“On the fretted bass we call it the slap stopper!” What is a finger ramp and why should you use one? By Nick Wells published 1 July 23 Bass guru Gary Willis explains the origins of his signature ramp
Best electric guitars under $2,000: high-end guitars for intermediate and pro players By Chris Corfield last updated 22 June 23 Discover superior tone and playability with our round-up of sub-$2k axes – from Teles to seven-strings
Best electric guitars under $1,000: 8 killer options for beginners and pros By James Farmer last updated 14 June 23 From vintage-style classics to modern options, here's our pick of electric guitars that deliver for less than a grand
Best beginner classical guitars: Plus the top Spanish guitar for beginners By Chris Corfield last updated 12 June 23 Our expert round-up of the best classical guitars for beginners, with amazing budget nylon offerings from brands including Yamaha, Cordoba, Takamine and Epiphone
Nita Strauss and Yvette Young once traded signature guitars – but found each others’ designs damn-near unplayable By Matt Parker published 8 June 23 The swap may not have worked out for them but Strauss says it made her feel good about the health of the guitar industry
Ibanez revives the Paul Gilbert PGM for 2023 By Jackson Maxwell published 30 May 23 The full-scale version of the virtuoso's classic signature has returned to the Ibanez lineup, and it's never looked better
Best baritone guitars: pick up the slack with these long scale guitars By Jonathan Horsley last updated 19 April 23 Get low with our expert pick of the best baritone guitars from PRS, Gretsch, Chapman, ESP, and loads more
NAMM 2023: Ibanez announces bumper signature guitar drop, introducing new models for Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Lari Basilio, Paul Stanley, Martin Miller and Ichika Nito By Matt Owen published 13 April 23 Finishing techniques never before used on Ibanez models, revived retro classics, new-look iterations of famed favorites and celebratory models headline the standard and limited-edition collection
Steve Vai’s prototype Hamer JEM – one of many models built before the virtuoso partnered with Ibanez – goes up for auction By Matt Owen published 6 April 23 Before the JEM777 was launched in 1987, Vai was approached by numerous brands to build the model of his dreams. Hamer's own valiant attempt is estimated to sell for $60,000
NAMM 2023: Josh Smith and Seymour Duncan release the Flat V pickup set – an unorthodox blend of Tele-style single coils By Matt Owen published 31 March 23 The pickups – which first arrived in the blues titan's Ibanez signature model – feature a unique combination of Alnico 2, 3 and 4 magnets in order to facilitate dynamic, expressive playing
Best mini pedals for guitarists: our pick of space-saving effects for your pedalboard By Alex Lynham last updated 2 March 23 Honey, I Shrunk The Rig! Get compact with our pick of the best mini guitar pedals
Best 7-string guitars: budget-spanning picks for djent to nu-metal By Jonathan Horsley last updated 8 February 23 Thicken up your low end with the very best 7-string guitars from Ibanez, Jackson, PRS and more
Tim Henson shows off an Ibanez 8-string signature that never went to production – and says more signature electrics will arrive this year By Matt Owen published 2 February 23 Henson gave a tour of his fully stocked signature guitar stand, which will likely have to expand to include a "couple" of new releases later this year
Best boost pedals 2024: including the best clean boost pedals for guitar By Alex Lynham last updated 24 January 23 Vamp up your tone with the best boost pedals for guitarists, as well as the best clean boost pedals for making your electric guitar solos really sing
Ibanez launches its first-ever fretless headless design, a multi-scale ‘crossover’ bass and a 5-string electric upright By Nick Wells published 12 January 23 New additions to the Ibanez bass lineup offer updated specs and a brand-new Artic Ocean finish
Ibanez revamps its AZ range with SSS models and a signature guitar for Luca Mantovanelli, all with innovative pickup blending options By Matt Owen published 5 January 23 The Japanese brand's Strat-style six-strings now come equipped with a trio of Seymour Duncan single coils, having previously been exclusively available in HSS, HSH and HH configurations
Ichika Nito wields Tim Henson’s signature nylon-string once again on new Polyphia-esque track By Matt Owen published 5 January 23 The Ibanez TOD10N received an extended run-out from Ichika, who paired it with his own ICHI10 headless signature model
You can ask artificial intelligence to create Tube Screamer plugins now – and the results are better than you might expect By Matt Owen published 4 January 23 YouTuber Burned Guitarist put the popular ChatGPT platform through a rigorous coding exercise in an effort to push the boundaries of its guitar-related applications
Ibanez launches the FRH10N – a cheaper, standard-run version of Tim Henson’s nylon-string signature guitar By Matt Owen published 4 January 23 The streamlined $499 six-string arrives after the Polyphia virtuoso revealed he had to convince Ibanez to create his original TOD10N
Ibanez expands its stompbox catalog with impressively spec'd, slider-equipped Pentatone Preamp pedal By Matt Owen published 3 January 23 Promising everything from “simple tone shaping to crunchy overdrive," the generously appointed pedal offers five sound sculpting sections, including a five-band EQ, an onboard noise gate, and Pre and Post Boost controls