Wolfgang Van Halen explains the technique quirk he inherited from Eddie Van Halen By Matt Owen published 4 July 23 It's all over his most recent single, Take a Bow, but Wolfgang's approach to tapping is unlike many others – and he has his father to thank for that
Wolfgang Van Halen gives tap-heavy new single Take a Bow its live debut (and obviously nails the solo) By Matt Parker published 3 July 23 Fan footage shows the Mammoth WVH leader shredding up a storm during the song’s first live outing in Lisbon, Portugal
“Let it rip”: Watch John Mayer join Ed Sheeran to flex his supreme soloing chops on Thinking Out Loud By Matt Owen published 3 July 23 It's not the first time the pair have performed the chart-smashing track together, but it might just be their best effort yet
Ola Englund was in the running to be Pantera guitarist on the ongoing tribute tour By Matt Owen published 3 July 23 Though the gig ultimately went to Zakk Wylde, the Swedish metaller and Solar Guitars founder was being considered for the spot – and he was told as much by Phil Anselmo
Joe Bonamassa teaches you his favorite Fender Stratocaster blues licks By Joe Bonamassa published 3 July 23 The blues guitar superstar takes us on a tone tour on his 1954 Fender Strat, with licks inspired by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Johnson and more
Introduce jazz chops into your blues solos with this lesson in Robben Ford's masterful style By Andy G Jones published 30 June 23 Have yourself a Ford fiesta of jazzy blues guitar with this lesson in the Dumble rumbler's solo approaches
Lynyrd Skynyrd release footage of Gary Rossington’s blazing final performance: “It is certainly bittersweet” By Matt Parker published 30 June 23 The Southern rock legend was captured playing Gimme Three Steps at the band’s 50th Anniversary show at The Ryman
This shred-heavy documentary finally focuses on the fringes of LA’s hair metal scene – and it hits streaming next month By Matt Parker published 29 June 23 I Wanna Rock: The ’80s Metal Dream will talk to members of Skid Row, Winger, Twisted Sister, Vixen and The Scream and examine the fortunes and failures of the scene’s ’80s heyday
This unassuming guitar teacher’s epic America’s Got Talent audition went viral. Here’s how he landed – and nailed – the gig of a lifetime By Amit Sharma published 29 June 23 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
How to combine chords and walking basslines on guitar By Martin Taylor published 28 June 23 British jazz maestro Martin Taylor talks us through his chord and walking bassline approach, while keeping that swing going all the time
Hear Rory Gallagher's iconic live rigs in action in this in-depth exploration of the guitar legend's gear collection By Matt Owen published 28 June 23 Trace the history of Gallagher's legendary sound through the decades with help from his famed '61 Strat, original Vox AC30, pedalboard and more
Polaris guitarist and metalcore guitar hero Ryan Siew dies, aged 26 By Matt Parker published 28 June 23 The guitar community has been paying tribute to the much-respected player, who passed away on June 19
Wolfgang Van Halen dusts off the Frankenstein and Eddie’s original Marshall amp rig on epic new Mammoth WVH single By Matt Owen published 27 June 23 Take a Bow showcases some stunning solo work – two-hand tapping included – performed with the setup Eddie Van Halen used on the earliest Van Halen records
“A little tribute to Ed”: Neal Schon channels his inner Eddie Van Halen in jaw-dropping shred clip By Matt Parker published 27 June 23 Erupt-Schon! The Journey guitarist took Van Halen out on their first tour, now he’s issued a playing tribute to the departed guitar icon
Eric Johnson is experimenting with the Neural DSP Quad Cortex – but it hasn't replaced his current rig just yet By Matt Owen published 27 June 23 Despite dabbling with one of the most powerful profilers on the planet, Johnson maintains his stance that “the gear’s really secondary”
Pete Thorn explains why mistakes are part of Jimmy Page’s magic By Matt Owen published 26 June 23 Though Page's production prowess and legendary chops are usually the focus of praise, Thorn gave credit to a more human aspect of the Led Zeppelin legend's playing
John Frusciante’s guitar teacher once told him he wasn’t a good guitarist – so he learned to play like Steve Vai: “No-one was going to say that to me again” By Michael Astley-Brown published 26 June 23 The Red Hot Chili Peppers guitar hero recalls being criticized because he couldn’t play the blues scale fast enough: “It was about the worst feeling I could imagine”
Tom Morello says his favorite Nuno Bettencourt solo is one you haven’t heard – and it’s “his version of Eruption” By Matt Parker published 26 June 23 The Rage Against the Machine guitarist says he followed Extreme religiously on the Boston circuit before they were signed: “I was blown away by this 16-, 17-year-old guitar phenomenon”
Joe Bonamassa called him his new favorite player and Steve Vai hailed him as the evolution of guitar: how Matteo Mancuso developed a technique like no other By Matt Owen published 23 June 23 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
Steve Lukather voices support for the ‘tone is in the hands’ camp: “There’s no magic guitar, just magic people” By Matt Owen published 23 June 23 The Toto hero says he's played through both Eddie Van Halen and Jeff Beck's rigs, and came to the same conclusion both times: he sounds like himself no matter what he plays through
