The Smiths
Latest about The Smiths

Johnny Marr on the magic of his 7-string signature Martin – and his fight with capo addiction
By Jamie Dickson published
Since he rose to glory in the mid-’80s with The Smiths, Marr has been the king of crystalline chime. Now, he reveals how his new M-7 Martin – complete with octave G string – puts that shimmer at your fingertips

Johnny Marr on his signature Martin and why the Smiths were a Patti Smith-influenced folk band
By Henry Yates published
Tearing up the blueprint with an octave G string, Johnny Marr’s new seven-string Martin signature model is a distillation of all the British icon’s most rebellious opinions on acoustic

Gibson and Johnny Marr have recreated the 1984 Les Paul that underpinned The Smiths legend’s entire career
By Matt Owen published
Exclusive to the Gibson Garage London to mark the store's first anniversary, only 20 examples will be made, and each will be hand-signed by Marr himself

Nirvana track named the best guitar riff of all time by surprising new study
By Phil Weller published
Many of the big hitters feature, but not where you’d expect them to be – and there are some notable absences, too

The Smiths drummer Mike Joyce launches mural crowd funder for late bassist Andy Rourke
By Phil Weller published
The campaign will finance a mural of the band's late bass player in Manchester, UK, with some of the proceeds also set to go to charity

“Many people think I was doing it all on the Rickenbacker in the ’80s, but a lot of the clean arpeggio stuff was done on a Les Paul”: Johnny Marr on the most prized guitars in his collection – and why they might not be what you expect
By Andrew Daly published
From his bonkers nine-pickup Strat to the Les Paul he gifted to Noel Gallagher, The Smiths great has traced his entire career through the prism of his amazing collection of guitars. Why don’t all our guitar heroes do this?

Andy Rourke: “If I wasn’t eating or in the bath, I had a bass in my hand. I played it constantly”
By Joel McIver published
In this interview from 2016, the late low-end legend reflects on an influential career with The Smiths and beyond, why the Fender P-Bass won his heart, and how he developed his distinct playing style

Andy Rourke, bassist with The Smiths, dies aged 59
By Matt Parker published
Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr has led tributes to the man he says “reinvented what it is to be a bass guitar player”

Johnny Marr: “If there’s a room full of guitar players, I’m the last to leave, man. I’m just as hooked as everybody else, and I have been since I was 5 or 6”
By Joe Bosso last updated
The British guitar legend on his enduring love affair with the instrument, choosing projects and chasing tones, and why there is something noble about the idea of a guitar hero
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!