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

That time Tom Hamilton ended up playing bass for Thin Lizzy
By Phil Weller published
The bassist handled Phil Lynott’s parts during a 2016/17 anniversary tour – a gig he got after meeting members of the new-look lineup at a Motörhead concert

Ibanez takes a leaf out of its heavy electric playbook to produce its most ‘metal’ acoustics yet
By Phil Weller published
Featuring “in-demand” tonewoods and high-end electronics, the new Blackout lineup offers a metal-inspired twist to the traditional acoustic guitar recipe

Mike Bloomfield’s missing custom-painted ’66 Fender Telecaster – which was lost in 1974 – is going up for sale
By Phil Weller published
The quirky Tele, which mysteriously disappeared in the 1970s after it had been used by Bloomfield, was recently discovered

Dante Swan is blurring the lines between djent and trap music – and he wants you to steal his riffs
By Phil Weller published
The Chicago guitarist’s unique fusion of styles is expanding the horizons of where metal guitar can go, with the backing of Tosin Abasi

Has HeadRush changed the future of amp modeler rigs with a tiny $149 FRFR cab?
By Phil Weller published
The 30-watt FRFR-GO offers color-free amping of modelers for just shy of $150

Hughes & Kettner finally brings back its Puretone amp by popular demand... as a plugin
By Phil Weller published
The no-nonsense amp head, which has been re-purposed by Nembrini Audio, has joined the digital realm

Keeley takes on the Walrus Fundamental and JHS 3 Series with new range of $99 Sweetwater exclusives
By Phil Weller published
From a David Gilmour-inspired fuzz to a classic Marshall-style amp tone in a pedal, the budget collection packs plenty of appeal

Jimmy Carter planted trees and personally harvested the wood that was later used to create his custom acoustic
By Phil Weller published
The former President planted an orchard in the 1990s, and at the age of 95, personally cut down a tree for it to be turned into a guitar

Randall Smith on the origins of his ‘hammer test’ that makes Mesa/Boogies bulletproof
By Phil Weller published
We don’t recommend trying this at home, but it’s a test that has helped Mesa/Boogie amps stand the rigors of touring throughout the decades

Joe Satriani on the unique challenges of having Yngwie Malmsteen on the G3 tour
By Phil Weller published
Satch has no notes for the Swedish maestro’s playing, but found other aspects of his performances a little distracting during their G3 time together

Why Rhett Shull thinks amp modelers will fall out of favor in the future
By Phil Weller published
While Reverb’s 21 best-selling amps of 2024 were all bereft of tubes, Shull is convinced that tube amps will make an inevitable comeback

Nirvana track named the best guitar riff of all time by surprising new study
By Phil Weller published
Many of the big hitters feature, but not where you’d expect them to be – and there are some notable absences, too

John Mayer on why right-handed guitar players were responsible for the eventual creation of the left-handed SE Silver Sky
By Phil Weller published
Mayer discusses the making of the left-handed version of his best-selling PRS signature guitar

Chibson has made a movie about Robert Plant’s “favorite band” – a reggae Led Zeppelin cover group
By Phil Weller published
The meme machine has expanded its empire into the world of film with a debut documentary that tells the story of one of the wildest cover bands ever

Linkin Park’s Brad Delson on why he stepped back from touring – and if he’d ever return to the stage
By Phil Weller published
Though he isn’t directly involved in the show night-on-night, Delson has been instrumental in what the band delivers on the road

Tim Commerford’s new Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay is a love letter to the pawnshop bass that crafted the first Rage record
By Phil Weller published
Passive and active editions have been launched, but both come optimized with some clever, player-adjustable additions

The highly anticipated Norman’s Rare Guitars documentary gets its first trailer – and an official Netflix release date
By Phil Weller published
The feature-length film about the legendary vintage gear shop is due to land before the end of the year – and it will star some huge names

Why Steve Vai dropped his anti-supergroup stance to help revive some of King Crimson’s most celebrated work
By Phil Weller published
BEAT has been celebrating King Crimson’s 1980s albums, with Adrian Belew and Steve Vai’s new guitar partnership at its core

Electro-Harmonix responds to sky-rocketing looper competition with the Pico 360+ – can this mini looper take the crown?
By Phil Weller published
Downsized reimagining of EHX’s best-selling 360 Looper channels the original’s magic, adds unlimited overdubs, and bottles it all in an ultra-tiny chassis

This bonkers new strap secures your guitar to your belt and lets you flip it 360 degrees
By Phil Weller published
MusiCare Pro sought to create a strap that could alleviate common playing pains, but ended up creating something with additional performative benefits

Paul McCartney’s long-lost Höfner returns to the stage for the first time in 50 years
By Phil Weller published
Macca’s original Höfner violin bass had been missing for half a century, but recently marked its return to the stage in style

“An all-in-one power solution, on or off the grid”: D’Addario’s rechargeable XPND Pedal Power promises to make your ’board more portable – but only if you daisy chain
By Phil Weller published
Offering over 10 hours of battery life between charges, this marks the firm’s first rechargeable, cable-free pedal-powering solution

Cort brings unsung solid cedar to an accessible price point with 2 sleek $370 acoustics
By Phil Weller published
Two new Fishman-loaded builds take a tonewood reserved for premium and nylon-string acoustics to a new budget-friendly price range

Tom Morello reflects on his high school band with Adam Jones – and how the guitarist shaped him into the player he is today
By Phil Weller published
Morello remembers how the Tool maestro helped kick-start his career by dragging him to gigs in a lengthy post that recalls the pair’s friendship

Mooer stokes the compact looper market with the GL100 – an AI-equipped looper/drum pedal that's less than $150
By Phil Weller published
The space-saving stompbox boasts 300 minutes of looping time, an AI-powered drum machine, and dual footswitch controls alongside comprehensive features to rival the likes of Boss and TC Electronic
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