Level 42's debut album: a Britfunk classic that took slap bass and bent harmonics to a new, uh, level By Mike Brooks published 4 June 23 It's 1981 and the bass players of the UK are looking at their thumbs and wondering if they can keep up…
Best Martin guitars 2023: we rank the legendary acoustics of an industry icon By Matt McCracken published 2 June 23 Our expert pick of the best Martin acoustics from one of the oldest instrument makers on the planet
Best looper pedals 2023: go it alone with the greatest loop pedals for practice, live performance and jamming By Alex Lynham last updated 2 June 23 From channeling Ed Sheeran to boosting your live performances, these are the best looper pedals from TC Electronic, Boss, Line 6 and more
Steve Vai and Tosin Abasi-championed virtuoso Matteo Mancuso really is superhuman – watch him play his mind-melting new single Drop D live By Matt Owen published 2 June 23 Witness the spectacle that is Drop D live, and marvel at Mancuso's boundary-pushing technique that delivers some truly astonishing results
Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett's new podcast aims to uncover the secrets behind some of rock's biggest guitar solos – and the first round of guests is ridiculous By Jackson Maxwell published 2 June 23 Alex Lifeson, Richie Sambora, Nile Rodgers, Lindsay Ell, Rivers Cuomo, Brad Paisley, Mike McCready, Brent Mason and more will share their lead guitar wisdom on the first season of Shred with Shifty
Mary Ford’s 1961 Gibson Les Paul SG Custom has just been tracked down… on Facebook Marketplace By Matt Owen published 2 June 23 The historic instrument – which Ford used in her collaborations with Les Paul – ended up in the most unlikely place after playing a formative role in rock ’n’ roll history
Best modulation pedals 2023: our pick of the best mod effects from subtle to spectacular By Matt McCracken published 2 June 23 Get into the captivating world of modulation pedals with these top choices from Strymon, Boss, EHX, Universal Audio, and more
Vinnie Vincent's 10 most explosive solos By Andrew Daly published 2 June 23 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
Taylor 412ce and 417e review By Neville Marten published 2 June 23 Taylor revamps its ‘workhorse’ rosewood and spruce 400 Series with sunburst tops and new inlays – then there’s the innovative V-Class bracing, not to mention the ES2 electronics. A match made in heaven?
Wolfgang Van Halen used Eddie's Frankenstein through his original Marshall amp rig on one track from the forthcoming Mammoth WVH album By Matt Owen published 2 June 23 “It's kind of crazy – there are certain notes where it's like, ‘Wow, that sounds like Van Halen I,’” the Mammoth WVH leader said
Nuno Bettencourt says the Rise solo opens with a mistake By Matt Parker published 2 June 23 The Extreme guitarist reveals his recent technical masterpiece starts with an error: “I miss the whole string completely, I was so excited”
11-year-old guitarist brings literal shred fireworks and Marty McFly-flavored tapping to Britain's Got Talent stage By Jackson Maxwell published 1 June 23 Having already won plaudits from Brian May, young Harry Churchill further wowed viewers and judges alike with Johnny B. Goode á la Back to the Future, and Kiss-like theatrics
Another legendary amp brand has entered the Bluetooth speaker market. Is being Orange enough to stand out? By Matt Parker published 1 June 23 The Orange Box sees the UK-based firm joins the Bluetooth space race with a unique Class D and Class A/B design
Brian May and Eddie Van Halen's Star Fleet Project mini-album is finally coming to streaming – with unreleased EVH solos By Jackson Maxwell published 1 June 23 Among other never-before-heard gems, the reissued set will feature a dozen takes of Star Fleet, which together chart the course of a solo that May cites as "one of the greatest things" Eddie Van Halen ever did
Joe Bonamassa explains why he prefers Stratocasters with maple fretboards over rosewood By Matt Owen published 1 June 23 Though he's partial to playing both, the blues-rocker leans towards maple ’boards for one key reason
How guitar frets evolved and changed the course of guitar-playing history By Huw Price published 1 June 23 We obsess over pickups and tonewoods, but we rarely give frets the same attention. Given they affect playing feel, intonation and tone, maybe it's time to change all that…
Fender just released its most bizarre Squier Paranormal models yet By Matt Owen published 1 June 23 Feast your eyes on the Big F's latest assortment of alternate reality guitars, sure to send shivers down the spines of purists everywhere
Graham Nash: “The acoustic guitar touches the heart faster. It’s much more human and personal than electric guitar” By Henry Yates published 1 June 23 As the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young legend releases the “most personal record” of his half-century career, he tells us about speaking truth to power, selling his Woodstock Martin D-45, and making up with David Crosby
Celebrating 50 years of The Dark Side of the Moon: inside the magical guitar sounds of Pink Floyd’s masterpiece By David Mead published 1 June 23 How one of rock’s greatest studio albums came together onstage, and what David Gilmour used to craft some of the most sought-after guitar tones in music history
Mooer unveils the Micro Looper II – is it destined to dethrone the TC Electronic Ditto as the go-to mini looper? By Matt Owen published 1 June 23 The feature-packed pedal has been released alongside the Micro Drummer II, with the pair aiming to make further waves in the mini pedal market
