Best acoustic guitars for beginners 2024: our pick of easy acoustic strummers for new players By Chris Corfield last updated 13 February 24 The best beginner acoustic guitars, featuring epic affordable six strings from Epiphone, Taylor, Fender, Yamaha and more
“The Bulls loved it immediately. Michael Jordan loved it”: He appeared on smash hits by Kate Bush and Paul McCartney, but this unsung session guitar hero's most popular solo can be heard in one of the most iconic sports anthems of all time By Jackson Maxwell published 13 February 24 The late Ian Bairnson spent decades as a first-call session man, but his most famous turn came on the Alan Parsons Project tune Sirius
Best cheap electric guitars under $500 2024: epic electrics for smaller budgets By Amit Sharma last updated 13 February 24 These budget electric guitars offer fantastic tone and great playability, all within a more wallet-friendly price range
“I love Gibson – I always have. Even though people like Slash play Les Pauls, for me they work better in a jazzier sound-world”: Jimmy Page was bowled over by her playing. Now Rosie Frater-Taylor is injecting jazz solos into pop for an all-new sound By Ellie Rogers published 12 February 24 Inspired by jazz-go-pop stars like George Benson and Pat Metheny, the Pickup Music tutor and rising star has a unique guitar-meets-vocal vamping style
“Sometimes it’s not really about complexity. There are some jazz tunes that are incredibly simple like AC/DC”: How Matteo Mancuso is redrawing the frontier for guitar and unlocking the fretboard one chord at a time By Ellie Rogers published 12 February 24 The fingerstyle fusion phenom talks technique, the illusion of jazz complexity – the reality of the guitar's complexity – and why everything is okay so long as you land on a good note
“My best advice to all guitarists is to sit down and write the things you practice”: Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale talks tone tips, meat and potatoes rock, and reveals how a fan gave her an original Klon Centaur By Amit Sharma published 9 February 24 The Gibson Ambassador and Kramer signature artist checks in to share six-string wisdom, the secret of keeping it simple, and why she made a guitar that looks like it came from the '80s
“The best guitar solo is a song within a song. I’ve been doing that my whole career”: Ace Frehley on the mystery of his guitar style, influences, and how his genius IQ works best when he's half-awake By Andrew Daly published 9 February 24 Returning with 10,000 Volts of rock 'n' roll, the legendary former Kiss guitarist explains why his style needs no evolution – just a Les Paul, a Marshall on 10, and he's good to go
“It’s heavy, thick and unique. It feels great, and the neck is incredible. And it’s heavy; but that’s okay because the weight of a guitar is very important to me. The thicker the better”: If you pick up Bill Kelliher’s new ESP guitar, you’ll know about it By Andrew Daly published 8 February 24 The Mastodon guitarist – who aims to write simpler songs for the band's next album – had his favorite 9-string mapped and mutated into the LTD Silver Sunburst Royal Shiva
“Basically, I climb up telegraph poles late at night, tear down the cabling with my bare hands and use that to string my guitar!”: Jon Gomm on how he's using wild tunings, giant strings, and lessons from Jeff Beck's whammy work to redefine the acoustic By Ellie Rogers published 8 February 24 If you want to be a revolutionary player, you need a revolutionary attitude, and Gomm says that means looking for sounds you have never heard before
Best classical guitars 2024: nylon-string guitars for every budget By Chris Corfield last updated 8 February 24 From classical, flamenco and crossover, to acoustic-electric models and beyond, these are the best nylon-string guitars around right now
“Musically, Eric was a very generous guy. I loved working with him because he encouraged me to play”: How Eric Clapton used Roger Waters, George Harrison, and Stevie Ray Vaughan as foils to survive the ‘80s – the decade he was not prepared for By Andrew Daly published 7 February 24 This was the decade that saw Slowhand board a train with Another Ticket and disembark as a fully-fledged Journeyman. Here, Albert Lee, Phil Palmer, and more recall a turbulent time in Clapton's career
Boss GT 1000 Core vs HX Stomp: which amp and effects modeler should you pick? By Matt McCracken published 7 February 24 Which of these pedalboard-sized amp modelers should you choose? We deep dive into the fine details to find out
Best budget guitar amps under $500 2024: cost-cutting amplifiers for the budget-conscious player By Michael Astley-Brown last updated 6 February 24 Get great sounds and features without blowing your budget – from affordable tube amps to wallet-friendly digital modeling amps and everything in between
18 essential gadgets that will dramatically improve your guitar practice routine By Daryl Robertson published 6 February 24 From must-have tuners to state-of-the-art desktop amps, these are the guitar gadgets that will allow you to get more out of your practice sessions
Best gifts for guitar players 2024: the ultimate gift guide for guitarists By Daryl Robertson last updated 6 February 24 Treat them right with our pick of the 46 must-have guitar items, essential accessories, clever gadgets and instruments for every budget
“Digital stuff is valid and has a great musical tone… the day to replace tube amps is here”: 50 years on, Buck Dharma is proud of Blue Öyster Cult’s ride, but he isn't afraid to change things up from night to night By Andrew Daly published 31 January 24 Dharma's eclectic guitar work has inspired countless rock and metal players – and he’s comfortable with not being as flashy or fast as he used to be
Best guitar wireless systems 2024: set your playing free, from the rehearsal room to the stage By Jonathan Horsley last updated 31 January 24 Fed up with cumbersome cables? Here's our pick of the best wireless guitar systems for every budget
“Duane Allman played a great solo, came back, and Eric says, ‘Well, I want to do mine again!’ This went on for at least an hour or two”: How Eric Clapton went from God to all-'round guitar genius in the ‘70s By Bill DeMain published 31 January 24 After the writing on the wall proclaimed him a deity in the '60s, where else was there to go for Eric Clapton but on a search of self-discovery, musical improvement, and new artistic frontiers
Best cheap distortion pedals 2024: get your perfect rock tone for less money By Chris Corfield published 31 January 24 From Boss to Behringer, Electro Harmonix to ProCo, here's our pick of the best cheap distortion pedals
11 reasons every beginner guitar player should take lessons By Simon Fellows published 31 January 24 We truly believe that investing in structured guitar lessons is the best way to improve as a player – and here's why