Guitar Center’s new CEO explains why the firm’s future must prioritize premium guitars By Phil Weller published 26 April 24 Gabe Dalporto insists the firm needs to “evolve and execute better” in order to survive, and that it has forgotten who its core customer really is
Vernon Reid is working with Reverend on a signature guitar By Phil Weller published 26 April 24 Believed to be called Talisman, the guitar might be arriving sooner than you think
Solar Guitars honors Kirk Windstein with a signature that pays tribute to New Orleans city By Phil Weller published 26 April 24 The Down and Crowbar riffsmith's newest no-nonsense Solar signature was designed with “simplicity is power” in mind
Ace Frehley sold his 1959 Gibson Les Paul to fund a gambling trip By Matt Owen published 26 April 24 The former Kiss guitarist bought the guitar for $4,000 and sold it for $18,000 – but in today's market, it's estimated to be worth $350,000
Mike McCready recalls meeting Eddie Van Halen – and tries his hand at playing Eruption off the cuff By Phil Weller published 26 April 24 The Pearl Jam guitarist has opened up about his encounter with the guitar legend on Howard Stern, before showing off a few two-hand tapping licks
Score a FREE Fender pedal when you buy two at full price with this insane Hammertone offer By Daryl Robertson published 26 April 24 Fender has gone hammertime for Hammertone discounts with this insane 3 for 2 offer – overdrive, distortion, delay and flanger pedals up for grabs
Live Review: Knotfest, Sydney 25/03/23 By Australian Guitar published 27 March 23 "Knotfest is home for the maggots who never felt that they had a home anywhere else"
Live Review: Polaris, Melbourne 10/03/23 By Ellie Robinson published 13 March 23 “If there’s any band can take our expectations and shatter them in the most beautiful and brutal of ways, it’s Polaris”
Melbourne Guitar Show 2023: Phil Manning on his five favourite guitars By Ellie Robinson published 28 February 23 "I just love guitars and, although I’m definitely not a collector, I have quite a few, all of which are special in their own way"
Live Review: Good Things Festival, Melbourne 02/12/22 By Ellie Robinson published 5 December 22 “This edition offered one of the best festival experiences we’ve had in years”
NOFX’s Fat Mike on Australia, ‘Double Album’ and the power of pegging By Ellie Robinson published 29 November 22 Ahead of the punk icons’ hotly awaited return down under, Australian Guitar gets the lowdown on NOFX’s upcoming 15th AND 16th albums, what the future holds beyond their final tour, and… Lots of sex stuff
Adalita: “I thought the songs were just too good to not release” By Ellie Robinson published 29 November 22 Nine years in the making, Magic Dirt frontwoman Adalita has returned with her third solo album, ‘Inland’. Australian Guitar finds out why it’s worth the wait
Australian Guitar’s Fresh Frets: Vol. 12 By Ellie Robinson published 25 November 22 On the lookout for your next favourite Aussie band? You've come to the right place – here are five of the locals we're loving most at the moment!
Spotlight: Hallie By Ellie Robinson published 23 November 22 The new EP, ‘This Is Love’, is out in February
Devin Townsend: “I’m a pretty tranquil person, but that’s mixed with a constant undercurrent of anxiety and intensity” By Ellie Robinson published 17 November 22 Devin Townsend is back at his theatrical best, presenting his most refined self on ‘Lightwork’. Australian Guitar taps into the brightness
L.S. Dunes: “We needed a place to put our hearts and souls, musically, during the pandemic” By Ellie Robinson published 16 November 22 L.S. Dunes might comprise members of the most iconic bands in post-hardcore, but you shouldn’t dare call them a “supergroup”. Australian Guitar finds out why
Slowly Slowly: “I want to help people party through the pain” By Ellie Robinson published 15 November 22 On their game-changing fifth album, Slowly Slowly slam their darkest lyrics into their brightest songs, making for one hell of a musical rollercoaster. Australian Guitar takes it for a ride
Joji Malani, aka Pei: “As a solo artist, I’m able to be way more intentional about everything” By Ellie Robinson last updated 14 November 22 On his debut album as Pei, ex-Gang Of Youths strummer Joji Malani welcomes us to a world of technicolour indie-pop. Australian Guitar takes a first-class tour
Live Review: Enter Shikari, Melbourne 11/11/22 By Ellie Robinson published 14 November 22 "Even after six albums and 20-plus years of thrashing up a storm, Enter Shikari are still one of a kind"
Spotlight: Viktor Rufus of Kirklandd By Ellie Robinson published 11 November 22 The new single, ‘OTHERSIDE’, is out now
Nova Twins: “Half of my family is from Australia, so I’ve always wanted to go and see what the vibe’s like” By Ellie Robinson published 8 November 22 Less than a month away from their live debut Down Under, Nova Twins take Australian Guitar behind the scenes of their audio-visual assault
Sly Withers: “For however challenging it was to dive that deep into our songs, it was equally exciting” By Ellie Robinson published 3 November 22 Just a year on from their second album, Sly Withers have returned with clearer minds and catchier hooks. Australian Guitar journeys through the fierce rock foliage of ‘Overgrown’
Ocean Alley: “We’re definitely conscious of trying to give each other space” By Ellie Robinson published 1 November 22 Australian Guitar gets groovy with the kings of cruise-rock, Ocean Alley
Alter Bridge: “By learning how to turn down the noise in my brain, I can centre in on the music” By Australian Guitar published 28 October 22 As they wade through the waters of the new world around them, Alter Bridge have grown a new appreciation for their art, and developed new perspectives for how they should approach it
Spotlight: Bec Sandridge By Ellie Robinson published 26 October 22 The new EP, 'Lost Dog', is out now
Orianthi: “I wanted the verses to focus more on storytelling than aggression” By Australian Guitar published 21 October 22 Orianthi’s fifth studio album, ‘Rock Candy’, is pretty damn sweet. The Adelaide pop-rocker tells us how it came about
Shrapnel veteran Michael Lee Firkins reflects on the final days of shred By Andrew Daly published 27 April 24 The former Shrapnel star discusses bringing bluesgrass to shred, working with the great Jason Becker and his pivotal role in establishing the Yamaha Pacifica
Europe’s John Norum on sacred Strats and what he learned from Don Dokken By Joe Matera published 27 April 24 As Norum gets ready to work on a new Europe album, the Swedish six-string maverick pops by to share his most embarrassing moment onstage and famous firsts
How Colin Greenwood came up with his deceptive stop-start bassline on Radiohead’s Airbag By Nick Wells published 27 April 24 Colin Greenwood’s bassline drives the opener of Radiohead’s OK Computer, even though it contains more rests than licks
Randy Bachman on how a broken string inspired his iconic American Woman guitar riff By Janelle Borg published 26 April 24 How one broken string on a ‘59 Les Paul changed Randy Bachman’s career
“It made me realize how grateful I am to have the guitar in my life”: I applied to be the new Smashing Pumpkins guitarist – I didn’t get the gig, but it was one of the most life-affirming experiences of my musical career By Michael Astley-Brown published 26 April 24 Kiki Wong deservedly landed the touring guitarist spot, but applying to join one of my all-time favorite bands reignited my teenage dreams – and Billy Corgan should be commended for offering the opportunity to so many players
The story of Van Halen’s 1984 – the Flying V, the synths and the end of the David Lee Roth era By Chris Gill published 26 April 24 Creative differences led to Roth’s departure the following year, but 1984 found the band firing on all cylinders, as Eddie Van Halen embraced his pop sensibilities while retaining the musical adventurism that made him the greatest of all time
Best electric guitar strings 2024: the finest electric guitar strings for every budget and playing style By Chris Corfield last updated 11 March 24 Keep your axe feeling and sounding fresh with the best electric guitar strings on offer right now
Best acoustic guitars 2024: 12 top options for guitarists of all ages and abilities By Chris Corfield last updated 8 March 24 Guitar World’s pick of the best acoustic guitars from Fender, Gibson, Martin, Taylor, Epiphone and more
Best acoustic guitar strings 2024: outfit your acoustic with the strings it deserves By Chris Corfield last updated 26 January 24 Our pick of the best acoustic guitar string sets, and everything you need to know about them
Best acoustic guitars under $500 2024: get more for your money By Chris Bird last updated 25 January 24 These sub-$500 acoustic guitars are ideal for everything from folk and indie guitar to blues and country
Best pedalboards 2024: budget-spanning picks to help organize your guitar effects By Jonathan Horsley last updated 17 January 24 Get the best from your effects with expert-recommended 'boards from Pedaltrain, Voodoo Labs, Boss, and more
Best reverb pedals: from spring to shimmer, our pick of the best reverb effects for your pedalboard By Michael Astley-Brown last updated 9 October 23 Take a deep dive into the cavernous world of 'verb and explore the best reverb pedals for every budget
“It barks, it roars and it bites”: EarthQuaker Devices Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder review By Paul Riario published 25 April 24 EQD's latest dirt pedal offers amp-like drive and heaps of tone-shaping capabilities, but is above all a love letter to dynamics
“Plenty of great functionality to make your life easier and assuage any fears of signal or battery loss”: Boss WL-50 review By Matt McCracken published 25 April 24 We put Boss’ pedalboard-friendly wireless guitar system to the test, seeing how it holds up to some stiff competition
“You might not be fooled into thinking it’s a tube amp, but it’s close enough for silent practice”: Blackstar amPlug 2 FLY review By Richard Blenkinsop published 24 April 24 An affordable silent practice tool with three channels and three effects that covers ground for all guitarists
“Damn close to Lifeson’s late ‘70s/early ‘80s sounds”: Lerxst CHI head and cab review By Chris Gill published 23 April 24 A lower-powered version of Alex Lifeson’s superlative Omega tube amp, the CHI could facilitate your guitar’s passage to Bangkok
David Gilmour tones from a boost-drive twofer? Crazy Tube Circuits Hi Power review By Trevor Curwen published 20 April 24 CTC's latest twofer seeks to harness David Gilmour's Wish You Were Here tones in a pedal that pairs a boost with a Hiwatt-inspired drive
“Beyond any guitar in its class”: Yamaha Pacifica Professional P12M review By Paul Riario published 19 April 24 Forget everything you know about Pacifica: Yamaha’s new Japan-built flagship is a stunning, pro-spec electric guitar that has to be played and heard to be believed