James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett debut new ESP and Gibson guitars at first show of M72 world tour By Michael Astley-Brown published 28 April 23 Papa Het has a fresh Vulture, while Hammett’s uber-rare ’59 Les Paul got its first-ever runout for the set’s surprise opener
Gibson adds possibly the first ‘59 Les Paul reissue ever produced and a near-perfect ‘61 Les Paul SG Custom to Certified Vintage collection By Matt Owen published 28 April 23 A '58 Black Beauty Les Paul Custom and Designer Series Flying V from 1985 are also included in the drop, which offers consumers the chance to own some of Gibson's rarest and most collectible guitars
Eddie Van Halen was making plans for a farewell tour with the original Van Halen lineup By Matt Owen published 28 April 23 Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt revealed that Van Halen had been planning to reunite with Michael Anthony for the farewell shows
5 ways to improve your acoustic guitar tone By Guitarist editors published 28 April 23 When your unplugged tone is under the spotlight, there’s nowhere to hide – but there are ways to enhance your sound
Electro-Harmonix fattens up Keith Richards-channeling Satisfaction fuzz pedal By Jackson Maxwell published 27 April 23 EHX's latest homage to the fuzz tone "that launched a thousand riffs" has been kitted out with a new "Fat" switch, plus a pair of additional control knobs, for an expanded palette of sounds
Revv relaunches its Dynamis Series with US-voiced, Two Notes Torpedo-equipped D25 combo By Matt Owen published 27 April 23 With a Celestion Vintage 30 speaker for conventional combo operation and a six-way switch to harness virtual cab sims, the D25 looks to be the epitome of the modern day tube amp
How to choose the best microphone for your electric guitar amp By Huw Price published 27 April 23 Because a great amp sound deserves the right mic for the job...
That time Guthrie Govan covered Rage Against the Machine’s Bulls on Parade and took Tom Morello’s solo to mind-boggling new heights By Michael Astley-Brown published 27 April 23 Some groundbreaking lead work – including two-hand tapping with a glass slide – highlighted the virtuoso’s awe-inspiring performance
Line 6 adds Dumble-style tones in free Helix firmware update sure to please fans of John Mayer, Joe Bonamassa and David Gilmour By Matt Owen published 27 April 23 Three amps, two effects and a huge suite of cab captures – running off Line 6's recently rebuilt IR engine – are also included the update
Freddie Mercury’s Martin D-35, reportedly used to write and record Crazy Little Thing Called Love, is going up for auction By Jackson Maxwell published 26 April 23 The guitar will go under the hammer as part of a much larger Sotheby's auction of the late Queen frontman's private collection of art and music-related memorabilia
Kirk Hammett explains why he uses wah so much: "I can't think of anybody who uses the wah pedal as much as I do – I'm not ashamed of it" By Jackson Maxwell published 26 April 23 The Metallica guitarist addresses criticism of his frequent use of the effect and explains what it unlocks in his playing
Michael Anthony confirms there is a huge archive of unreleased Van Halen material By Matt Parker published 26 April 23 The band’s former bassist says “there’s a lot more stuff” in storage at EVH’s 5150 studio, including extensive live archives
Sting will play a guitar made from migrant boat wood – and built by inmates – at an Italian jail housing mafia bosses By Matt Parker published 26 April 23 The Police songwriter is set to perform at a Naples prison and has said he’ll use an instrument that has been built by prisoners, using wood salvaged from a migrant craft
Paul Gilbert explains why 21-fret guitars can actually deliver higher notes than 24-fret models By Matt Owen published 26 April 23 The Mr. Big virtuoso revealed how a 1983 Ibanez Roadstar II helped him tap into Ronnie James Dio's vocal tones – and hit notes higher than a modern-day 24-fret would allow
Watch Lonnie Mack, one of the original Flying V masters, trade licks with Tele titans Albert Collins and Roy Buchanan By Jackson Maxwell published 26 April 23 The three six-string aces came together for the aptly named American Guitar Heroes concert at Carnegie Hall in 1985
Cory Wong and Wampler unite for the Wong Compressor – “the most versatile compressor that has ever existed” By Matt Owen published 26 April 23 The dual-function stompbox features a flexible compressor circuit, a boost inspired by an Eric Clapton-favored unit, and offers an XLR output for connecting straight to PAs, mixers and audio interfaces
Brandon Ellis laid down the gauntlet to Jackson’s Master Builders with this 27-fret Gold Crackle Kelly – is this one of the most challenging custom builds ever made? By Matt Parker published 26 April 23 See the latest guitar borne from the friendship between one of heavy music’s most innovative players and Jackson’s metal-obsessed master builder, Joe Williams
PRS unveils Sunflower-finished Fiore – the most vintage-flavored version of Mark Lettieri’s signature guitar yet By Matt Owen published 26 April 23 Following the floral theme set by previous iterations of the Fiore, the new ornate finish pays homage to classic electric guitar aesthetics
Custom Flying Vs, strange open tunings and massive bends: how Albert King created his own strain of the blues – and inspired Hendrix, Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan By Alan di Perna published 25 April 23 A left-hander, King flipped a right-handed guitar upside down, put it in an unorthodox tuning, and forged a style steeped in steely drama and epic bends
Watch Albert King reunite, jam with Stevie Ray Vaughan in 1983: “There's a lot of guitar players that just play fast, they don't concentrate on soul – but you got ’em both” By Damian Fanelli published 25 April 23 See King wrap his head around the (then up-and-coming) talent of SRV – a player he first knew as ‘Little Stevie’ – in a blues jam for the ages