"Come and see this!" Inside Jaco’s Weather Report audition and the making of Havona By Nick Wells published 8 June 23 Discovering Jaco and the recording of Heavy Weather standout track Havona: "It’s definitive Jaco!"
Indigo De Souza: “I was bullied a lot in school and had a really hard time. Guitar ended up being like a space of safety for me” By Jenna Scaramanga published 8 June 23 Gen Z's alt-pop guitar hero is joined by best friend and guitarist Dexter Webb to discuss the sounds and songs behind her life-affirming new album, All of This Will End – and why a bone-dry guitar tone can be a beautiful effect in itself
Is the 4x12 guitar cabinet still relevant today? By Paul Gough published 8 June 23 They are still the totemic image in rock and metal, but in the digital era do you still need a 4x12 in your life?
The strange history of Hugh Cornwell’s Höfner S7L – the ‘Razorwood’ electric guitar made famous by The Stranglers By David Mead published 7 June 23 How a little known and short-lived guitar from Höfner found its way into the hands of The Stranglers’ Hugh Cornwell around the time of the band’s hit Golden Brown
Best Fender acoustic guitars 2023: Our top picks from Fender’s expansive range of acoustics By Ross Holder published 7 June 23 Whether you’re looking for an impressive jack-of-all-trades or a miniature dreadnought, Fender has an acoustic for you
Paul Weller: “People should check out some of my bass playing on that first solo album” By Nick Wells published 7 June 23 The former Jam frontman lifts the lid on his bass playing career saying: “I’ve written some great bass parts”
That time Judas Priest’s Richie Faulkner jammed with Tool: “It was pretty daunting... let’s just say it wasn’t like jamming some AC/DC” By Amit Sharma published 7 June 23 The Flying V titan locked guitars with Adam Jones on a live performance of Jambi, but “almost throw up because of how technical the song is”
Introducing Paoletti Guitars, the firm that builds electric guitars from old wine barrels By Dave Burrluck published 6 June 23 With small ’shop boutique makers popping up on a seemingly daily basis, what’s different about Paoletti Guitars? We ask the company’s MD, Filippo Martini
Marty Stuart: “It started with my Clarence White Telecaster. That old guitar is kinda like an invisible band member. It has a tone of its own” By Henry Yates published 6 June 23 The country legend on channeling the Byrds’ guitar tones, how YouTube helps him cope with the loss of Johnny Cash and finding the amp he’d been searching for all his life
Meet Dante Frisiello, Steve Vai's new guitar sideman who went from law school to playing with his hero By Andrew Daly published 6 June 23 The guitarist reflects on his disastrous solo on the first night of his new gig, the hardest part about playing with one of the world's leading virtuosos, and why the Abasi Larada is his favorite guitar he's ever played
When Cliff Burton met Geddy Lee: “He started pacing, he started smoking pot, and he was like, ‘Oh my God!’” By Nick Wells published 6 June 23 Kirk Hammett remembers when Rush frontman Geddy Lee showed up at a Metallica show
Best Father's Day gifts for bass players 2023: the ultimate gift guide for bassists By Daryl Robertson last updated 6 June 23 Show your bass-playing dad you care with our pick of bass accessories, pedals and must-have items
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
