Is this the guitar Keith Richards used at the Rolling Stones’ first-ever gig? By Jamie Dickson published 5 June 23 Many British guitar heroes of the ’60s started out on budget archtops that retain nostalgia value today. But what if you thought you had found Keef’s actual guitar?
Eric Gales on his jam with Stevie Ray Vaughan: “Right at the end I asked him to sign an autograph for me – and he said, ‘Only if you sign one for me first!’” By Amit Sharma published 5 June 23 Eric Gales looks back on the time when he was just 15 years old, a young blues-rocker with talent to burn, and had the chance to jam with his hero
Level 42's debut album: a Britfunk classic that took slap bass and bent harmonics to a new, uh, level By Mike Brooks published 4 June 23 It's 1981 and the bass players of the UK are looking at their thumbs and wondering if they can keep up…
Best Martin guitars 2023: we rank the legendary acoustics of an industry icon By Matt McCracken published 2 June 23 Our expert pick of the best Martin acoustics from one of the oldest instrument makers on the planet
Best looper pedals 2023: go it alone with the greatest loop pedals for practice, live performance and jamming By Alex Lynham last updated 2 June 23 From channeling Ed Sheeran to boosting your live performances, these are the best looper pedals from TC Electronic, Boss, Line 6 and more
Veteran record producer Don Was names his 5 all-time favorite bassists By Karl Coryat published 2 June 23 Producer Don Was on his favorite players, how to get a great bass tone, and the most common mistakes people make in the studio
Best modulation pedals 2023: our pick of the best mod effects from subtle to spectacular By Matt McCracken published 2 June 23 Get into the captivating world of modulation pedals with these top choices from Strymon, Boss, EHX, Universal Audio, and more
Vinnie Vincent's 10 most explosive solos By Andrew Daly published 2 June 23 From the bombastic to the utterly ballistic, we count down the best of the mysterious guitarist's always-entertaining lead breaks with Kiss and the Vinnie Vincent Invasion
How guitar frets evolved and changed the course of guitar-playing history By Huw Price published 1 June 23 We obsess over pickups and tonewoods, but we rarely give frets the same attention. Given they affect playing feel, intonation and tone, maybe it's time to change all that…
Why the 4x10 Bassman is considered the best-sounding Fender amp of all time By Chris Gill published 1 June 23 How this supersized combo played an integral role in the development of the modern guitar amp
Graham Nash: “The acoustic guitar touches the heart faster. It’s much more human and personal than electric guitar” By Henry Yates published 1 June 23 As the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young legend releases the “most personal record” of his half-century career, he tells us about speaking truth to power, selling his Woodstock Martin D-45, and making up with David Crosby
Celebrating 50 years of The Dark Side of the Moon: inside the magical guitar sounds of Pink Floyd’s masterpiece By David Mead published 1 June 23 How one of rock’s greatest studio albums came together onstage, and what David Gilmour used to craft some of the most sought-after guitar tones in music history
Snowy White: "It's funny that I used a Strat for Pigs on the Wing. I was so used to my Les Paul – I was surprised I felt as comfortable as I did. I still hated it, but I got through it" By Andrew Daly published 31 May 23 The rock guitar gun for hire reveals why he was initially hesitant to play with Pink Floyd, how he divvied up parts with David Gilmour, and what it was like navigating the tension between Gilmour and Roger Waters
Meet 'Sunny', a newly uncovered 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard from South Africa By Huw Price published 31 May 23 More and more holy grail Les Paul Standards are surfacing in recent years, but this exceptional specimen remains a thoroughbred unicorn by anyone's reckoning
Flea names the one bassline that he would “go back and fix” from the Red Hot Chili Pepper's 1995 album, One Hot Minute By Scott Malandrone published 31 May 23 Flea on the making of One Hot Minute: “I thought it sounded like another stupid white boy trying to be funky!”
Duff McKagan: “I discovered my acoustic guitar as a refuge during Covid. It lessens the panic attacks” By Alison Richter published 31 May 23 The Guns N’ Roses bassist and songwriter speaks candidly about how trading the bottle for playing acoustic has helped his panic attack and mental health struggles
Best humbucker pickups 2023: buck up your guitar with mellow lows and punchy mids By Richard Blenkinsop published 30 May 23 From PAF replicas to modern day active tone monsters, our experts pick the best humbucker pickups on offer right now
How Gibson developed the mini-humbucker, its underrated ‘other’ pickup By Jamie Dickson published 30 May 23 Small size, big tone, and maybe just the sound you were looking for all along. After all these years in the shadow of the PAF, we trace the history of the unsung hero of pickups
"Bewildering technique that went way beyond any standard root/5th ideas": Listen to John Entwistle’s isolated bass on My Generation By Nick Wells published 30 May 23 “You can’t talk about classic bass playing without mentioning The Who and Live at Leeds”
Zakk Wylde picks his 5 essential Lynyrd Skynyrd tracks By Dave Ling published 30 May 23 The Black Label Society frontman and Ozzy Osbourne guitarist has assembled a playlist to convert anyone to the most legendary band in Southern rock
