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August 2023

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120 articles

August 31
- Pantera-inspired groove-metal throwdowns and the return of one of the 21st century’s foremost tapping talents: this week’s essential guitar tracks
- IK Multimedia iRig HD X’s new control layout looks very familiar… So how will it stack up next to the other one-knob wonders of the guitar interface market?
- “This is the one that got him hooked”: Slash’s first Guns N’ Roses Les Paul – the ‘Hunter Burst’ – is going to auction
August 30
- "Finally!" Jackson cements its relationship with Sepultura guitarist Andreas Kisser with a single-pickup, skull-emblazoned Soloist
- Bernie Marsden guitar auction delayed following guitar hero’s death
- “Perhaps I could have been more open about it to the people watching our YouTube videos”: Lee Anderton responds to questions over Victory Amps ownership
- Josh Homme’s “core tone with the minimum of fuss”: this UK-made pedal sounds like Queens of the Stone Age and looks like it, too – thanks to exclusive Boneface artwork
- Epiphone and Adam Jones’ Art Collection of signature Les Pauls is coming to a close – feast your eyes on the ‘Sensation’ model
- “It’s all about your vibrato and phrasing”: Sophie Lloyd's shred version of Stairway To Heaven adds some fiery fretwork to the Led Zeppelin classic
August 29
- “Make a bold statement”: Gibson gives the Les Paul Standard a 2023 makeover with vibrant finishes that are anything but sunburst
- “Spot on… it’s amazing to think that players will be able to honor my dad by playing on a replica that’s so identical”: Fender recreates Waylon Jennings’ leather-clad 1954 Telecaster with $25,000 Custom Shop guitar
- She started out posting scary-accurate Pantera covers that saw her hailed as the guitar reincarnation of Dimebag Darrell – then Kayla Kent found herself in the running to be the band’s new guitarist
- “Sick”: In 1985, Kurt Cobain carved one word into this Teisco Del-Ray guitar. Now it has sold at auction for $153,000
- “Guitars were no longer the priority”: Fender had $100 million worth of retail sales canceled in 2022
- Fender harks back to the ‘60s and ‘70s with overhauled and upgraded California Series acoustics – complete with period-accurate specs and aesthetics
August 28
- “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
August 25
- Bernie Marsden, former Whitesnake guitarist and giant of blues-rock guitar, has died
- Martin and John Mayer celebrate 20 years of signature models by, quite literally, putting the silver in silverburst
- The ravaged rock wasteland between Endless Boogie and Mötorhead, and a comeback for one of the most influential riffsmiths of his generation: This week's essential guitar tracks
- Guitar Center honors Eric Clapton with 25th Anniversary Crossroads Collection – a selection of guitars inspired by the most iconic instruments throughout his career
- “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
- Inside the new issue of Total Guitar: 99 Ways To Better Tone!
August 24
- “Magic is when you command the elements to capture people’s hearts”: the first trailer for new Santana documentary Carlos has arrived
- “It was like watching Old Man Halen”: John Wines returns to America’s Got Talent – and his new routine is even more electrifying
- Fender drops its massive Labor Day sale super early, offering up to 30% off guitars, accessories, and more
- 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
- Kramer’s Eruption humbucker aims to bottle Eddie Van Halen’s iconic ’80s guitar tone with the help of his former luthier Jim DeCola
- The Reverend Crosscut is an eye-catching and versatile six-string that “plays like a dream”
- Forget humbuckers – there's a triple-coil pickup in Schecter's new Sunset Triad guitar
- “I get the guitar solo and I immediately have to give it away to Robbie!”: Eric Clapton reveals the reason he’s not particularly proud of his Last Waltz performance
August 23
- “It’s the greatest wah, for me, that’s ever been made”: Kirk Hammett owns 200 wah pedals, but this is his studio go-to – and it’s not his signature Cry Baby
- “A guitar that's as unique as the journey it represents”: Epiphone tips its hat to tutor extraordinaire Marty Schwartz with deceptively versatile ES-335 signature guitar
- “Designed to be something special”: Gibson just made Rick Beato’s signature Les Paul Special Double Cut even more desirable
- “They didn’t know they were making the greatest guitars in the history of the world”: This super-rare Martin OM-45 Deluxe from 1930 is insured for $1,000,000
- “In soviet Russia, guitar shreds you”: Meet the Torture Eclipse – a W.A.S.P.-inspired electric guitar that incorporates a rotating circular saw blade
August 22
- Holy grail Greeny tone from any Les Paul? Gibson just made its Greenybucker pickups available as a standalone set for the first time
- “The latest discovery is unbelievable”: Gibson recovers entire lost archive of pre-’70s guitar amp and effects pedal blueprints – after finding them on eBay
- This year’s most unexpected guitar solo? Lil Wayne wields an Eddie Van Halen Frankenstein for a crossover collaboration you probably never expected to see
- “Ladies and gentlemen: Edward... Van... Halen!” EVH’s full nine-minute guitar solo at Van Halen’s legendary 1984 Monsters Of Rock show surfaces online for the first time ever
August 21
- Gibson’s Mat Koehler says he rates this guitar among the most “beautiful designs ever to come out of Kalamazoo” – and it’s an Epiphone
- Dean Zelinsky has issued another Dimebag Guitarz tease – and it looks like the Stealth is returning
- Jackson has reprised a cult electric guitar associated with Jeff Beck for a super-limited Custom Shop run
- “Like playing molten lava”: Is Way Huge’s new Stone Burner Sub Atomic Fuzz its heaviest octave fuzz pedal yet?
August 18
- Gossamer tremolo picking and the stuff of Phrygian nightmares: This week's essential guitar tracks
- “I was playing a Van Halen solo in my mind”: Post Malone trips up during Tiny Desk performance – because he was busy thinking about Eddie Van Halen’s playing
- “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
- “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
August 17
- 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?
- “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
- 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”
- “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
- 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
- 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
- Tom Morello breaks out the Takamine and joins the Hollywood picket line as he plays Woody Guthrie for striking union members
August 16
- The Cure’s Simon Gallup has been gigging with 2 gnarly new-look bass guitars – and now Schecter has released them as his latest signature models
- “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
- The surprising secret behind Kurt Cobain’s guitar tone on Nirvana’s In Utero has been discovered, 30 years on from its release
- 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
- 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
- Guild makes a major play for the made-in-USA acoustic market with the “no frills, boutique quality” Standard Series
- “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
- Coming soon: The Guitar Showcase 2023
August 15
- “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
- “All the tone of the classic P-90 pickup without the hum”: Is Seymour Duncan’s new Silencer range the perfect modern P-90 platform?
- “A traditional bass player might find it a bit bizarre”: Fender and Royal Blood’s Mike Kerr team up for a signature Jaguar Bass – is this the secret sauce to his heralded tone?
- “For me, a power chord is laziness”: Rolling Stones, U2 and XTC producer Steve Lillywhite explains why certain uses of power chords are “not art”
August 14
- “I have to give credit where it’s due”: How fashion brand Supreme inspired John 5's Fender Ghost Telecaster
- “Dave Friedman has done it again”: Friedman unveils new Jake E. Lee signature amp head – and it combines 2 specific eras of classic rock tones
- The best-value electric guitar of 2023? Shergold unveils the surprisingly affordable Telstar – and it’s a serious looker
- Derek Trucks has been tackling Beck’s Bolero in his own spectacular fashion – watch him nail Jeff Beck’s influential guitar tour de force
August 11
- Palm-muted gut-punches and Strandberg shred that sounds like Plini meets Mario Kart: This week’s essential guitar tracks
- “An incredible piece of history”: Peter Green’s 1962 Silvertone Speed Demon has just been listed on Reverb
- “What you’re about to see may shock you”: Jason Isbell shows off some of his most prized vintage guitars on Gibson TV’s The Collection
- “It’s like you’re looking at Mozart and you’re like, ‘I’m gonna improvise over this part.’ No. That’s how those songs should be performed”: John 5 shares his approach to learning Mötley Crüe’s back catalog
- “Ozzy Osbourne gets in my face and we're doing this dance. Sometimes Kirk and I do it during For Whom the Bell Tolls”: Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo explains the origin of his iconic crab walk
- Boss DS-1 vs Boss DS-2: What’s the difference?
- Inside the new issue of Total Guitar: The 50 Greatest Acoustic Guitar Songs Of All Time
August 10
- Think kill switches don’t belong on bass? Steve Tréguier’s new metal machine from Vola Guitars is here to prove you wrong
- “His effect on the art form was profound and lasting”: Robbie Robertson, 1943-2023 – the guitar world pays tribute
- Affordable Dual Rectifier, JCM800 and 5150 tones for your pedalboard? TC Electronic makes a play for the high-gain sector with 3 new Ampworx pedals
August 9
- Robbie Robertson, guitarist for Bob Dylan, the Band, dies at 80
- Sixto Rodriguez, singer-songwriter of Searching for Sugar Man fame, dies at 81
- “My dad didn’t believe in distortion”: Bill Kelliher took us through his unlikely guitar tone journey – while he cooked us lunch
- “I sold everything I had to buy my first Fender – today, we have a Juanes Stratocaster”: Fender’s Juanes signature Strat boasts an all-new Luna White finish – and one key circuit upgrade
- Unlock a world of tremolo tones with the revolutionary VegaTrem VT2ND Teletrem – a whammy bar that easily equips to any Fender Telecaster
- Nikki Sixx, John 5 and the ongoing Mötley Crüe brouhaha – only in the new Guitar World
- “I don’t want someone coming away from my show thinking, ‘He doesn’t sound any good’”: Buddy Guy opens up on his retirement from the road
- “We never saw it coming that Mick wasn’t going to be able to tour and was going to have to quit the band”: Nikki Sixx offers his own take on the Mötley Crüe drama
- Electro-Harmonix just launched a serious competitor in the mini compressor pedal stakes
August 8
- “A dream come true”: Gibson reimagines the Hummingbird as the Bluebird for country star Miranda Lambert
- “A groundbreaking store for all things Gibson”: Gibson to open new flagship Garage outside the US for the first time
- Disneyland-salvaged wood and guitars that literally smell as good as they look: Fender goes big on sustainability for unique California Streetwoods collection
- The Halcyon Gold Overdrive just became the most exciting Klon-inspired pedal on the market – because it’s so much more than just a clone
August 7
- Taylor’s 417e is a “modern-classic” acoustic with a “robust and powerful voice”
- “A great testament to the passion, brilliance, talent and ingenuity of the Master Builders”: Fender’s latest Custom Shop Prestige Collection features some of the wildest guitars you’ll see in 2023
- Marty Friedman revisits his thrash heyday once again for ferocious four-song guest spot with Megadeth
- “I'm gonna do this intro all over for you”: Kirk Hammett fluffs the intro to Nothing Else Matters at first show of Metallica's US tour
- John Petrucci and Zakk Wylde just shared the stage for the first time ever – and they shredded Black Label Society
- “That’s just a wacky, fun solo”: Wolfgang Van Halen reveals his favorite Eddie Van Halen guitar solo – and it’s not one you’d expect
August 4
- Sterling by Music Man’s Valentine Chambered guitar is a modern classic “dripping with tone and deep resonance"
- “The boys are back in town, baby”: Watch Polyphia pay tribute to Thin Lizzy – and their home state – during sublime pro-shot Texas performance
- Johnny Cash’s 1930s Martin makes a comeback – and so does Napster-era crunch: This week's essential guitar tracks
- “The band is stuck in the United States indefinitely”: Mdou Moctar are stranded in the US following a coup in Niger – and need your help raising funds
- Peavey denies using prison labor to build guitar amps following resurfaced George Lynch allegations
- Wolfgang Van Halen says covering Van Halen made him so nervous he had to change string gauges
August 3
- “The agony of choice is over”: Kemper blends profiling and modeling as it launches innovative new Liquid Profiling technology
- “Kurt took the guitar and carved the word ‘SICK’ at the bottom of it”: Two years before he started Nirvana, Kurt Cobain inscribed his friend’s Teisco guitar – now it’s headed for auction
- “Everything you’ve ever wanted and needed out of a reverb”? EarthQuaker Devices launches the Ledges Tri-Dimensional Reverberation Machine
- “A revolutionary approach”: Boss’ latest acoustic guitar amp creates convincing, mic’d-up tones – and all you have to do is plug in
August 2
- Wolfgang Van Halen’s new single has a monster tapping solo – featuring his uncle operating his wah pedal
- Leo Fender’s lost guitar design, the G&L Espada, has been reborn with one significant tonal twist
- “The only headless guitar Gibson has ever produced” actually has a headstock – the 1981 Futura Prototype must be the most intriguing design in the firm’s history
- Sunn’s first official drop revives amps used by Adam Jones, Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix
- He’s one of Japan’s most iconic shredders and plays in a band called Loudness – now Akira Takasaki has an outrageous fuzz-loaded Cry Baby worthy of his reputation
- Mick Thomson confirms he is using Fishman Fluence pickups now, and we reckon a signature set won’t be far off – here’s why
- Paul Gilbert thinks freeform guitar solos are “pretty dangerous” – but he’s brought them back for Mr. Big’s farewell tour anyway
August 1
- “The world needs it back”: Sunn Amplifiers – the brand used by Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend and countless doom metal heroes – has been revived with the help of Fender
- Here’s what you voted the greatest acoustic guitar song of all time – and the winner might be controversial
- “For the genius of Boygenius: three individual germanium transistor boost pedals in one single enclosure”: Nardwuar nails the ultimate indie trio gift with this custom pedal
- “It’s one of the most important instruments in rock ‘n’ roll history”: Jim Irsay names his favorite guitar from his billion dollar collection