Best guitars for small hands 2023: compact, thinline and slim-necked options for all ages By Richard Blenkinsop published 8 December 23 Our pick of acoustic and electric guitars for small hands, with options from Fender, Taylor, Les Paul and more
"I’ve been using Vigier guitars since 1997. One of their reps had me try them, but I didn’t want to – I’d been playing my own awful, homemade, Swiss cheese guitars!" Failed luthier Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal is busier than ever, but success isn't on his mind By Andrew Daly published 8 December 23 The former Guns N’ Roses man discusses giving up constructing his own instruments, learning how to sing like a bassist while playing like a guitarist for Asia, and the upcoming Art of Anarchy record
Best Christmas gifts for guitar players 2023: the ultimate festive gift guide for guitarists By Daryl Robertson last updated 7 December 23 Treat them right with our pick of the 46 must-have guitar items, essential accessories, clever gadgets and instruments for every budget
Best compressor pedals 2023: tame your tone's dynamics with compression By Jonathan Horsley last updated 7 December 23 With great options from Boss, Keeley, MXR, and more, there has never been a better time to add a comp pedal to your 'board
“Most people think three guitarists is a lot, but to me, it’s the minimum – it sounds way thicker and heavier”: Meet Hotline TNT, the Jack White-approved shoegaze band who don’t like pedals By Ellie Rogers published 6 December 23 Think shoegaze is all reverb, delay, fuzz? Well, there's another sonic path, and Hotline TNT are taking it with three guitarists. Will Anderson unpacks the approach behind their acclaimed noise-pop sound
Best acoustic guitars for beginners 2023: our pick of easy acoustic strummers for new players By Chris Corfield last updated 6 December 23 The best beginner acoustic guitars, featuring epic affordable six strings from Epiphone, Taylor, Fender, Yamaha and more
Jason Becker hailed his “stunning technique and explosive guitar tone” – now Jien Takahashi is building a unique brand of shred shaped by Ritchie Blackmore, Morbid Angel and a quest to prove “a guitar solo can be as persuasive as a singer's voice” By Andrew Daly published 5 December 23 The rising Japanese virtuoso has an undying love for the shred heroics of Becker and Marty Friedman, but also uses his Ibanez, PRS and occasionally his $50 Legend Strat copy to traverse much wider melodic ground
Best travel guitars 2023: top acoustic and electric travel guitars for portability and performance By Rob Laing last updated 5 December 23 Top travel guitar choices and buying advice for musicians on the move
“People don’t talk about Ace doing his pick-tapping thing. Considering this was ’77, before Eddie Van Halen did Eruption, it's even more mind-blowing”: Eric Johnson, Nuno Bettencourt, and 40 other guitar legends share their favorite Kiss guitar moments By Andrew Daly published 1 December 23 Ahead of their very last show, an all-star cast of rock guitar luminaries reveal how they were influenced by the Hottest Band in the Land
“He took the Ibanez Iceman off the wall and said, ‘I’ll buy it for you... If you promise me Celtic Frost is going to be a fantastic band.’ And I said, ‘OK. Deal.’” For Tom G. Warrior, the equation has always been Ibanez + attitude = murderous riffs By Greg Prato published 30 November 23 The black metal guitar icon inspired a generation of heavy players, including Dave Grohl and Mark Tremonti. Thomas Gabriel Fischer reveals what kindled his unending love of Ibanez, the benefits of writing bloodthirsty riffs on tiny practice amps, and the “absolutely crucial thing that people completely underestimate in achieving a guitar sound”
“I wanted to be Paul Kossoff – a Les Paul with a wah into a Marshall and nothing else. I’d be telling myself off for dialing too much gain!” Black Stone Cherry share their gear epiphanies – and why we’re hearing Misha Mansoor’s Peavey on their new album By Amit Sharma published 27 November 23 Ben Wells and Chris Robertson on the gear and the tones behind one of hard rock's most engaging guitar double acts – and why it all goes back to Leo Fender
“Tone is in the fingers. That’s not to say you can’t get close. Some YouTube players can get so close to Stevie Ray Vaughan, it’s frightening!” Danny Bryant is one of modern British blues’ finest players – ignore his tone wisdom at your peril By Amit Sharma published 27 November 23 Give Bryant a Strat and he'll give you the blues straight, no chaser. He reveals the ‘death metal’ lessons Walter Trout taught him, and how to get the best out of your Strat
“As soon as I pick up the guitar and play that riff, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. You just jump on the riff and it plays you”: The Rolling Stones’ 10 best guitar riffs By Neville Marten published 24 November 23 As the Stones return with Hackney Diamonds, we asked you for your favorite riffs from Keith Richards and friends. Here they are – plus the story of how they were created
“It’s one thing to listen, but when you play these songs, you go, ‘It’s no wonder Eddie had so much fun playing this’”: Tackling Van Halen, reforming G3, recording with Steve Vai – Joe Satriani is gearing up for his biggest year yet By Andrew Daly published 24 November 23 He’s the godfather of shred, but over four decades into his career, Joe Satriani is busier than ever. He explains why he’s playing catch-up after avoiding Van Halen songs in the ‘80s, what his “intentionally excessive” collaborations with Vai have in store, and the biggest struggles he’s facing in covering “the greatest guitar player of all time”
“So many people don't understand how, as a lead player, I could idolize someone like Kurt Cobain, but for me, it's also about the songwriting and passion”: Nikki Stringfield has more up her sleeve than glorious shredding with the Iron Maidens By Andrew Daly published 23 November 23 Fresh off the release of her solo debut, Apocrypha, the Schecter signature artist dishes on her love of the Kemper Profiler, the first Iron Maiden riff she learned, and the lasting impact of grunge on her guitar approach
“I just love the Stratocaster. The 2nd and 4th positions are part of what makes it the ultimate funk machine”: From bedroom lockdown playthroughs to Spotify stardom in just 3 years, Giacomo Turra is one of funk guitar's most exciting talents By Andrew Daly published 22 November 23 With the help of his beloved Mayones Aquila, the 26-year-old Italian six-stringer has steered clear of shred, instead focusing on tasty phrasing, an immaculate sense of groove and bringing guitar solos back into the mainstream
“Fingers or pick? I’ll play bass with a drumstick! Whatever works for the song!“ How Amos Williams found his sound on TesseracT’s War of Being By Nick Wells published 22 November 23 TesseracT's Amos Williams on why he used parallel distortion and a “Swiss Army knife of overdrive” on the band's new album
“If you want to be a well-rounded metal player, alternate picking is something you cannot skip out on”: Josh Middleton on the essential techniques and discipline of metal guitar By Amit Sharma published 21 November 23 The Sylosis riff master unpacks some of his metal approaches and explains why practice makes perfect, even if it makes you the last person in the world anyone would want to watch TV with
“Malcolm Young would shred picks. It's like he would pick them up and they’d turn to dust!”: Richard Fortus breaks down his role as Guns N’ Roses’ rhythm machine – and explains the overlooked details that separate good players from great ones By Amit Sharma published 21 November 23 GNR's resident Gretsch signature artist discusses his chemistry with Slash – and how it echoes that of Izzy Stradlin's – and pinpoints his approach to staying in the pocket
"The whole vibe of Ace Frehley was really special to me. I was so small, and Ace was this larger-than-life figure… I didn't even think he was a real person": John 5 names the guitarists who shaped his sound By Andrew Daly published 21 November 23 From shred titans to riff-masters to an obscure, blazing country picker he thinks every guitarist should listen to, the Mötley Crüe man names the players who forged his virtuosic, hard-charging sound
