Nuno Bettencourt recalls two-hand tapping in front of Eddie Van Halen: “He stops me and goes, ‘Hey, none of that silly stuff!’” By Richard Bienstock last updated 3 March 23 The Extreme virtuoso tells Guitar World about his first-ever meeting with EVH
Watch Steve Vai shred on command for Jacob Collier as the pair work on Whammy-laden collaborative track By Matt Owen published 3 March 23 Vai is set to bring his six-string wizardry to Collier's upcoming album, Djesse Vol. 4, which will also feature Willow
Marty Friedman hints at next Megadeth performance – and it might be closer than you think By Matt Owen published 2 March 23 Fans had to wait 23 years to see a reunion between Megadeth and their long-estranged guitarist. It's looking likely that the next wait will be much, much shorter
Nuno Bettencourt vows to keep Eddie Van Halen's guitar fire burning on Extreme's first new single in 15 years, Rise By Matt Owen published 1 March 23 Bettencourt dazzles with a breakneck guitar solo on the hard-riffing track – complete with a breakdown that nods to Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee
Marty Friedman recalls covering Jeff Beck for Jason Becker – in front of Eddie Van Halen By Matt Owen published 1 March 23 The former Megadeth man bravely took on Beck's instrumental masterclass Cause We've Ended as Lovers and aimed to emulate his unique feel – all in front of a star-studded audience
Tim Henson explains what makes a great solo, a good guitar and a killer tone By Matt Owen published 1 March 23 The Polyphia titan also teaches tapping, barre chords, Playing God and waxes lyrical about John Mayer’s Neon and Black Sabbath’s Iron Man in an in-depth Wired Q&A
How to get more from oblique bends, a staple of blues-rock guitar playing By Andy Aledort published 1 March 23 Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Johnny Winter all used this technique to great effect – here's how you can make the most of it in your solos
Insomnium's Markus Vanhala unleashes fretboard fury in The Witch Hunter playthrough By Matt Owen published 28 February 23 Armed with his beloved 2014 Jackson Randy Rhoads custom shop model, Vanhala hops from thrashing strums and tidy picking work to two-hand tapping lines in devastating fashion
Devin Townsend says seeing Steve Vai play guitar made him give up shredding By Matt Owen published 28 February 23 A young Townsend entered the studio to record vocals for Vai's 1993 Sex & Religion, and left with a drastically altered outlook on what kind of guitar player he wanted to be
Watch Marty Friedman perform with Megadeth for the first time in 23 years By Matt Owen published 28 February 23 Dave Mustaine and co reunited with their former guitarist for a headline show at Tokyo's Budokan to perform three songs from Friedman's tenure
Exploring Brad Paisley’s awe-inspiring acoustic country playing By Stuart Ryan published 27 February 23 Let's dive headlong into the acoustic style of a Nashville superstar who’s better known for ripping out scary electric licks. Spoilers: he's just as spectacular unplugged
Watch David Gilmour play the Black Strat with Pink Floyd for the final time By Jackson Maxwell published 24 February 23 Gilmour's long-icy relationship with estranged Floyd bassist and songwriter Roger Waters thawed just long enough for the band's classic lineup to perform one last time at the 2005 Live 8 benefit concert
Haken’s Charlie Griffiths and Richard Henshall go toe-to-toe with licks as sharp as their shirts in awe-inspiring playthrough of new single, Lovebite By Matt Owen published 24 February 23 The cinematic track gets an instrumental reimagining via the fretboards of the two prog heroes' headless eight-strings, and the results are sublime
High-school basketball player turns TikTok sensation after shredding The Star-Spangled Banner on a Jackson Soloist moments before taking to the court By Jonathan Horsley published 24 February 23 If this Texas high school senior's jump shot is as good as his phrasing, look out for him in the NBA
It turns out Steve Vai isn’t sitting on an unreleased Ozzy Osbourne album after all: “I spoke a bit carelessly” By Matt Owen published 24 February 23 After seemingly revealing the existence of a “real heavy” album he recorded with Osbourne in the '90s, Vai has now set the record straight
What is economy picking and how can it benefit your guitar playing? By Simon Barnard published 24 February 23 A more efficient way to pick, economy picking will make you a more fluid player, whether you’re playing jazz and fusion or shred à la Yngwie Malmsteen
Paul Gilbert tackles both Tony Iommi and Ronnie James Dio’s parts in new cover of Black Sabbath’s Heaven and Hell By Matt Owen published 23 February 23 It follows the Mr. Big virtuoso's cover of Dio's Holy Diver, with his fully fledged Dio tribute record set to arrive April 7
Watch Eric Clapton pay tribute to Jeff Beck as he joins Jerry Douglas for an acoustic rendition of While My Guitar Gently Weeps and folk standard Sam Hall By Jonathan Horsley published 23 February 23 Slowhand was a surprise guest onstage during Douglas's set at the Royal Festival Hall in London
Jesse Gress, Todd Rundgren guitarist and longstanding Guitar Player contributor, dies aged 67 By Jonathan Horsley published 23 February 23 Gress enjoyed a prolific career as a player and a writer of some of the best guitar reference books you could read, and his insightful lessons graced Guitar Player for over 30 years
Tired of playing power chords? Mr. Black has the pedal for you: the High-Five Instant Power Chord Generator By Jonathan Horsley published 23 February 23 Just play the root note and this compact pitch-shifter will add the fifth and octave as if by magic, but you’d best hurry – it’s a limited-edition run