Guitarist

Swannell Guitars makes an electric like an acoustic with tones that will blow your mind

By Dave Burrluck published 19 February 26

Jamie Swannell makes some seriously high-end acoustics and has applied that knowhow to the IA, a super-versatile, vibey electric that might just be the boutique slide machine of your dreams

“It just floored me”: Inside Fender’s mission to bring the ’62 Super Amp back from the dead

By Charlie Wilkins published 18 February 26

Long hidden in the shadows of Fender history, the early ’60s brown-panel Super Amp has reemerged. Senior product manager, Rick Heins, talks us through its rebirth

How Pavey Ark are reinventing acoustic guitar with pedals, fake nails and a $60 nylon-string that holds its own in any company

By Amit Sharma published 18 February 26

Neil Thomas’ adventurous playing and ear for unorthodox tuning finds the English collective exist between two worlds of traditional and neo-folk

From sleeping in tents to Woodstock, rock ’n’ roll's ‘Forrest Gump’ Leo Lyons shares the story of Ten Years After

By Henry Yates published 16 February 26

The Ten Years After bassist survived Hamburg’s Star-Club, sparked the blues boom, achieved immortality at Woodstock – and is still going strong at 82. “Music,” he says, “it’s a drug…”

Mike Vennart on the Squier Strats that are simply unbeatable – and why he hates acoustics

By Andrew Daly published 16 February 26

The former Oceansize and long-time Biffy Clyro touring guitarist on his love of off-the-beaten-path six-strings and why you've got to try before you buy

The Newman Torn and Frayed Edition might be the Rolling Stones-inspired T-type we’ve been dreaming of

By Jonathan Horsley published 15 February 26

With vibe and mojo off the charts, this UK boutique build is a stunning example of what a little imagination can do with when applied to Blackguard inspiration

Their first single was so bad, the label pulled 10,000 copies. Yet they went on to be one of the most influential supergroups in music history

By Marc Roberty published 13 February 26

60 years ago, Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker put together Cream. This is the story of the early years of the power trio that changed the face of popular music, and elevated Clapton to God-like status

Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram has learned from the masters on his road to becoming a modern-day blues great

By Amit Sharma published 12 February 26

He might be young, but the Clarksdale, Mississippi phenom has already announced his presence as the world’s bluesman-in-chief

“Steve was on the session when history was made”: Why Steve Cropper was one of guitar’s most humble heroes

By Henry Yates published 6 February 26

The departed soul man was the Stax band’s MVP, writing and driving the R&B classics that ruled the ’60s

Is this the holy grail of all holy grail Fender Stratocasters?

By Huw Price published 4 February 26

Only two features distinguished a Mary Kaye Stratocaster from any other Strat that might have rolled off Fender’s production line during the mid-to-late 1950s. So why are vintage examples so darn valuable?

How to record acoustic guitars at home – and why you need a dedicated setup

By Michael Watts published 2 February 26

Recording acoustic guitars at home can be frustrating and rewarding in equal measure – but it doesn't need to be. Here’s how to get started, and how to get great results

Guitarists are looking for more bang for their buck – but does the cheaper guitar always mean better value?

By Dave Burrluck published 31 January 26

With so much choice and range in price, is it getting harder to know the true worth of a potential purchase?

How Boss reimagined the wildest effect on your pedalboard

By Henry Yates published 29 January 26

Boss's Matt Knight gives us the lowdown on the XS-1 and XS-100 Poly Shifter series, the pitch-shifting pedals that put the DigiTech Whammy on notice

Meet the mystery guitarist rewriting a new future for prog – with a little help from superstar players Greg Howe and Mohini Dey

By Henry Yates published 28 January 26

DarWin guitarist Greg Howe and bassist Mohini Dey, plus the supergroup’s mysterious namesake, tell us about new album, Distorted Mirror, and how it is reinventing the concept album

How Georgie Hume’s “surf exotica” is taking instrumental guitar into a whole new world

By Amit Sharma published 26 January 26

Starting out in a London pub, Georgie Hume and the Pity Party are taking a wayfaring approach to jazz, soul, and surf guitar, and Hume has some help from a left-field “secret weapon” pedal

Keith Urban tells the tale of the Dumble that got away – and why he let down the buyer of his ’Burst

By Andrew Daly published 21 January 26

The country superstar shares his love for holy grail amps, writing riffs on cheap guitars, and the Nocaster once owned by Cinderella’s Tom Keifer that’s “worth every cent”

Larry McCray on rubbing shoulders with blues royalty and playing through Joe Bonamassa’s epic rig

By Amit Sharma published 20 January 26

Living blues legend Larry McCray is keeping on keeping on and keeping the blues alive, and on his latest LP, Heartbreak City, he's taking his guitar to places his voice can't reach