Best acoustic guitars under $500 2023: our top picks, including acoustic-electric models By Chris Bird last updated 23 October 23 These sub-$500 acoustic guitars are ideal for everything from folk and indie guitar to blues and country
Best earplugs for musicians 2023: guitarist-friendly plugs to suit every budget By Chris Corfield last updated 23 October 23 Our pick of the best affordable earplugs to protect your hearing from the din of the rehearsal room to the stage
“I dig playing that bassline, and I love the beats”: Tina Weymouth on the Tom Tom Club’s The Good The Bad And The Funky By Bill Leigh published 23 October 23 Tina Weymouth talks through the ins and outs of Tom Tom Club’s rhythmically intense fifth album… track by track
11 ways to get more from your delay and reverb pedals By Total Guitar editors published 20 October 23 Reverb and delay add space and ambience but they can do much more. Here we look at approaches for more extreme sounds – and some applications for better tone in a mix
Best guitar audio interfaces 2023: our top picks for every budget By Chris Schwarten last updated 20 October 23 These are the best audio interfaces for taking your guitar recordings to the next level, regardless of your budget or experience
“If you can make a record that feels like you have invented rock ’n’ roll, that’s a great feeling”: The Hives on how a need for speed – and the mystery of the elusive Randy Fitzsimmons – helped inspire them to make a comeback record for the ages By Jonathan Horsley published 20 October 23 Nicholaus Arson and Vigilante Carlstroem discuss The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, and the elemental, perfect fusion of high-volume guitars, a beat, and a vocal
“If you sound really good when you’re practicing, that means you’re practicing things you can already do, which isn’t really benefiting you fully”: Guthrie Govan shares his top tips for soloing By Amit Sharma published 20 October 23 The Aristocrats virtuoso is a generational talent – here is his advice for getting the most from your practice
“I bought it from this bloke our drummer knew. I think it was the first fretless electric bass ever”: Bill Wyman on the origins of his famous “homemade” fretless bass By Nick Wells published 20 October 23 The former Rolling Stones bassist used a modified fretless on every album and many of the singles up to 1975
“Don’t pick up your bass and act like you’re in Guitar Center” Legendary studio bassist Randy Jackson shares his session secrets By E.E. Bradman published 20 October 23 Ready to go pro? There’s no one more qualified than American Idol judge and all-around music-biz insider Randy Jackson
“A humbucker is a lot more controlled, and a single coil is twangy and misses frequencies. The P-90s have the best of the two worlds”: Meet Graveyard, the Swedish classic rockers with tone and vibrato worthy of the ‘60s psychedelic blues explosion By Ellie Rogers published 20 October 23 Inspired by the likes of Peter Green, Danny Kirwan and Jimi Hendrix, Joakim Nilsson and Jonatan Ramm thrive on P-90 pickups, cranked Marshall Bluesbreakers and world-class vibrato – just don’t call their high-octane rock ’n’ roll “retro”
Using Dumble-modded Fender Twins and the "Stay With Me" Zemaitis, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood grace The Rolling Stones' comeback album with some of their finest fretwork in decades By Jackson Maxwell published 19 October 23 Helmed by super-producer Andrew Watt and featuring a stellar bass turn from Paul McCartney, Hackney Diamonds – the Stones' first new album of original material in 18 years – is better than it has any right to be
“Wendy Melvoin is a highly influential guitarist for me. Her feel is unmatched”: Madison Cunningham is the new face of the Fender Jazzmaster – and she has some seriously A-list collaborations in the pipeline By Ellie Rogers published 19 October 23 Hand-picked by Fender to head up its Vintera II campaign, the Grammy-winning folk-rock trailblazer discusses her spellbinding collab with Prince’s guitar player, challenging the Big F’s premier offset to a game of drop-tuning limbo, and how a mutual love of JHS Pedals introduced her to John Mayer
Best guitar stands and guitar hangers 2023: options for single and multiple acoustic and electric guitars By Chris Corfield last updated 19 October 23 Hang about! These are the best stands and hangers for your guitars right now
Best ukuleles 2023: Acoustic and electric ukes for all budgets and playing styles By Chris Corfield last updated 19 October 23 Get started with our pick of the best ukes from Mahalo, Martin and Cordoba, plus a cool Fender Jazzmaster ukulele
Best bass amps for practice 2023: top combos for working on your chops at home By Chris Schwarten last updated 19 October 23 Get the most out of your playing at home with one of these great bass practice amps
“People come up to me and say, ‘Man, you’re keeping the blues alive!’ I’m like, ‘You don’t even know that’s the worst thing you could say to me’”: Mixing Blind Willie Johnson covers with Slayer-inspired shred, Buffalo Nichols is no blues traditionalist By Ellie Rogers published 19 October 23 He avoids pentatonic cliches at all costs and thinks too many solos are “a problem in the blues” – now Buffalo Nichols is taking the genre in radical new directions with the help of heavily effected resonators and his “secret tuning”
“Martin Barre had a Strat and it was on the stage one day – I picked it up and plugged it into my amp. Immediately, I thought, ‘I like the voicing of that…’”: Robin Trower looks back on making some of guitar’s most influential recordings By David Mead published 19 October 23 The Stratocaster master reflects on his first encounter with Fender’s finest, and the days when guitar-led power trios shook the foundations with high-decibel progressive rock
Best guitar picks 2023: recommended plectrums to upgrade your playing By Jonathan Horsley last updated 18 October 23 Our expert guide to the best picks for bass, acoustic and electric guitar
“I’d like to remind all the perfectionist guitar nerds to listen to Jimmy Page’s solo on In the Evening. It sounds like the guitar is falling down the stairs… It’s brilliant”: Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil dissects his “dangerous” approach to guitar playing By Amit Sharma published 18 October 23 The Soundgarden guitarist looks back on his most iconic riffs and solos, as well as the gear and tunings that guided him deep into the creative superunknown
“When I played Here I Go Again to Jon Lord he had a certain look in his eye. He said, ‘You’re a clever little sod, aren’t you?’”: Remembering Bernie Marsden, 1951-2023 By Henry Yates published 18 October 23 The Whitesnake co-founder and lifelong bluesman left us on 24 August. Guitarist remembers an all-time-great player, writer, collaborator, collector, mentor and friend
