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
How Yungblud came to play Steve Jones’ iconic Sex Pistols Les Paul onstage in Paris
By Phil Weller published
The 1974 Gibson was bought at auction for $390,000 – now the owner is writing a new chapter in its history by loaning it to big name players
This superfan travelled 7,000 miles to see Pearl Jam live – and wound up playing guitar with them
By Phil Weller published
Armed only with a bottle of wine and a handmade sign, the Chilean guitarist flew to Spain for the gig – and the Seattle icons let him live out his dreams
Hear Joe Bonamassa put Lowell George’s Dumble amp through its paces – 45 years after George last played it
By Phil Weller published
The blues guitarist recently completed his 15-year quest to acquire the Little Feat slide maestro’s amp, now he’s demoed it a '50s maple neck Fender Stratocaster
Joe Satriani tackles 15 Van Halen classics in the first footage from the Best of All Worlds tour
By Phil Weller published
Satch took on no less than 15 EVH songs in a set that was laden with Van Halen
How does Epiphone’s Inspired By Gibson Les Paul Custom compare to a model that’s $500 cheaper?
By Phil Weller published
Epiphone’s Inspired By Gibson Custom guitars have price tags that draw closer to Gibson models. Does the range's advancements justify the heightened price points?
This pedal company was so inspired by an indie beer brew that it launched a companion fuzz
By Phil Weller published
The two-stage, all-analog fuzz pedal is the latest in a growing line of gear-beer collabs
Joe Satriani and D’Addario have designed a $20 strap that could eliminate the twisted strap problem
By Phil Weller published
Designed specifically for rear-facing strap buttons, the Auto Lock Swivel Strap vows to move as freely as you do while always remaining locked in place
Guthrie Trapp shares the picking hack that could help you play faster – and sound better
By Phil Weller published
The Nashville guitar heavyweight first adopted the approach as a young guitarist after witnessing a mandolin player use it
Sleep Token and Tesseract mixing engineers reveal how to improve your guitar recordings – and it starts with ditching your ego
By Phil Weller published
George Lever and Forrester Savell have worked with some of metal’s biggest names, and now they’re offering you advice on getting the most out of your bedroom productions before, during and after you’ve pressed record
Blackstar’s cream-of-the-crop ID:Core 10 V4 practice amp has just been given a fitting finish update
By Phil Weller published
The Double Cream edition of Blackstar's hugely popular combo is ideal for those looking for a fresh aesthetic
Ricky Medlocke defends Lynyrd Skynyrd’s decision to continue with no original members
By Phil Weller published
Medlocke says he and vocalist Johnny Van Zant are continuing with the blessing of the late Gary Rossington – and they’re not just a cover band
Joe Satriani fears Eddie Van Halen will haunt him for what he’s done to his Frankenstein design
By Phil Weller published
Satch has shown off the heavily modded EVH Frankenstein he’ll be using to tackle Eddie's guitar parts on the Best Of All Worlds tour later this month
Eddie Van Halen’s long-lost Canada flag Music Man is going up for auction
By Phil Weller published
The guitar was custom-painted for a special Canada Day concert in 1993, and its whereabouts for the past three decades remain a mystery
Introducing thall – the metal genre that’s djent’s colder, more evil younger brother
By Phil Weller published
Popularised by bands like Vildhjarta and Humanity’s Last Breath, thall is starting to infect mainstream metal sound. In this guide we detail the origins, techniques, and gear driving the movement
New Best Of All Worlds rehearsal footage reveals Joe Satriani may not be done with his Ibanez after all
By Phil Weller published
Sightings of Satch shredding on a modded EVH made fans think his Ibanez guitars would be taking a break on the upcoming tour, but new footage from Sammy Hagar seems to suggest otherwise
Ibanez’s best-selling Tim Henson nylon-string acoustic finally gets a left-handed version
By Phil Weller published
The Polyphia virtuoso’s best-selling signature made its debut in 2022, and has since become a staple of Henson's guitar arsenal
DigiTech looks to shake up the looper market by reviving the upgraded JamMan Solo HD
By Phil Weller published
The heart of the previous JamMan Solo XT remains within the JamMan Solo HD, but some choice tweaks make for notable improvements
The Mogabi V3 is a foldable “electric guitar game-changer”
By Phil Weller published
The latest Mogabi creation offers a self-contained travel guitar solution with built-in recording capabilities, Bluetooth connectivity and more
Two weeks ago, a Sepultura reunion looked likely – but now Max Cavalera has changed his mind
By Phil Weller published
Having already buried the hatchet with his brother, Igor, Cavalera says there’s no longer any need for a classic-era Sepultura return
Michael Anthony says he and Jason Newsted were both approached for the failed Van Halen reunion
By Phil Weller published
Newsted turned heads in 2022 when he claimed he was in line to join a Van Halen reunion tour – but now Anthony has revealed he was in the running for it, too
“It’s a primal, unconscious reaction”: What’s the science behind a stank face riff?
By Phil Weller published
Contorting a listener’s face in loving disgust is the highest compliment a metal musician can receive – but what makes a great stank face riff? We set out to discover the secret sauce…
Harley Benton launches overhauled SC-Custom III range
By Phil Weller published
The cent-saving Les Paul copies start from less than $350 and offer a range of top notch specs, from stainless steel frets to active humbuckers and Floyd Rose bridges.
Aaron Rash spent years perfecting Kurt Cobain's guitar sound – now he’s released The Utero Sessions IR Pack
By Phil Weller published
The no-expenses-spared pack lets players harness the sound of Cobain's famed In Utero tone “without touching a single physical amp”
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