Latest Updates

Meet the rePEDAL – an AI overdrive maker that generates digital stompboxes at the click of a button
By Phil Weller published
The experimental plugin is in its beta phase and offers a new way to inject a little grit into your tone

The Boss Katana:GO headphone amp is back after it was discontinued – but not as you remember it
By Matt Owen published
The first-edition Katana:GO was pulled from production mere months after it was unveiled. Now, the second generation is finally here, and it has been given a few tweaks

How bassist Mike Elizondo brought low-end and soul to Dr. Dre’s superstar productions
By Chris Jisi published
At Dr. Dre’s L.A. hit factory, Mike Elizondo carved up bass grooves with 50 Cent, Eminem, and Busta Rhymes

Former Incubus bassist Ben Kenney returns to the stage for the first time since undergoing brain surgery
By Janelle Borg published
In the wake of the surgery, Kenney stepped down from the band and was officially replaced by Nicole Row

Positive Grid turns the headphone amp market upside down with the wireless, AI-powered Neo
By Phil Weller published
With access to 100,00 tones and cable-free playing, the firm is aiming to take headphone amp technology to new heights

Slash joins forces with Tom Morello at LA Wildfire Relief shows – taking on MC5 and an AC/DC classic, in the process
By Phil Weller published
Morello added an extra Slash to AC/DC – and recruited his guitar-slinging son, plus members of System of a Down, Måneskin, and Wu-Tang Clan for his all-star fundraiser

When Duran Duran fused Chic and Sex Pistols for one of bassist John Taylor’s standout performances
By Chris Jisi published
Duran Duran may be back in vogue – but for anyone who learned to play bass in the ’80s John Taylor has never been out of fashion

With Rage Against the Machine, Tim Commerford pioneered an all-time iconic bass tone. No wonder he's cagey about his setup
By Nick Wells published
The toughest right hand in bass charts his never-ending quest for the ultimate tone

Jack Bruce’s Gibson EB-1 is going up for a one-time-only public display
By Phil Weller published
Bruce’s iconic EB-1 will go on display for four weeks at the Gibson Garage in London as part of the Gibson Garage Fest later this month

Why Fender is building its $599 Standard Series in Indonesia – and how its ideological shift delivers better value for players
By Michael Astley-Brown published
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)

Ozzy Osbourne announces his final-ever live performance – featuring an original Black Sabbath lineup reunion and some of the biggest names in heavy music
By Matt Owen published
Osbourne will be returning this summer for his final show, and is sharing the history-making bill with Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, Anthrax and many, many more

Chinese firm HSG acquires majority stake of Marshall in $1.1billion deal
By Phil Weller published
The British amp giant and home audio success story will work closely with HongShan Capital Group to fuel future projects that will “build on Marshall's iconic status”

St. Vincent, Andrew Watt and Gojira claim big Grammy wins for guitar music
By Phil Weller published
Justus West also claimed some notable triumphs with Beyoncé as Gojira underlined the importance of supporting young bands

“It amazes me that we wrote like that”: Les Claypool looks back on the stomach-churning grooves of Sailing the Seas of Cheese
By Gregory Isola published
The heralded Tour de Fromage saw the classic Primus lineup reunited – and Les Claypool rediscover the fretless 6-string that made him famous

Played by a session great, this Chaka Khan line was hailed by Nathan East as “the perfect bassline”
By Chris Jisi published
Antony Jackson tuned his ‘career girl’ – a Fender hybrid consisting of a ’75 Jazz Bass body and ’73 Precision neck – down two whole steps for Move Me No Mountain

Surviving members of Nirvana reunite unannounced at FireAid concert, with four guest frontwomen
By Jackson Maxwell published
But for Violet Grohl taking the place of Lorde, it was the same group of singer/guitarists the remaining Nirvana trio played with at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction performance in 2014

ZZ Top’s Elwood Francis was saddled with his 17-string bass after a joke appearance went viral – now he’s experimenting with a 2-string build
By Matt Parker published
The former guitar tech turned ’Top man is continuing to tinker with his live setup, with amusing results

After a 3-year wait, Behringer’s affordable clone of John Frusciante’s favorite chorus pedal is finally here
By Phil Weller published
The Boss CE-1 can be heard all over the Red Hot Chili Peppers catalog, and now Behringer’s Chorus Symphony hopes to deliver its all-analog delights to the budget end of the market

Bass journeyman Phil Soussan looks back at his storied career – and why he picked Ozzy Osbourne over Jimmy Page
By Andrew Daly published
The Last in Line member recalls his weird experience of recording bass on The Ultimate Sin, what it was like being in the room for Zakk Wylde’s Ozzy audition, being frustrated with Vince Neil’s band, and his amazing chemistry with Steve Lukather

Fender eyes up the iRig with the Link I/O interface – a studio-grade audio interface that can fit in your pocket
By Phil Weller published
High-fidelity recording, streamlined controls, and a meager price tag finds Fender aiming to win the hearts of traveling riff writers