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September 2026

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120 articles

September 12
- “I’m not trying to toot horns, but Joe Bonamassa said there are only a few guitar players that can do the Albert King bends correctly, and he said my name”: From teenage rigs to stage disasters – the life and times of Eddie 9V
- Pink Floyd has a Dark Side of the Moon guitar pick made from gold – and it’s one of the most expensive guitar picks ever made
- “That fine line between a trainwreck and a stroke of genius is exactly what Ted McCarty tapped into”: The Gibson Flying V – how a misunderstood design conquered the guitar world
- “It was not about making a copy of somebody else’s guitar. It was about improving the guitar in general”: Petr Furch on 45 years of acoustic guitar innovation – and the challenge to make his guitars better
- “I choose to play the guitar “upside down”… It completely changes the riffs, phrases and chords that are available to you”: Eric Gales on how the blues turned his life upside down – and what you can learn from his approach
- “We played every show we could get, from dive bars to opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers. One out of three people in the crowd liked us, and the other two thought we sucked”: Primus’ original guitarist, Todd Huth, recalls the band’s early pre-fame days
- My pick of the best guitar gear launched this week: a new era of Gibson beckons, Joe Bonamassa's pawn shop SG eternalized, and Squier makes history with a 12-string
September 11
- “The peso coin is a rarity, but we’ve still got a few filed down for the ready”: Why Billy Gibbons started using a peso as a guitar pick
- “A lot of guitarists never use the middle pickup, but I’m all for it. I never used the others”: Why Lenny Kaye only needs one under-appreciated pickup position
- “It’s the first time a Chinese guitar brand has brought a world-class master guitar builder onboard”: Ex-Fender Master Builder John Cruz and Farida unveil his first guitar (yup, it’s an S-style)
- “Plug in, pick up the bass and experience the gear that created Motörhead’s unmistakable sound”: Las Vegas Motörhead exhibition will let play through Lemmy’s bass rig
- “Any of you lucky enough to be seeing their sold out US rallies, let us know what you think of these beasts”: Manson teams up with President, revealing new models for the masked metallers
- What do you want from the future of guitars?
- The rise of stainless steel frets: why players are making the switch, and what makes them better than traditional nickel
- Mastodon are being sued by Brent Hinds’ estate
- “It was the early Jimi Hendrix days. I was persuading George to do something feedback-y and crazy. I was showing him what I wanted and he said, ‘Well, you do it’”: On the trail of Paul McCartney, the Beatles’ not-so-secret guitarist
- “A tiny tone machine that proves solid-state can sound great”: Orange Baby Terror review
- “The next generation of the Gibson humbucker”: Gibson ushers in a new era of its humbuckers with the ELEV8
- “Don Felder played, and I sat in. It was weird looking out and seeing Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas looking back at us”: The continuing guitar adventures of Peter Frampton – from Skywalker Ranch to his new all-star solo album
- “Our guitarist saw an online ad where Bon Jovi was looking for a local band to open for them. She didn’t even tell us she’d applied!” How Violet Lea went from self-taught bassist to opening for Bon Jovi
September 10
- Why pedal artwork matters – and how it impacts your sound without you even realizing: “They're tools for making music, but they're also statements about who we are as players and what we value as artists”
- “Most people hate our best-selling guitars right out of the gate”: We’re in a golden era for new body shapes, but they still split opinion – we speak to the brands risking it all in a nostalgia-led market
- Guitar Center is inviting players to test its new in-house guitar brand – but you’ll need to sign an NDA
- Soundgarden return to the stage with Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready and The Pretty Reckless’ Taylor Momsen at Seahawks NFL halftime show
- “I ran over to the student center, unenrolled from all my classes and hit the road”: Noah Kahan was an unknown when his guitarist got the gig. Now he’s playing Fenway Park with his own signature guitar
- “Technology is supposed to make things easier, not get in the way”: Are apps ruining guitar gear? We argue for and against the trend that has taken over practice amps
- “Ozzy’s such a nice guy. But the day I walked out of the band I was like, ‘I’m glad to be out of that’”: Bernie Tormé’s turbulent eight-gig stint with Ozzy Osbourne
September 9
- “The album is quickly emerging as a major crossover moment”: Brian May will be on William Shatner’s surprise album – alongside a host of metal guitar heroes
- “I was called to play on an album with Peter Gabriel, whom I didn't know of. I hadn’t even heard of Genesis”: Tony Levin on how a Peter Gabriel session changed his life – and led him to King Crimson
- Two of Gretsch’s most affordable and desirable guitars just got an irresistible new look
- The ultimate guide to sus chords: the secret sauce shapes for the Edge, Andy Summers and the Beatles
- With up to 60% off budget guitar brand Harley Benton plus loads more big brands, the Thomann Guitar Days sale is the place to pick up an absolute steal on a guitar right now
- “Metal players embraced it, but so did players like David Gilmour”: 20 gear innovations that changed guitar playing
- Never-before-heard Van Halen demo from 1974 set for release: “Van Halen opens the family archive for the first time”
- “I remember trying to sound like Chris Squire. Ozzy’s reaction was, ‘What the hell is that?’” How Geezer Butler helped define the sound of heavy metal on this eight-minute Black Sabbath opus
- “When the next generation are 60 with money for a vintage guitar, they’re going to want a Strandberg, not a Fender. Les Pauls will be collectible art pieces”: Meet the 24-year-old luthier taking headless guitar design into the future
- “This was the beginning of my love affair with them”: Joe Bonamassa’s pawn shop 1961 SG changed his outlook on P-90s – now Seymour Duncan has recreated its pickups
- “Visitors saw stacks of amps with names like Yngwie Malmsteen, George Lynch, Jake E. Lee and Adrian Vandenberg on the service tags”: The story of Eddie Van Halen’s elusive amp tech, José Arredondo – and the new amp that honors his legacy
- “Inspired generations of guitarists and shaped the sound of countless records”: Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi review
- I admit it: I’m a wah-wah addict. It’s the greatest sound a guitar can make. And I have proof
- “Nigh on impossible to craft a bad tone”: Positive Grid Spark Pedal review
- How Positive Grid's REACTOR is supercharging the amp modeler and opening up more possibilities for tone creation – without leaving the traditional amplifier behind
- “They looked like an ancient instrument of torture. I thought, ‘There must be a better way’”: Why Sleep Token’s IV, Brandi Carlile, and Foo Fighters’ Pat Smear have all added G7th’s all-round premium capos to their rig
September 8
- “He was the first guy in that genre that I heard that I was like, ‘Wow – these lead guys can really take an exciting part of the band’s sound’”: Former Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes’ final recordings to be released as an EP this November
- “For metal, Solar’s big talk isn’t hyperbole”: Solar Chug Capo review
- “I had a guitar stolen in Houston. We pulled over to a Guitar Center and there was a used Les Paul Custom on the wall”: Bill Kelliher on what started Mastodon’s Silverburst love affair
- Fender launches first Squier Paranormal signature guitar, the Troy Van Leeuwen Telecaster XII: “That guitar can always be heard in the mix”
- Ditch the soldering iron: you can swap pickups in seconds with these guitars
- “Digital rig? No problem!” How Laney bridged the modeler gap and found a way to make digital setups sound better
- “This guy dutifully opened the case. I can still smell it. It was this otherworldly object, like something out of Raiders of the Lost Ark”: Johnny Marr on the guitars he’s loved and is about to lose at auction – and the one that started it all
- Tailgunner address sexual abuse allegations against their bassist
- “I think they’ve been forgotten about in our generation”: Why Greta Van Fleet’s Jake Kiszka thinks more guitarists should be using combo amps
- “There was this D-Day where everybody in rock music got dropped except for us and Beck. I felt the immediate hatred in town”: Weezer’s Brian Bell on polarizing fans (and the band), proving the critics wrong, and making the Gold Album
- “Gibson wasn’t the only company to lose its mind in thrall to technology”: The 21st century guitar innovations that never caught on
- “We put the same level of attention into everything. It can be infuriating… We’ll listen in different rooms, with different guitars and different players, to get there”: Inside Blackstar’s quest to build the next generation of guitar amps
- “Maybe it was a guy on smack who got paid $50”: This Funkadelic solo was one of the band’s best – but who really played it?
September 7
- “That an electric guitar under $500 can play and sound as this does – it’s remarkable”: Harley Benton Fusion-T II EMG MN HT SBK review
- Musician's Friend walks the line with its epic Labor Day sale by slashing a whopping $6,000 off a Johnny Cash Gibson acoustic, as well as up to 60% off big-name brands
- This year's huge Labor Day guitar deals include up to 60% off at Musician's Friend, a crazy Guitar Tricks saving and super cheap Positive Grid gear – here’s 5 essential sales to shop today
- “Opportunities to play museum-grade instruments in all their glory are few and far between. Couple that with Denmark Street, and you've got the perfect storm”: The Holy Grail guitars you can see up close and in action in London this month
- “Every line has to be played live. It’s what this freak show is all about – making it ridiculous, hard and painful for the musicians, thus fun for the audience”: Angine de Poitrine tell us the origin story of guitar’s most surreal band
- Forget the fire and flames, Sweetwater just dropped an exclusive, stealthy Black Satin version of Herman Li’s PRS SE Chleo you won’t find anywhere else
- The guitar world pays tribute to Andy Williams: “We all deserved more time with him. More riffs, more wrestling matches, more conversations about guitars, and gear”
- Ball-ends through the tuners? Meet the Steadfast Stopbar, the Les Paul tailpiece that strings your guitar backwards
- Marty Friedman names one of his favorite guitarists to jam with: “It reminded me of playing with Jason Becker. She does all the guitar things I don’t do – like tapping – but does them in a way that I like”
- What are impulse responses? A guitarist’s guide to the secret sauce of great guitar tone
- Have you been putting your capo on wrong? Tommy Emmanuel says this is the right way to do it – and it could save your tuning
- How IK Multimedia raised the bar with the TONEX Board – the powerful amp modeler we’ve all been waiting for
September 6
- “Being a musician in Latin America is difficult. You end up paying almost three times the standard price for a guitar”: Nervosa’s Prika Amaral on her unconventional playing style and overcoming Brazil’s broken music scene
- What happened to Syd Barrett’s Mirror Disc Telecaster? “Even if it were discovered today it would be very difficult to verify as actually being the Pink Floyd founder’s guitar”
- “A lot of people wanted to run with: ‘Oh, Godflesh man works with Phoebe Bridgers!’ I was really upset about it”: How Justin Broadrick ended up playing 8-string guitar on a Phoebe Bridgers record
- “It was a pedal designed to make your bass sound like a trombone, but I could make it sound like Jimi Hendrix”: How Ralphe Armstrong unlocked Hendrix-inspired expression on one of Jean-Luc Ponty's most adventurous recordings
- Every Time I Die guitarist and pro wrestler Andy Williams dies aged 48
- The player who transformed B.B. King from “terrible” to legendary: “It was no fun to play with him. When he found out who I was he begged me to join him. I’m responsible for him being what he is today”
- “We’d sit outside, get really stoned, and nerd out about a solo or two”: Marcus King opens up about his friendship with Brent Hinds
- “John Lennon laid down a simple guitar part. Then David asked me if I wanted to go to dinner with them!” The genius of David Bowie’s guitar collabs in 9 classic tracks
- The surprising history of the first-ever signature guitars, from custom builds for teachers to high-profile artists
September 5
- Meet the ‘no 5’ chord – the jazz-friendly option for guitar solos
- “I got word that Chester was gone, and it just hit me so hard. I never listen to that song the same anymore”: Stone Temple Pilots bassist Robert DeLeo has experienced the death of his lead singer twice – and somehow found a way to keep playing
- “Bob Rock said, ‘I’ve got Metallica. That’s only gonna take a couple of months…’ 13 months later he finished their record and we had to find another producer”: Billy Duffy on staying true to the Cult’s manifesto and his vision for rock guitar
- “Right when I started with the Ramones is when I bought a guitar. The first song I learned to play was a Ramones song”: How the Ramones took New York punk round the world
- Tommy Thayer discusses the prospect of new Kiss material: “We recorded a great new song that Paul wrote”
- Gene Simmons, Don Felder and Slash have all enlisted his drum skills. Now Brian Tichy is stepping out from behind the kit, guitar in hand: “This is me saying, ‘I’m not just a drummer and never have been’”
- My pick of the best guitar gear launched this week: a meet and greet with Billy Gibbons, the modeler we've all been waiting for, and a Butterscotch Blonde wristwatch
September 4
- Tony Iommi reveals his final phone call with Ozzy Osbourne: “The night before he passed, he said to me, ‘I feel tired and really worn out’”
- Christone “Kingfish” Ingram hails new signing as the future of blues: “He represents where the blues can go next”
- “Anything that sounds remotely like a Tele is that Esquire. It’s my impression of Keith Richards”: Steve Lukather played his 1951 Esquire on sessions with Joni Mitchell and Dolly Parton. And it tells us a lot about the evolution of the Fender Telecaster
- “I hate it. I just about get away with it every time”: Noel Gallagher was forced into becoming Oasis’ lead guitar player – and he didn’t want the role
- “I’ll do a lot of things Eddie does, and it kills me. I wish I could take time and come up with something that nobody has done before”: Randy Rhoads on the struggle to become his own player and avoid the Eddie Van Halen comparisons
- You can finally become a six-string god this Labor Day as Guitar Tricks slashes an annual guitar lessons subscription to only $99 for a very limited time
- “I made a beeline through the crowd to hand Chuck Berry his ES-335. His eyes were windows into the legend”: The Canadian guitarist who worked with Rush, Heart and k.d. lang – and unwittingly co-wrote a Rolling Stones song
- Fender needs your help for its new grassroots gig initiative with Music Venue Trust: “Gives fans an opportunity to celebrate the venues that matter”
- Former Turnstile guitarist Brady Ebert claims he “did not commit a crime” after being charged with attempted murder: “Every part of the police report is a lie”
September 3
- Joe Bonamassa explains how “hiding” your guitar pick can make you a more expressive player: “You can start with rock and end with B.B. King”
- "The sounds here are absolutely the cream of the crop": Eventide H9 Harmonizer Gen 2 review
- “After I stopped touring with Ian Brown, people would ask him, ‘Where’s that Asian Jimi Hendrix that plays with you?’” From the Stone Roses to Paul Weller, poverty to ’59 Les Pauls, Aziz Ibraham shares his remarkable story
- Headless pioneer Strandberg is developing a guitar with a headstock for a mystery player: “Their needs are beyond what any current guitar on the planet can meet”
- George Michael's iconic “Faith” acoustic guitar is hitting the auction block – and could fetch over $100,000
- Save up to 30% on exclusive Epiphone, Fender, and Taylor finishes thanks to some hearty discounts in the Guitar Center Labor Day sale
- “I think the price was down to the ‘cute’ factor of being a little nine-year-old. The poor attorney took pity on me”: Hannah Wicklund on how a blues lawyer got her playing boutique guitars aged 9 – and the weapon she picked to take on Deep Purple and Yes
- "I thought it was only for heavy riffs": I traded my ES-335 for a baritone guitar for a month and fell under its spell – here's 5 reasons why I think every traditional guitarist should try a baritone
- IK Multimedia’s touchscreen TONEX Board is its most ambitious modeler to date – and it’s biting at the heels of its biggest rivals
September 2
- Steve Vai and Joe Satriani’s first joint studio album is finally coming out: “We’ve been planning this since 1973”
- Green Day, Rancid and Blink-182 members celebrate the Ramones’ 50th anniversary with a set at a cemetery
- If you learn one thing from Angus Young it should be this
- Phil X on the time his pedals died moments before opening for Steel Panther: “Guys, we don’t have overdrive tonight”
- Gibson recreates Billy Gibbons’ Pearly Gates Les Paul – and you’ll have to meet the ZZ Top legend in person if you want one
- “On a couple of gigs we had Eddie Van Halen playing with us. He said, ‘I can't play on that!’ I said, ‘Yes, you can!’” Albert Lee is the legendary British picker who found his home in country music – and made guitar heroes quake in their boots
- Bluegrass hero Billy Strings swaps Martin for Charvel to shred with death metal band
- Ibanez drops new Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Nita Strauss signatures – and an Iceman like no other
- “Neil Young and Stephen Stills have explored this tuning to great effect”: Drop D is not just for grunge and metal – Joe Bonamassa explains how he uses it for blues guitar
- Bruce Springsteen shares the mods and mysteries of his Born to Run Fender Telecaster: “It was hanging on the wall, it cost $185. It’s a mutt”
- Get the most powerful practice tool for guitar players for just $99 in this awesome early Labor Day deal
September 1
- One of the biggest brands in acoustic guitar tone just changed its name
- Rush surprise themselves with new Fifty Something tour dates: “We didn't know how well we would hold up to the rigors of the road, but we're having a blast”
- “Rock ’n’ roll is an old person’s game now – there’s still loads of people 10 years older than me who are doing it. I imagine they’ve got personal trainers and better health regimes than I do”: The inimitable Robyn Hitchcock on the enigma of songwriting
- “What we found was horrifying”: Footage of Les Paul’s destroyed home surfaces after iconic studio was quietly ripped down
- November 2026 Guitar World lesson videos and more
- “Undoubtedly the first popular, commercially successful guitar amp with reverb”: Is this humble Ampeg the vintage tube combo to rival golden-era Fender amps?
- Pete Townshend pulls out of Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival due to injury: “One day I hope I can accept Eric's invitation to appear with him”