Chris Gill
Chris is the co-author of Eruption - Conversations with Eddie Van Halen. He is a 40-year music industry veteran who started at Boardwalk Entertainment (Joan Jett, Night Ranger) and Roland US before becoming a guitar journalist in 1991. He has interviewed more than 600 artists, written more than 1,400 product reviews and contributed to Jeff Beck’s Beck 01: Hot Rods and Rock & Roll and Eric Clapton’s Six String Stories.
Latest articles by Chris Gill

The secrets behind Noel Gallagher's guitar tone on Oasis's Supersonic
By Chris Gill published
No need to break the bank to replicate the huge tones on this 1994 Britpop anthem

Cort Gold-A6 review
By Chris Gill published
Torrefaction is the magic word as Cort assembles an acoustic-electric with a vintage-voice and a friendly price tag

D'Angelico Deluxe Atlantic and Deluxe Brighton review
By Chris Gill published
Two classy solidbodies with serious spec and tones to match

ESP LTD Deluxe EC-1000T CTM review
By Chris Gill published
This classy modern update on the classic solidbody singlecut welcomes multi-voice Fishman humbuckers to the party

The secrets behind Steve Lukather's guitar tone on Along For the Ride
By Chris Gill published
A generous helping of gain is on the menu when recreating Lukather's tone on this choice cut from his latest album

The secrets behind Jimmy Page's guitar tone on Led Zeppelin's Communication Breakdown
By Chris Gill published
With a souped-up Supro, a Tele and a Vox wah for the solo, Page tracked one of the most iconic tones in classic rock

Hughes & Kettner Spirit Nano Series review
By Chris Gill published
Do these compact heads pack enough analog magic to hold their own with classic tube sounds?

The secrets behind Billy Zoom's guitar tone on X's Los Angeles
By Chris Gill published
A braniac amp genius, Zoom got a powerful tone – full of punch and bite – out of a minimalist setup

Fender Vintera Road Worn Series review
By Chris Gill published
Limited-edition, aged nitro finishes and hotter custom pickups, the Vintera Road Worn Series ups the ante for affordable, vintage-inspired electric guitars

Electro-Harmonix Eddy Analog Vibrato & Chorus review
By Chris Gill published
A bucket-brigade double feature that offers vintage pitch-shifting vibrato and a deep analog chorus

The secrets behind Jan Akkerman's guitar tone on Hocus Pocus by Focus
By Chris Gill published
How an unpopular solid-state Fender amp gave the 1971 prog classic the grit and clarity it needed

Ernie Ball Music Man Jason Richardson Cutlass 6-string review
By Chris Gill published
This signature Cutlass takes the concept of the high-performance electric guitar into a new dimension of luxury

The secrets behind Kurt Cobain‘s guitar tone on Nirvana‘s Smells Like Teen Spirit
By Chris Gill published
How Cobain changed popular music forever with a modded Strat, a Mesa/Boogie and a couple of everyday stompboxes

DryBell Unit67 review
By Chris Gill published
A 1176-style compressor, boost, and a tweakable EQ makes for a powerful all-in-one tone sweetener

The secrets behind Eddie Van Halen's guitar tone on Tattoo
By Chris Gill published
Returning from a long studio hiatus, Eddie's "whomping" 50-watt EVH 5150III heads brought the crunch

The secrets behind Brad Gillis’s guitar tone on Night Ranger’s Sister Christian
By Chris Gill published
This stone-cold classic from 1983's Midnight Madness finds Gillis perfecting the era's hard-rock guitar tone

Reverend Pete Anderson PA-1 RB review
By Chris Gill published
Anderson's latest signature model is a retro hollowbody with Bigsby wobble and a lotta tones

The secrets behind Eddie Van Halen's live rig at Van Halen's final shows
By Chris Gill published
On September 6, 2015, GW was invited to Bethel Woods Center for the Arts for an access-all-areas look at Ed's guitars, amps, effects and more

The definitive Kurt Cobain guitar gear guide: a deep dive into the Nirvana frontman's pawn shop prizes, turbo-charged stompboxes and blown woofers
By Chris Gill published
Decades on from the grunge legend's passing, his tone remains one of the most iconic in guitar's storied history

Fender 60th Anniversary Jazz Bass review
By Chris Gill published
A greatest hits Jazz Bass featuring the best of six decades' worth of specs

RedSeven Leviathan review
By Chris Gill published
If you're looking to level a city block with a powerchord, this boutique high-gain head has the KT88-powered ordnance

Elliot Easton: “People think I use a chorus pedal because of the sounds I recorded with the Cars. That’s actually the last thing I’d want on my pedalboard!“
By Chris Gill published
The Cars guitarist takes a deep dive into the gear and guitar solos that drive the Empty Hearts’ personality-packed second album

The secrets behind Pete Anderson's tone on Dwight Yoakam's Guitars, Cadillacs
By Chris Gill published
We investigate a bona-fide classic of '80s twang, with a modded Deluxe assuming a starring role
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