Meet Daniel ‘Dafreez’ Johnston, the “blues rave-up” pioneer combining folk fingerstyle and EDM By Ellie Rogers published 5 September 24 Teaming classic Strat sounds with tightly sync'd delays in My Baby, Daniel ‘Dafreez’ Johnston is a mercurial guitar talent
The redemption of High on Fire and Sleep icon Matt Pike By Jon Wiederhorn published 5 September 24 All raw metal riffs and off-kilter tonalities, High on Fire’s Cometh the Storm is the return we’ve been waiting for. As Matt Pike and Jeff Matz explain, it is the product of overcoming depression, insecurity and illness – and indulging their progressive tendencies
Victory Amps’ Martin Kidd on the unstoppable rise of the British amp brand – and what comes next By Amit Sharma published 5 September 24 Chief designer Martin Kidd tells how the UK amp firm went from boutique amp beginnings to an expanding portfolio of high-end amps for your backline and pedalboard, championed by the likes of Guthrie Govan, Mastodon, Ritchie Kotzen and Graham Coxon
Best beginner electric guitars 2024: kickstart your musical journey with these epic electric guitars for beginners By Chris Corfield last updated 5 September 24 So you're a budding guitarist? Get started with our pick of the best beginner electric guitars from Squier, Yamaha, and Epiphone
Gibson reveals Taylor Swift’s go-to guitars during her Eras tour and hopes for a signature model By Janelle Borg published 5 September 24 Gibson’s Vice President of Product, Mat Koehler, discusses working with Swift’s team to execute her vision, delves into her J-180 love story, addresses the possibility of a signature model, and sets the record straight on the true color of that viral acoustic
Best overdrive pedals 2024: explore which drive pedal is right for you By Alex Lynham last updated 5 September 24 Overdrive is one of the most essential guitar effects pedals. These are our top picks for every budget
Best guitar strap locks 2024: Safeguard your axe By Chris Schwarten last updated 4 September 24 Our pick of the finest fasteners from Schaller, Loxx, Jim Dunlop and more
Koe Wetzel abandoned his party animal image to show who he really is on 9 Lives, and found a new reason to play his beat-up Gibson J-200 By Alison Richter published 4 September 24 With the help of his producer, friends and family, the country-rocker is gearing up for the biggest years of his career – and wants to make sure his fans know he’s on their side no matter how difficult their lives get
Fontaines D.C.’s Carlos O’Connell on playing Rory Gallagher’s Strat and why a spring reverb is the best overdrive By Mark McStea published 4 September 24 One half of the Fontaines D.C. six-string machine talks songwriting and influences, and admits that he, too, is a disciple of YouTube’s Kurt Cobain tone guru Aaron Rash
Samantha Fish on how Kurt Cobain turned her onto the Jaguar (and why it remains in her top 10) By Andrew Daly published 4 September 24 It was on the cover of Guitar World's April 2024 issue, a Fender Classic Player Jaguar Special HH, but what made blues ace Samantha Fish choose this over her SG for the cover shoot?
The Hooters’ Eric Bazillian on ‘80s mega-hits and helping Cyndi Lauper find a career-defining hit By Joe Bosso published 3 September 24 The Hooters frontman/guitarist has had a career like no other, scoring hit after hit as a session player, nailing solos in one take. This is how it all went down...
Alex Masi on why he turned down Stevie Ray Vaughan, his Allan Holdsworth collab and time with Shawn Lane By Andrew Daly published 3 September 24 The Italian virtuoso explains why he hates the term ‘shred’, what’s wrong with social media guitar heroes and looks back on his missed opportunities with Shawn Lane
“Why wouldn’t you stay in the Sphere? It’s not as much fun”: Trey Anastasio explains Phish’s joyful rebirth By Alan Paul published 3 September 24 In this epic cover interview, Anastasio goes deep into his musical rebirth, creative process and the intense practice regimen pushing against the limits of his playing
Best tremolo pedals 2024: 8 top pedal choices, from old-school vibe to chopped-up tones By James Farmer last updated 3 September 24 The best tremolo pedals on the market right now, from the likes of TC Electronic, Electro-Harmonix, Boss, Strymon and JHS
Corey Feldman discusses his limits as a guitar player, copping David Gilmour’s tone and why his viral guitar solo really is a joke By Andrew Daly published 2 September 24 After years of being hounded online like tour mate Fred Durst, the actor and musician is turning the tables on the trolls – with a guitar solo so fast some commentators (incorrectly) thought it was fake
When his keys player quit, McKinley James had to rethink his playing style – and he did it without turning to pedals By Joe Bosso published 2 September 24 Now touring as a father-and-son duo, the Dan Auerbach-championed blues rocker just keeps on rolling…
Enumclaw are on a quest for alt-rock tone nirvana – using other people’s guitars and The Smashing Pumpkins’ fuzz pedal By Amit Sharma published 2 September 24 Home In Another Life is another slice of gourmet tones and big noise therapy from one of the most exciting bands in the US alt-rock scene
“I’m like the power forward on a basketball team”: Bob Glaub might be the most famous bass player you’ve never heard of By Nick Wells published 2 September 24 Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon, Stevie Nicks and oh so many more: for 50 years, Bob Glaub has kept things moving on hit after hit
Raphael Saadiq on playing with Prince, D'Angelo and the “dead” 1962 Fender that put the vintage in Instant Vintage By Chris Jisi published 1 September 24 The Tony! Toni! Toné! trailblazer created a whole new rhythm section style on his 2002 solo debut
The late Mick Karn on his first tour with David Torn and Bill Bruford By Bill Leigh published 31 August 24 Few electric bassists have a style as singular and strong as Japan’s fretless sorcerer
