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August 2020

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157 articles

August 31
- Vick Audio reissues classic one-knob Lucky No. 13 fuzz
- Synergy unveils high-gain Fryette Pittbull Ultra-Lead module
- Mateus Asato rips it up with Brazilian metal band Oficina G3 in livestream concert
- Orianthi unveils shred-heavy new single, Sinners Hymn, details new album, O
- James Hetfield says he has “tons of material” written for new Metallica album
August 28
- From high-energy party metal to furious, face-melting shred: here are this week's essential guitar tracks
- Billie Joe Armstrong’s modded 21st Century Breakdown Fender Strat is up for sale
- Conjure ‘90s-era Blues Breaker drive tones with Fredric Effects’ Blue Monarch
- Fender seeks to provide greater pick control with the new Mojo Grip
- Brad Paisley seeks to settle the Telecaster vs Esquire debate with new Seymour Duncan Secret Agent pickup
- Smashing Pumpkins premiere two new songs, Cyr and The Colour of Love
- Sick Riffs: Mason and Spencer Hoffman teach you both electric and acoustic parts of Honyock's dreamy Sanity of Man
- This compact Quad Remote Looper could massively expand your Line 6 HX Effects’ potential
- Tosin Abasi confirmed as Bill & Ted 3’s official “air shredder”
August 27
- Luna Guitars conjures “golden vibes” with the Tribal Tobacco Sunburst acoustic-electric bass
- Alex Turner's Fender Stratocaster fetches £128,544 in charity raffle for music venues
- Behold the Lego Les Paul, a stunning full-sized recreation of a classic ‘burst
- Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, aka Bill & Ted, are actually both bassists
- Kemper introduces an Acoustic Simulator and raft of other effects in new Profiler update
- Revv launches limited-edition G2 Gold overdrive pedal
- Bobby Keller delivers an indomitable performance of Reign in Fire in this exclusive playthrough
- Sick Riffs: Jeremy Hollen teaches you the smart intervallic fingerpicking of Do Ra’s Waves
- John Wallace Custom Guitars announces customizable Aventine Standard
August 26
- Watch Sarah Longfield craft a beautifully ethereal ambient piece with a Martin GPC-X2E and a modular synth
- RockBoard launches low-profile ISO Power Block V16 pedalboard power supply
- Ritchie Blackmore and William Shatner team up to cover B.B. King’s The Thrill is Gone
- Kerry King has “more than two records’ worth of music” for new project
- Gibson previews first Murphy Lab models with sneak peek at new artificially aged Les Pauls
- Wolfgang Van Halen nails Eruption on bass to silence online troll
- Power Trip frontman Riley Gale dies aged 34
August 25
- Catalinbread crams a Rangemaster-like circuit, and more, into limited-edition Naga Viper treble boost
- Death By Audio is selling signed and artist-owned gear, prototype pedals and more to to benefit GetUsPPE
- Mestis, aka Javier Reyes, demonstrates the 8-string’s supreme versatility with this exclusive playthrough of Media Noche
- Could this simple guitar strap solution fix “neck dive” once and for all?
- James Hetfield, Dave Mustaine, Kerry King and more to feature in new Flying V documentary
- Jack White is selling rare guitars, amps, pedals and more in a massive Third Man Records auction
- Sick Riffs: Tyler Bryant and Graham Whitford teach you the red-hot pentatonic runs of Crazy Days
- Fender reveals Tim Armstrong Anniversary Hellcat signature acoustic
- The PRS “Snarling Tiger” might be the wildest Private Stock creation yet
August 24
- Get a comprehensive tour of Singular Sound's impressively-spec'd Aeros Loop Studio pedal
- The TruTone is a “second back” for your acoustic, designed to increase its resonance
- Recording King announces the G6 Cutaway Single 0 - a small-bodied, regular-scale acoustic-electric
- Walter Lure, guitarist with Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, dies aged 71
- Sick Riffs: Lance the King of Black Metal teaches you Witch Taint's Death to Death Metal in this hilarious lesson
- Justin Townes Earle, Americana star and son of Steve Earle, dies aged 38
- Frank Iero: "You learn more playing with other people than lightyears of playing in your bedroom"
- Turns out Tom Morello used a Les Paul on Rage Against the Machine’s debut album
August 22
- Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Jack Sherman dies aged 64
August 21
- From eagerly awaited metalgaze to searing blues-rock: here are this week’s essential guitar tracks
- PRS unveils minimalist Floating Guitar Stand
- Paul Gilbert sheds light on why he uses “really thin” picks and recalls test driving Eddie Van Halen’s guitar
- Stephen Carpenter debuts ESP 9-string in video for new Deftones single Ohms
- Nikki Sixx drafts Slash, Corey Taylor, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott and more for new SIXX:A.M. track, Maybe It’s Time
- Sick Riffs: Brent Lindblad teaches you the arpeggiated clean lines of City of the Weak's Suffer Like Me
- Post Malone plays Eric Johnson's Cliffs of Dover in guitar battle with Andrew Watt
- Brian Setzer is selling off a raft of guitar gear – including rare Gretsch models – on Reverb
August 20
- Steve Lukather teams up with Ringo Starr for new ‘60s-inspired track, Run To Me
- Dean introduces player-spec'd Edge Select Burled Poplar Satin Natural basses
- Sick Riffs: Christian Lopez teaches you the cheerful Americana chord progressions of Sick of Me
- Meet the Vintage Raven, an Edgar Allen Poe-inspired acoustic-electric
- Rory Gallagher and Jerry Lee Lewis jam the Rolling Stones’ Satisfaction in previously unreleased recording
- You can now get the Jensen N12K from Fender’s Tone Master amps as a standalone speaker
- Watch an 18-year-old Dimebag Darrell shred a jaw-dropping 7-minute guitar solo in 1984
- Paul McCartney reveals his teenage guitar amp in studio tour
August 19
- Watch Animals as Leaders shred through a blazing seven-song set at livestream event
- Periphery’s Mark Holcomb is auctioning one of his PRS SE signature models for charity
- Sick Riffs: Bonniesongs teaches you the vibrant open-tuned guitar lines of Ice Cream
- Phil X delivers near-perfect version of Van Halen’s Unchained and dives deep into how to achieve Eddie’s “violent” sound
- Watch this insane display of slap-bass thrash metal by The Erkonauts' Ales Campanelli
- The Virtual Guitar Show, a massive online gear-fest, is coming this September
- Former Supersuckers guitarist Ron “Rontrose” Heathman has died
- PRS launches Faded Blue Burst version of its highly limited 35th Anniversary SE Custom 24
- Bluesfest 2021 cops an all-Aussie second announcement
August 18
- Ernie Ball announces feature-rich John Myung Bongo 6 bass
- The Circle Guitar is a self-playing electric that can pick at unbelievable speeds
- Iron Maiden’s Adrian Smith offers update on rumored collaboration with Richie Kotzen
- Pete Thorn heads back to the future with the retro-looking but fully modern Tascam Model 12 all-in-one integrated mixer
- Joe Satriani shares advice for finding your voice on the guitar: "Always record yourself"
- Sick Riffs: Zachary Ilya Ezrin teaches you the dissonant doom of Imperial Triumphant's Transmission to Mercury
- Nuno Bettencourt, Nancy Wilson and Taylor Hawkins “blow the roof off their homes” with virtual cover of Heart’s Barracuda
- Red Method's Quinton Lucion serves up a plethora of tectonic riffs in this exclusive playthrough
- Duane Allman’s last show unearthed and set for release as The Final Note
- Warwick launches affordable, super-compact Gnome bass amp heads
August 17
- Is this the first taste of Mateus Asato’s solo album?
- A rare copy of Ed Sheeran’s first-ever demo, which “sounds like Eric Clapton at moments”, is headed for auction
- Sick Riffs: Imogen Clark teaches you the rich, capo'd acoustic lines of Found Me
- Nikki Sixx is the most underrated bass player ever... according to Nikki Sixx
- Watch Slash, Gilby Clarke and Matt Sorum “Come Together” with Lzzy Hale to cover the Beatles classic
- Nickelback reveal ridiculously shreddy, borderline power-metal take on Charlie Daniels’ The Devil Went Down to Georgia
- Richie Castellano shows you how to use a DI to record killer-sounding guitar tracks
August 15
- Founding UFO bassist Pete Way dies aged 69
August 14
- From kill-switching dance bangers to triumphantly returning thrashers: here are this week's essential guitar tracks
- Paul Gilbert reveals the “really dangerous” trend he sees among YouTube guitarists
- Is Fender about to revamp its American Professional Series?
- Darkglass Electronics unveils limited-edition The Squid drive pedal with custom artwork
- Weezer unveil new song The Beginning of the End, featuring a shreddy, tap-tastic solo from Rivers Cuomo
- Classical fingerstyle guitar master Julian Bream dies aged 87
- Sick Riffs: Dayglow teaches you Hot Rod's infectious lead lines
August 13
- Harley Benton unveils its first-ever multi-FX pedal, with tons of amp models, built-in IRs and $140 price tag
- Cort announces metal-targeted KX500 Etched with multi-layered 3D finish
- Sick Riffs: Reyka Osburn teaches you the low-string-heaviness of Death Valley High's Black Friday
- Roopam Garg’s hypnotic sweeping harmonics are like no guitar technique you’ve heard before
- Slash, Lizzy Hale, Billy Gibbons, Cheap Trick and more to perform at day-long (DE)TOUR Virtual Music Festival
- Meet the Slite, the modular guitar that fits inside a laptop case
- Blackstar expands its bass amp arsenal with the ultra-lightweight Unity Elite Bass Series
- Squier debuts Mini Precision Bass
August 12
- Steve Lukather fires back at neighbors’ leaf-blowers with insanely loud 7am guitar solo
- Witness Jon Gomm's mind-bending, tuning peg-twisting acoustic technique in new single Cocoon
- This mind-boggling acoustic has an onboard Raspberry Pi computer, effects and speakers
- Sick Riffs: Nick Perri teaches you the fuzz-heavy leads of The Underground Thieves' gnarly rocker, Feeling Good
- Harley Benton introduces sub-$300 SC-Custom II single-cut
- Ernie Ball updates Steve Lukather signature line with hot new custom pickups and finishes
- Signed guitars from Tony Iommi and Robert Plant, Billy Gibbons, Carlos Santana and more highlight MusiCares Charity Relief Auction
- Trini Lopez dies aged 83 from coronavirus
August 11
- Fantastic Negrito teams up with Orange for 3-track livestream
- Fender unveils affordable new California Traditional acoustic range
- Sick Riffs: Finlay Urquhart tears through the pop-punk-flavored lead lines of Cold Years' Too Far Gone
- Orianthi offers sneak peek at her Gibson signature acoustic
- Fender recreates Brent Mason's heavily modified triple-pickup Tele as the Stories Collection Brent Mason Telecaster
- Black Crown Initiate deliver an ethereally brutal playthrough of Death Comes in Reverse
August 10
- Not feeling your guitar's pickups? The Relish Trinity lets you swap them out in a matter of seconds
- Winter NAMM 2021 cancelled due to COVID-19
- Tom Morello announces deluxe photo book, Whatever It Takes
- Jimi Hendrix’s early ‘60s Japanese sunburst electric sells for $216,000
- Watch St. Vincent rock a backstage acoustic cover of Tool’s Forty Six & 2
- Fender harks back to its roots with the 70th Anniversary Esquire
- Jason Momoa receives Fender Custom Shop P-Bass for his birthday, immediately slaps RHCP’s Higher Ground
- Ultra-rare Fender/Yater Hawaii “teardrop” Jazzmaster and “pintail” Strat and Tele prototypes go under the hammer
- Sick Riffs: Marshall Gallagher teaches you the shoegazey whammy dives of Teenage Wrist's Mary
August 7
- The Who and YouTube launch Join Together @ Home, featuring free archival live performances
- From heavy metal earworms to cathartic, shout-along pop-punk: here are this week's essential guitar tracks
- Kyser unveils custom signature capo for owner and president Meredith McClung-Attebery
- Head to Jason Isbell’s barn for a tour of his stable of vintage Les Pauls, Strats, Teles and more
- Fender celebrates 60 in style with limited edition 60th Anniversary Jazz Bass
- Remember Gnarls Barkley’s mega-hit Crazy? It's now a slow-burning blues guitar jam, courtesy of Shadow & the Thrill
- Guitar World premiere: Hear John Petrucci reunite with Mike Portnoy on Terminal Velocity
August 6
- Achieve U2-style shimmer with Eventide’s ShimmerVerb plugin
- PRS introduces Europe-only limited run of CE 24 Standard Satin electric
- This terrible version of a David Gilmour solo will teach you how to play a great David Gilmour solo
- Pick up some great slide lick tips, courtesy of Jason Isbell and his vintage Teles and Strats
- Sick Riffs: Sam Cooper teaches you the lush CAGED chord progressions of Mt. Joy's Strangers
August 5
- Elvis Presley’s “Sun Sessions” Martin D-18 sells for record $1.32m at auction
- Brian May joins Nuno Bettencourt, Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen and Tosin Abasi for epic Bohemian Rhapsody jam
- Watch Ryan “Fluff” Bruce, members of Alice in Chains, the Killers and more jam out on Rod Stewart’s synth-pop classic Young Turks
- Gibson teams up with Promise of the Real guitarist Lukas Nelson for signature ’56 Les Paul Junior
- Sick Riffs: Will Cass teaches you the two-handed-tapping wizardry of Cypher16's The New Horizon
August 4
- Give your guitars the comprehensive protection they deserve with ENKI USA cases
- Harley Benton packs all-solid construction and onboard electronics into its sub-$200 CLD-60SCE acoustic guitar
- Nail Knuckle Puck’s saturated pop-punk tones with the band’s new 20/20 Overdrive pedal
- Spotify CEO to musicians: “you can’t record every three to four years and think that’s going to be enough”
- Feast your eyes on the flower-powerful Fender Shawn Mendes Foundation Musicmaster
- Sick Riffs: Alex Pi teaches you the massive down-tempo chorus groove of Puta Volcano's Sugar Cube
August 3
- Prestige Guitars introduces new Devin Townsend Empath acoustic
- Nuno Bettencourt to be joined by Brian May, Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde and more for At Home and Social special
- Lava Music teams with streetwear brand Chemist Creations for a carbon-fiber, fashion-forward acoustic-electric
- Serek’s The Grand bass packs onboard fuzz tone into a short-scale design
- Sick Riffs: Dylan Villain teaches you the gnarly riffwork of The Wild!'s King of This Town