Deep Purple play Smoke on the Water on the lake that inspired it – with actual fire in the sky By Janelle Borg published 10 July 24 The band return to Montreux, the site of the 1971 casino fire depicted in the lyrics of their iconic track
Elwood Francis replaced Dusty Hill in ZZ Top – but he still feels uncomfortable about it By Matt Owen published 10 July 24 Francis originally served as ZZ Top's longtime guitar tech, but took on a completely new role at the behest of Hill's wishes after the bassist passed away
Slash explains why Eddie Van Halen was really a blues player at heart By Matt Owen published 9 July 24 Van Halen's boundary-pushing rock guitar style was defined by unprecedented fretboard acrobatics – but underneath all that was a humble bluesman, according to the GNR guitarist
Stevie Ray Vaughan stuns David Letterman in newly uploaded footage of his Late Night show debut By Matt Parker published 9 July 24 The recently unearthed clip catches the guitar hero in the form of his life, three years sober and following the recording of his Grammy-winning album, In Step
Queens of the Stone Age cancel tour dates as Josh Homme is rushed to emergency surgery By Matt Owen published 9 July 24 The band had been scheduled to perform a number of headline and festival shows across July
Bruce Kulick was never invited to rejoin Kiss – he reveals why he's OK with that By Matt Owen published 9 July 24 Kulick was around for Kiss' under-appreciated no-makeup era, but when the band's first reunion fell through, he was never invited back
It's a blues extravaganza starring Slash, Kingfish, Samantha Fish, Gary Clark Jr. and Billy Gibbons – only in the new Guitar World By Damian Fanelli published 9 July 24 Also starring Lamb of God & Mastodon, plus Marty Friedman, Bruce Kulick, Towa Bird, Eric Gales' pedalboard, Goo Goo Dolls, our EVH SA-126 review and more
Fender has overhauled its most popular range in response to requests from guitarists – meet the Player II Series By Matt Owen published 9 July 24 The Player range is Fender's best-selling collection of all time. Now, it's been refreshed with previously unreleased finishes from the archives and some highly sought-after updates
Gibson’s ES Supreme adds full-body Burst finishes and flexible switching to the firm’s classic semi-hollow By Matt Parker published 9 July 24 Gibson’s much-loved ES-335 has been given a fancy new outfit
Blackstar’s cream-of-the-crop ID:Core 10 V4 practice amp has just been given a fitting finish update By Phil Weller published 8 July 24 The Double Cream edition of Blackstar's hugely popular combo is ideal for those looking for a fresh aesthetic
Cage the Elephant's Nick Bockrath got his lap steel from Bob Dylan guitarist Bucky Baxter By Janelle Borg published 8 July 24 Bucky Baxter also served as a sounding board for Bockrath when it came to guitar-buying advice
Ricky Medlocke defends Lynyrd Skynyrd’s decision to continue with no original members By Phil Weller published 8 July 24 Medlocke says he and vocalist Johnny Van Zant are continuing with the blessing of the late Gary Rossington – and they’re not just a cover band
Joe Satriani fears Eddie Van Halen will haunt him for what he’s done to his Frankenstein design By Phil Weller published 8 July 24 Satch has shown off the heavily modded EVH Frankenstein he’ll be using to tackle Eddie's guitar parts on the Best Of All Worlds tour later this month
Esteemed bassist Tom Fowler, best known for his work with Frank Zappa, has died aged 73 By Janelle Borg published 8 July 24 In addition to his stint with Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention, Fowler played with Ray Charles, Jean-Luc Ponty, Steve Hackett, George Duke and It's a Beautiful Day
Eddie Van Halen’s long-lost Canada flag Music Man is going up for auction By Phil Weller published 8 July 24 The guitar was custom-painted for a special Canada Day concert in 1993, and its whereabouts for the past three decades remain a mystery
Rory Gallagher’s iconic ’61 Fender Stratocaster is heading to auction for the first time ever By Matt Owen published 8 July 24 As legend has it, Gallagher's Strat was the first to ever reach Irish soil, and it was used by the blues rock ace to cement himself as one of the all-time greats of guitar music
Paul Stanley admits he hasn't picked up the guitar in a while for fear he'll miss Kiss By Janelle Borg published 6 July 24 After five decades in Kiss, and wrapping up the band's final shows, Stanley is trying to get back into the groove of playing guitar
New Best Of All Worlds rehearsal footage reveals Joe Satriani may not be done with his Ibanez after all By Phil Weller published 5 July 24 Sightings of Satch shredding on a modded EVH made fans think his Ibanez guitars would be taking a break on the upcoming tour, but new footage from Sammy Hagar seems to suggest otherwise
Tommy Emmanuel explains how a love of Chet Atkins meant he initially struggled to understand The Rolling Stones and Beatles hype By Janelle Borg published 5 July 24 Emmanuel now “loves” both bands, but back in the day it took him “a long time to appreciate them”
Ibanez’s best-selling Tim Henson nylon-string acoustic finally gets a left-handed version By Phil Weller published 5 July 24 The Polyphia virtuoso’s best-selling signature made its debut in 2022, and has since become a staple of Henson's guitar arsenal