Latest Updates

Tye Trujillo dips into the signature stompbox world for the first time with the TruDrive
By Janelle Borg published
The Trujillo TruDrive Wah, designed in collaboration with Morley, promises to be a “cool new wah for the next generation of players”

Bootsy Collins and Buckethead reflect on their first meeting – but the guitarist speaks through his Les Paul
By Phil Weller published
Collins talks and Buckethead riffs in the strangest guitar interview of 2025

Why Paul Reed Smith isn't interested in chasing Fender or Gibson – but is focused on cementing PRS in history
By Janelle Borg published
Smith reflects on his decades-long involvement in the guitar making space

Joe Satriani’s best basslines (Yes, he plays bass, too)
By Nick Wells published
The phenomenal guitar playing of Joe Satriani needs no introduction, but he also handled bass duties on his first two albums

Alex ‘V-Man’ Venturella on the secret to metal’s heaviest bass tone and nailing his Slipknot audition
By Nick Wells published
Slipknot's low-end specialist discusses his epic amp collection, the brilliance of Eloy Casagrande and how James Hetfield shaped his technique

Randy Rhoads became a legend with Ozzy Osbourne, but his incredible playing was evident long before then
By Janelle Borg published
Kelly Garni, Rhoads’ brother in arms in Quiet Riot, recalls the guitarist’s early days – and how he developed his iconic tone, in spite of his unorthodox gear

“Rates are coming back up, rents very rarely go down, and suppliers are in straitened circumstances”: Is crowdfunding the answer to ensuring guitar stores’ survival? One family-run business has launched an innovative campaign to keep its stores alive
By Janelle Borg published
Guitar stores are struggling. Many of our biggest gear retailers have shut their doors. We hear how the UK’s Hobgoblin Music – where Paul McCartney is a regular – plans to buck the trend

Bootsy Collins on the musician that totally “changed his mind” about bass playing
By Janelle Borg published
James Jamerson's immense contribution to Motown Records in the ’60s and ’70s went largely uncredited – but his game-changing adoption of the P-Bass, coupled with his off-kilter technique, makes him an electric bass pioneer

Iron Maiden remain one of most domineering forces in heavy metal – and bassist Steve Harris has led the charge
By Nick Wells published
Steve Harris has always pushed beyond the conventions of rock bass guitar, but in his mind, he’s no bass hero

Carol Kaye has declined her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction invitation
By Phil Weller published
The hard-working recording artist and bass guitar icon explained why in a post on social media

How Gary Moore came to join Skid Row at just 15 years old – and why the guitar legend left
By Janelle Borg published
Brush Shiels, bassist with the Irish blues rock band, explains why despite two albums plus prestigious support tours with The Allman Brothers Band and Mountain under their belt – Moore still decided to leave

How an unassuming bassist carved out a spot in music history on Derek & the Dominos’ Layla
By Chris Jisi published
Recorded at Miami’s Criteria Studios on September 9, 1970, Carl Radle helped ground the mega-hit beneath the immortal pairing of Eric Clapton and Duane Allman

Giacomo Turra stole their work – now, Jack Gardiner, Alex Hutchings, Charles Berthoud and a host of guitar and bass players are teaming up to deliver the ultimate funk masterclass
By Janelle Borg published
The instrumental diss track, Slapocalypse Reborn, puts the spotlight back on the players who were wronged by Turra

Stephen Malkmus is using his bass string as a guitar strap
By Phil Weller published
Your shoulder might not thank you, but it’s certainly a novel way of repurposing old strings

How Trevor Bolder anchored this 12/8 rocker from David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane
By Brian Fox published
Replacing longtime Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti in the Spiders From Mars, Bolder found himself writing basslines on the spot, a challenge he relished. On Drive-In Saturday, he hit the jackpot

Eva Gardner on returning to the Mars Volta, bass as a family business and rocking with Cher and Pink
By Andrew Daly published
Eva Gardner has played with Cher, Moby, Pink, Veruca Salt... the list goes on. Here she reveals how it all started with a bass from Andy Johns, how it's going with the Mars Volta – and what comes next

Fender promised a tweed version of our top-rated Tone Master FRFR speaker last year – now, it's finally been announced
By Janelle Borg published
The Tone Master FR-12 released in 2023 to rave reviews – and at long last, it’s getting a tweed makeover

PMT, one of the UK's largest instrument retailers, has been placed into administration
By Janelle Borg published
The company’s stock and assets have been sold to online retail giant Gear4music for roughly $3.26 million