“Sick”: In 1985, Kurt Cobain carved one word into this Teisco Del-Ray guitar. Now it has sold at auction for $153,000 By Matt Parker published 29 August 23 The instrument recently sold at auction for a price that far exceeded the $10,000 minimum bid
DigiTech Trio+ review By Matt McCracken published 29 August 23 With this band in a box, who needs a bassist and a drummer anyway?
“Guitars were no longer the priority”: Fender had $100 million worth of retail sales canceled in 2022 By Matt Parker published 29 August 23 The guitar giant’s CFO Matt Janopaul says the figure equates to roughly 600,000 guitars and 200,000 amps
Fender harks back to the ‘60s and ‘70s with overhauled and upgraded California Series acoustics – complete with period-accurate specs and aesthetics By Matt Owen published 29 August 23 New Standard, Special, Player and Vintage models make up the 12-strong drop – which also draws on the models made by Leo Fender and Roger Rossmeisl in the early ‘60s
“We all loved Larry Carlton’s guitar, it was just magic… We were all looking for guitars with chunky necks, to try and get the sustain that he had”: Session legend Dean Parks reveals the secrets of his most iconic Steely Dan and Eric Clapton guitar parts By Jackson Maxwell published 28 August 23 You can hear Parks on Josie, Haitian Divorce, Change the World, Rikki Don’t Lose That Number and innumerable other songs – here, the guitarist unpacks the gear and recording sessions that forged them
“As I came off the stage I said, ‘How much do you want for it?' He wanted the princely sum of 600 pounds”: Bernie Marsden plays the blues on “The Beast,” his legendary 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard, and reveals its origin story By Jackson Maxwell published 28 August 23 Gary Moore was in awe of its tone, and Jeff Beck played Scatterbrain on it... Here, the late blues-rock guitar titan tells the story of the most famous six-string in his collection
“It needs a tune – but we’ll do that free of charge!”: Meet the Gibson Firebird that Jimmy Page lost in a drinking game with John Bonham By Jamie Dickson published 28 August 23 This heavily modified Non-Reverse Gibson Firebird III is a lost Led Zeppelin guitar with a fascinating history – we get the story behind the Page-owned beauty and the buoyant market for Gibson’s under-appreciated cult hero
Fender Pro Junior vs Blues Junior: which should you buy? By Matt McCracken published 26 August 23 We put Fender’s two tiny but mighty tube amps head to head to find out which is the real small-combo king
Bernie Marsden, former Whitesnake guitarist and giant of blues-rock guitar, has died By Matt Owen published 25 August 23 Co-writer of Here I Go Again, Marsden leaves behind a profound legacy following a lauded career, and was “writing and recording new songs until the end”
Martin and John Mayer celebrate 20 years of signature models by, quite literally, putting the silver in silverburst By Matt Parker published 25 August 23 The storied acoustic luthier is celebrating with two models: one of them is scarily expensive, the other is just regularly expensive...
Guitar Center honors Eric Clapton with 25th Anniversary Crossroads Collection – a selection of guitars inspired by the most iconic instruments throughout his career By Matt Owen published 25 August 23 Ahead of this year's Crossroads Guitar Festival, an assortment of limited-edition Fender, Martin and PRS models have been unveiled – watch Slowhand get hands-on with his new signatures
“Where you hold your guitar for the first time is crucial. It signifies how much of a c*** you’re going to be”: Noel Gallagher on how the most stressful day of his life was caused by a guitar strap By Matt Parker published 25 August 23 The Oasis and High Flying Birds guitar legend recalls tackling the big questions ahead of Oasis' first gig
Best bass amps 2023: killer low-end amplification options for bassists By Jonathan Horsley last updated 25 August 23 Give yourself the gift of thunder with the best bass guitar amps money can buy – featuring Trace Elliot, Hartke, Ampeg and more
Your solos and rhythm playing will benefit from learning chords across the fretboard – and major 7ths are a great place to start By Richard Barrett published 25 August 23 The major 7th chord is a favorite among guitarists of all stripes, including Nile Rodgers – here are 5 ways to take the shape to the next level, and your overall playing along with it, too
Emprize Harrier review – the British-built combo that combines two coveted vintage Fender voices… with spectacular results By Nick Guppy published 25 August 23 Emprize combines two sought-after tweed combos, authentically capturing brown-panel lead tones and black‑panel rhythm sounds in one amp
“Magic is when you command the elements to capture people’s hearts”: the first trailer for new Santana documentary Carlos has arrived By Matt Parker published 24 August 23 An acclaimed new film about the guitar great will hit cinemas for special screenings this September
“It was like watching Old Man Halen”: John Wines returns to America’s Got Talent – and his new routine is even more electrifying By Matt Owen published 24 August 23 Having nailed his internet-breaking audition, the 59-year-old guitar teacher (aka Old Grey Guitarist) returned with yet more Eddie Van Halen-flavored fretboard pyrotechnics to smash the show's qualifier round – despite Simon Cowell's misgivings
Fender drops its massive Labor Day sale super early, offering up to 30% off guitars, accessories, and more By Matt McCracken published 24 August 23 The big ‘F’ is dealing out the discounts on a huge range of guitar gear this Labor Day
Best multi-effects pedals 2023: top do-it-all guitar effects units By Alex Lynham last updated 24 August 23 The best floorboard FX modelers on the market for all budgets, including gear from Line 6, Boss, and Neural DSP
Universal Audio’s latest UAFX pedals trim the size and the price, but still seek to recreate more “timeless” historic effects – including a delay favored by Eddie Van Halen, Brian May and Joe Walsh By Matt Owen published 24 August 23 A pedal based on a compressor used by Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones and a reverb from one of rock's most famous recording studios also make up the drop
