Latest articles by David Mead
Epiphone Pre-War SJ-200 Rosewood Reissue, 1960 Hummingbird Reissue and 1963 Dove Reissue review
Following on from the superb Epiphone Inspired By Gibson Custom instruments that wowed us, we look at have three from a sextet of new historic reissues. Expectations are high...
Molly Tuttle on her new kick-ass band, her jaw-dropping custom Martin – and why she’s taking her sound beyond bluegrass
With a diverse new album full of amazing playing, there are changes afoot for the Grammy Award-winning acoustic-guitar virtuoso as she takes a few steps away from her bluegrass roots
“The build and sound quality is all there”: Taylor Builder's Edition 514ce Kona Burst review
We take a look at the new Builder’s Edition 514ce to examine its upgrades and refinements. A worthy alternative? Let’s take a look
They were a pivotal band in prog’s golden age and split in 1980, but Gentle Giant still have a rabid fanbase
With Gentle Giant’s legendary Playing The Fool receiving a remix, the band’s Gary Green reminisces about the challenges of gear and gigging in the ’70s
Molly Tuttle reminisces on her first Martin – and how it ended up in Arizona's Musical Instrument Museum
The bluegrass and Americana phenom looks back on her long-term love affair with Martin
Joe Bonamassa on why volume is a tone super power and why they don’t make CTS pots like they used to
Amid the mayhem of his European tour, Joe gives us a guided tour around his 2025 live gear and tells us why his mighty multi-amp rig has to be run at breaking point. All in the name of tone
How a Gypsy jazz guitarist came to play George Harrison’s iconic Beatles guitars on a new tribute album
Recorded in Harrison’s home studio using his most famous instruments, Robin Nolan’s Gypsy jazz covers reimagine the quiet Beatle’s best moments – and finally completes Harrison’s ‘lost’ song…
How Bonnie Bramlett’s name ended up engraved onto JoBo’s prized 1955 Fender Strat
It has been his number one road Strat for years, but until the iconic singer put her Dremmel to the back of its body, it didn’t have a name
“Impossible to resist”: Fenech VT Camphor Laurel Auditorium & VT Professional Blackwood Dread D78 review
An Australian brand with a burgeoning reputation down under steps into the limelight with a pair of hand-built acoustics that incorporate premium tonewoods and a sharp eye for design
Alex Lifeson on throwing sonic curveballs with Envy of None – and why he’s all in on plugins
As Alex Lifeson launches the second album from his latest prog project, Envy of None, we delve deep into the mists of its sonic landscape
Up close with Fender Custom Shop’s ’59 Journeyman Stratocaster – a stunning vintage repro fresh out of the box
Eschewing the heavy relic work of many Custom Shop Strats, the Journeyman nails that ‘one careful owner’ vibe
Lita Ford on the only amp she ever returned, and why she didn't ask for her stolen Mockingbird back
The rock icon talks all things gear, like that time she lied about her age so she could earn money for an SG, Neal Moser's badass B.C. Rich custom jobs, and why she returned a Kerry King Marshall
Cory Wong on the making of his signature StingRay and how Vulfpeck just, y’know, made an album during a show
The funkmeister guitarist is back with a whirlwind of new recording projects in his wake, and a fresh new signature guitar by his side
How Samantha Fish used raw amp energy and “wild, funky, weird” guitars to make new album come alive
Paper Doll is the sound of Fish unleashing the riffs and working a newfound confidence with her vocals, and it has some seriously sizzling tones
Randy McStine reveals all behind his cosmically epic solo on Steven Wilson's The Overview
When Wilson asked McStine to redefine the guitar solo for the 21st-century, David Gilmour's greatest solo was the reference. The catch? No pentatonic minor blues. It was to be comfortably new
Is Toby Lee Britain’s next blues-rock superstar?
The Firebird-toting Blackstar endorsee's name has been mentioned ever since he recorded a track for B.B. King, aged 10. Here, he explains why he was always playing for keeps
Steven Wilson on his cosmic prog epic, expanding guitar's 21st century vocabulary, and lo-fi plugins
Wilson's new album is unlike anything he’s done before, a very proggy space odyssey that takes the listener on a journey to the outer reaches of the universe…
Lita Ford had her prized Mockingbird stolen – but crossed paths with it in the most bizarre circumstances
Ford was briefly reacquainted with her beloved Mockingbird when an auditionee rocked up to her studio with her stolen guitar
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
