Eric Clapton unplugs again (mostly) on new album, The Lady in the Balcony: Lockdown Sessions By Jackson Maxwell The 17-track live set contains a mix of Clapton classics, covers of two Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac tunes and a few blues standards
Virtual versions of IK Multimedia's X-Gear pedals can now be demoed for free in AmpliTube 5 By Jackson Maxwell AmpliTube 5 users can take any of the four pedals for a spin via a 72-hour free trial
Rory Gallagher livestream tribute concert announced to celebrate debut album’s 50th anniversary By Matt Owen The Gerry McAvoy-fronted Band Of Friends will take part in the 30-minute concert, which will feature key songs from Gallagher’s 1971 album
Fairfield Circuitry promises bountiful gain and "delicious" harmonics with its new ~900 fuzz pedal By Jackson Maxwell Inspired by the company's discontinued Four Eyes fuzz, the ~900 features two cascading JFET gain stages
Harley Benton's new $39 Lightcases seek to provide the “protection of a hardcase with the flexibility of a gigbag” By Sam Roche Ultra-lightweight new carry cases feature a water-resistant nylon exterior with high density foam padding, a plush velvet interior and both shoulder straps and a carrying handle
Josh Homme reveals the “secret weapon” behind his Queens of the Stone Age tone: Peavey's tiny Decade practice amp By Matt Owen The surprising piece of gear was also used to record the mammoth basslines on the band’s hit track, No One Knows
Gibson partners with School of Rock for unique, limited-edition black-and-gold Les Paul Special By Sam Roche Limited to 100 pieces, the guitar is the only Les Paul Special ever to feature a nitrocellulose black finish and gold hardware
Jared James Nichols premieres searing live performance of Skin 'n Bone, from forthcoming Shadow Dancer EP By Sam Roche Watch the blues ace serve up the track's gritty leads with passion and precision, live from Nashville's Blackbird Studios
Martin ukulele set for space in first-ever all-civilian astronaut SpaceX expedition By Matt Owen The martian Martin will accompany astronaut Chris Sembroski during the three-day trip, and will be auctioned off upon its return to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Hear the exclusive premiere of Eric Bibb’s powerful new single, Dear America By Matt Owen The Grammy-nominated blues veteran pulls out all the stops – lyrically and musically – on the title track from his upcoming album, due September 10
Shame's Josh Finerty and Eddie Green discuss the three-guitar magic behind the London post-punks' exhilarating sound By Jonny Scaramanga How single-coil pickups, stone room reverb and a DIY ethos turned the chart-topping Londoners a deep shade of Drunk Tank Pink
Noatronic’s Wireless Guitar System lets you control MIDI pedals via your guitar's tone pot By Matt Parker The Danish firm that won NAMM’s 2019 Best In Show returns to show off its new cable-free control system
2022 NAMM show rescheduled to June By Jackson Maxwell 2022's Summer NAMM show in Nashville has been cancelled, and merged into one "greatest hits" NAMM to take place in Anaheim from June 3–5, 2022
Gov’t Mule announce first-ever blues album, Heavy Load Blues, release acoustic-driven lead single, Heavy Load By Matt Owen The straight-blues offering, which will feature both originals and covers, will arrive November 12 via Fantasy Records
Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson has teamed up with Geddy Lee for a "super-secret" project By Jackson Maxwell If we had a million dollars, we wouldn't have seen this collaboration coming
Rodrigo y Gabriela share awe-inspiring acoustic reworking of Metallica's The Struggle Within By Sam Roche The Mexican acoustic guitar duo trade the original's military-style snare rolls for percussive slaps, and Hetfield's vocals for slide-delivered leads
Samantha Fish says ditching her pedals “made me a better guitar player” By Matt Parker The stellar blues guitarist made a break with her pedalboard after realizing she “was using it as a crutch”
Gibson adds Indian rosewood-equipped versions of the ‘58 Korina Flying V and Explorer reissues to its Custom Shop lineup By Matt Owen Each meticulously crafted model, constructed using 3D scanning software, swaps out the Brazilian rosewood ‘boards found on the originals for ever-so-slightly more affordable alternatives
Pavement announce 2022 reunion tour By Jackson Maxwell The legendary indie quintet – who last performed live in 2010 – will tour the UK & Europe in fall 2022, with the promise of additional dates to come
Orange Crush 20 review By Richard Blenkinsop An all-analogue twin channel amp, dishing out tube-like tones at bedroom-friendly levels.
