Latest articles by Michael Astley-Brown
Why Fender is building its $599 Standard Series in Indonesia – and how its ideological shift delivers better value for players
Fender’s EVP of Product Justin Norvell explains what convinced Fender to change its mindset on where its guitars are built – and what makes the new Standards different from the Player Series (apart from where they’re built)
Why Yvette Young was afraid of pedals – then ended up with a signature one
Young also talks about what inspired her signature Qi Etherealizer multi-effects pedal, and why it's the ultimate “ambient machine”
Polyphia’s next album is going to be brutal – and some big-name metal artists are already slated for guest appearances
Tim Henson let us in on what’s next for the boundary-smashing instrumental band – and it’s all in the name of blowing festival crowds away (and maybe, just maybe, selling more guitars)
January 2025 Guitar World Editors’ Picks
2025 has kicked off with an explosion of new guitar releases, led by Joe Bonamassa and Sammy Hagar, G3, Alex Lifeson, Billy Gibbons, Joanne Shaw Taylor and so very many more
These are the gear trends that will shape your guitar buying in 2025
NAMM 2025 was one for the history books, with an avalanche of surprise announcements as industry titans broke their own rules, the neck humbucker took a backseat and guitar stars started seeing other companies – here’s what we learned
NAMM 2025 live! The biggest guitar news as it happened
All the red-hot gear news and artist goings-ons from the show floor at the world’s biggest guitar gear trade show
Jack White announces a Custom Shop version of his wild, ever-evolving Triplecaster – and it colors way outside the Fender lines
The tricked-out guitar was available to play at NAMM 2025, and marks the latest refinement of White’s bonkers Telecaster
John Mayer pays tribute to Paul Reed Smith, and explains why anyone who says PRS guitars are “too nice” have got it wrong
10 years since his first phone call to the firm, the guitar hero hailed the iconic guitar builder as “the hidden member of everyone’s band all the time”
NAMM 2025: rumors, predictions and breaking news from the world’s biggest gear show
With the likes of Fender, Gibson and Marshall returning to Anaheim at long last, this year’s event is set to be the biggest in five years – with secrets and surprises to match
Jackson has revived its offset Surfcaster for a new generation of heavy players – and it’s surprisingly affordable
The biggest Jackson news from NAMM 2025 is the return of the cult offsets recently wielded by Misha Mansoor and Mike Stringer – and it’s about time
Walrus Audio just created an entirely new type of pedal that’s aimed at improving your playing, not your tone
The Canvas Rehearsal stalks new ground as a metronome, headphone amp and Bluetooth streamer in one
“One of the best compact wireless systems you can buy”: Xvive A58 Guitar Wireless System review
The successor to Xvive’s best-selling U2 wireless system offers a wealth of upgrades and impressive performance
The iconic charity rock song that missed out on its star guitarist due to illness – and why it could have sounded very different
Do They Know It’s Christmas? could have ended up with more guitars had fate not intervened
The best guitar albums of 2024
The guitar albums that had the biggest impact in the guitar world and beyond, as chosen by GW editors and pro players
“It’s rare to find Gilmour and Vai in one package”: December 2024 Guitar World Editors’ Picks
This must surely be the busiest December for guitar releases since records began, as the likes of Bumblefoot, Reba Meyers, Julien Baker, TORRES and Phil X save their best for the end of the year
The best guitar songs of 2024 – as chosen by Guitar World editors and pro players
With the help of pals including Eric Gales and Vernon Reid, we run down the songs that lit up the guitar-o-sphere this year, including a remarkable hardcore breakthrough, a virtuoso collab for the ages and the prodigy that everyone’s talking about
Cyber Monday guitar pedal deals 2024: Our expert pick of Cyber Monday stompbox deals
Your place for all the Cyber Monday deals on guitar pedals, pedalboards, power supplies, and more
I hate restringing guitars, and that’s why I fit locking tuners to all my electrics – and with 26% off Fender locking tuners, you can improve your Strat or Tele for less
This limited-time Cyber Week guitar deal at Amazon gets you pro-spec locking tuners for less than half I paid for my last set – but it will end soon
Cyber Monday Positive Grid deals 2024: You can still save up to 50% off Spark Mini, BIAS software and more in the Cyber Week sale
Here's how to find the best deals on amps, software and accessories before Christmas
Black Friday guitar pedal deals 2024: We round up the very best Black Friday stompbox deals still live right now
Your place for all the greatest Black Friday deals on guitar pedals, pedalboards, power supplies and more
I built the Lego Fender Stratocaster and the detail blew me away – it just dropped to its lowest EVER price, and I need to tell every guitarist in my life immediately
Amazon has brought the sought-after Lego Fender kit down to its cheapest price ever for Cyber Monday
Fender's first-ever Player II deals sold out fast – but you can still grab a $200 discount on a Stratocaster in one last Cyber Monday offer
Fender's latest series only launched in July, so this is an unprecedented discount – and probably the last Player II deal we'll see this year
I’m shocked by how many newly launched guitars, amps and pedals are discounted this Cyber Monday – including my favorite electric guitar release of the year
Think Cyber Monday is a time for getting rid of old stock? Think again, as Yamaha, Fender, Boss and other big names serve up discounts on red-hot gear launched in the last year
I’ve been reporting on Cyber Monday guitar pedal deals for 7 years – and I’ve never seen discounts like these
Big brands like Boss, Line 6, MXR and Electro-Harmonix are offering rare reductions on standout pedals – and some companies are even slashing prices across their entire stompbox lines
