General Interest

Self-proclaimed via his website as the “best blues guitarist in the world” – hey, we’re not exactly arguing that – Eric Gales has indisputably top-tier guitar chops. And the fact he does it all with an upside-down guitar is something else, but we digress…

As producer Raphael Saadiq reveals in a new interview with Tonya Mosley of NPR, Gales’ skills nearly got him the opportunity to play a solo on Beyonce’s 2024 album Cowboy Carter, but touring commitments meant he wasn’t able.

• READ MORE: “I got away with murder!”: Is Mark Knopfler a ‘guitar hero’? He certainly doesn’t think so

One of the guitar highlights of the album comes at the end of eighth track Bodyguard, where Saadiq lays down a bluesy solo underneath Beyonce’s outro vocals.

“Bey wanted a solo. And I did a solo,” Saadiq reflects. “And she was like, ‘Can we make it longer?’ But she knows her audience, and she knows that is rare. And she’s like, ‘I think we could do that. We can have a 16-bar solo on this record.’

“So that was a little bit of pressure, to go back in there and play, like, a 16-bar solo.”

While Saadiq played the solo himself, he originally intended to tap up Eric Gales for the job.

“I would’ve called my boy. I would’ve called Eric Gales,” he continues. “Eric Gales is one of the most amazing guitar players in the world today. He’s from Memphis, Delta blues. He was the guy that’s playing – he played a lot of guitar in [2025 film] Sinners. But I would’ve called him to play, but he was on tour, so I had to play it. And it came out good.”

Cowboy Carter saw Beyonce – like many other artists as of late – foray into country, leading to something of a country revival in recent years.

If you need proof of Eric Gales formidable guitar skills, he recently traded licks with blues legend Buddy Guy on an album dedicated to his late brother Little Jimmy King.

Listen to Somebody below:

The post Eric Gales nearly played a 16-bar solo on Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter album appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Mark Knopfler’s work on Dire Straits’ Brothers In Arms landed him the label of ‘guitar hero’ in the eyes of many. And the six-string lines on its title track, Money For Nothing and So Far Away show you why.

But Knopfler doesn’t feel the adulation was entirely merited, as he explains in a new interview with Guitar World.

• READ MORE: Justin Hawkins refuses to use any other guitar tuning than E standard: “If you can’t put your ideas across with that, you’re in trouble”

“That was just awkward,” he reflects on the praise he received for his guitar skills after the release of the 1985 album.

“The world is bursting with fabulous players. Whether I’ve written a good song or not, that’s what counts to me.

“I gave up trying to be a great guitar player. I have enough to get by in the studio – that’s how I see myself as a guitar player. Not much more than that. But I can get away with it.

Knopfler adds that a band’s chief songwriter or songwriters should be allowed a certain degree of leeway regarding their technical skills.

“If you’re the one who wrote the songs,” he says, “you’re kind of allowed to be crap. Well, not to be crap, but you’re given some leeway because you wrote the thing. 

“The other guys are there, really standing by their instruments: ‘I play piano,’ ‘I play bass.’ Like, ‘I’m good at this and that’s why I’m here’ – and boy, they are.”

Though we feel he’s underselling his technical prowess a little, in Knopfler’s eyes, he says he “got away with murder”.

He reveals he was “still learning how to play in time” while recording Brothers In Arms – Dire Straits’ fifth album.

He says it came “after years of working in studios with engineers who would say, ‘You’re rushing there.’ And you’d say, ‘No I’m not.’ And they’d say, ‘Yes, you are.’ Because you didn’t recognise it. You didn’t know it yet. You think you’re playing in time – but you’re not. You have to learn that.”

He concludes: “It takes a long time, especially if you’re playing 8th and 16th notes with your thumb and fingers. That’s just part of the journey. Some of the very finest musicians have told me they had to learn the same thing. Glenn Worf [bassist] was just the same. There was a guy in his band who told him, ‘You’re not playing in time.’ And he said, ‘The hell I am!’”

In another recent revelation, Mark Knopfler recently told Classic Rock that the iconic guitar sound of the record’s second track Money For Nothing came as a result of a microphone mishap.

The post “I got away with murder!”: Is Mark Knopfler a ‘guitar hero’? He certainly doesn’t think so appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

King Crimson are recording their first studio album since 2003’s The Power to Believe, according to Jakko Jakszyk.

In a new interview with Goldmine Magazine, the guitarist is asked about his time with the 21st Century Schizoid Band, the Crimson alumnus group with whom he played before being asked to join King Crimson when they reunited in 2013.

• READ MORE: Justin Hawkins refuses to use any other guitar tuning than E standard: “If you can’t put your ideas across with that, you’re in trouble”

“It was an amazing thing to have done, and in a way, part of it’s still happening,” Jakszyk says. “As we speak, we’re doing a King Crimson album.

“When that will come out and what format or how – that’s beyond my brief. But yeah, we’ve been doing it piecemeal, and then a couple of months ago, the management said, ‘Can we?’ So, yeah. I’ve been recording that with a view to it coming out in some format at some point. But who knows when?”

As for what we can expect? The album will apparently feature the most recent King Crimson lineup: Jakszyk, Robert Fripp, Mel Collins, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Gavin Harrison and Jeremy Stacey.

Jakszyk also says the album might include studio versions of new tracks from live releases recorded with this lineup.

“The studio versions of those pieces and some other bits and pieces will emerge from putting it together. I think so,” he says.

And that’s not the only new music we’re set to hear from the King Crimson universe.

Jakszyk says there’s a new version of The Scarcity of Miracles – the 2011 album recorded by Jakszyk, Fripp and Collins – “about to come out with loads and loads of extra stuff”.

“Because of the nature of how we made that record, there’s lots of improvisation and seriously alternate versions of things that we didn’t release.

The team here at Guitar.com will keep you in the loop on King Crimson’s new album as we know more.

The post King Crimson are recording their first studio album in over 20 years appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

PRS Guitars today announced the release of the much-requested SE version of its NF 53 guitar. The SE NF 53 is a powerful, modern guitar modeled on classic tones and design, inspired by one of Paul Reed Smith’s vintage guitars from 1953. Released in the summer of 2023, the Maryland version of the NF 53 rapidly became a hit with players across genres.

- YouTube

“We have worked for two years to get the guitar just where we want it … especially the neck and the pickups. The SE NF 53 offers a modern take on vintage tones like the Maryland version, but offers a bit more bite, giving it its own unique voice. Whether you are playing for your own enjoyment in your home or gigging professionally, we think you will find this instrument to be inspirational and take you to new places inside your music.”

Built on the foundation of a swamp ash body and 22-fret, 25.5” scale length, bolt-on maple neck and fretboard, volume and tone controls along with a three-way blade pickup switch, the SE NF 53 allows players to dial in their own unique sound. The addition of PRS Narrowfield DD “S” pickups brings power and musicality without the hum, making it extremely receptive to gain. PRS Narrowfield DD (Deep Dish) pickups are made with taller bobbins to fit more winds and extra metal pieces in between the magnets for a focused, powerful tone. The “S” variation of these pickups brings articulate low-end tones and the snarl and twang players expect from this instrument.

PRS SE NF 53 — Insane T-Style Value! Demo by John Bohlinger

PRS Guitars continues its schedule of launching new products each month in 2025. Stay tuned to see new gear and 40th Anniversary limited-edition guitars throughout the year. For all of the latest news, click www.prsguitars.com/40 and follow @prsguitars on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

Despite only recently releasing the critically acclaimed SD10i guitar amp, MOOER has officially announced that its brand new F15i Li Intelligent Amp is now available. Boasting several exclusive features that MOOER’s past amps were missing, the F15i is a dedicated desktop amp that is ideal for portable practicing, both for electric and bass guitars, released as part of the company’s new “Future Series”.

As with past amplifier releases, the F15i Li Intelligent Amp is powered by MOOER’s iAMP system, allowing guitarists to access simulations of amplifiers and effects, all within a simple digital interface. With 15W of power and two high-quality 2-inch speakers, the device is designed for guitarists who need an all-in-one amp for practicing at home, in the studio, or on the go.

Pre-installed on the device are an impressive 55 amplifier models, each of which is made possible by MOOER's cutting-edge MNRS nonlinear modeling technology. Complementing these are 69 effect types, including delay, modulation, reverb, and dynamic processing modules. Impressively, the amplifier’s processing system is enhanced by support from DPE (Dynamic Spatial Enhancement) technology. Essentially, this dynamically optimizes the guitar’s audio signals in real time to augment spatial layering. Thanks to this cutting-edge feature, users will find that the F15i delivers a far more expansive listening experience with more depth than past MOOER amplifiers.

The user can browse through preset combinations through the intuitive 1.28-inch touchscreen, or alternatively, they can access a greater level of customization by designing their own amp, tone, and effect chains through the MOOER iAMP mobile app. Users can even upload and download presets through the app, greatly expanding the device’s sonic capabilities. For anyone who prefers tactile control systems over touchscreens, the F15i Li is also compatible with MOOER’s F4 wireless footswitch, facilitating uninterrupted preset changes.

In addition to amplification and effects, the F15i Li also contains various other practice features, such as a drum machine with 60 different grooves and 10 variations of metronome. Combining this with the synchronizable 60-second looper, users will have everything they need to rehearse performances, learn new songs, and compose intricate loop-based musical pieces. A high-precision tuner is even built into the amp’s software, helping guitarists to keep their guitars perfectly in tune, without having to depend on external hardware or software.

Just like with other recent MOOER amps, the F15i Li sports a versatile array of audio routing options. As would be expected, it features a ¼” mono input, but impressively, it also has 2 line-out jacks for external amplification, a 3.5mm headphone line-out for silent practice, and even Bluetooth 5.0 input support. Essentially, this enables users to stream their favorite songs and backing tracks to the amp to practice with. If the guitarist wishes to record their new creations, they can even leverage the amp’s USB-C port for high-quality OTG audio recording on a mobile device.

Arguably the most exciting feature of the F15i Li is the fact that it is powered by an integrated lithium battery. This empowers guitarists to continue shredding with high-quality amp simulations and effects, even when they are traveling or when there is no power source available. Combined with how compact and lightweight the amp is, along with its convenient carrying strap, the F15i Li is set to be MOOER’s flagship option for guitarists who want all-in-one practice solutions, wherever they may be in the world.

Features:

• 15W of stereo amplification (dual 2-inch speakers)
• Integrated MOOER iAMP effect system
• Compatible with both electric guitar and electric bass
• 1.28-inch circular touchscreen
• 55 amp models, each based on MOOER's MNRS nonlinear modeling technology
• 69 effect types
• Supports DPE (Dynamic Spatial Enhancement) for spatial layering and depth enhancement
• Built-in drum machine with 60 drum grooves and 10 types of metronome
• 60-second looper, synchronizable with the drum machine
• Integrated high-precision tuner
• Built-in battery
• 3.5mm headphone output port for silent practice
• Dedicated iAMP mobile app for advanced effect chain editing, preset/tone sharing, and firmware updates
• Compatible with MOOER's F4 wireless footswitch for augmented control
• Bluetooth 5.0 input compatibility, ideal for practicing with backing tracks
• USB-C port for high-quality OTG audio recording
• Convenient carrying strap

The F15i Intelligent Amp will be available from the official distributors and retailers worldwide on 8th July at an expected retail price of USD209/Euro199/GBP169.