Guitar Techniques Features

Filmed for MTV, this electrifying 1989 performance showcases the Strat titans' uniquely forceful playing

John Wines, aka Old Grey Guitarist, has over 1m followers on TikTok and blew audiences away with his Brian May and Eddie Van Halen-channeling audition. He tells us how he put together the perfect rock-guitar showcase, and the secret to bossing the electric guitar’s greatest solos on social media

The Italian virtuoso unpicks the inspiration behind his eye-opening approach, and explains why he never wanted to become a lead guitarist in the first place

The seasoned tonesmith reflects on spending "some of the best moments of my life" with Jimmy Page, the guitarist with a tone so unbelievable that "no-one on this Earth can touch him" and why Duane Allman is just as important as Jimi Hendrix

The guitarist reflects on his disastrous solo on the first night of his new gig, the hardest part about playing with one of the world's leading virtuosos, and why the Abasi Larada is his favorite guitar he's ever played

It's 1981 and the bass players of the UK are looking at their thumbs and wondering if they can keep up…

From the bombastic to the utterly ballistic, we count down the best of the mysterious guitarist's always-entertaining lead breaks with Kiss and the Vinnie Vincent Invasion

Guitar is more than a hobby – here are 7 ways it can help you deal with the challenges life throws at you

The virtuoso behind White Lion’s platinum rock sound pays dues to the players who showed him what to do on guitar (and what not to do), and recalls an emotional encounter with Eddie Van Halen

Guitar-in-hand, EVH demonstrates his most iconic technique and explains its origins in this insightful 2015 clip

The Mr. Big guitar hero reveals how his strap length influenced his technique, why hearing Yngwie Malmsteen down the phone inspired him to give fast picking one more try, and what he considers to be "one of the biggest scourges" of modern guitar playing

Some groundbreaking lead work – including two-hand tapping with a glass slide – highlighted the virtuoso’s awe-inspiring performance

The three six-string aces came together for the aptly named American Guitar Heroes concert at Carnegie Hall in 1985

See King wrap his head around the (then up-and-coming) talent of SRV – a player he first knew as ‘Little Stevie’ – in a blues jam for the ages

The Tedeschi Trucks Band slide maestro reveals his formative influences – from the obvious to the obscure – what he thinks is the "fiercest" guitar solo of all time, and why rhythm guitar is a lost art

The two Yardbirds alumni and Aerosmith icon – who each had history with the song – were joined by Ronnie Wood and Flea for the rendition, which featured a who's who of rhythm heroes and lead legends

Iain Lee was like a kid in a candy store as the Queen guitarist demonstrated – up-close and personal – the magical, singing tone of one of his most famous solos

The much-loved virtuoso details his approach to tackling parts by Ritchie Blackmore, Tony Iommi and Vivian Campbell for The Dio Album, snapping up vintage Ibanez guitar bargains, and the younger players who are catching his ear

The king of modern-day blues-rock on "the greatest rock guitar player that ever was", who he considers "the Frank Sinatra of the blues" and "Immaculate Conception as a guitar player" – and why he regularly apologizes to Eric Johnson

The Eagles and James Gang legend – of whom Hawkins was a massive fan – was called in to play on the Sonic Highways track, Outside, and wasted little time making an indelible contribution