Latest Updates

Eric Johnson broke new ground with his semi-hollow Strat – but he’d take inspiration from Gibson if he made another
By Matt Owen published
Johnson’s 2018 signature model was the first to combine a semi-hollow design with a contoured Strat body, but it didn’t take long for him to settle on a concept

Nita Strauss on the guitarist that truly inspired her to pursue a career in music
By Janelle Borg published
When this shredder played alongside Michael Jackson at his iconic 1993 Super Bowl performance, it lit the fire in a young Nita Strauss to follow in her footsteps

D’Addario recruits players to help test its strings – and there's one jazz veteran who is more reliable than most
By Janelle Borg published
This particular player, who has been a D'Addario artist since 1982, is instrumental in analyzing the nitty gritty of in-progress guitar strings

Rosanne Cash on her father’s six-string salute to Dylan – and why it’s the ultimate country music honor
By Matt Parker published
The country legend says her father was not precious with instruments – instead, he respected the players

Brian May issues health update after suffering ‘minor stroke’ last year
By Matt Owen published
The Queen guitar hero suffered a health scare late last year, which left him briefly fearing he might not be able to pick up the guitar again

Joe Satriani was days away from signing Jeff Beck for G3 – before the Yardbird dropped out and suggested Prince as a replacement
By Janelle Borg published
Satriani discusses how Beck may have overlooked him due to their generational differences as guitarists

Phil X confirms new Bon Jovi material will feature one seriously ripping solo – and a tour is also in the works
By Matt Owen published
Guitar World caught up with Phil X to discuss rumors of a new Bon Jovi record, and the guitar ace dished out some spoilers on one of his standout contributions

When Donna Grantis joined Prince’s band, she expected the unexpected – but she never thought he’d ask her to take iconic Purple Rain solo
By Janelle Borg published
Grantis was the co-lead guitarist in Prince’s final band, 3rdeyegirl, and was asked to take the solo on the spot

Why Fender is building its $599 Standard Series in Indonesia – and how its ideological shift delivers better value for players
By Michael Astley-Brown published
Fender’s EVP of Product Justin Norvell explains what convinced Fender to change its mindset on where its guitars are built – and what makes the new Standards different from the Player Series (apart from where they’re built)

Ozzy Osbourne announces his final-ever live performance – featuring an original Black Sabbath lineup reunion and some of the biggest names in heavy music
By Matt Owen published
Osbourne will be returning this summer for his final show, and is sharing the history-making bill with Metallica, Pantera, Slayer, Anthrax and many, many more

Yasmin Williams brings lap-tapping and double-neck guitar to late-night TV with Colbert performance
By Janelle Borg published
Williams pushes the boundaries of the Gibson EDS-1275 with a compositionally rich, lap-tapping showcase of her skills

When Chris Buck played a museum-grade Martin from 1928, a high-profile Hollywood guitar scandal played heavy on his mind
By Matt Owen published
The blues rock ace demoed a five-figure Martin 0-42 in the new issue of Guitarist, and couldn't help but think of that infamous Hateful Eight guitar smash

Why Yvette Young was afraid of pedals – then ended up with a signature one
By Janelle Borg published
Young also talks about what inspired her signature Qi Etherealizer multi-effects pedal, and why it's the ultimate “ambient machine”

Nuno Bettencourt joins Steven Tyler for jam at charity gig – and, wait, is that a Les Paul?
By Jackson Maxwell published
Backing Tyler and some of his A-list friends at a fundraiser for the Janie’s Fund foundation at the Hollywood Palladium, the Extreme virtuoso ditched his signature Washburn

Why Metallica’s forgotten guitarist believes he isn’t considered the heavy metal legends’ OG guitar player
By Matt Owen published
Lloyd Grant jammed with Lars Ulrich and helped record an early demo of Hit the Lights – but isn’t recognized as an original member of Metallica

Lari Basilio reveals what she learned from playing side by side with all-time guitar and session greats
By Janelle Borg published
From sharing the stage with Steve Vai to having Joe Satriani shred on one of her tracks, Basilio knows a thing or two about playing alongside some of the most established names in the biz

Grace Bowers takes her chops to the biggest stage in music for surprise Grammys appearance
By Matt Owen published
The guitar wunderkind was approached for the gig last minute, but stole the show with an emotional solo over Coldplay’s All My Love

Steve Lukather on his secret supergroup with Eddie Van Halen, Albert Lee and Steve Morse
By Matt Parker published
In a recent chat with Rick Beato, Luke tells the story of his all-star jam band based around a group of Ernie Ball Music Man players

“It sounded awful. I could hardly play”: Brian May on the one time he experimented with a Marshall stack
By Jackson Maxwell published
The Vox AC30 amp/Red Special guitar combo is one of the most iconic in rock, but the Queen guitar hero didn't solidify that setup straight away

Polyphia’s next album is going to be brutal – and some big-name metal artists are already slated for guest appearances
By Michael Astley-Brown published
Tim Henson let us in on what’s next for the boundary-smashing instrumental band – and it’s all in the name of blowing festival crowds away (and maybe, just maybe, selling more guitars)