
Phil Weller
A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.
Latest articles by Phil Weller

Fender’s American Vintage ’62 Super revives a “hidden treasure” tube amp
By Phil Weller published
Landing in the sweet spot between ’50s tweed tones and ’60s black-panel sparkle, the ’62 Super is a throwback combo from a transitional period of Fender history

Supro’s new Airwaves combo is a 6V6-driven 1x12 with Two Notes tech for vintage-modern versatility
By Phil Weller published
The New York firm’s latest build can push air with vintage, Celestion-powered tones and record DI with customizable IRs for the best of both tonal disciplines

Matt Bellamy channels his inner Meshuggah with a wild new 8-string Manson model
By Phil Weller published
New single Unravelling – which will drop imminently – finds the band travelling into a darker, djent-ier world

Fender debuts the California Standard Series – bringing its popular budget acoustics to even lower price points
By Phil Weller published
The new range arrives in time to compete with a growing budget acoustic market – and doubles down on Fender’s Standard initiative

Everyone is expecting Jake E. Lee to play Bark at the Moon at Ozzy Osbourne’s last show – but he has his doubts
By Phil Weller published
The song may be too much for the guitar icon – but he has a backup plan in mind

The player that almost convinced Creed Bratton to give up guitar altogether
By Phil Weller published
Away from his starring role in The Office, Bratton is an accomplished guitarist – but one blues icon almost made him rethink his relationship with the instrument

Zakk Wylde on how a student introduced him to a pickup pairing that would define his sound
By Phil Weller published
It was a revolutionary moment for the guitarist – and he’s never looked back since

Ben Harper’s Dumble was found at a yard sale – and it had previously belonged to the Beach Boys
By Phil Weller published
Owning the amp afforded Harper a meeting with the legendary amp builder, who soon revealed its surprising past

Slash had been watching Marty Schwartz videos to brush up his blues chops
By Phil Weller published
It seems the GNR man looks to Schwartz for guidance like millions of other aspiring players

Nancy Wilson’s stolen custom Telecaster has been found by police
By Phil Weller published
The guitar was swiped on the eve of Heart’s current tour, but Paul Moak’s cherished Gibson mandolin is still missing

After a tornado devastated its community, this local music store is fixing guitars damaged in the storm
By Phil Weller published
Mountain Sound Guitar Works has partnered with the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame for the initiative

Orangewood has launched its first electric – a stunning offset baritone
By Phil Weller published
Built in collaboration with TreeTone, the Del Sol baritone blends a chambered mahogany body with P-90 pickups and the best of both firms’ DNA

Former Evanescence guitarist steps away from music industry due to “AI-related developments”
By Phil Weller published
The guitarist feels the industry is changing – and not for the better

Why Robben Ford didn’t learn much from touring with George Harrison
By Phil Weller published
The Beatle’s music may not have put the fusion star’s guitar skills through their paces, but the tour proved the making of him in other ways

Gibson brings back its wild Les Paul acoustic hybrid for the first time in more than 20 years
By Phil Weller published
The firm’s third attempt at converting its iconic single-cut shape into a campfire companion settles on a parlor design reminiscent of a scaled-down SJ-200

The Callous Daoboys reveal the gear behind their calculated chaos (except for a secret stompbox)
By Phil Weller published
Maddie Caffrey and Daniel Hodsdon say they’ve outgrown “knockoff Dillinger Escape Plan” comparisons as they discuss the tonal delights of their new album, I Don’t Want to See You in Heaven

The time Ozzy Osbourne almost blew up Tom Morello and Slash
By Phil Weller published
The two guitar heroes had signed up to play some classics with the Prince of Darkness – but nearly got more than they bargained for

A Kurt Cobain MTV Unplugged plectrum is being raffled off
By Phil Weller published
The raffle will help raise funds for the Royal College of Music – and it offers the chance to own a slice of music history for just the price of a coffee

Here’s how you can still watch Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath’s last-ever live show
By Phil Weller published
The blockbuster event – which features a who’s who of the heavy metal elite – will be live streamed for fans who can’t attend in person

Joe Bonamassa on the one thing you should never do when buying a guitar
By Phil Weller published
Bonamassa says there are certain parameters a guitar should meet – and clear ones to be avoided

Guitar Center CEO Gabe Dalporto is facing new competition from brands in the retail space – but it isn’t fazing him
By Phil Weller published
New Gibson and Fender stores on three continents present fresh challenges for the store, but Dalporto says “bring the competition on”

Scott Gorham may have passed his Thin Lizzy audition – but his budget Les Paul copy certainly didn’t
By Phil Weller published
The Irish rockers finally found their man after auditioning 24 hopefuls when Gorham turned up for his turn – but Phil Lynott was left underwhelmed by his choice of instrument

Kirk Hammett doesn’t want his guitars to go unplayed – so he’s been secretly selling them online
By Phil Weller published
Bought a used guitar online? It might – just might – have belonged to the Metallica guitarist
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