Best punk guitars 2024: straight-shooting, no-nonsense guitars for punk By Daryl Robertson last updated 13 March 24 From Gibson to Eastwood, Fender to Music Man, here’s our expert pick of guitars to help you cause some anarchy at your next DIY show
“I was gonna have a year off after Knebworth, but when John rang up saying, ‘Look, I’ve got these tunes,’ I thought, ‘I’m in, mate’”: Liam Gallagher on why John Squire is like Hendrix and the best guitarist of his generation By Henry Yates published 13 March 24 The former Oasis frontman talks Gallagher/Squire and pays tribute to the Stone Roses guitar legend in an interview that is 100 percent gold
“There’s a different dynamic to distorted slide playing – a fully distorted slide guitar is an incredibly noisy beast”: Meet the guitarist fusing Western slide and black metal – with devastating results By Michael Astley-Brown published 13 March 24 Wayfarer are the self-proclaimed “pre-eminent Western American metal band”, and the roots-infused style of guitarist Joe Strong-Truscelli is integral to their radical fusion. He reveals the unique challenges of playing slide over high-gain metal and why Gilmour is his new guitar god
“I had no idea what the hell I was doing! I couldn’t speak English. But Paul was so kind. Through a translator, he said, ‘Just relax. I love the way you play’”: How Bakithi Kumalo became go-to bassist for Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper and Tedeschi Trucks Band By Andrew Daly published 13 March 24 The versatile South African bassist is best-known for his epic bass break on You Can Call Me Al, recorded on the cheapest fretless he could get his hands on. He shares his unlikely low-end journey to Graceland, how he mentors the next generation – and why he has 12 albums that no-one knows anything about
Best Gibson Les Paul 2024: The greatest Gibson singlecuts for every budget and style By Daryl Robertson last updated 13 March 24 We break down the latest offerings from Gibson to help you pick the right Les Paul for you
“I must admit, it looked and sounded phenomenal, but the poor girl was crushed to smithereens… I was totally heartbroken”: How Ted Nugent accidentally destroyed his first Gibson Byrdland By Phil Gajewski published 13 March 24 An archtop jazz box was a strange choice for a young rocker like Nugent, but as he explains here, it was the making of him, and it was all about the tone
Best headphone amps for guitar 2024: turn it up while keeping it down By Matt McCracken last updated 12 March 24 You don’t need to sacrifice tone to practice quietly with our expert pick of the best headphone amps for guitar players
“I have the heaviest boost pedal in existence – it’s a Marshall half-stack that I switch on when the sound needs to be bigger”: DeWolff’s Pablo Van De Poel on his life in gear – and a rig that is not to be trifled with By David Mead published 12 March 24 The DeWolff guitarist recalls a Les Paul that broke his heart and a spectacular deal on a vintage bass
Best guitar tuners 2024: chromatic, polyphonic, and strobe options By Chris Bird last updated 12 March 24 Find the best guitar tuner whatever your budget, with our top picks from the likes of Boss, Korg, TC Electronic and D’Addario
“My tone is already destroyed by the time it gets to the amp”: Yard Act are redefining post-punk guitar with plugins and ‘cheapo’ gear – and they reckon a Squier Bullet Tele sounds great DI’d By Jonathan Horsley published 12 March 24 In a radical new album, Yard Act are blurring the lines between post-punk and hip-hop. Guitarist Sam Shipstone reveals how it was made – with sampling, budget gear and an experimental approach to tone
“Chord voicings, amps and dynamics are all elements of how I solo. I’m not a guy who improvises… I use well-thought-out lines that are outside the box”: Yiannis Papadopoulos on taking Scott Stapp to a higher power By Andrew Daly published 12 March 24 The Greek-born shredder says the Creed frontman is a “very, very good guy” and explains how they worked together to add a new heaviness to the singer’s solo output
“Freddie was a good riffmeister! He was a devotee of Jimi Hendrix. People think he was just concerned with the lighter stuff but it’s not true. He did enjoy the heavy stuff”: Brian May reveals the inside stories behind 13 classic Queen tracks By Chris Bird published 12 March 24 In a world-exclusive interview, Brian May takes you behind the scenes of the making of 13 iconic Queen cuts, and reveals what inspired his magical guitar playing in Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, Don’t Stop Me Now and many more
Best ukuleles for beginners 2024: Get started on the uke with our pick of tropical beauties By Simon Fellows last updated 11 March 24 The best beginner ukuleles from Fender, Epiphone, Martin, Kala, Gretsch and more – prices starting from $30
Best cheap guitar pedals 2024: killer budget stompboxes you need to try By Alex Lynham last updated 11 March 24 Stock up on new sounds for less with these incredibly cheap guitar pedals from Boss, NUX, TC Electronic and more
“Poverty accounted for many of my choices – I had this knockoff, fake Tele I used on Rain Dogs… It was awful but also beautiful”: Marc Ribot on recording Tom Waits classics with cheap gear, and why ‘How can I destroy it?’ is one of his session mantras By Andrew Daly published 11 March 24 A session legend who has recorded with Tom Waits, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and many more, Ribot returns with a new solo album, Connection, and, musically, anything goes
“I’ve used Gibsons and Fenders in the past, but, honestly, nothing compares to how good my signatures sound. It’s almost a joke!” How Nick Johnston found tonal nirvana by plugging straight into the amp By Amit Sharma published 11 March 24 Just a couple of his best-selling Schecter signature models, an amp and a taste for adventure, and Canadian six-string phenom Nick Johnston had all he needed to make the album of his career
“Jimi Hendrix scared me. Learning about the Hendrix E chord was amazing… I figured out where to put my fingers and kinda eked it out on my own”: Steve Lukather names the 12 guitarists who shaped his sound By Andrew Daly published 11 March 24 From George Harrison and Jeff Beck to David Gilmour and Eddie Van Halen, the Toto veteran has befriended many of his heroes – and it's thanks to them that he still loves to sit at home playing
Best electric guitar strings 2024: the finest electric guitar strings for every budget and playing style By Chris Corfield last updated 11 March 24 Keep your axe feeling and sounding fresh with the best electric guitar strings on offer right now
“I can play a riff you've probably never heard. If there's a mistake in there, I can work on it. Sometimes the mistakes are the riffs that stick”: Brian Setzer on how he’s kept his writing skills sharp – and the records that define his career By Andrew Daly published 9 March 24 The Gretsch loyalist and rockabilly royal unpicks his latest album, The Devil Always Collects – and discusses his tips for avoiding repetitive riff writing, and why he's finally decided to turn down his amps along the way
Best clip-on guitar tuners 2024: stay in tune on a budget with our pick of the best available today By Jonathan Horsley last updated 8 March 24 A clip-on tuner offers a quick, easy and affordable tuning solution. Explore our expert picks for acoustic, electric and bass guitar