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Adam Jones and his Gibson Les Paul

“He wants the heaviest guitars that we can humanly make”: Here’s why Adam Jones has Gibson searching for “the heaviest woods” in order to build his custom Les Pauls

By Matt Owen published

Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian says the Tool maestro is very particular about the weight of his guitars thanks to his vintage '79 Custom model

A TC Electronic PolyTune tuner pedal on a pedalboard

Best guitar tuners 2023: chromatic, polyphonic, and strobe options

By Chris Bird last updated

Find the best guitar tuner whatever your budget, with our top picks from the likes of Boss, Korg, TC Electronic and D’Addario

A vintage 1965 Marshall JTM45 MkII

“It’s something we need to grow… we need to do more here, to enhance the legacy”: The future looks bright for Marshall, as its CEO points towards new British-made tube amps

By Matt Parker published

Is Marshall about to ‘do a Gibson’? The amp-maker’s Chief Executive says the group could become a "$3 billion company"

Matteo Mancuso

“Learning licks is useful, but if you rely only on licks you will lose the connection between your mind and the instrument”: Matteo Mancuso's soloing skills are something else – these are his top tips for playing better lead lines

By Matt Owen published

He's been tipped for greatness by Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, Al Di Meola and more. Now, Mancuso shares his soloing secrets

Kirk Fletcher and a collection of guitar gear being auctioned off for Kirk Fletcher fundraise

“Please do what you can to help our brother”: Joe Bonamassa launches fundraiser in support of Kirk Fletcher following onstage stroke

By Matt Owen published

A Fender signature amp from JoBo's personal collection and a Les Paul signed by some of today's biggest blues artists are being sold to raise funds for Fletcher's ongoing medical care

Haynes Demeanour

Haynes Demeanour review – the golden age for UK guitar making continues with this rock-ready offset

By Dave Burrluck published

This fresh take on the classic offset outline teams humbucker and P-90 pickups with top-name hardware and stunning looks

Fender Offset Picks

“The game-changing pick you never knew you needed”: Offset fever reaches guitar picks as Fender launches Offset Picks

By Michael Astley-Brown published

The offset guitar boom shows no sign of abating, and Fender reckons its wonky shape results in “the most versatile pick ever”

Jimmy Page plays Link Wray's Rumble onstage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023

“As a guitar instrumental, it was totally unique in its mystery”: Jimmy Page performs live for the first time in 8 years, covering Link Wray’s Rumble at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

By Matt Parker published

The Led Zeppelin icon made a rare onstage appearance to pay tribute to a guitarist linked to the very roots of his playing

Joe Bonamassa

“You could do anything with a Telecaster”: Joe Bonamassa shares his Telecaster tone tips and tricks – with the help of an exceptionally rare vintage model

By Matt Owen published

JoBo breaks down the secret sound of vintage Fender Teles and more in his latest tonal deep dive, which focuses on “one of the best tools you could ever buy”

Pete Griffin backstage with Dethklok

“Steve Vai tried to school me on string bending, but you just don't do that on bass!” Pete Griffin reflects on his time with Steve Vai, and his latest solo EP

By Nick Wells published

The seasoned sideman compares notes on Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt, Zakk Wylde and Dweezil Zappa

Al Jardine

“Charles Manson actually stole one of my D-45s years ago”: One of Al Jardine’s prized Martin acoustics was once swiped by the notorious cult leader – and he “never, ever got it back”

By Matt Owen published

The Beach Boys’ history with the Manson Family is well-documented – and it turns out Jardine’s Martin was one of the many items stolen from the band

A Fender Player Plus Tele and an Epiphone Les Paul Studio on a red gradient background

Here are 5 Black Friday-beating deals from Guitar Center’s holiday sale that I rate as a pro guitar tester

By Matt McCracken published

I either own or have reviewed every one of these products

A Positive Grid Spark Go amplifier on a red gradient background

Black Friday has officially landed at Positive Grid with massive Spark savings and a huge 60% off BIAS software

By Matt McCracken published

Positive Grid has gone early with super savings on desktop amps, software, and accessories, but you'll need to be quick as stock is limited

Jeff Beck and a picture of his Ibanez prototype signature guitar from the 1980s

“It didn’t tick his boxes. It didn’t give him what he wanted”: Before Fender, Jeff Beck worked with Ibanez to create a wild Telecaster/Les Paul hybrid – this is the never-before-told story of the signature model that almost was

By Matt Owen published

In the 1980s, Beck sought out Ibanez to help his unique vision for a signature guitar become a reality. We trace the history of an instrument so elusive that few even knew it existed

Marnie Stern holding her Fender Jazzmaster

“As a tapping player, you don’t want to be thought of as Yngwie Malmsteen. You wanna show the broken, punk-rock ‘Oops-my-finger-slipped-there-whatever’ sloppiness”: Marnie Stern is back to make math rock scrappy again

By Matt Parker published

After a 10-year stint playing in front of millions as the house guitarist on Late Night with Seth Meyers, the queen of two-hand tapping has returned – and not before time

Gibson Les Paul Deluxe

Beloved by Pete Townshend and Thin Lizzy’s Scott Gorham, the Gibson Les Paul Deluxe was the top-selling LP model of the early ’70s – but its success didn’t last

By Rod Brakes published

Inspired by Epiphone, the Deluxe introduced mini-humbuckers to the Les Paul format

John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers performs on stage at Palau Sant Jordi on May 30, 2006 in Barcelona, Spain.

“We pulled a few guitars out – I loved the ’61 Strat immediately. John said, ‘I want you to take that guitar with you – it’s yours”: John Frusciante gave away a prized vintage Fender Stratocaster to a fan who became one of his favorite modern guitarists

By Michael Astley-Brown published

This 1961 Olympic White Strat has the rare honor of being played by both Frusciante and Josh Klinghoffer during the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Stadium Arcadium tour – but Frusciante eventually handed it over to a fan who would go on to become one of his favorite contemporary guitar players

EarthQuaker Devices Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder

EarthQuaker Devices’ new Zoar Dynamic Audio Grinder is the brand’s “most tweakable distortion device ever” and promises “dozens of mind-blowing sounds”

By Matt Owen published

Don't be fooled by its streamlined control layout. According to EQD, it's enough to harness everything from “jangly on-the-verge of break up to blowing-the-walls-out heavy saturation”

Two Notes Opus

“A backline in your gigbag and a macrocosm of next-level tonal excellence”: Could the Two Notes Opus be the only guitar amp your pedalboard needs?

By Matt Owen published

The feature-packed unit takes the Torpedo CAB design to new heights, with an expanded preamp and power amp simulation section and greater connectivity options

Two PRS guitars side by side on a yellow background

Sweetwater’s massive early Black Friday sale just launched with up to 70% off guitar gear – these are our top picks

By Chris Corfield published

With big reductions on PRS SE electrics, 25% off selected Mesa/Boogie amps and rare reductions on this year’s UAFX pedals, why wait until Black Friday itself?