11 ways to improve your tube amp tone By Guitarist editors published 25 April 23 Under-the-hood improvements and careful speaker selection can secure that sound you’ve been searching for
Watch Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Joe Perry join Metallica for a pulverizing performance of Train Kept A-Rollin' at 2009’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony By Matt Owen published 24 April 23 The two Yardbirds alumni and Aerosmith icon – who each had history with the song – were joined by Ronnie Wood and Flea for the rendition, which featured a who's who of rhythm heroes and lead legends
"With no disrespect to Cliff Burton, I think my picking brought a new tightness to Metallica. Cliff's sound wasn't very defined": An interview with Jason Newsted on the release of The Black Album By Karl Coryat published 24 April 23 From the Bass Player archive: Jason Newsted on picking vs fingers, the gear and technique behind The Black Album and how it feels to fill Cliff Burton's shoes...
The evolution of the Gibson Melody Maker – the original student's favorite electric guitar By Rod Brakes published 24 April 23 Gibson’s “greatest value ever” electric solidbodies appeared in an array of designs. Here we trace the birth and development of one of the original budget electrics
“Sometimes I think, 'What would John McVie do?' That’s how I wrote the bassline to Losing My Religion”: The secrets of R.E.M.’s Mike Mills By Karl Coryat published 22 April 23 From the Bass Player Archive: An interview with R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills from 1991, the year that Out Of Time took them from cult status to million sellers.
How Drive-By Truckers, Rat-augmented lap steels and electric shocks shaped the alt-country sprawl of Wednesday's Rat Saw God By Gregory Adams published 21 April 23 Led by the two-guitar and lap/pedal-steel attack of Karly Hartzman, MJ Lenderman and Xandy Chelmis, Wednesday have crafted one of the most engrossing rock albums of 2023
Nikki Sixx “played his butt off” on Dolly Parton’s upcoming rock album By Nick Wells published 21 April 23 The country legend recruited Mötley Crüe's bassist for her tentatively titled Rock Star LP
The 12 most expensive guitars sold at auction By Jenna Scaramanga last updated 21 April 23 Fenders owned by Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, Martins belonging to Kurt Cobain and David Gilmour, and one independently made axe headline the list of most profitable six-strings to go under the hammer
Best pedalboard power supplies 2023: boost your 'board with our recommended pedal power supplies By Michael Astley-Brown last updated 21 April 23 Get your effects sounding their best with our pick of the best pedalboard power supplies available today
We’re living in a new golden age for guitar pickups – here’s why By Matt Parker published 21 April 23 From multi-voice options to Bluetooth switching and a stream of signature sets – after decades of stagnant development, there has been a boom in pickup innovations
10 Jeff Beck deep cuts you need to hear By Chris Gill published 21 April 23 The often-overlooked recordings that reveal Jeff Beck’s genius and vision
Best clip-on guitar tuners 2023: stay in tune with 10 of the best available today By Jonathan Horsley last updated 21 April 23 The best clip-on guitar tuners offer a convenient, easy and affordable tuning solution. Here’s our recommendations for acoustic, electric and bass guitar
How to choose the best microphone for your acoustic guitar By Huw Price published 20 April 23 What to consider when it comes time to record your beloved acoustic’s tone at its best
Cliff Burton wrote one of Metallica’s heaviest riffs on a de-tuned classical guitar By Nick Wells published 20 April 23 Kirk Hammett: “To this day, I think: ‘How did Cliff write that?’”
How the pandemic inspired Taylor’s Andy Powers to take a new minimalist path with the American Dream series By David Mead published 20 April 23 Taylor’s chief designer, president and CEO talks us through the choice of body woods for the brand’s stunning new model, the AD12e
Meet UK ‘glock-rock’ collective Lakes: the triple-guitar band where the drummer writes most of the guitar parts By Ellie Rogers published 20 April 23 These three intrepid Midwest-by-way-of-Watford emo guitarists bend their sonic approaches around each other – and a glockenspiel – and avoid standard tuning (“the most awkward, horrible tuning imaginable”) at all costs
18 ways to improve your guitar tone By Stuart Williams published 19 April 23 Tone is one of the most hotly debated aspects of guitar playing. Read on as we look at the best ways to optimize your setup and get more from your guitar rig
Jared James Nichols: “I was playing a lot of Strats and Telecasters. And then I tried a Les Paul Standard. The first thing I thought was, ‘Holy f**k, this feels like a Cadillac!’” By Amit Sharma published 19 April 23 When it comes time to unleash a vulgar display of Blues Power, it’s all about expression – JJN explains why the Les Paul is “the best tool for the job”
Martin Taylor: “There are some guitars I play a few notes on and just put down. The sign of a good guitar is one you really want to play and don’t want to put down” By David Mead published 19 April 23 The jazz maestro recounts the tale of a disappointment with a Gibson ES-175 and his surprise over a freebie vintage Martin
Best baritone guitars 2023: pick up the slack with these long scale guitars By Jonathan Horsley last updated 19 April 23 Get low with our expert pick of the best baritone guitars from PRS, Gretsch, Chapman, ESP, and loads more