Latest articles by Jonathan Horsley
How Justin Lyons is channeling the King of the Blues in mgk's punk-rock band – and he even has his own Lucille
The mgk touring guitarist has been a superfan of the King of the Blues since he was five years old
How the Beastie Boys saved the day on Aerosmith and Run D.M.C.’s Walk This Way
The Def Jam community spirit was alive and well in NYC's Chung King Studios
He’s played with Lady Gaga and played on SNL – now Stu “Bassie” Brooks has officially joined Nine Inch Nails on bass
Brooks just played his first show with Trent Reznor and co. at the Smoothie King Center, New Orleans
Eric Gales says he doesn’t understand all the fuss about Dumble amps
Yes, they sound great, says Gales, but they're not the only amp in the world to give you great tone
Steve Morse says the music school jazz snobs were not impressed by his choice of guitar
After flunking the audition simply because of his guitar choice, Morse could have turned deep purple with rage – but it was the making of him
Best beginner bass guitars 2026: top starter basses for beginners
The best beginner basses for young players, newcomers, and the budget-conscious, picked by our experts – featuring Yamaha, Squier, Ibanez and more
Best guitar picks 2026: my choice of tried-and-tested plectrums to upgrade your playing
My expert guide to the best picks for electric, acoustic, and bass guitar covering new players through to guitar veterans
Best bass guitars 2026: long and short-scale bass options for beginners to pros
Our pick of the world’s finest low-end monsters, with the best bass guitars from Fender, Cort, Yamaha and more…
![[L-R] Joe Satriani wears dark shades and smiles as he solos on his Ibanez JS signature model; Ian Anderson strikes a pose as he plays the flute; Yngwie Malmsteen pulls his aviators down to give the camera some eye-contact in this portrait from 2019.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qpBDNvdaGjWXpBHjWdQG7S-840-80.jpg.webp)
“Don’t turn into Yngwie Malmsteen or Joe Satriani”: Ian Anderson had some soloing advice for Jethro Tull’s new guitarist
No Arpeggios From Hell!? Denied! What the hopping flautist with the wild-eyed stare told Jack Clark when it came time to track leads for Jethro Tull's latest album, Curious Ruminant
“I got a legal thing from an attorney”: YouTuber Phillip McKnight threatened with legal action by guitar brand
Attorneys acting on behalf of Belltone Guitars sent a legal demand to McKnight over the return of a demo guitar – and the YouTuber says he is being made to feel like a "thief"
JHS Pedals says it has just made the ultimate first-stage overdrive pedal
Josh Scott says witnessing a soundcheck gave him the idea of the Morning Glory Clean – which reimagines the world-beating transparent overdrive
Best guitar wireless systems 2025: set your playing free, from the rehearsal room to the stage
Fed up with cumbersome cables? Here's my pick of the best wireless guitar systems for every budget
“You gave him the world, and he gave you his music in return”: Former Scorpions bassist Francis Buchholz dies, aged 71
Buchholz played on all the classic Scorpions records and later joined forces with his old bandmate Michael Schenker in his Temple of Rock project
![Butch Walker plays an EVH Striped Series superstrat [left]. On the right, his new signature Divided By 13 tube amp and matching cabinet.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QdVcgiz4RoY9j7NngyDBJh-840-80.jpg.webp)
Butch Walker and Divided by 13 team up for signature head with switchable EL84 and 6L6 power sections
Walker's hand-wired head allows players to run either of its EL84 or 6L6 power sections individually, or combine them, and there's a tube-buffered effects loop too
Best amps for metal 2026: my top picks for high-gain heroes
These powerhouse metal amps from PRS, Orange, Friedman, EVH, and more will have you primed to seek and destroy
Best metal guitars 2026: hell-raising electrics for shredders on any budget
From extended-range guitars to Flying Vs, here's our pick of killer metal guitars from Jackson, ESP, Ibanez, Strandberg and more
“I don’t think any song had less than 130 tracks of guitar”: Sunn O)))’s new album might set a record for guitar layers
On their eponymous debut LP for Sub Pop, Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson double down on guitar and then some
Fender joins campaign to support LA wildfires relief with unique Custom Shop guitars built from wood reclaimed from the disaster
The Altadena Telecaster is a Custom Shop dream machine made from reclaimed wood from a Deodar cedar tree that was damaged in the Eaton fire
“With that said, you all can stop asking me if I am buying it now. Muchas gracias”: Joe Bonamassa has his say on the future of Norman’s Rare Guitars
Once described as a "good fit" for the store, Bonamassa says he is more than happy to see Norman Harris's vintage guitar institution join the Carter Vintage Guitars family
![Mike Sullivan [left] of Russian Circles plays a Dunable electric guitar. Adam Jones [right] of Tool wears all white as he performs at Lollapalooza in 2009.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JzvHLXtiWjphtArnELCxMf-840-80.jpg.webp)
The time Adam Jones saved Tool's support band from rental amp hell with a random act of kindness
We've all been there, sweating with a borrowed backline that's not playing ball. Luckily, Mike Sullivan of Russian Circles had a guardian angel looking over him
Best distortion pedals: the top high-gain stompboxes for guitarists
Crunch, filth, mayhem! Dive into our expert round-up of the best distortion pedals available today
Lenny Kravitz used to buy guitars from fans in parking lots at his shows – here’s why he’s stopped
It was the strangest thing. Kravitz would be getting ready to get back on the bus and he'd make the gear purchase of his life – a vintage grail at a good price... Those days are gone
Evolution or revolution? Taylor rolls out its Next Generation Grand Auditorium lineup – potentially its most advanced guitars yet
Taylor's flagship model gets a power-up for 2026, with an all-new pickup, new bracing system, and innovative Action Control Neck joint
