Origin Effects DCX Boost review – a pedal that simply improves your tone just by being active By Trevor Curwen published 18 August 23 This classy tone-shaping boost and drive from Origin Effects is based on a vintage valve-powered preamp
“I hate admitting this but I started bawling like a baby”: Kirk Hammett says his iconic ‘Greeny’ Les Paul recently had another gut-wrenching injury By Matt Owen published 18 August 23 Another footnote has just been added to the iconic Les Paul's long medical history – but, as the Metallica maestro explains to Rick Beato, it could have been a whole lot worse
“The fact that Fender is so passionate about making the Hellcat still blows my mind”: Tim Armstrong's signature acoustic has a new Checkerboard look By Jonathan Horsley published 18 August 23 Meet the new-look Tim Armstrong Hellcat – same as the old Tim Armstrong Hellcat, but with an all-new two-tone finish
“An absolute groundbreaker as a player”: His Telecaster mastery was the backbone of records by Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, and countless others – watch James Burton demonstrate his incredible chicken pickin’ technique By Jackson Maxwell published 18 August 23 Beloved by Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, Brian May, and innumerable other rock guitar giants, Burton's skill and list of stage and studio credits are mind-boggling
Harley Benton refreshes the CST-24 and CST-24T in all-new finishes to make those figured tops really pop – what else could you want for $238? By Jonathan Horsley published 17 August 23 Seriously, stainless steel frets, dual humbuckers with coil-splits, glued-in necks, tremolo or hard-tail, left and right-handed options... Lots of bang, not a lot of buck
8 ways to keep your kids interested in playing guitar By Richard Blenkinsop published 17 August 23 Keep outside distractions away with eight entertaining and supportive ways to help your child stick with the guitar
“We’re going to explore how I shape my signature tone and dig into some of my favorite technical and creative approaches”: Eric Johnson launches TrueFire online masterclass – featuring in-the-works material By Jonathan Horsley published 17 August 23 Play like Eric Johnson? We can dream. Or we can subscribe to his interactive video masterclass and In The Jam play-along sessions – which feature "tunes you might hear on an upcoming record" from the guitarist – on TrueFire
Positive Grid continues its signature Spark Mini spree with a Paul Gilbert amp – and it's joined by custom presets of his “most iconic tones” By Matt Owen published 17 August 23 Only 100 units will be made, and each will bear the virtuoso's signature and the dragon emblem from his Ronnie James Dio tribute album
“Every meeting we have, we talk about the Model T”: Sunn confirms a reissue of its most iconic amp is in the works – and it might be more affordable than you think By Jonathan Horsley published 17 August 23 The return of Sunn Amplification was greeted with great joy and a little confusion as players asked where the legendary Model T was. Turns out, it's coming...
For 30 years, this Japanese guitarist has dedicated his life to becoming Jimmy Page – watch the first trailer for Mr. Jimmy, a documentary about his incredible story By Matt Owen published 17 August 23 See the remarkable tale of Akio Sakurai, who recreated Led Zeppelin concerts note-for-note in small Tokyo clubs, until a meeting with Page changed his life forever
Get Billie Joe Armstrong’s explosive Green Day tone in a compact pedal as MXR brings the Dookie Drive back – again – for a limited time only By Jonathan Horsley published 17 August 23 New enclosure art, same great amp-stack crunch – the limited run sees the return of the punchy drive that was first launched in 2019 to celebrate 25 years of the band's landmark Dookie album
“For 40 years, guitar manufacturers have been trying to get me to flaunt their product”: Lars Ulrich turns his hand to guitar demos for the first time – while Kirk Hammett shreds on a Strat By Jonathan Horsley published 16 August 23 It’s only taken four decades, but Juanes’ signature Fender Strat is so cool that Lars finally feels comfortable sharing his guitar-playing capabilities as Metallica turn their hand to gear demos
The surprising secret behind Kurt Cobain’s guitar tone on Nirvana’s In Utero has been discovered, 30 years on from its release By Jonathan Horsley published 16 August 23 And it’s not a magic pedal, magic amp or a magic guitar...
Watch Marty Friedman, Kiko Loureiro and Dave Mustaine rehearse for one of the summer’s biggest festival sets in new Megadeth behind-the-scenes footage By Matt Owen published 16 August 23 See the ensemble run through sections of their four-song setlist – complete with an up-close view of Friedman's absurd solo powers
This year’s most versatile shred machine? Vola’s Maycown Reichembach signature model boasts P-90 and fire-breathing humbucker pickups – and a heck of a lot of switching options By Jonathan Horsley published 16 August 23 Vola turns its hand to P-90s for the first time on this well-equipped signature guitar for the Argentinian fusion wizard – and with direct-to-consumer pricing, it’s surprisingly affordable, too
Guild makes a major play for the made-in-USA acoustic market with the “no frills, boutique quality” Standard Series By Jonathan Horsley published 16 August 23 They're classy, made in Cali, and available in Natural, Antique Burst and Pacific Sunset Burst, all finished with a lick of Vintage Gloss nitro, and the series marks the return of the D-50
“It's not a replica or a clone. It’s the actual thing”: JHS Pedals revives influential gear brand Ross Electronics – and recruits John Mayer, Brian Wampler and Robert Keeley for new documentary By Matt Owen published 16 August 23 A 30-minute film has been released to chart the history and revival of the cult classic company, which is back with five new stompboxes
“Joe Perry had hit a block, so I was called in to play on Train Kept a Rollin’. They said, ‘Don't tell anyone – no-one can know’”: From Alice Cooper to Peter Gabriel and Aerosmith, Steve Hunter has led one of session guitar’s most remarkable careers By Andrew Daly published 16 August 23 The session veteran tells his greatest war stories: how he wrote the epic intro to Lou Reed’s Sweet Jane, what he taught Jason Becker for his stint with David Lee Roth, and why he believes losing his sight made him a better guitar player
Coming soon: The Guitar Showcase 2023 By Guitar World published 16 August 23 Celebrate the best guitars, amps, effects and accessories the guitar world has to offer from September 25
“I never thought I could actually play a solo on this thing”: YouTuber creates a ‘neckless’ guitar – and even manages to record a song with it By Jackson Maxwell published 15 August 23 Djenty-crunch, "extreme vibrato," whammy-like bends... Bernth Brodträger gets a surprising amount of range from his crazy Ibanez in this original composition
