Latest articles by Amit Sharma
Best Christmas gifts for guitar players 2024: the ultimate festive gift guide for guitarists
Treat them right this Christmas with our pick of the 46 must-have guitar items, essential accessories, clever gadgets and instruments for every budget
Best electric guitars under $500 2024: maximum tone, minimum price
Our pick of the best guitars under $500, with top choices from Squier, Epiphone, Schecter, and more
“Could this be the most impressive tube amp under $700? For simpler needs, we definitely think it’s up there”: Blackstar TV-10 B combo amp review
The British amp wizards once again succeed in making boutique tones affordable
Pete & Vinnie Play started with a Racer X cover; now they’ve released their own shred single
After meeting at college and building up 150,000 followers online, the duo are stepping into the ‘real’ world as No Writer with help from Kiko Louriero’s producer and the master they studied under
Tony Iommi on hanging out with Jimmy Page and Brian May, early Sabbath – and his time with Jethro Tull
The godfather of heavy metal takes us through the unimpeachable majesty of Black Sabbath’s first six records, his gear choices – old and new – and how that new solo album is coming along...
![Opeth's Fredrik Åkesson [left] and Mikael Åkerfeldt sit on an old sofa with their PRS electric guitars. Åkesson looks off into the distance while Åkerfeldt stares into the camera.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mBjBAxu9jXG82RYpeGpuUX-840-80.jpg.webp)
Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson on their love of “stupid riffs,” and “recapturing that old death metal magic”
Opeth may have returned in a way to their sonic roots on their new album, The Last Will And Testament, but – with appearances from a Neal Schon signature model and a “not very metal” trick picked up from Eddie Van Halen – there are still plenty of quirks to go 'round
“A lot of my peers have turned to modelers. I’m not there yet. It still feels like an electronic toy to me”: Jerry Cantrell on his love of guitar duos, vibing off Jeff Beck on his solo album – and why he remains a digital tone skeptic
The Alice In Chains guitarist discusses sticking to tubes, breaking out the talkbox and the potty-mouthed solo sessions behind his new album I Want Blood
Tony Iommi tried to reclaim his iconic Gibson ‘Monkey’ SG but wasn’t allowed
After retiring the Monkey SG, the Black Sabbath legend sold it to the Hard Rock Cafe – but ran into a spot of bother when he tried to get it back
Prince’s Cloud guitar builder Dave Rusan on how he made the iconic instrument – and the legal battles over his replicas
With Prince’s Cloud 3 guitar fetching nearly a million bucks in June, we speak to Rusan about working for a pop legend, using tools you’d find around the house to make a guitar for Purple Rain, and what fans can expect from his replicas
Yungblud on the genius of his guitarist Adam Warrington – "the Sid Vicious to my Johnny Rotten”
It was meant to be. A chance encounter in east London brought Harrington into Yungblud's life, and he has been his six-string lieutenant ever since, a player who always knows how to grab the audience's attention
Serj Tankian reflects on his guitar journey with System of a Down, Tony Iommi, Buckethead and beyond
In a rare guitar interview, Serj Tankian breaks down his “fast folk” playing style and upcoming signature Gibson Les Paul, his love of shredders, and freaking out Maynard James Keenan (and being freaked out by Buckethead)
Jerry Cantrell shares his thoughts on digital modelers – and why he’s “not there yet”
The Alice in Chains icon uses a Kemper while tracking demos, but he’s not ready to take them into the studio – and onto the stage – just yet
How Yungblud became punk’s next guitar hero, bringing high-volume rock to Gen Z
Armed with a new Epiphone signature model, the punk-rock hero and Gen Z superstar shares the story behind his incredible rise – and his plans for what comes next
“One of the most user-friendly instruments of its kind”: Chapman Law Maker Baritone review
A Tele-inspired baritone bruiser that can handle all your lower range needs – and plays like a regular guitar
Serj Tankian reveals he has a Gibson signature model on the way
The System of a Down frontman discusses his penchant for Gibsons, particularly Les Pauls, and elaborates on what we can expect from his signature model
Tor Oddmund Suhrke on guitar lessons with Ihsahn and casting musical illusions with Leprous
Melodies of Atonement finds Leprous taking the complex and making it sound simple – and if that confuses prog purists then so be it, says Suhrke. There is no reversing the evolutionary wheel…
“It’s built for powerchords that snarl and growl”: Epiphone Yungblud SG Junior review
This ‘anonymous’ signature model is a garage-rock workhorse – grab one while you can
Yungblud explains why he’s been giving away his new Epiphone signature models at shows
The punk-rock superstar says the idea to hand out guitars to fans came about by accident, after a clip of a fan playing his guitar on stage went viral
Yungblud on what it was like to play Steve Jones’ Sex Pistols Les Paul
The iconic punk axe was also recently played by Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong
Matteo Mancuso names 10 guitarists who shaped his sound
From Jimi to Django, these are the ingredients behind Matteo Mancuso’s stunning guitar technique
Victory Amps’ Martin Kidd on the unstoppable rise of the British amp brand – and what comes next
Chief designer Martin Kidd tells how the UK amp firm went from boutique amp beginnings to an expanding portfolio of high-end amps for your backline and pedalboard, championed by the likes of Guthrie Govan, Mastodon, Ritchie Kotzen and Graham Coxon
Enumclaw are on a quest for alt-rock tone nirvana – using other people’s guitars and The Smashing Pumpkins’ fuzz pedal
Home In Another Life is another slice of gourmet tones and big noise therapy from one of the most exciting bands in the US alt-rock scene
Morgan Wade on famous fans, oversized acoustics and why country is just “four chords and the truth”
Wade is a singer-songwriter who likes to keep things simple in the classic country tradition. As she puts it: “I just want to play those chords and write those songs…”
