Latest Updates

What happens when a guitar store goes bust? A former employee at one of the UK's biggest guitar stores tells all
By Janelle Borg published
GAK, based in the UK city of Brighton, opened in 1992 and has recently closed down after weeks of speculation – and employment uncertainty for its staff

Wednesday 13 says the late Alexi Laiho once came close to joining him and Joey Jordison in Murderdolls
By Phil Weller published
The late Children of Bodom virtuoso nearly featured on the group’s second and final album

One of the most iconic session players of all time has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
By Janelle Borg published
Oasis and Phish were notably snubbed from the Class of 2025

“He said, ‘I've never heard it played that good’”: When Roy Clark met his guitar hero
By Jackson Maxwell published
Speaking to Guitar World in 1984, Clark painted a picture of a master musician who nonetheless remained incredibly humble despite his success, and the massive shadow he cast over country (not to mention folk and bluegrass) guitar playing

Frank Stallone on his “magnificent” Epiphone Emperor and its mysterious origins
By Phil Weller published
Frank's brother, Sylvester Stallone, bought the prized instrument for him from Norman’s Rare Guitars, but who owned the guitar for the first 20 years of its life remains undiscovered

Yngwie Malmsteen on why he turned down UFO
By Phil Weller published
The two offers came in the space of 24 hours as the bands looked to forge their next chapters with the Swedish virtuoso by their side

These are the gear releases that have caught my eye this week – and the ones you might have missed
By Matt Owen published
An amp modeler update that players have been waiting months for, a sustainable build from Martin and a premium collaboration between Gibson and Serj Tankian headline this week's action

Pete Townshend admits he’s not a natural collaborator – even with bandmates and fellow guitar heroes
By Janelle Borg published
That said, the Who guitarist did recently collaborate with an up-and-coming singer-songwriter...

Kiko Loureiro on why players shouldn't be too precious about their guitars
By Phil Weller published
The shredder says if a guitar looks pristine, it isn’t being played enough

Nuno Bettencourt recalls Extreme’s rebellious Queen medley at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
By Phil Weller published
All bands were banned from playing Queen songs, but Bettencourt wanted to pay tribute to “one the greatest composers of all time” in his own way

The song Sammy Hagar wrote with Joe Satriani after dreaming about Eddie Van Halen is here
By Phil Weller published
The singer says the song is meant as a “thank you” to the late virtuoso

EVH delivers on its hardtail promise and launches the Wolfgang Standard T.O.M.
By Janelle Borg published
The firm's newest model puts a radical spin on the traditional Wolfgang template

Original Alice Cooper lineup reunites after more than 50 years – and announces brand-new album
By Janelle Borg published
The Revenge of Alice Cooper – the lineup's first record since 1973's Muscle of Love – promises to deliver all the shock rock goods of the band's heyday

Dave Navarro has chosen the guitar he’s using to record his first post-Jane’s Addiction material – and it’s a historic build
By Matt Owen published
Navarro will be taking a milestone six-string from PRS into the studio with Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins

Nashville guitar extraordinaire Mac Gayden – who worked with Elvis, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt and Simon & Garfunkel – dies at 83
By Janelle Borg published
The guitarist, who formed part of an elite group of Nashville session players known as the Nashville cats, is also responsible for co-writing the evergreen pop hit Everlasting Love

Ritchie Blackmore's health sparks concern after update from wife and musical partner Candice Night
By Janelle Borg published
Night reveals that the former Deep Purple guitarist has been warned not to fly due to his medical conditions – hindering potential touring plans beyond the States

The Aristocrats' Bryan Beller recalls the moment he met Guthrie Govan and formed a new kind of supergroup
By Janelle Borg published
As per Aristocrats lore, the power trio formed right after an impromptu jam at NAMM 2011

Neural DSP’s Nano Cortex had one major drawback – but now it’s been addressed with a huge free firmware update
By Matt Owen published
An expanded utilities list with 47 new effects and improved control over the signal chain headline the free update