Features

Noodling alone at home is fine. But you’ll never be a great guitar player unless you join a band

By Henry Yates published 12 March 26

Leaving the bedroom for the rehearsal room exposed my flaws and smashed my confidence. But if you can stick with it, you’ll have the best laugh of your life and supercharge your playing

The history and preservation of Eric Clapton’s The Fool SG

By Jamie Dickson published 12 March 26

With its psychedelic paint job, Clapton’s iconic Cream-era Gibson SG is a guitar like no other. As it goes under the hammer as part of the Jim Irsay Collection, we take a closer look at The Fool SG

“All I need is insurmountable odds. Give me your worst guitar”: Josh Homme is finally ready to talk tone

By Phil Weller published 11 March 26

From flea market finds to amps that aren’t amps at all, the Queens of the Stone Age mastermind has begun to reveal his tone secrets – starting with the little Peavey that could. The self-proclaimed shepherd of the weird explains why it’s time to share

David Gilmour’s Black Strat could be about to break records all over again

By Jamie Dickson published 11 March 26

It was the world's most expensive guitar when sold at auction in 2019, but as it goes under the hammer in the Jim Irsay Collection, there are a number of reasons to think it will claim another record

Glenn Tilbrook on the resurrection of the Squeeze concept album that never was

By Henry Yates published 10 March 26

Demo’d in ’74, when their compositional skills wrote checks their chops couldn’t cash, Squeeze shelved Trixies for 52 years. Now, Tilbrook says he’s proud to pull this lost album from the time machine

“He felt a responsibility to look after these things”: Inside the greatest guitar auction of all time

By Jamie Dickson published 10 March 26

With Jim Irsay’s epic collection of iconic guitars about to go under the hammer at Christie’s, we find out how this unique treasury of tone was prepared for auction

He arrived on the shred scene with Paul Gilbert, Jason Becker and John Petrucci… then he vanished

By Andrew Daly published 9 March 26

After starting a family and his own company, Darren Housholder's priorities changed – but he’s gradually brought music-making back into his world

How Eric Gales enlisted Buddy Guy, Kingfish, Joe Bonamassa (and his guitar collection) to pay tribute to his brother

By Amit Sharma published 9 March 26

With a little help from Bonamassa and Josh Smith, Eric Gales put together one of the great 21st-century blues albums to honor his brother Little Jimmy King

How Gail Ann Dorsey honed her bass craft with David Bowie and Lenny Kravitz

By Chris Jisi, Nick Wells published 8 March 26

Bowie’s long-time bassist salutes her mentor and unpacks her approach to the bass chair with Lenny Kravitz

Vicki Peterson on a gift from the Bangles’ most famous fan and their garage approach to an ‘80s pop classic

By Bill DeMain published 8 March 26

The heat was on. The label expected. And so, in 1986, the Bangles did what the Bangles did best – they put together a set of songs that had the whole world walking differently