
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

Wolfgang Van Halen honors Ozzy Osbourne with emotional cover of Mama, I’m Coming Home
By Phil Weller published
Wolfgang and his Mammoth bandmates heard of Ozzy’s passing during soundcheck – and knew that “just mentioning it wasn’t enough”

Tony Iommi opens up on Ozzy Osbourne’s passing – and his Back to the Beginning farewell show
By Phil Weller published
Iommi says the legendary singer was determined to grace the stage one last time to say goodbye to his fans

Jimmy Rip remembers recording Jimmy Page, B.B. King, Buddy Guy and more for one of the greatest all-star albums of all time
By Phil Weller published
The project saw the producer and guitarist travel the world and record legendary players in unusual locations

Wolfgang Van Halen on why not every song needs a guitar solo
By Phil Weller published
Shredding does feature on Mammoth’s third album, The End, but guitar solos aren’t always a given

Warren Haynes on why the theft of a Custom Shop Strat convinced him to change to Gibson Les Pauls
By Phil Weller published
The loss of the guitar broke his heart, so Haynes decided to venture into new realms

Ozzy Osbourne’s Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward pay tribute to the Prince of Darkness
By Phil Weller published
Iommi, Butler and Ward reflect on the passing of their Black Sabbath bandmate, who has died aged 76

Steve Morse tackles Led Zeppelin, Mountain, Cream and Lynyrd Skynyrd hits during intimate jam session
By Phil Weller published
Appearing at a book launch event, Morse took on five classic rock cuts with YouTube royalty in the tiny crowd

Vintage and Fret-King owner John Hornby Skewes & co is closing down – but not because of financial troubles
By Phil Weller published
JHS is set to wind down after more than 60 years in business despite being entirely solvent

Alex Lifeson joins Tom Morello onstage to jam a Rush classic – during surprise guest spot in the band’s home city
By Phil Weller published
Morello’s solo tour hit the home of Rush and an unexpected guest guitarist sent the crowd into hysteria

Guitarist unwittingly buys John Lennon’s old Fender Deluxe – after it turned up on Facebook Marketplace
By Phil Weller published
James Taylor bought the historic amp for less than $4k and he needs help for further authentication

Angel Vivaldi’s latest Charvel signature is a 7-string shred machine that has been 8 years in the making
By Phil Weller published
With caramelized woods, a flame maple top, and gold hardware, the Pro-Mod Nova-7 NAT is a guitar that plays the part and looks even better

IK Multimedia gives its best-selling TONEX One a Van Halen-inspired update
By Phil Weller published
The pocket-size pedals each offer 50 accurate and reimagined takes on Eddie Van Halen’s iconic Brown Sound – and they’re available in plugin form, too

How Marty Stuart came to own Clarence White’s highly-modded B-Bender Telecaster
By Phil Weller published
Stuart paid under the odds for the historic electric – but White’s widow needed the guitar to go to the right home, not the highest bidder

How prog fusion ace Nick Johnston ended up replacing Brent Hinds in Mastodon on tour
By Phil Weller published
Johnston has replaced Hinds on the band’s current tour

How Bonnie Bramlett’s name ended up engraved onto JoBo’s prized 1955 Fender Strat
By Phil Weller published
It has been his number one road Strat for years, but until the iconic singer put her Dremmel to the back of its body, it didn’t have a name

Richie Sambora recovering from “gruesome” injury after playing through the pain
By Phil Weller published
The incident has left the guitarist facing an “arduous, slow, and painful” healing process

Randy Bachman on the time he would share amps with Neil Young
By Phil Weller published
Bachman’s combo amp caught Young’s eye, and he would take every chance he could to get his hands on it

Joe Satriani on why he’s “disillusioned” by vintage guitars
By Phil Weller published
After spending “hours” playing vintage axes, Satch now relies on modern builds – here’s why

Yngwie Malmsteen launches signature protein powder as he expands his empire of gear to make you shred better
By Phil Weller published
The neo-classical shred machine also launched multivitamin gummies last year

Steve Vai considers this solo to be his “ultimate achievement” – and one fan’s cover has left him in awe
By Phil Weller published
Vai has singled out an aspiring player on Instagram for their flawless cover

A stolen Rolling Stones ’59 Les Paul that has been missing since 1972 has surfaced – in a museum
By Phil Weller published
The guitar, also played by Keith Richards on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 before it was stolen by drug dealers, has been identified by its fingerprint-like flame top

That time a 14-year-old Eric Gales won a battle of the bands competition that got him signed
By Phil Weller published
It was a gig that changed Gales’ life forever

The playing advice Joe Bonamassa got from Leslie West – and why it’s finally paying off
By Phil Weller published
Three decades later, Bonamassa is taking West’s pointers on board – and they’re making a difference

Todd Rundgren’s love affair with Clapton’s Fool SG, and how he moved on after selling it
By Andrew Daly published
He rescued it from peeling-paint hell, restored it after the headstock snapped off, but was never fully happy with the psychedelic Gibson. Then a fan offered a happily-ever-after solution
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