Nuno Bettencourt joins Van Halen tribute band for blazing Hot For Teacher cover
The Extreme axeman used an EVH striped guitar to blast out Van Halen licks like he's been doing it all his life
Latest news
Nuno Bettencourt joins Van Halen tribute band for blazing Hot For Teacher cover
The Extreme axeman used an EVH striped guitar to blast out Van Halen licks like he's been doing it all his life
Joe Satriani reveals the Eddie Van Halen guitar parts he found most difficult to play
Satch also discusses his years-long search for the quintessential Van Halen tone
What really happened at Prince’s infamous show supporting the Stones in 1981? Guitarist Dez Dickerson sets the record straight
The former Revolution guitarist insists the shows weren't as disastrous as some say, and reveals he persuaded Prince to return to the stage
Mooer’s Prime M2 crams amps, cabs, effects and a looper into an ultra-light, pocket-sized pedal with a touchscreen and rechargeable battery
Mooer's latest Intelligent Pedal offers a bevy of tonal options, MIDI and Bluetooth functions, and much more in an immensely portable package
The Xotic AC Booster has long been a secret weapon stompbox for session players and pros – and now it’s been upgraded
The original has been used by the likes of Mike McCready, Tim Pierce and Paul Gilbert, and now the AC Booster V2 promises to be even more versatile
Fender adds new period-accurate Stratocaster and Telecaster to its American Vintage II roster – plus stunning new finishes for existing models
The new models continue to honor the series' ethos of producing the highest-quality, period-accurate guitars from Fender's golden years of craftsmanship
PRS gives four of its most beloved SE electrics an exotic wood makeover with latest limited-edition drop
A quartet of SE stalwarts have been given a luxurious cosmetic update, while the beloved SE Swamp Ash Special receives a small but mighty upgrade
Artists
Created by the Ibanez Custom Shop in L.A., Thundercat’s double-neck bass guitar has a 6-string on top and an 8-string on the bottom
It’s impossible not to notice Thundercat onstage, especially when sporting a custom-made double-neck bass
Why some of the guitar parts on Ozzy Osbourne's Diary of a Madman made Randy Rhoads “cringe”
Ever humble, the late guitar legend told GW in a 1982 interview that he felt many of his contributions to the album “lack feeling”
Guitarists need to change their approach in the face of AI. Just ask Charlie Cunningham, the acoustic virtuoso fusing Meshuggah and fingerstyle
In defiance of the huge recent advances in tech, the UK guitarist’s new album In Light focuses on simplified sounds, less technical performance and embracing imperfection in the face of self-congratulatory AI
Buck Dharma on the Blue Öyster Cult story, his Gibson SG heroes, and what he really thinks of that SNL sketch
The Blue Öyster Cult co-founder looks back on one of the most remarkable stories in U.S. rock history, how the Reaper riff unlocked stardom and why they were never the “American Black Sabbath”
Aggressively bizarre, Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica remains one of the craziest guitar-driven albums ever made
Dense as a rainforest and often hard to grasp, Captain Beefheart's best-known album is the poster boy of late-Sixties avant-garde rock
Randy Resnick’s personal take on the history of two-handed tapping
After playing alongside Harvey Mandel, Resnick would go on to follow in the footsteps of Eric Clapton and Peter Green in blues legend John Mayall’s band – and win plaudits from Lee Ritenour and Ted Greene
Beyond Beatlemania: The definitive guitar history of George Harrison's greatest recorded works
Guitar World's Beatlemaniacs assemble for the deepest of deep dives into the recorded output of a pop-cultural icon and genius player to find that there was no one quite like George Harrison
“He was very frightened”: When Nigel Tufnel jammed with Joe Satriani
Given that this was a guitarist who had already broken new ground in amp volume, the intimidation Satriani felt was definitely understandable
How Warren Haynes is finishing what Gregg Allman started with Derek Trucks’ help – and why he’s fallen for J Mascis’ Squier Jazzmaster
Million Voices Whisper finds the Gov't Mule frontman leaning into his B.B. King influences and Allman Brothers history to welcome some talented friends to the party
Gear
How TV Jones built an enviable reputation despite being an underdog in the pickup world
One persona’s small-shop attitude and one-to-one service secured his company’s place in a challenging market, and helped revitalize the Gretsch brand
“The slightly bland exterior hides the huge pickup-swapping potential”: Cream T Crossfire Standard review
The UK builder brings quick and easy pickup swapping to an offset platform – and it might just convince you to take the plunge…
"I'm not about to proclaim this to be the death of tube amps, but it does help an already good modeling tone get that little bit closer in terms of feel": IK Multimedia Tonex Cab review
In an ever-growing sector of viable monitoring solutions allowing us to hear our carefully crafted digital guitar tones, IK Multimedia enters the fray
![Lerxst Grace [left] and Godin 5th Avenue TL Gold Foil: Grace is a red HSS S-style with a mirror pickguard and a Vega tremolo system. The 5th Avenue model to its right sits beside a houseplant and is an arch-topped hollowbody with f-holes and gold-foil pickups.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6w2NUh4RxvR5ajrc52sFCB-840-80.jpg.webp)
“Godin should be taken very seriously”: Godin 5th Avenue TL Gold Foil and Lerxst by Godin Grace review
Few, if any, major guitar manufacturers offer Godin’s extensive range of guitar styles. We catch up with a couple of new additions that couldn’t be more different
"Brilliantly precise monitoring headphones with wide open-back sound": Audio-Technica ATH-R70XA review
An astonishingly wide and deep sound stage and all-day comfort define the R70XA
Angus Young's AC/DC tone in a box? – Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker review
A one-box recreation of Angus Young’s AC/DC guitar sound for those about to rock
The story of Peavey and its era-defining Van Halen collaborations – and why they came to an end
Peavey CEO Courtland Gray looks back at the firm’s decades of boundary-pushing products, and what sets the company apart from Fender and Marshall
Lessons
This easy chord trick appears on classic songs by the Beatles, the Eagles, Paul Simon and Passenger
Why the 7th fret is the magic position for your guitar capo
Marcin's percussive fingerstyle is dropping jaws. The warm-ups that fuel his virtuosity are guaranteed to boost your own playing
Acoustic phenom Marcin Patrzałek shows you his favorite warm-up exercises
Rasgueado is a game-changing flamenco strumming technique – and it will give your picking hand a huge turbo boost
Learn the strumming style that will give your playing bravado, fire and passion
6 signs it's time to upgrade from your first acoustic guitar
Is your first acoustic guitar holding you back? Here are six signs that it is time to upgrade your starter instrument to something better
5 common excuses for not learning the guitar – and 5 body and mind-boosting reasons you should
Always wanted to learn the guitar, but keep making excuses? These are the most common ones I've heard – and why they don’t hold up
By thumb-picking bass notes while playing a melody, you can be your own rhythm section – Jared James Nichols shows you how
The pickless blues-rock powerhouse demonstrates some picking hand independence strategies that gets it working up a rhythm that works a treat for the solo musician
Jimmy Reed was one of the most influential blues guitarists to ever live – and his fingerpicking style makes an incredible launching pad for improvisation
Jim Oblon cracks open the box to present us with a blues lesson to refresh your rhythm game
The gallop is the most important metal rhythm of them all – learn the breakneck guitar technique behind Metallica, Slayer and Iron Maiden classics
This rhythm found fame in heavy metal, but it's been used in all genres for decades – making it a must-learn for every guitarist
Best online guitar lessons 2025: remote learning for guitar players – every platform tested by experts
Online lessons are great for developing your guitar skills from the comfort of your home or on the go – myself and our in-house experts have thoroughly tested options for all playing levels and budgets, including a free option
Reviews
“The slightly bland exterior hides the huge pickup-swapping potential”: Cream T Crossfire Standard review
The UK builder brings quick and easy pickup swapping to an offset platform – and it might just convince you to take the plunge…
"I'm not about to proclaim this to be the death of tube amps, but it does help an already good modeling tone get that little bit closer in terms of feel": IK Multimedia Tonex Cab review
In an ever-growing sector of viable monitoring solutions allowing us to hear our carefully crafted digital guitar tones, IK Multimedia enters the fray
“Godin should be taken very seriously”: Godin 5th Avenue TL Gold Foil and Lerxst by Godin Grace review
Few, if any, major guitar manufacturers offer Godin’s extensive range of guitar styles. We catch up with a couple of new additions that couldn’t be more different
"Brilliantly precise monitoring headphones with wide open-back sound": Audio-Technica ATH-R70XA review
An astonishingly wide and deep sound stage and all-day comfort define the R70XA
Angus Young's AC/DC tone in a box? – Crazy Tube Circuits Heatseeker review
A one-box recreation of Angus Young’s AC/DC guitar sound for those about to rock
“A near-perfect compact wireless system”: Fender Telepath Wireless System review
After taking over the guitar cable market, Fender has turned its hand to its debut wireless system – and it has a secret weapon onboard
“It can give you pristine cleans, crunchy classic rock, slapback slathered blues, and even modern metal”: Blackstar Fly 3 review
I got hands-on with this low-budget practice amp designed to deliver killer tones at below the $/£100 mark
Buying Guides
Best desktop guitar amps 2025: my top desktop amps for portable practice
Improve your guitar playing with my pick of the most powerful yet portable practice solutions
Best online guitar lessons 2025: remote learning for guitar players – every platform tested by experts
Online lessons are great for developing your guitar skills from the comfort of your home or on the go – myself and our in-house experts have thoroughly tested options for all playing levels and budgets, including a free option
Best acoustic guitars 2025: 10 top options for guitarists of all ages and abilities
Guitar World’s pick of the best acoustic guitars from Fender, Gibson, Martin, Taylor, Epiphone and more
Best acoustic guitars for beginners 2025: top picks for new players, reviewed and demoed by experts
We've played epic affordable six-strings from Epiphone, Taylor, Fender, Yamaha and more – read on for our best beginner acoustic guitar recommendations and watch our video demos
Best punk guitars 2025: straight-shooting, no-nonsense guitars for punk
From Gibson to Eastwood, Fender to Music Man, here’s our expert pick of guitars to help you cause some anarchy at your next DIY show
Best guitar picks 2025: awesome guitar picks to upgrade your playing
My expert guide to the best picks for electric, acoustic, and bass guitar
Best guitar plugins 2025: 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
