Joe Bonamassa, Eric Gales and 2021's best new gear, albums, solos and riffs – only in the new Guitar World

(Image credit: Jeff Fasano)

Ready to dive into 2022? Not so fast! Guitar World has put together the ultimate guitar-centric guide to 2021. And it goes a little something like this:

* Seventy top-notch guitarists – hard-working men and women with their ears to the ground – weigh in on 2021’s greatest guitar-forward albums, songs, solos, riffs, new gear, new bands and more. The star-studded cast includes Joe Bonamassa, Eric Gales, John Petrucci, Tom Morello, Nita Strauss, Jeff Loomis, Marty Friedman, the Gojira gang, Jake Kiszka from Greta Van Fleet, the Struts, Periphery, Dirty Honey, Alex Skolnick and scores more!

* From Lego Strats to Robert Fripp’s YouTube antics to Boss MT-2 Metal Zone conspiracy theories, we bring you the biggest “guitar news” stories of 2021.

* We present our picks for the best new gear to be introduced or announced in 2021.

In Tune-Ups, we catch up with Metallica’s Kirk Hammett (Did you know his famous 1959 Gibson Les Paul, “Greeny,” has a sibling? Neither did he – until now), plus Jimmie Vaughan, Cousin Harley, the Bots, Joanne Shaw Taylor and more.

This month’s gear reviews include Positive Grid’s Experience Jimi Hendrix for Spark, PRS Guitars’ HDRX 50 head and cabinet, Fender’s Duel Pugilist Distortion and Dual Marine Layer Reverb pedals and more. This month’s song transcriptions are Way Cool Jr. by Ratt, plus Gary Clark Jr.’s Don’t Owe You a Thang and Bob Seger’s Rock and Roll Never Forgets.

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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.

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