Jeff Beck announces mammoth list of US tour dates, including a string of shows with Ann Wilson and ZZ Top By Matt Parker published 15 August 22 The shows follow the release of Beck’s collaborative album with Johnny Depp, 18, and kick off in Texas on September 23
Wrecking Crew guitarist Bill Pitman dies aged 102 By Matt Parker published 15 August 22 The guitarist was famed for his use of a Danelectro six-string bass and played on a number of hits, including Be My Baby and Pet Sounds
Watch Nita Strauss make her full live debut with Demi Lovato By Matt Parker published 15 August 22 Hurricane Nita makes landfall as part of the popstar’s punked-up backing band
How luthiers voice an acoustic guitar top By Alex Bishop published 12 August 22 The dark art of ‘voicing’ a guitar top is part science, part art, but ultimately about adding and subtracting in all the right places
Buddy Guy announces new album and teams up with Jason Isbell for its first single, Gunsmoke Blues By Jonathan Horsley published 12 August 22 The iconic bluesman's new album is titled The Blues Don't Lie and is scheduled for a September 30 release
Watch Rush’s Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee reunite to perform Closer to the Heart, with South Park creator Matt Stone on drums By Jackson Maxwell published 11 August 22 The surprise reunion took place earlier this week at South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert at the Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado
Watch John Mayer and Bob Weir play acoustic versions of Grateful Dead classics at the Rise for the River benefit By Jonathan Horsley published 11 August 22 The duo treated the crowd at Pine Creek Lodge, Montana, to a string of Dead standards including Friend of the Devil, Bertha and Brown-Eyed Women, all to support SWMT Flood Relief
Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson says high-gain metal guitars don't sound heavy anymore By Sam Roche published 11 August 22 “It’s almost like the equivalent of using a string pad. That guitar sound has just become part of the texture of the music,” he says, arguing that cleans can sound heavier in the right context
Catalinbread’s all-new Fuzzrite Germanium recreates a highly sought-after Mosrite classic By Sam Roche published 11 August 22 The new pedal joins the company's existing silicon-equipped Fuzzrite and boasts a dual-mode Vintage/Modern toggle switch for added beef if required
How chords can literally be turned on their heads to produce interesting new harmonic effects in songwriting By Richard Barrett published 11 August 22 Using inversions – or slash chords as they are more commonly known – is a great way of experimenting with familiar chords
John Scofield: “When you’re playing without a band, all kinds of subtleties in your playing come out, maybe good and bad… You really hear what you’re doing” By David Mead published 11 August 22 On his latest album, Solo, the jazz guitar luminary plays alone with just a looper for company, and it turned out to be a learning experience that was a lot of fun too
How Blackstar’s St. James series made tube amps lightweight without sacrificing tone By Jamie Dickson published 11 August 22 Tube amps are old hat, right? If so, Blackstar didn’t get the memo – the St. James series transforms 50 watts of classic tone into a tech-enabled tour de force
Pigtronix unveils the Gloamer – a polyphonic amplitude synthesizer for “cinematic string sounds, asymmetrical tremolos, and angular stutter effects” By Jonathan Horsley published 10 August 22 If you’re looking for something different, this volume swell with in-built compressor from the imagineers at Pigtronix is certainly that
Model your gear and turn it into a plugin with IK Multimedia’s new AmpliTube Tonex software By Jackson Maxwell published 10 August 22 IK's AI Machine Modeling lets users model their guitar amps, cabs or gain pedals, while Tonex lets users turn those models into plugins that can be shared with the user community
Watch pro-shot footage of Pavement’s epic headline set from Primavera 2022 By Matt Parker published 10 August 22 Stephen Malkmus and co perform their first big show in 12 years and do not disappoint, with the seminal U.S. indie-rockers in inspired form throughout the 26-song set
Fender celebrates 40 years of Squier in style with the official launch of 10 lavish anniversary models By Sam Roche published 10 August 22 First announced in January, the new 40th Anniversary Collection pays homage to five classic Fender designs, each with Gold and Vintage Editions
Elvis biopic has doubled the number of people learning the rock and roll icon’s songs on guitar, according to Fender Play By Sam Roche published 10 August 22 The Big F’s online guitar learning platform reports a massive spike in demand for tutorials on Jailhouse Rock, Heartbreak Hotel, Burning Love and more
Kramer debuts the Striker Collection, shreddable electrics in hot colors with high-performance and affordability as standard By Jonathan Horsley published 10 August 22 The S-style series has left and right-handed options, with licensed Floyd Rose or Epiphone LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridges, HSS pickup configurations and the choice of plain or figured tops
Ernie Ball Music Man officially launches patent-pending Heat-Treated pickup technology on three new guitar models By Sam Roche published 10 August 22 Available on Sabre, Cutlass and StingRay guitars, the tech offers increased output and dynamic range, and promises to “outperform normal spec pickups with extra touch sensitivity”
Best guitars for kids 2022: top electric and acoustic guitars for children By Jonathan Horsley published 9 August 22 The top kid’s guitars available today and everything you need to know to get your child started with the guitar
