Latest articles by Jackson Maxwell
Robert Smith on the flash of inspiration that shaped the Cure's biggest hit
Proving beyond doubt that the band's range extended far beyond dense, brooding epics, it remains the Cure song to reference for those who know only of the band's name and maybe their frontman's inimitable hairdo
Cesar Gueikian to step down as CEO and President of Gibson
Gueikian, who served as Gibson's Brand President before his appointment as CEO in 2023, will continue on as a member of the guitar giant's Board of Directors, and as an artist ambassador
The accident that led Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard to play an obscure Fender model
The alt-rock statesman's relationship with the Bullet, a beginner-friendly model, began with a gift that he thought at the time was an act of pure, unprompted generosity. He didn't quite know the whole story...
How Death Cab for Cutie found their second act – by embracing the weird, and guitars from their past
Ben Gibbard developed the songs for their sharp and confident new album I Built You a Tower like he did in the indie icons' earliest days, power trio style – but he and guitarist Dave Depper have never been more in lockstep
Who’s the greatest Stratocaster player?
Trying to suss out a guitarist who – in all of the model's 70+ years of existence – is the most synonymous with the Fender Stratocaster, is probably a fool's errand, but we want to know your thoughts anyway
The surreal beginning to Slash’s musical relationship with Michael Jackson
The two would go on to become frequent collaborators, with the top-hatted guitar great contributing to every subsequent album Jackson released during his lifetime
Nigel Tufnel's “World on Fire” guitar, used during Spinal Tap's Live Earth performance, is headed to auction
An Ernie Ball Music Man Silhouette at its core, the guitar features a working thermometer and a snow globe containing a figurine of former US Vice President Al Gore
Rowan Robertson on the key advice he received from Ronnie James Dio on how to faithfully play Tony Iommi’s riffs
Though Robertson was only 17 at the time he was hired for Ronnie James Dio's band, the legendary frontman had the utmost confidence in him
May 2026 Guitar World Editors' Picks
From The Rolling Stones to Julian Lage, Tamikrest to the Warning, this month's guitar greatness spanned many generations of players
What was your first guitar?
Maybe yours was a gift. Maybe it belonged to a parent. Maybe it was a hand-me-down. We all have to start somewhere
Ronnie Wood explains his guitar dynamic with Keith Richards at launch for surprise new Rolling Stones album
The album's laundry list of star guest spots were top priority for the launch event Q&A, but arguably more interesting were the nuts-and-bolts insights into how the Stones have musically kept on, well, rolling, for well over 60 years
Fender’s Telecaster 75th anniversary show might be the greatest assemblage of Tele talent ever
Held at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, the Tele Town concert was highlighted by perhaps the most electrifying Telecaster jam of all time – featuring, to name a few participants, Jack White, Brad Paisley, Tommy Emmanuel, and John Osborne
Former Turnstile guitarist Brady Ebert faces potential life sentence after indictment on attempted first-degree murder
The indictment follows Ebert's arrest in March on charges of attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault, after he allegedly hit former Turnstile bandmate Brendan Yates’ father with his car
How Sean Lennon's legendary father inspired him to pick up the guitar
For Sean Lennon, the guitar was a means of connecting to the father who was taken from him when he was barely five years old. Though, he added in a new interview with GW, their playing styles are noticeably different
April 2026 Guitar World Editors’ Picks
Fresh new cuts from all corners of the guitar world courtesy of Muse, Arlo Parks, Jack White, Ed O'Brien, Weezer, Periphery, and more...
Who's the most exciting up-and-coming guitar player?
Let us know who's got you optimistic about the future of the instrument
Meet Andrea Krakovská, the Joe Satriani-endorsed “aerial guitarist” combining fretboard acrobatics with real acrobatics
The self-described “aerial guitarist” tears it up while performing dizzying feats of aerial choreography, often upside-down – and her Satch cover earned plaudits from Herman Li and the master himself
Who is the most iconic Fender Telecaster player?
The Telecaster doesn’t get enough credit for its versatility – and in its 75 years of production, it’s found its way into every genre. Let us know who you think is the greatest Tele wrangler of them all
The 17-year-old guitar prodigy who flourished with Dio, but got off to a nightmare start
Rowan Robertson's fairy-tale ascension sent him from pubs to arenas virtually overnight. But he was a little over-confident for the first of those mega gigs…
March 2026 Guitar World Editors’ Picks
Collaborative instrumental greatness from six-string aces new and old (SatchVai), bossa nova guitar bliss, sublime slide work, swashbuckling 12-bar blues... we've had it all this month
Have you ever regretted selling a guitar?
It’s a crossroads that nearly every guitarist has come to at some point or another. Share your story with us
How Travis Barker-championed pop-punk heavyweight KennyHoopla found his dream Tele via a shady Facebook Marketplace deal
Lightweight, loaded with a pair of P-90s, and adorned with a photo of his late childhood cat, the Tele has become the singer-songwriter/guitarist's closest six-string companion
What makes a guitar worth $14.6 million?
Last week, David Gilmour's Black Strat sold at auction for an incredible $14.6 million. What could compel someone to spend that kind of money on a guitar?
I attended the biggest guitar auction in history – and witnessed a new dawn in the value of the instrument
The monumental bidding wars that took place on the first night of the Jim Irsay Collection auction at Christie’s New York were a testament to the power of the instrument and the aura of the classic rock gods, and left attendees spellbound
