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Veteran bluesman Larry McCray recalls the night Stevie Ray Vaughan died
The famed Strat wielder passed away at the age of 35 in a helicopter crash outside East Troy, Wisconsin
Wolfgang Van Halen on Allan Holdsworth, unintentional Van Halen-isms, and his go-to guitar-test riffs
As the son of one of the world’s most influential rock guitar players, it’s understandably taken Wolfgang Van Halen some time to feel comfortable in his own skin. Mammoth’s third full-length, The End, is undoubtedly the sound of his confidence growing stronger and stronger
The making of the American Professional Classic series – the brand-new “lived-in” (but not relic’d) US Fender line
More aged nitro finishes and a new US-made line-up that pares back the modernisms. Are our tastes changing? Max Gutnik, chief product officer at FMIC, tells all
How a $10k acoustic build put the loud into Lowden – with exotic tonewoods and faultless construction
Meet the high-end cutaway acoustic of your dreams that looks a million dollars and costs more than $10,000 – another occasion when Irish luthier George Lowden has raised the bar
Gary Moore’s 1963 Telecaster is modded and thrashed to death – and it’s got a tone pot that behaves like a wah
Before it was auctioned for just under $69,000, we take a closer look at one of the lesser-spotted electrics in Moore’s collection, with Bonham’s Steve Clarke sharing its story
The challenge of amplifying our acoustics has been one of guitar’s great challenges over the decades – are we nearly there yet?
We’ve come a long way from the “plastic piezo ping” – acoustic players today have more options on how to present their sound onstage just as nature intended
The story behind Oasis’ new signature guitars
The Gibson Les Paul, Epiphone Riviera and Epiphone Sheraton have a deep history with the Manchester rock powerhouse, and this year’s new signature models take us all the way back to the beginning
![[LEFT] 1966 EMS-1235 with full-scale four-string tenor neck and eight-string mandolin neck. Right: 1961 EMS-1235 with a regular six-string neck and an octave six-string neck.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FDaNJGFxekS6EH9te5oeuf-840-80.jpg.webp)
“Some might be thankful they only made one because Gibson didn’t waste any more wood”: Meet the obscure ’60s Gibsons that prove double-necks were a thing before Stairway to Heaven
Meet the ‘60s Gibson EMS-1235s that prove that doublenecks were a thing before Stairway to Heaven
You know Greeny, now it’s time to meet Stripe – Gary Moore’s other go-to ’59 Les Paul, and a guitar of incalculable vibe
With some of the most phenomenal buckle rash you will ever see, Stripe is a holy grail to end all holy grails. As it is being sold privately via Bonham's, we get evaluator Steve Clarke to spill Stripe's secrets
How Marillion’s Steve Rothery forged a new musical alliance – and got addicted to buying pedals in the process
Rothery and Tangerine Dream’s Thorsten Quaeschning might have sounded like "a firm of accountants" to Rothery's mind but as Bioscope, the two prog icons are creating something new, a mesmerizing trip into the unknown
6 Gibson USA Les Pauls we love that won’t break the bank
The Gibson USA line has plenty of affordable options. We take a look at a half-dozen single-cuts that punch above their price tags
Roger McGuinn on the Ovation 12-string that fell apart and the infamous Rickenbacker theft of ‘65
The Byrds’ 12-string-toting folk hero talks Rickys, Roland JC-120s, JangleBoxes and more
Celebrating 30 years of the Blues Junior – the Fender combo that came, saw and conquered the tube amp market
Compact, affordable and full of Fender DNA, the Blues Junior celebrates three decades as one of the company’s most iconic and celebrated tube amp designs. This is its story
Wolfgang Van Halen names the 2 classic rock tracks he plays to test any electric guitar
Forget the forbidden riffs and the flashy taps. Wolfgang finds it's better to keep things simple...
The art of relic’ing a Fender guitar – and why it’s harder than you think
Fender’s Chief Product Officer explains the science behind a relic job, and why for many players it’s the best chance they’ll get to own a lived-in guitar
Stephen Dale Petit on break-ups, cancer, Eric Clapton and why the original “blues hooligan” is no gun-for-hire
Grave illness and a broken heart have tested Stephen Dale Petit – but the bluesman tells us that completing his Clapton-bolstered masterpiece, Be The Love, is all that matters
Anglo-French blues-rocker Laura Cox on Les Pauls vs SGs, and getting huge tone from a Junior guitar
On Trouble Coming, Cox cuts loose, recording with the No Money Kids and showcasing her formidable slide chops
Wolfgang Van Halen on his early gigs with Van Halen – and keeping Eddie in line
Wolfgang also wanted to unearth some B-sides to help honor the genius of his predecessor once he stepped into the role
