Latest articles by David Mead
Muireann Bradley is keeping country blues blues alive – and she's still a teenager
Bradley's interpretations of original country blues songs are causing quite a stir among players, and breathing new life into a form of music that’s nearly a century old
“For years, the only 12-string acoustics I got my hands on, the necks always pulled off after a bit. I earned a lot of money replacing them!” Why one of the UK’s most prolific luthiers is a bolt-on acoustic die-hard
With the trio of upgraded Faith Eclipse acoustics now on the marketplace, we talk to the designer behind the brand, Patrick James Eggle
“Clapton is God” graffiti made him a guitar legend when he was barely 20; he says he felt he deserved it at the time
Speaking to Guitar World in 1994, Eric Clapton said that at the time – though he would grow more humble over the decades – he was “unbearably arrogant”
“The tuning did not need tweaking for the entire time we spent trying to avoid playing Stairway To Heaven”: Faith Eclipse Venus E/Cutaway & Neptune E/Cutaway 12-String review
“Designed as the ultimate stage guitars, with workhorse reliability and maximum performance capability,” these look the part, but how do they deliver in terms of quality and tone?
Eric Johnson on his G3 reunion with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai
We catch up with the maestro to talk all things G3, formative influences, hollow-body Strat designs, and what he has to learn from Wes Montgomery after all these years
Meet JWJ’s Rich Jones, the chef who turned luthier – and is serving up some mighty fine acoustics
From the pass to Joe Pass, Jones is cooking up a storm in his workshop – and he says it’s all about the work ethic
“If only we could hand out Michelin Stars for guitar-building”: JWJ Parlour Select, Orchestra Select and Slope Shoulder Select review
This acoustic trio hails from UK-based JWJ’s Select Series, essentially guitars made to a spec that luthier Rich Jones would choose himself. Let’s see how they measure up
Eric Bibb never planned to be a roots troubadour, but the blues took hold of his career
With more than 40 albums, three Grammy nominations and countless Blues Foundation awards to his name, Eric Bibb releases his most autobiographical set of songs yet on his latest release, In the Real World
“A real winner”: Gibson Hummingbird Studio EC & Hummingbird Standard Rosewood EC review
Gibson refreshes one of its most iconic acoustic designs with three new cutaway models. Will these latest ’Birds fly or simply fail to take off? Let’s take a look
“Plentiful bass, well rounded trebles, bags of toneful volume”: Atkin Dust Bowl 0012S & 00014 review
Alister Atkin’s UK workshop pays homage to the stripped-back, no-frills instruments that were available in the USA nearly a century ago when money was tight but roots music was blooming
“The house was on fire”: How Steve Hill cheated death then found redemption at Foo Fighters’ Studio 606
Hill survived two road traffic accidents and a house fire, but through grief and cracked ribs he made it, got his new record in the can, and this is its story
Steve Hill on the time he recorded at Foo Fighters’ studio – and broke Chris Shiflett’s prized Fender Princeton
Hill’s experience of recording at the Foo Fighters’ legendary Studio 606 turned into a costly endeavor
Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy spills his tone (and drop tuning) secrets – and why he doesn’t like brand-new guitars
Whatever you do, don’t lend Kennedy your brand-new 10 Top PRS, but do check out his new solo album, The Art of Letting Go, which he promises us is a “a rock ’n’ roll record – a lot of loud guitars”
How Yamaha evolved its TransAcoustic tech to create an acoustic guitar with an onboard delay and looper
After experiencing the enhanced version of TransAcoustic tech with the TAG3 C, we spoke to Yamaha’s European product specialist, Dan Stock, to learn more
“Quite possibly the ultimate busker’s tool”: Yamaha TAG3 C TransAcoustic review
Yamaha has expanded its TransAcoustic concept to include more onboard effects, including delay and looping, with fine-tuning and the option to play backing tracks via a dedicated smartphone app
Gordon Giltrap on why Bert Jansch changed his life – and how he ended up with the folk icon’s ’70s acoustic
It's no exaggeration to say that hearing Jansch forever changed Gordon Giltrap. Now that he owns Jansch's guitar, it has offered him a unique perspective on his hero...
Myles Kennedy names the “secret sauce” stompbox he thinks every guitar player should own
The Alter Bridge icon used the sub-$200 octave fuzz pedal on his recent solo record
“How good is a guitar that breaks down into three parts going to sound? As it happens, we were in for a pleasant surprise”: Furch Little Jane LJ 10-SM review
Furch’s travel guitar folds down so you can transport it in its own custom backpack and, the company claims, it returns to pitch when you reassemble it. Innovation or gimmick?
“Cort really is to be congratulated once again for delivering on its Masterpiece promise”: Cort Abstract Delta and Modern Black review
Two acoustics from Cort’s China-based workshop that couldn’t be further apart in style, from the traditional overtones of the Abstract Delta, to the more contemporary Modern Black
“Extremely well-made guitars… bags of character”: Auden 632 Series Chester 000 and Bowman OM review
A new series of short-scale acoustics joins the ranks at Auden – complete with a very smart soundhole preamp
Up close with the 1974 Les Paul Custom that Ian Bairnson used to play the solo on Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights – with his arm in a cast
When he tracked Wuthering Heights, Bairnson had a broken wrist, his arm in plaster, but as Pilot bandmate David Paton says, that wouldn't stop a man like him
“Both these guitars tick practically all the boxes”: Furch Vintage Pure & Violet Deluxe SM review
This pair of finely crafted acoustics from the lower end of the Czech Republic maker’s price band may look simple and stripped back, but they’re fully loaded with tone
Tele loyalist Joanne Shaw Taylor on rewiring her playing with Les Pauls and conquering ADHD in the studio
New album Heavy Soul finds JST pushing her vocals to new limits and pushing tube amps beyond their limits, and it cements her rep as one of the great blues players of our time
Darrel Higham on Gretsch, gear regrets, and what a 21st century rockabilly ace needs in their rig
A stolen treasured Gretsch and an unexpected love/hate relationship with White Falcons are all part of this rock ’n’ roller’s life in gear
“The build quality and voice of a fully fledged professional instrument”: McNally S-32 review
Despite its membership in McNally’s entry-level range, this small-bodied guitar’s spec sheet reads more like an instrument from the major league. Is it as good as it sounds? Let’s find out…
