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Dressed all in black, Roger McGuinn holds up his right hand and addresses the audience during a 2022 live performance. He plays a 12-string Rickenbacker.

Guitarists Roger McGuinn on the Ovation 12-string that fell apart and the infamous Rickenbacker theft of ‘65

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 17: Emily Roberts of The Last Dinner Party performs on stage at The Corn Exchange on November 17, 2025 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns)

Guitarists She’s Brian May and Johnny Marr’s new favorite guitarist, but The Last Dinner Party’s Emily Roberts still has imposter syndrome

Fender Vintera II Stratocaster on a tweed carpet and

Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2025: our top picks for every playing style, ability and budget

funtwo canon rock recreation

Guitarists YouTube’s first viral guitarist has returned – and he’s re-recorded the cover from 20 years ago that paved the way for social media shred videos

Tyler Larson

Guitarists YouTuber gets the chance to try Gary Rossington’s legendary Free Bird Gibson Les Paul/SG – so he plays Free Bird

Phil X of Bon Jovi and the Drills smiles onstage as he plays a cherry red Gibson SG.

Guitarists Phil X on the guitars he’s loved and lost – and how Eddie Van Halen taught him to “enjoy and ruin” the instrument

Ricky Byrd wears a weathered biker jacket and throws a pose as he plays a Telecaster on the stoop of a NYC apartment.

Guitarists Ricky Byrd on charged encounters onstage with Joan Jett and how Jeff Beck turned him onto smaller amps

Emily Roberts of The Last Dinner Party performs onstage during their From The Pyre album release concert at The 1865 on October 19, 2025 in Southampton, England

Guitarists The Last Dinner Party’s Emily Roberts on why she’s ditching Fenders and Gibsons in favor of this genre-bending guitarist’s signature model

A comped image of Peter Frampton playing his iconic black Les Paul Custom, Rick Beato wearing a denim shirt, and Larry Carlton in the zone with his Gibson ES-335.

Guitarists Rick Beato was offered the chance to play guitars from Eric Johnson, Peter Frampton and Larry Carlton – here’s why he turned them down

Jimmy Page

Guitarists Jimmy Page's 5 most iconic guitars, in his own words

Guitarist John Mayer appears at the Thelonius Monk Jazz Trumpet Competition and All Star Gala Concert at Dolby Theatre on November 9, 2014 in Hollywood, California

Electric Guitars The unexpected discovery in John Mayer’s iconic ’64 Fender Strat that helped shape the sound of the Silver Sky

A black-and-white image of Dave Davies of the Kinks performing with a Goldtop Les Paul in 1974

Guitarists Dave Davies on the Kinks’ argumentative energy, mixed feelings on Van Halen, and Jeff Beck, the “loose cannon”

Screenshots of John Mayer (left) and Hudson Freeman playing the latter's song, If You Know Me

Guitarists The nylon-string guitar riff that has taken TikTok by storm – and been covered by John Mayer

Donner guitar starter kit against an orange background

Electric Guitars Stuck on a Christmas present? Give the gift of music with these budget-friendly guitar starter kits for kids and adults alike

Heriot guitarists Debbie Gough and Erhan Alman

Bands Soloing next to Misha Mansoor and Marty Friedman, Heriot are next-gen metal guitar heroes-in-the-making

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Music Industry

Smithsonian Channel Posts "Electrified: The Guitar Revolution"

By Josh Hart published 30 May 2011

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

The Smithsonian Channel has posted the full episode of "Electrified: The Guitar Revolution" online. You can view the entire film below.

According to the Smithsonian Channel's website, the documentary covers "the history of music's greatest invention and the world's most popular musical instrument. From the early days of the Model U and Frying Pan to the guitar wars of Fender and Gibson, experience the evolution of the electric guitar through vintage footage, interviews with rock historians and rousing live performances."

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Josh Hart

Josh Hart is a former web producer and staff writer for Guitar World and Guitar Aficionado magazines (2010–2012). He has since pursued writing fiction under various pseudonyms while exploring the technical underpinnings of journalism, now serving as a senior software engineer for The Seattle Times.

Read more

Andy Summers

Andy Summers to explore the guitar’s impact on the world in globe-trotting docu-series

Mirador's Jake Kiszka and Chris Turpin photographed in an old castle with their guitars.

Jake Kiszka and Chris Turpin on conjuring old-school guitar magic for Mirador’s debut – and the difference between US and UK guitar players

Dweezil Zappa plays a cardboard Fender Stratocaster in Hikari Studios, Los Angeles.

Dweezil Zappa finally gets his hands on the viral cardboard Strat and cooks up a crazy psych-rock rager for the occasion

Gibson Custom Back to the Future "1955" ES-345

Gibson has launched Custom and Epiphone replicas of the Back to the Future ES-345 – but its search for the long-lost original guitar goes on

The White Stripes rehearse for the 2004 Grammy Awards show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California

How Jack White came upon the castaway guitar he'd use to play Seven Nation Army at the Grammys

Fender Vintera II Road Worn. Otera TK-1, Gibson Les Paul Custom '70s, Neural DSP Archetype Misha Mansoor X, Ernie Ball Music Man 'Fluff' StingRay, Jackson American Series Rhoads

All the new guitar gear that has caught my eye this week – including a triumphant return for one of Gibson’s most sought-after builds

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January 2026

The lost Ace Frehley interview, the year's best new gear and 2025's guitarists of the year – only in the new Guitar World

Man smiling whilst playing a black acoustic guitar in front of a hammock

Sweetwater’s customer service has been ranked as one of the highest-rated in the country

Delilah Holliday of Skinny Girl Diet performs on stage at the Green Door Store on day 1 of The Great Escape on May 19, 2016 in Brighton, England

Marshall launches initiative to support grassroots music venues in the UK – which are facing a fight for survival

G&L guitar headstock

Former G&L employee speaks out following quiet closure of company – as Fender purchases the 'Leo Fender' trademark

A rack of Gretsch guitars in a guitar store, with a line of budget amps on the floor.

Scotland’s Kenny’s Music is the latest guitar shop chain to close its doors – despite strong sales figures

1st Floor - Fender Artist Showroom Shanghai

Fender sets its sights on Shanghai with first Artist Showroom in China

Latest in Features

Dave Navarro performs live with the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1996. On the right, his GW cover, where he unusually chose a Les Paul

The incredible story of the Les Paul that Dave Navarro bought for his Guns N’ Roses audition – and ended up giving to John Frusciante

Gary Moore's 1963 Fender Telecaster

Gary Moore’s 1963 Telecaster is modded and thrashed to death – and it’s got a tone pot that behaves like a wah

Steve Cropper poses with his Peavey signature guitar and a Fender Twin combo

Steve Cropper on writing Green Onions, stressing out Brian May and the secret of Billy Gibbons’ guitar style

Fingerstylist Andy McKee uses a K+K Pure pickup system in his custom Greenfield acoustic as he performs here in 2018

The challenge of amplifying our acoustics has been one of guitar’s great challenges over the decades – are we nearly there yet?

Eddie Angel of Los Straitjackets wears a Luchador mask and plays a funky looking offset with four single-coil pickups

Primitive solos, Luchador masks, SpongeBob SquarePants? Meet Los Straitjackets, guitar’s most out-there instrumentalists

Gem Archer, Noel Gallagher and Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs, each photographed with their new signature models from Epiphone and Gibson

The story behind Oasis’ new signature guitars

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