One of our favorite practice amps is 10% off and there's free shipping on everything in Positive Grid’s massive guitar month sale By Matt McCracken published 10 April 24 Get your hands on some of the world’s most popular smart and desktop amps for less over at Positive Grid
“This disease won’t beat me and I will continue writing and playing for as long as I can”: Glenn Tipton explains how Richie Faulkner and a ‘no surrender’ mindset has helped him adapt his Judas Priest role By Matt Owen published 10 April 24 Tipton stepped back from official touring duties in 2018, but continues to write and record alongside Faulkner as a crucial member of Judas Priest
“10,9,8,7…”: Tom DeLonge’s Fender Starcaster signature guitar is actually happening – but it might look a little different to the Blink-182 man’s main guitars By Matt Parker published 10 April 24 There’s no sign of meteorite dust or custom inlays on this pink teaser pic – and the origins of the new Starcaster might surprise some players
“We’re offering a reward to anyone who can help us locate the guitar”: Jerry Cantrell’s original G&L Rampage – one of grunge’s most important guitars – has been stolen By Matt Owen published 10 April 24 The 1984 'Blue Dress' Rampage has been used on almost everything the Alice in Chains guitarist has ever recorded
“I could have headed towards blues or shred. I chose blues… Fast-forward to 2020, I decided to become a 12 year-old learning guitar again – I went the other way and got an Ibanez with a Floyd Rose!” Gary Clark Jr. is finally unleashing his inner shredder By Amit Sharma published 10 April 24 On his powerful and experimental new album, Gary Clark Jr. is channeling the pioneering spirit of the greats and finding new shades of blue
“The combination of them all can be turned to on a dime, according to the feel and vibe that I'm going for”: Seymour Duncan’s Eric Gales signature pickups promise balance across all five positions By Matt Parker published 9 April 24 The signature set has been developed with in-house pickup guru Maricela ‘MJ’ Juarez
“During Covid I took an Olympic Pearl White body, took apart one of my signatures, and made the first prototype”: Fender honors influential worship guitarist Lincoln Brewster with a new-look signature Strat – and it’s even more desirable than his first By Matt Owen published 9 April 24 Brewster was told his desired Olympic Pearl White finish had never been done in nitrocellulose lacquer before – but it became a reality for his second signature Stratocaster
“A true unicorn”: Joe Bonamassa has just acquired one of the rarest Fenders ever made – a 1954 Blackguard Tele with a huge factory-installed Paul Bigsby pickup By Matt Parker published 9 April 24 The model is thought to be a complete one-off and is a rare example of a factory-made modification on one of Fender’s most sought-after historic builds
“I have Marshall, Orange and Victory amps, but they just don’t have the bark I need for this project. The 5150 is what metal sounds like to me”: Meet Jaguar Throne, the UK metal big beasts following in the hoofprints of Mastodon By Amit Sharma published 9 April 24 Steve Sears builds a bestial, musically adventurous sound with dark prog vibes, monster riffs and some serious production savvy
“Some people use one guitar, one amp, and then, ‘This is what I am going to use for the rest of my life’... We change it up as much as we can”: The Gaslight Anthem are on an eternal tonal quest By Jonathan Horsley published 9 April 24 Brian Fallon and Alex Rosamilia give us the guitar story behind comeback LP History Books – and tell us why you might hear a Def Leppard influence if you listen closely enough
“This guitar has been with me since 1988”: Gibson unveils the Slash ‘Jessica’ Les Paul – a replica of the factory second that has become his go-to stage guitar for more than 30 years By Matt Owen published 9 April 24 The factory reject became Slash’s main on-stage instrument, and has been used extensively over the years with both Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver
“Monster lineup here”: Eric Johnson and Michael Landau honor Jeff Beck with a fretboard-burning Freeway Jam cover By Phil Weller published 8 April 24 The two Stratocaster masters recently shared the stage for a Beck-honoring jam
“The metal elements in the finish will give a vintage-looking patina specific to each guitar”: Solar has launched a metal guitar that literally oxidizes depending on how you play it By Phil Weller published 8 April 24 Thanks to a unique blend of metals, paints and polymers, the Chrome Canibalismo will respond and age to your playing
“I wanted him to be very successful because he seemed pretty nervous”: Original Tool bassist Paul D’Amour recalls coaching Justin Chancellor to be his replacement – and giving him an in-depth lesson in his wild pedal protocol By Matt Owen published 8 April 24 Chancellor has lined up alongside Adam Jones and co since joining the band back in 1995, but received some hands-on tutoring from his predecessor before he got started
“I just need one good sound and I’m set. A lot of players forget that”: Gus G’s tone and soloing philosophy is always evolving – and right now, it’s full of Floyd Rose divebombs By Amit Sharma published 8 April 24 The Greek guitar phenom goes over the top on Firewind's new album, Stand Up, proving that all those hours locked away with Paul Gilbert instructional DVDs did not go to waste
I used Fender Play for 8 weeks to learn the guitar from scratch – here’s how I got on By Annie Robertson published 8 April 24 Is it possible to learn the guitar in just 2 months armed with nothing but Fender Play and a beginner acoustic guitar? We find out
“It was found in the trunk of a car. They had sanded it to make it look like it wasn’t mine”: Tyler Bryant's stolen Pinky One Strat was played by Jeff Beck, inscribed by Steven Tyler – and, miraculously, returned to him five years after it was taken By Matt Parker published 8 April 24 The blues-rock guitarist recalls the loss – and remarkable recovery – of his most significant six-string
“I thought something had exploded. It was a pretty violent shock”: See the moment this guitarist’s jam was interrupted by a 4.8-magnitude earthquake By Phil Weller published 8 April 24 The multi-instrumentalist jokes that he shook the world with his music
“Those virtuoso guys can do anything. But sometimes it’s more fun to hit one note and see if it can mean as much. Sometimes it can mean even more”: Rich Robinson on earning AC/DC’s approval, losing guitars to a hurricane, and The Black Crowes’ return By Amit Sharma published 8 April 24 The Robinson brothers are back in session as The Black Crowes complete their triumphant comeback. Here, Robinson gives us the guitar story behind the rock ’n’ roll album of the year
“It gives me a ton of fresh ideas, and enables me to cover more ground with fewer strings to cross”: Is Jacob Collier’s crazy five-string Strandberg custom guitar about to get a signature release? By Phil Weller published 8 April 24 Collier and Strandberg have teased the official release of what is set to be the Swedish luthier’s most out-there signature build yet