Latest articles by Jackson Maxwell
“I hit the first chord and my Marshall blew up”: Richie Sambora on Bon Jovi's nightmare arena debut
Reflecting on the experience decades later, Sambora said that – embarrassing as they are in the moment – mishaps like that are “what shape you as a pro”
James Burton on his electrifying tenure as Elvis Presley’s guitarist – and the tragic day it came to an end
From the Archive The Tele titan anchored The King’s latter day backing group, the TCB Band, from 1969 until Presley’s tragic death in 1977
Blondie's Chris Stein on his greatest (and strangest) guitar shopping spree
From the Archive Blondie’s days in rugged CBGB’s were many chart-topping hits behind them in 1980, when Stein told GW about the time he and his bandmates got themselves into an unassuming dream guitar store...
Who's the best guitar duo of all time?
Who had the greatest chemistry? Who pushed each other's playing to the greatest heights? Who best knew how to serve the song together? Let us know
July 2026 Guitar World Editors' Picks
Featuring a ferocious new single from the future of shred, defiantly optimistic post-punk, “ecstasy for the ears” indie, irresistible jazz fusion, and much more
When David Bowie asked Robert Fripp to play like a Deep Purple legend
Fripp had made magical contributions to Bowie's masterpiece, Heroes, just a few years earlier – but this time the legend had something very different in mind…
Robbie Robertson on Bob Dylan's rocky electric transition
Though he was playing to some of the biggest crowds of his career, Dylan hadn’t consistently performed electric band shows since his teens – and those gigs certainly weren’t to cheering (and jeering) masses
He's worked with Grace Bowers and Cory Wong – now Devon Gilfillian wants to introduce “Nashville Soul” to the world
The Philly native’s new record, Time Will Tell, is “a soul album with little spices from the country spice cabinet” – and it’s loaded with guitar-work that's heavy, funky, weird, and, of course, soulful
The pedal that changed me – I asked the Guitar World staff to name the stompboxes that actually made a difference to their playing
Whether it was fun, frustrating, or forced us to think differently, these are the 12 pedals that GW staffers say have actually changed the way they play
Flying with your guitar – do you have a nightmare story?
There are horror stories aplenty of guitarists having their instruments broken, mangled, or lost while in air transit. Has that happened to you?
In 1980, Led Zeppelin were moving into a new era – then tragedy struck. This was their final show with John Bonham
The fateful 14-song set took place on this day, 1980, in Berlin
Inside Johnny Marr's blockbuster guitar contributions to Inception
Inception composer Hans Zimmer said that the moment he landed on a guitar part for one of the movie's pivotal instrumental themes, “I knew who I was writing for”
June 2026 Guitar World Editors' Picks
This month's hottest guitar tracks, all in one place
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
