Features

Hannah Murphy: “There’s such intimacy in playing classical music by yourself. I could lose myself in it”

By Joe Bosso published 29 March 23

How Johann Kaspar Mertz, Frederico Moreno Torrobo and Manuel Ponce persuaded Murphy that her future lay with nylon strings instead of pop-punk and power chords

Imagine Dragons' Wayne Sermon on how his time playing jazz at Berklee formed the foundation of his pop rock approach

By Mark McStea published 28 March 23

The guitar star addresses the Rick Rubin-produced Mercury – Acts 1 and 2, and why there won't be a third installment of the Mercury collection

John Primer: “I tried the Cry Baby wah pedal and a phase shifter, but the blues guys said, ‘Hey, you throw that thing in the garbage’”

By Jim Beaugez published 28 March 23

The one-time Muddy Waters lead guitarist and living legend of the Chicago blues scene discusses good times, Hard Times, and that time Keith Richards offered him a cigarette

Joanne Shaw Taylor on Jeff Beck: “He was my favorite guitar player – he made the guitar a different instrument”

By Ellie Rogers published 28 March 23

Remembering Jeff Beck in her own words, Joanne Shaw Taylor speaks of a player who took the guitar to the edge and beyond

Primal Scream's Gary 'Mani' Mounfield (Bass), London. 1st December 2006.

The Stones Roses, Primal Scream and bass playing: A rare interview with Mani

By Scott Rowley published 27 March 23

Stone Roses and Primal Scream legend Gary “Mani” Mounfield on gear, groove and the problems of playing with a drum machine

Eddie 9V: “One thing I learned from the great blues players – it’s more about what’s in your heart and soul”

By Bill DeMain published 27 March 23

A blues traveler goes back to 1969 and returns with a modern take on a classic Southern sound, and his name is Eddie 9V

Built to Spill’s Doug Martsch reveals what’s on his pedalboard

By Mike Huguenor published 27 March 23

Why hook up one booster to your 'board when you can have three? Martsch explains all...

A Taylor 410E-R and a Martin DR Centennial

Martin vs Taylor: What's the difference between these two iconic acoustic brands?

By Daryl Robertson published 27 March 23

We take a deep dive into two titans of the acoustic world to find out which is the most suitable for you

The Lowlist: Thin Lizzy's Live And Dangerous is one of the greatest live albums ever released

By Mike Brooks published 26 March 23

Unfairly maligned as an album "fixed in the studio", a new version of Live And Dangerous proves Lynott and co didn't need overdubs

Carol Kaye playing bass in the studio in the 60s

10 things you didn’t know about Carol Kaye

By Nick Wells published 24 March 23

She played for Elvis, Sinatra, Spector, the Beach Boys - but just how did she do it?

Carol Kaye playing a Music Man StingRay bass

Carol Kaye played a Fender Precision Bass on most of her classic sessions – but she preferred the Music Man StingRay

By Matt Owen last updated 24 March 23

The session bass legend was recruited by Music Man to demo the first-ever StingRay in 1978, and recorded a fusion track especially for the occasion

Jeff Beck in his own words: “My Strat is another arm – it’s part of me. It doesn’t feel like a guitar at all… It’s a tool of great inspiration and torture”

By Jamie Dickson published 24 March 23

In these classic interviews, the late Jeff Beck, a man who typically preferred to let the guitar do the talking, looks back on his career and discusses his gear discoveries and creative epiphanies

Guitarist Keith Richards and singer Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones during rehearsals in May 1978. English bassist Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones, during rehearsals for an episode of the Friday night TV pop/rock show 'Ready Steady Go

Should Bill Wyman have gotten a songwriting credit for The Rolling Stones (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction?

By Nick Wells published 24 March 23

Bill Wyman: “The fact of the matter is that my bassline made the song just as much as Keith’s guitar riff”

Best Fender amps 2023: The Big F’s finest tube combo, digital modeling and headphones amp solutions

By Jonathan Horsley last updated 23 March 23

Fender’s amp line-up has something for everyone. Our buyer’s guide will help you decide which is right for you

Close up of Kemper Profiler amp in a recording studio

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

Butch Vig (left) and Joe Walsh, seated at Rancho de la Luna Studio/Taylor Hawkins

"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