Best guitar amps for recording 2023: five home studio companions that will help you achieve tonal greatness By Daryl Robertson last updated 23 March 23 Our pick of the greatest home studio amps from Boss, Kemper, Hughes & Kettner, Blackstar and Positive Grid
Joe Bonamassa names 10 guitarists who shaped his sound By Andrew Daly published 23 March 23 The king of modern-day blues-rock on "the greatest rock guitar player that ever was", who he considers "the Frank Sinatra of the blues" and "Immaculate Conception as a guitar player" – and why he regularly apologizes to Eric Johnson
How Narrow Head tapped into a shoegazing '90s alt-rock sound with “poppier pop and heavier heavies” By Gregory Adams published 23 March 23 The Houston-based pedal pushers put on an immersive tone clinic on their latest release, Moments of Clarity, and it's giving us all heavy '90s vibes
Kamelot’s Thomas Youngblood discusses the evolution of a bona-fide Florida metal institution and the guitar strategies that challenge his audience By Gregory Adams published 23 March 23 Kamelot have made a spectacular return with The Awakening, reestablishing the Sunshine State veterans as champions of guitar-forward, progressive power metal
Guitar neck profiles explained: find your perfect playing partner By Matt McCracken published 22 March 23 Discover more about how your guitar neck profile affects your guitar’s playability
"This is my new favorite Foo Fighters song": Watch Joe Walsh blow Taylor Hawkins away with a one-take solo By Jackson Maxwell published 22 March 23 The Eagles and James Gang legend – of whom Hawkins was a massive fan – was called in to play on the Sonic Highways track, Outside, and wasted little time making an indelible contribution
John Fogerty: “I practice ferociously. I’m grateful God allowed me to keep going with my love of guitar. It didn’t end when I was 15, and it didn’t end when I became famous” By Joshua M. Miller published 22 March 23 The iconic singer-songwriter reflects on his Creedence Clearwater Revival-era gear – including “the best-sounding solid-state amp ever made” – and the long-awaited release of the band’s famed 1970 Royal Albert Hall show
Best fingerstyle guitars 2023: the finest guitars for fingerstyle, whatever your budget By Simon Fellows published 21 March 23 Take your playing to the next level with our selection of the best guitars for fingerstyle from Martin, Yamaha, Taylor, Washburn, Larrivee, Cordoba, Fender…
Prashant Aswani explains why his sensational new signature Charvel is “basically a custom shop guitar, made in Mexico for $1,399” By Jenna Scaramanga published 21 March 23 The session ace and Greg Howe protegé has spec’d a signature guitar that takes inspiration from Pete Thorn and Guthrie Govan, and has resulted in one of Charvel’s most meticulously designed production-line models ever
Dave Mustaine: “I’m a very advanced rhythm guitarist who can play complicated rhythms and sing over the top of them – most people can’t do that” By Andrew Daly published 21 March 23 The Megadeth main man discusses his forthcoming signature “Gibson Les Paul for thrash guys”, why Kiko Loureiro is the band’s best-ever guitarist, and succeeding even though “Metallica has always tried to hold me back”
Joe Perry remembers Jeff Beck: “I was sitting with Jimmy Page, like two kids elbowing each other every time Jeff would play something!” By Jenna Scaramanga published 21 March 23 In his own words, the Aerosmith guitarist reflects on his hero – and that time he accidentally stole his fuzz pedal and paid him back with a Klon Centaur
PRS SE DGT vs USA Core DGT: what are the similarities, and how do the builds differ? By Dave Burrluck published 21 March 23 Less a copy, more an ‘inspired by’ design, the SE DGT cleverly emulates the USA model but with plenty of differences
Best patch cables 2023: tidy up your ‘board with our pick of the best patch leads By Alex Lynham last updated 20 March 23 Need to organize a messy pedalboard? Patch cables are a simple and creative cable solution for your guitar pedals
Rudy Sarzo: "Randy didn't live long enough to be the best Randy Rhoads. There was so much more inside of him that we never got to see" By Andrew Daly published 20 March 23 The LA bass legend reflects on the legacy of his Ozzy Osbourne bandmate, 40 years of Quiet Riot's Metal Health, and explains why you can't compare Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads
Best Strat pickups 2023: Upgrade your tone with a new set of pups By Richard Blenkinsop published 20 March 23 Treat your prized old battle axe to a set of the best Stratocaster pickups – single coils and humbuckers included
Remembering the Boss TU-1000 – the gigantic, pedalboard-dwarfing tuner pedal that launched a hundred memes By Michael Astley-Brown published 20 March 23 One of the largest pedals ever released, the enormous tuner quickly became the subject of guitarists’ ridicule – but it did eventually find an audience
The 50 greatest guitar riffs of all time By Amit Sharma, Jonny Scaramanga, Ellie Rogers, Grant Moon, Jonathan Horsley, Sian Llewellyn, Henry Yates, Matt Frost, Joel McIver last updated 20 March 23 From metal to rock, punk to grunge, these are the best guitar riffs ever recorded, as voted for by you
The Lowlist: Jamiroquai’s Emergency on Planet Earth was a solid platinum gem for all bass players By Mike Brooks published 18 March 23 An appreciation of the album that introduced the young Stuart Zender
Jet Harris was Britain’s first bass guitar player, the first to own a Fender Precision, and its first rock’n’roll hellraiser too By Tom Poak published 18 March 23 Fights, car crashes, affairs with starlets – Jet Harris set the template for British bass players and bad behaviour, and along the way inspired everyone from McCartney to Lemmy
Bruce Kulick names 10 guitarists who shaped his sound By Andrew Daly published 17 March 23 The hard-rock guitar slinger names the unlikely influences behind a number of his best-known Kiss riffs, and the player he likens to "a race car champion with the soul of a great blues musician"
