Paul Reed Smith explains why the country a guitar is made in doesn’t matter By Matt Owen published 1 October 24 Though the provenance of a guitar can have a huge sway on its price and perception, the PRS founder himself has leapt to the defence of overseas builds
“‘What are you doing?’” When Les Dudek guested with Mike Bloomfield (without him knowing) By Jackson Maxwell published 1 October 24 Caught up in the music and the moment, the veteran guitarist – who played on Allman Brothers Band's Ramblin' Man and Jessica – ran onto the stage while Bloomfield was at the keys, none the wiser
Taylor once released a replica of The Last of Us’ iconic acoustic guitar – now the real-life version will appear in season two of the TV show By Michael Astley-Brown published 1 October 24 A new trailer for The Last of Us season two shows the guitar in the hands of both Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey – and it’s not the only acoustic that makes an appearance
Harley Benton is now shipping direct in the US for the first time via a new Reverb store By Matt Owen published 1 October 24 The champion of cheap gear is extending its influence overseas, and will be shipping directly to US players through a new virtual storefront
Texas man reportedly pays $4,000 for guitar autographed by Taylor Swift – and immediately smashes it with a hammer By Matt Parker published 1 October 24 Reports suggest the purchase and destruction of the instrument was politically motivated, following Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris
Joe Bonamassa’s 12th Epiphone signature guitar is his first with P-90s – and features one of the rarest Les Paul finishes ever made By Matt Owen published 1 October 24 Only three Copper Iridescent 1955 Les Paul Standards are currently accounted for – and Bonamassa owns two of them. Now, the quirky single-cut has been revived
David Gilmour says he can't tell the difference between his signature Fender and his original Black Strat By Jackson Maxwell published 1 October 24 Unbothered by letting go of his most famous – not to mention valuable – six-string tool, Gilmour tells GW that his signature Fender Black Strat does the job of the original perfectly well
Kramer offered Kayla Kent a guitar – but when it turned down her ideas, a Kramer fan group built it instead By Phil Weller published 30 September 24 Kent has been playing a rare JK8000 for most of her career, but when Kramer said it couldn't build her a backup, a fan forum stepped in to make her dream guitar a reality
Why Gen Z guitar star Beabadoobee’s chords have confused her fellow guitarists – but won over Rick Rubin By Janelle Borg published 30 September 24 Beabadoobee, aka Beatrice Laus, recently landed a number one album in her native UK, but her fondness for My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth and Elliott Smith has spawned a guitar style that has confounded her fellow players
J. Rockett’s new Phil X signature overdrive/boost is a ‘backline lifesaver’ that promises to make any amp sing By Phil Weller published 30 September 24 The Bon Jovi guitarist has helped mastermind a versatile drive/boost box that looks to be a tidy studio and stage companion
Nobels debuts two new ODR pedals that have been refined based on player requests By Phil Weller published 30 September 24 The ODR-1X and ODR-Mini2 offer some choice tweaks that update the famed drive stompbox for modern players
Dweezil Zappa says he recorded Eddie Van Halen playing a “greatest hits guitar solo” at 5150 – and had to give EVH pointers By Matt Parker published 30 September 24 The session was the result of an unreleased ‘audio movie’ concept of Zappa’s in which he envisioned solo contributions from Brian May and Angus Young
The final pedal Diamond designed before the revered effects firm closed down is finally seeing the light of day By Michael Astley-Brown published 30 September 24 The innovative delay is a ‘greatest hits’ of Diamond designs, with a unique reverse mode that’s “like echoes bounding through a stormy canyon”
Why Steve Vai kept his guitar playing a secret when he first started By Matt Owen published 30 September 24 Vai didn't tell anyone when he began learning the guitar, but eventually announced his new-found fretboard abilities in quite spectacular style
“You can look at Nashville pre-Kris and post-Kris, because he changed everything”: Kris Kristofferson dies aged 88 By Matt Owen published 30 September 24 The actor, songwriter and country giant was lauded by Bob Dylan, had his material covered by Johnny Cash and Janis Joplin, and joined a supergroup with some of country music's biggest names
Ibanez finally honors prog guitar hero Manuel Gardner Fernandes with his first signature model By Matt Owen published 27 September 24 The percussive fingerstyle heavyweight has swapped AZ Superstrats for the ergonomics of the Quest range, resulting in Ibanez's finest headless guitar yet
Kemper responds to the Neural DSP Nano Cortex with not one, but two new upgrades for its Profiler Player – but you'll have to pay By Matt Owen published 27 September 24 The compact rig replacement has been elevated to a whole new level with two impressive upgrades, which offer an effects explosion and popular Kemper functions – but they don't come cheap
Larkin Poe's Rebecca Lovell on the time Elvis Costello let her borrow his famed Fender Jazzmaster By Janelle Borg published 27 September 24 Lovell went from being an Elvis Costello fan and buying a Jazzmaster to playing his actual guitar
Gibson unearths the forgotten history of Joe Staunton’s mystery “Orphanage Burst” – a ‘59 Les Paul like no other By Matt Owen published 27 September 24 The blues legend – also known as 'The Left-Handed Wizard' – first purchased the LP in 1969, and used it throughout the course of his career as he helped shape the Irish music scene
D'Angelico teams up with funk sensation Giacomo Turra on a '60s-inspired signature model By Janelle Borg published 27 September 24 The Giacomo Turra Bedford SH features an all-new Supro Gold Field pickup that promises to deliver clear, single coil-like tones, with the added boldness of a humbucker
