“It was like an insult”: Paul McCartney turned down George Harrison's proposed guitar parts for Hey Jude By Jackson Maxwell published 14 September 24 Harrison suggested answering each of McCartney's lines with a guitar phrase, an addition McCartney saw as unnecessary
Viral bass hero Blu DeTiger just gave the Fender Jazz Bass a radical revamp – but she started on a Gretsch she left in a taxi By Nick Wells published 14 September 24 We talk to the bassist with 1.4 million fans on TikTok about how DJing influenced her bass playing, and sending her new signature Jazz Bass to Flea
“He taught me that it was OK to play the music you wanted to play”: Why John Mayall was the godfather of British blues guitar By Glenn Kimpton published 13 September 24 Best known for his Bluesbreakers band, which launched the careers of Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor, Mayall was a gifted pianist, guitarist and harmonica player
Phil Collen on Def Leppard x RATM, his favorite Jacksons – and why Pyromania still blows him away By Andrew Daly published 13 September 24 Taking five between packing out stadiums, Collen shares his philosophy on digital amps, what Mutt Lange taught him, and how Tom Morello found himself on a Def Leppard track
Alex Skolnick on Criss Oliva's favorite guitar, “the Gargoyle” – the ESP Superstrat he likens to Billy Gibbons’ Pearly Gates Les Paul Standard By Clay Marshall published 13 September 24 Skolnick got up close and personal with this one-of-one Mirage when he stepped up to replace the late Oliva in Savatage. Like the ZZ Top man's Burst, it has a tone that's all its own
Fender Player 1 vs Player 2: should you upgrade? By Matt McCracken published 12 September 24 We put Fender’s most popular model head to head with its successor and find out whether or not the sequel really is superior to the original
“I knew that Free Bird was going to be my lead”: Rickey Medlocke unpacks his history with Lynyrd Skynyrd By Andrew Daly published 12 September 24 Veteran guitarist (and former drummer) reveals how essential Damon Johnson has become, the secret to sounding like the late original guitarists, and the unfinished songs co-written with Gary Rossington
From fixing Lennon’s Framus to giving Cloud III a CAT scan – it's all in the life of an A-list guitar appraiser By Matt Parker published 11 September 24 In his work for the prestigious LA auction house, Julien’s, Mike Adams has gone from guitar tech to guitar detective
Acoustic guitars FAQ: from understanding tonewoods to the different sizes available, get to know your acoustic with these common questions answered By Daryl Robertson published 11 September 24 From shape to tone, classical to steel-strung, we answer some of the most commonly asked questions surrounding the wonderful world of acoustic guitars
Blackie Lawless on touring, talking solos with David Gilmour – and that time W.A.S.P. bought 52 Marshall heads By Andrew Daly published 11 September 24 He recalls scavenging Marshalls from Ted Nugent, explains why he still records to tape, and reveals what he’s discovered about his band’s early days that he didn’t know at the time
I’ve been on a quest to find the perfect pick – and it didn’t just improve my tone, it made me a better player By Michael Astley-Brown published 11 September 24 After using Tortex for 20 years, I tried Fender’s “game-changing” Offset Picks – they weren’t my final destination, but they made me realize what an important contribution picks make to your overall sound
Scott Ian and Jonathan Donais check in from the studio to explain why the new Anthrax record will “punch people in the face” By Jon Wiederhorn published 11 September 24 It's been a long time coming, but as Ian explains, life is complicated – and the forthcoming studio album from the Big Four alumni could be their best and heaviest since the ’80s
“David Bowie didn’t even show up”: Herbie Flowers on the making of Lou Reed’s Walk On the Wild Side By Nick Wells published 10 September 24 Having recorded over 20,000 sessions for the likes of David Bowie, Dusty Springfield, T.Rex, Paul McCartney and Elton John, Brian ‘Herbie’ Flowers was not your average bassist
Hinds talk learning guitar on the road, recruiting Beck – and rebuilding the band By Janelle Borg published 10 September 24 The Spanish guitar duo have overcome lineup changes to make one of this year’s essential indie rock records. Carlotta Cosials and Ana Perrote explain how they craft conversations with their guitar parts – and how their exes inadvertently gave rise to their love of guitar
Eric Avery on overcoming JA’s “unthinkable” time without Dave Navarro and his brief stints with Metallica and Smashing Pumpkins By Andrew Daly published 10 September 24 The “backbone” of Jane’s Addiction reveals what he learned from his time with rock royalty, how he sculpted his unconventional approach to bass, and why cellphones are changing the way he thinks about tone
Single coils vs humbuckers: Which pickup type is right for you? By Matt McCracken last updated 10 September 24 They both offer a unique flavor of guitar tone, but is one pickup really better than the other? We deep dive into the debate
Serena Cherry shares her pedalboard secrets, says she’d feel naked without “big, cavernous reverb” By Andrew Daly published 10 September 24 The Svalbard shredder has learned to embrace minimalism but is damned if she will be decommissioning her RV-5 any time soon
Boss discontinued the Katana:GO mere months after launching it – these are 4 headphone amps you should try instead By Daryl Robertson published 9 September 24 With the Boss Katana:GO unexpectedly retiring early, these are the headphone amp alternatives from Fender, Vox, Boss and Positive Grid you should try instead
For the King Crimson-channeling Beat tour, Tony Levin is a virtuoso among virtuosos By Andrew Daly published 9 September 24 The bass icon on how he’s being challenged by parts he wrote, changing classic tracks – and when his Funk Fingers will make their next appearance
How fixing thousands of guitars changed the way Tulsa blues cat Seth Lee Jones plays the thing By Jim Beaugez published 9 September 24 Jones is bringing a slice of everyday Tulsa into his Delta blues-inspired sound, and his new album might bring him as much renown as a player as he has a luthier
