Latest Features
How Blackstar shook up the amp establishment – and cemented its place in the upper echelons of the industry
Sponsored by Blackstar
Founded by four former Marshall employees in 2007, Blackstar tows the line between tradition and innovation – resulting in a first-class amp lineup that spans fire-breathing stacks to pedal amps
Chase Bliss’s Joel Korte lifts the veil on the five-year process that led to Brothers AM – an overdrive pedal for the ages
Sponsored by Chase Bliss
What happens when two boutique guitar pedal behemoths collaborate? Korte waxes lyrical about how it all started as a dream, what it takes for two stellar teams to work hand-in-hand, what makes Brothers AM different from the KOT, and the documentary that captures it all
The origins of Pete Townshend's guitar-smashing ritual
The destructive antics began as an unwelcome byproduct of something else the Who guitarist helped add to the guitar lexicon: wild feedback odysseys
“Before toe, my guitar was always distorted. The concept was to make music with cleaner tones”: Guitarist behind influential Japanese post-rock outfit toe, Yama made his career with cheap guitars – and barely any pedals
Despite his influence, the publicity-averse Yamazaki Hirokazu remains mysterious about his 30 years of being in bands – and doesn’t think of himself as a guitarist
Eric Johnson reflects on his early session career with Carole King and Christopher Cross – and getting fired by Donald Fagen
While the Texas virtuoso loved session work, he preferred to take more time over his creations – and his experiences paved the way for him to become one of guitar’s all-time greats
Robb Flynn set out to make Machine Head’s shortest record – but he hopes its four-minute songs will have a lasting impact
Some record exec told Flynn that he'd only last five years, but 30 years on he's still at it, reinventing Machine Head with a new lead guitarist, writing songs to those dark nights of the soul
How Khruangbin made Fender history with signature models of the first guitars they ever bought
Khruangbin’s Mark Speer and Laura Lee Ochoa are the first bandmates to get a signature Fender guitar and bass at the same time
Jimi Bell may have lost out to Zakk Wylde in his Ozzy Osbourne audition, but he has no regrets
The drummer turned guitarist remains grateful for what Sharon Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Joan Jett and Randy Rand did for him, as he preps original music from his Deep Purple tribute band
Untangling the history of Jeff Beck’s Oxblood Les Paul, the most expensive Gibson Les Paul ever sold at auction
Will we ever know the true story of this fabled guitar? For some it’s iconic, for others it was simply a cobbled-together working tool for a master
Meet Tommy Denander, the session guitar great who’s worked with everyone from Jeff Beck and Michael Jackson to Joe Perry and Ace Frehley
You’ve heard the Swedish guitarist on over 100 gold or platinum records. He tells his war stories from decades of session work, from fighting for all-important missing credits to playing with his heroes – and writing the song that finally brought Alice Cooper and Jeff Beck together…
