Walter Trout: "You don't need pedals. If you get a kickass amp, why would you put it through a $100 pedal?" By Scott Rowley published 6 February 23 Walter Trout explains and demonstrates why he doesn't use pedals: it's all in his volume control and pickup selection
How Roland’s JC-120 became the king of solid-state guitar amps By Jamie Dickson published 6 February 23 We unpack the magic of the Jazz Chorus, which has been producing reference-quality clean tones and sublime chorusing for everyone from The Police to Metallica since its introduction in 1975
Why Jeff Beck switched from a Les Paul to a Strat By Jackson Maxwell published 3 February 23 The late guitar hero first began transitioning to the model with which he would become synonymous during the recording of his 1969 album, Beck-Ola
How the Danelectro/Coral Electric Sitar captivated rock and metal guitarists from Metallica and Steve Howe to Steve Vai and Eddie Van Halen By Chris Gill published 3 February 23 With its buzz bridge design, this innovative electric gave rock players a new sound to play with
The 10 coolest bassline samples ever By Nick Wells published 3 February 23 How Sugarhill Gang, Eminem and even Vanilla Ice introduced new generations to the basslines of Ron Carter, Nathan East, Lee Sklar, John Deacon and more
Best cheap electric guitars under $500 2023: 10 epic electrics for smaller budgets By Amit Sharma last updated 3 February 23 These budget electric guitars offer fantastic tone and great playability, all within a more wallet-friendly price range
The story of Wings and Paul McCartney's iconic James Bond theme Live and Let Die By Bill DeMain published 3 February 23 Guitarist Denny Laine recalls the making of the 007 anthem the film's producers mistook for a demo
Best metal guitars 2023: hell-raising electrics for shredders on any budget By Jonathan Horsley last updated 3 February 23 From 8-string guitars to Flying Vs, here's our pick of killer metal guitars from Jackson, ESP, Ibanez and more
“You can’t arrest me, I’m a rockstar!” The 10 most outrageous moments of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious By Nick Wells published 2 February 23 Never Mind The B**llocks, here are Sid's most infamous moments
Bob Mould’s pedalboard: what the influential Hüsker Dü and Sugar guitarist sees when he looks down – and why a good compressor is so integral to his rig By Amit Sharma published 2 February 23 Join the alt-rock icon as he offers a tour of the 'board that "covers the foundation" of his guitar tone
Starcrawler’s Henri Cash on why he plays a three-string guitar: “I’m basically doing a Keith Richards thing without the top strings” By Joe Bosso published 2 February 23 With just three strings and a lot of attitude, Cash's guitar gives Starcrawler’s pure rocking sound a touch of Nirvana and a hint of the Byrds
Zakk Wylde, Scott Ian and Gary Holt on the furious riffs, high-octane gear and lifer philosophies that shaped their careers – and why everyone cheats with downpicking By Amit Sharma published 2 February 23 Midway through their Anthrax and Black Label Society co-headlining tour with special guests Exodus, the metal legends share how they developed their distinctive tones and techniques, and why Tony Iommi is the “Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Lennon, McCartney and Burt Bacharach of riffs”
Best pedalboard power supplies 2023: boost your 'board with our recommended pedal power supplies By Michael Astley-Brown last updated 1 February 23 Get your effects sounding their best with our pick of the best pedalboard power supplies available today
Tyler Bryant: “Ever since we did the Rock or Bust tour, whenever we get together to jam, it’s impossible not to want to play like AC/DC” By Mark McStea published 1 February 23 The Shakedown leader talks riffing, production and why DIY is the way to go in the music business
Sharon Van Etten: "I loved the Jaguar – it added all these undertones that enhanced the darkness I was trying to express. That definitely changed the way I play guitar" By Jacob Uitti published 1 February 23 The New Jersey native discusses her love of the Gibson ES-135 and the pitch-shifter delay she can't stop using, and reveals how an encounter with Aaron Dessner's Fender Jaguar changed the way she approached the instrument
How the Beatles crafted the guitar and bass tones that forever changed the sound of rock music By Chris Gill published 1 February 23 We chart the evolution of the Fab Four's sound through the key tracks and the gear that made them
Slayer's Jeff Hanneman talks maintaining his right-hand picking speed, Hendrix, the Big Four shows and more in 2010 GW interview By Brad Angle published 31 January 23 In this edition of Dear Guitar Hero, the late Slayer guitar legend also discusses his solo recordings, and the "least metal" song he enjoys
Ryan Roxie: "Being in Alice Cooper's band is like being in the trenches. You do a bit of everything, be it playing guitar, singing background vocals, or dodging crazy pieces of the set on stage" By Andrew Daly published 30 January 23 The veteran hard-rock guitarist explains why there's a place for both new and vintage guitars in his collection, and discusses what he thinks of John 5's introduction into the Mötley Crüe fold
Marcus King: “I wanted to take it back to Cream at Madison Square Garden, just really crank the amps and do a rock ’n’ roll record” By Jim Beaugez published 30 January 23 Casting his bid for arena-rock glory on new album Young Blood, Marcus King cranked up the volume and stepped on the fuzz for a live and dangerous sound
Best acoustic guitars for beginners 2023: our pick of easy acoustic strummers for new players By Chris Corfield last updated 30 January 23 The best beginner acoustic guitars, featuring epic affordable six strings from Epiphone, Taylor, Fender, Yamaha and more
![[L-R] Zakk Wylde, Scott Ian and Gary Holt](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/82GXWxaFgTWfMssigR9xzC-1200-80.jpg.webp)
