Latest articles by Chris Gill
The story of Muddy Waters’ “The Hoss” Telecaster, the guitar that helped define the sound of electric blues
Played by Waters throughout the final two decades of his career, this bright red Tele has been displayed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Metropolitan Museum of Art
How George Harrison fell in and out of love with the Tele he played at the Beatles’ final performance
George Harrison’s heavyweight prototype Fender shaped the late-era Beatles sound, and later passed through the hands of Delaney Bramlett and, briefly, Jerry Garcia
How Steinberger started the headless revolution – with a little help from Eddie Van Halen and Allan Holdsworth
Ned Steinberger didn't invent the headless guitar but his GL series captured a moment in the ’80s that changed guitar for good
Dive into the secrets behind Randy Rhoads’ guitar tone on Crazy Train – plus how to nail the sound on a budget
How a mids-heavy EQ and a triple-tracked solo gave Rhoads to the sound that launched Ozzy's solo career
The story of the Fender Telecaster that unites Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page
How a gift of thanks from one Yardbird alumnus to another turned a guitar into a bona-fide icon
The story of Van Halen’s 1984, and the end of the David Lee Roth era
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
How the Maestro PS-1 Phase Shifter changed the face of popular music – but it sure was bulky
Tom Oberheim’s ingenious device fast became a studio essential upon its launch in 1971
How the ’80s guitar scene left Jeff Beck feeling like an “observer”
He helped change the instrumental guitar scene forever. Then it nearly killed his career
The story of the Boss digital delay pedal that changed the world
Despite advances in technology, elite players such as Joe Bonamassa, Tom Morello and Brad Paisley still keep a DD-2 or DD-3 on their 'board
The life and times of Killing Joke visionary Geordie Walker – the guitar hero’s guitar hero
He influenced Kurt Cobain, Metallica, Tool, Nine Inch Nails and counted Jimmy Page as a fan. We pay tribute to a true guitar original
Out went David Lee Roth and Frankenstein, in came Sammy Hagar and Kramer – the story of Van Halen’s rebirth
It was the end of an era. Roth’s exit, Frankenstein's last hurrah. But it was the start of a new one as Eddie Van Halen got experimental on 1986's blockbuster, 5150
How the Diezel VH4 conquered metal, won fans in Metallica, Tool and Muse – and impressed John Fogerty too
Launched in ’92, the almighty four-channel beast completed a banner year for the high-gain tube amp
How the Rickenbacker 360/12 revolutionized the sound of ’60s guitar
Introduced in 1964, the jangle of the 12-string Ricky inspired generations of players, with the likes of Tom Petty, Mike Campbell and Johnny Marr all making it their own
Loved by Frank Zappa, Bootsy Collins, Steve Vai and more, how the Mu-Tron III became a vintage pedalboard icon
Mike Beigel's groundbreaking envelope filter made the world a funkier place
The best electric guitars under $500
Our top cheap electric guitars that deliver killer tones, slick playability, and serious bang for your buck from Squier, Epiphone, Yamaha and more
Why the stigma of budget electric guitars has disappeared over the past 25 years
As Squier and Epiphone have upped the quality, expanding their range, so too have the likes of PRS, ESP, Jackson and more, narrowing the gap between beginner and “serious” instrument
Is the Gibson SG Standard still underrated?
Raising the bar for upper-fret access, the SG is the solidbody electric that took the world by storm, but doesn't get the respect it deserves
Eddie Van Halen's 5150 Studios was decades ahead of its time – but it required a white lie to build
LA homeowners were forbidden by the city's zoning laws to build a home studio on their property. But what's rock 'n' roll without breaking a rule here and there, and sticking it to the man?
How the Cry Baby wah pedal changed electric guitar – and why it’s still (kinda) underrated
Popularized by Hendrix and Clapton, resplendent on some of guitar's greatest tracks, the wah pedal might divide opinion, but it has transformed the instrument
The battle to save brick-and-mortar guitar stores – and why high-end electrics are essential to their survival
In the past 25 years, brick-and-mortar guitar shops have been forced to compete with the internet or face closure. But as The Music Zoo’s Tommy Colletti explains, you shouldn’t rule ’em out yet
How Ibanez’s era-defining RG550 transformed high-performance guitar
It had the tones, it had the super-stable floating vibrato for divebombs, and it had the fastest neck around. The RG550 pushed shred guitar further and faster – just ask Paul Gilbert
How the Fender Jazzmaster became the one offset to rule them all – even if no one really used it for jazz
Joe Pass was one of the few jazz cats who used the Jazzmaster for what it was designed for. But that didn't stop it being a sleeper hit for Fender, and a future classic
Alex Lifeson on the story behind Rush's longest song
The band’s 1976 record 2112 – which followed the critically panned Caress of Steel – ended up become one of Rush’s most famed albums
