years and has some currently unspecified projects lined up
How guitarist and YouTube sensation Rob Scallon manages to write – and record – a full album in one day
Together with fellow mega YouTuber and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Huang, Scallon has made this challenge a yearly tradition
Artists
Jimmy Rip was a session man in demand by Mick Jagger and Tom Verlaine – then came a rock ’n’ roll icon
Armed with the Tom Verlaine’s first guitar, and his own first instrument, the 69-year-old session veteran has come home from Argentina to keep memories alive
They were a pivotal band in prog’s golden age and split in 1980, but Gentle Giant still have a rabid fanbase
With Gentle Giant’s legendary Playing The Fool receiving a remix, the band’s Gary Green reminisces about the challenges of gear and gigging in the ’70s
Billy Sheehan and Paul Gilbert trade blistering licks in this standout rocker from Mr. Big
Inspired, according to Paul Gilbert, by the grooves of Christina Aguilera, Mr. Big’s Mean to Me is brimming with top-drawer axe-work
Joe Dart breaks down his lightning-quick studio approach – and how he tackles his hardest bassline to play live
Joe Dart continues to make a lasting impression on the world of retro-funk bass guitar
Too rock for country and too country for rock, Morganway are an old-school guitar duo in the best way
Husband and wife Kieran Morgan and SJ Mortimer are inspired by Queen, Fleetwood Mac and boygenius in equal measure – and their guitar approach leans into the classic rock guitar pairings
Young Gun Silver Fox are keeping yacht-rock afloat with lawsuit guitars and 10-year-old strings
Top-tier ’70s-style AOR is back on deck with Young Gun Silver Fox, whose guitarist and co-founder Shawn Lee shares how rare, oddball and collectible guitars are the wind in their sails
What was Elliot Easton’s greatest gear find? The Cars legend reveals all
The former Cars six-stringer talks early guitar exploits, the golden age of vintage-guitar buying, and why he’s not as jazzed about amps as he is about guitars themselves
“We had our ups and downs over the years – I hadn’t spoken to Ozzy since 2017. But I always knew if I reached out, he’d be there for me”: Geezer Butler remembers the genius and humor of his friend and Black Sabbath bandmate Ozzy Osbourne
The Black Sabbath bassist and lyricist shares his fondest memories of the iconic frontman, their unlikely first encounter, and his one regret about Back to the Beginning
Gear
"One of the most versatile baritone guitars I’ve ever played": Orangewood Del Sol Baritone review
Orangewood and TreeTone guitars come together to mix acoustic guitar building nous with retro styling, resulting in a baritone guitar that will suprise people
Best guitars for small hands 2025: compact, thinline and slim-necked options for all ages
Here's Guitar World's pick of the best compact electric and acoustic models from Fender, Taylor, Epiphone and more
Best bass amps for practice 2025: top combos for working on your chops at home
Get the most out of your playing at home with one of these great bass practice amps
Best dreadnought guitars 2025: big body acoustics for powerful tone
Looking for bassy lows and crystal clear top end from your acoustic? These budget-spanning dreadnoughts all fit the bill
“I can't help but question why Gibson decided to label this model as a Les Paul”: Gibson Les Paul Music City Special 50th Anniversary review
Has Gibson gone in too deep with its Marauder-esque take on the Les Paul?
“One of the most fit-for-purpose class acts we’ve encountered”: PJD Carey Classic review
The York, UK-based guitar maker delivers the latest version of its Les Paul Junior/Tele mashup – with remarkable results
How two of the pedal world’s most groundbreaking firms joined forces to make the ultimate overdrive
Combining two of the finest circuits in the game on one feature-packed gain pedal, the Brothers AM is the one overdrive to rule them all. Analog Man’s Mike Piera and Chase Bliss’ Joel Korte explain how it came to be
Lessons
Decoding the magic of Carlos Santana’s supernatural soloing style
Stay cosmic with this lesson in how Carlos Santana took the blues as practiced by B.B. King and Peter Green, plus the new radical rock styles of the '60s, and put his signature spin on them
When tapping's not shredding: how to play tapped harmonics like Eddie Van Halen
Tapped harmonics were among Eddie Van Halen's trademark techniques. Learn how to make your guitar scream and sing
John Paul Jones explains one of the key ingredients of some of Led Zeppelin's greatest riffs
They may have played a huge role in bringing heaviness and triple-digit onstage decibel counts to rock, but as bassist John Paul Jones explains, Zeppelin were also masters of silence
Jared James Nichols on Albert King's electric fingerpicking
Albert King played upside down, in a weird tuning, and influenced SRV and Hendrix alike, and he did it without a pick. So it's no surprise Nichols is a huge fan – he breaks down King's magic
Learn 5 altered chords that can create or dissolve harmonic tension
Jimmy Page often employed dissonant chords with Led Zep and you can, too. You don't even need to know the name of the chord to use them
Sue Foley shows you how to breathe new life into your 12-bar blues
Foley returns with four ways you can freshen up those blues licks and assert your personality upon the material
“Yes, Eric can certainly shred!” Joe Bonamassa shows you how to connect lead phrases like Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson's playing is inspiring but bamboozling. How does he sound so fluid? Well, Joe Bonamassa has some thoughts (and four examples) on how we can nail Johnson's style
Reviews
"One of the most versatile baritone guitars I’ve ever played": Orangewood Del Sol Baritone review
Orangewood and TreeTone guitars come together to mix acoustic guitar building nous with retro styling, resulting in a baritone guitar that will suprise people
“I can't help but question why Gibson decided to label this model as a Les Paul”: Gibson Les Paul Music City Special 50th Anniversary review
Has Gibson gone in too deep with its Marauder-esque take on the Les Paul?
“One of the most fit-for-purpose class acts we’ve encountered”: PJD Carey Classic review
The York, UK-based guitar maker delivers the latest version of its Les Paul Junior/Tele mashup – with remarkable results
“Nearly impossible to produce a bad tone”: Xotic AC Booster V2 review
Xotic revamps its classic boost pedal after 23 years – and it’s all but guaranteed to improve the relationship between your guitar and amp
“Impressive value for guitarists seeking rich clean/overdrive tones and timeless distortion tones”: PRS Archon Classic Head review
The PRS Archon Classic runs the gamut from crystal cleans to classic crunch and hot-rodded high gain
“Arresting, unsettling, sometimes unpredictable… nails the Deftones brief”: KHDK Digital Bath review
This signature stompbox recreates one of Deftones’ dreamiest tones – but is it more than just a one-trick (white) pony?
"Featuring an array of genuinely useful extras, this is a surprisingly versatile and natural-sounding analogue overdrive": Nobels ODR-1X review
Building on the ODR-BC, Nobels adds some extras to their legendary overdrive tone
“A knockout instrument imbued with modern performance enhancements”: John Page Signature The DL review
He has made top-tier electrics for Eric Clapton, David Gilmour and Pete Townshend, and now John Page will make one for you, too
"As a recording utility to help a part cut, or a way to get you a little closer to the QOTSA sound, it’s mission accomplished": Peavey Joshua Homme Decade Too amp review
In its 60th Anniversary year, Peavey updates its little amp gone by and shares Josh Homme's "secret weapon" with the rest of us
Buying Guides
Best guitars for small hands 2025: compact, thinline and slim-necked options for all ages
Here's Guitar World's pick of the best compact electric and acoustic models from Fender, Taylor, Epiphone and more
Best bass amps for practice 2025: top combos for working on your chops at home
Get the most out of your playing at home with one of these great bass practice amps
Best dreadnought guitars 2025: big body acoustics for powerful tone
Looking for bassy lows and crystal clear top end from your acoustic? These budget-spanning dreadnoughts all fit the bill
Best looper pedals 2025: tried and tested options for practice, songwriting, and live performance
Whether you're writing songs or woodshedding solos, using a loop pedal will make you a better guitarist – these are the best looper pedals from Boss, TC Electronic, Line 6 and more
Best in-ear monitors for guitar players 2025: stay in tune and on time
Plug yourself in with the best in-ear monitors for guitar players from Shure, Sennheiser and more
Best headphone amps for guitar 2025: portable practice solutions
You don’t need to sacrifice tone to practice quietly with my expert pick of the best headphone amps for guitar players
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
