9 best guitar straps 2021: play in comfort and secure your guitar in style By Chris Corfield The best guitar straps for acoustic, electric, and bass guitars, no matter your budget
Marty Friedman: “Much of the Japanese music that is currently very popular has a melodic structure that echoes a lot of '70s Western rock and pop“ By Milton Mermikides The shred legend spills the beans on the third album in his Tokyo Jukebox series, which celebrates his love for Japan
Liz Stringer: “I didn’t have any design for the outcome, which was very different to other records I’ve made” By Matt Doria The soul-bearing new opus from Liz Stringer is some of her strongest, and undoubtedly most poignant, work to date
Hatebreed‘s Chris Beattie: ”No matter what you do in life, but especially as a bass player, you’ve got to keep learning” By Bass Player Staff Beattie checks in to talk about his journey on bass, the melodicism underpinning Hatebreed's pit-starting sound, and explains why he's loving the bass after some time off
Status Quo's Francis Rossi: "I put a Tune-o-Matic bridge on my Tele like the old Gibsons. I think all that stuff, and taking off the lacquer, added to the tone" By Jonny Scaramanga How a hardware calamity led the Quo legend towards the Telecaster
Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake: “If we share the load, it should mean that we can come up with a stronger album” By Matt Doria Rejuvenated by a lineup shuffle and a spirited new creative dynamic, Scottish rockers Teenage Fanclub make album #11 another effortless hit
Steve Lukather: “I used to learn George Harrison shit and everyone thought I was a badass! Now little kids on YouTube play like Stevie Ray Vaughan“ By Grant Moon Lukather has played on the biggest-selling album of all time, is in a band with Ringo Starr and remains a member of Toto, and here he shares some of his hard-earned wisdom
The history of the Fender Telecaster, the world's first mass-produced solidbody electric guitar By Jonathan Horsley Leo Fender’s Telecaster was the bolt-on from the blue that changed the world with a tone that could fight its way through any mix
The best PRS SE Custom 24 deals in June 2021: own a top-rated PRS for less By Chris Corfield We’ve scoured the web to find today’s best PRS deals
Trapped in Purgatory's Jon Hoare: “I don’t go for expensive gear. If I can make it from the car to the rehearsal room in one trip, then it’s mission accomplished” By Bass Player Staff The bassist talks gear, influences, high school bands and Trapped in Purgatory's thrashy debut album, Damned Nation
The secrets behind Billy Zoom's guitar tone on X's Los Angeles By Chris Gill A braniac amp genius, Zoom got a powerful tone – full of punch and bite – out of a minimalist setup
A quick Q&A with Brad Cox By Australian Guitar The Australian country star is playing the inaugural Country And Inner Western Festival this weekend
The Offspring’s Dexter Holland and Noodles: “Everything from Smash ’til now seems like it’s all part of the same era” By Matt Doria Almost a whole damn decade in the making, The Offspring are officially back in top form with their timely new album, Let The Bad Times Roll
Dhani Harrison: “If you've got time and the will to do it, you can make a guitar sound like anything” By Jonathan Horsley The multi-instrumentalist and composer reveals the design choices behind his signature Fender ukulele, and talks Jimi Hendrix, his love of pedals, and responsibility as a guitar protector
Voodoo Glow Skulls' Eddie Casillas: “This record is the most ska we've ever been – we've never had clean guitar tones on any of our albums before this” By Gregory Adams Nine years after their last album – and one vocalist later – the Riverside, CA outfit take aim at a host of topical issues with new ska-heavy effort, Livin' the Apocalypse
Lee Rocker: ”Elvis was like Batman or Superman when I was a little kid – even before I was aware of his music. It’s so raw” By Bass Player Staff The Stray Cats’ rockabilly legend talks writing an album on an Airstream trailer, the energy of the old stuff and why there are still plenty of note choices to discover after all these years
Best lunchbox amp choices 2021: 8 great portable amps for gigging By Chris Schwarten Offering big sound in a portable package, these compact amplifiers are perfect for the live circuit
Best Epiphone Les Pauls 2021: 10 budget-friendly versions of Gibson’s iconic single-cut By Jonathan Horsley Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned guitarist, our list of the best Epiphone Les Pauls is sure to inspire you
Garbage’s Steve Marker: “It was important to keep the initial spirit that we had when we wrote these songs” By Matt Doria No Gods No Masters. That’s the title of the hotly awaited new jam-fest from the pop-rock mainstays in Garbage – but it’s also the mission statement they avowed when they gathered in the Californian desert to make it
The Tragically Hip's Rob Baker on how the Canadian rock icons unearthed their long-lost sophomore sessions for surprise new EP, Saskadelphia By Gregory Adams The Hip's guitarist explores the gear that helped create the new archival release, how his playing changed over time, and why you're unlikely to hear the band's Mötley Crüe cover any time soon…
