General Interest

Jack White has launched an online plea for fans to help find the Gibson ES-120T he sold as a teenager.

In a new post on Instagram, the White Stripes man showcases a similar ES-120T, before announcing he’s looking for the model he originally sold.

• READ MORE: Should phones be banned at the Oasis reunion tour? Average attendee to watch 12 minutes of each show on their phone, per new research

“I sold this model guitar as a teenager and have regretted it for many years now,” White writes in the post’s caption.

“It was given to me by my cousin Paul Ossy who is a multi-instrumentalist (who also played electric violin on the Stripes album De Stijl). I sold it at Gordy’s guitar show in Detroit in the early ‘90s so I could buy a two-pickup Silvertone amp in-case model. 

“I etched something under the truss rod cover that only I know, if anyone out there finds it, let me know. And it’s not a red burst version, it’s the black burst version like this one I’m holding over at Carter Vintage, Nashville. Please excuse my filthy hands and arms as I was in the shop painting boxes all day.”

The comments on the post offer some promising leads, including from one person who claims to have a guitar “just like it”.

“The truss rod cover has something etched,” they write. “Tried to send you a picture but can’t before you accept the message. Send me a PM and you’ll get a picture of the guitar and truss rod.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jack White (@officialjackwhite)

While the whereabouts of White’s original guitar are currently unknown, the White Stripes guitarist is hoping someone out there will be able to help. Might it be you?

In other news, Jack White recently joined a hotly debated topic over whether guitarists should know every note on the fretboard.

The conversation was sparked by jazz-funk maestro Cory Wong, who insisted every guitarist should seek to become fluent with every note on their guitar’s ‘board. His comments provoked some to push back, but he embraced the controversy. “Didn’t know this would trigger so many folks – I’m here for it,” he said.

In a hilarious response, Jack White responded: “Ok it’s a deal; I’ll find the C, but I’m not learning all those other notes!”

The post Jack White is looking for the Gibson guitar he sold as a teenager – can you help? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Richard Dawson on balancing the mundane and profane, and the "unsteady" melodies of his staggering new album

Guitarist Sophie Lloyd has tackled plenty of solos in her time, boasting a whole YouTube channel of shred covers. Now, she’s revealed her five favourite guitar solos.

In interview with Metal Hammer, Lloyd kicks her list off with an “obvious choice”, albeit a total classic – Eruption by Van Halen, specifically the Live in New Haven version. “Eddie Van Halen is just the biggest inspiration for me,” she explains. “That tapping lick is something I think pretty much all guitarists learnt when they were growing up… I actually used it in my solo I played today!”

• READ MORE: “There is no magical increase in sales from patriotic Americans willing to rescue us” – how Trump’s tariffs are stretching US amp and pedal companies to breaking point

While Lloyd praises Eddie’s technique, she does admit she has a “love-hate relationship” with the song sometimes. “It was my alarm while I was at university,” she says. “It was kind of traumatic for me when I had to wake up early for lectures. But it’s still one of my favourite solos to this day – and he looks so cool when he takes his cigarette and puts it in his guitar. I aim for the day I can be that cool.”

Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd is another pick. “This one has a special place in my heart,” Lloyd begins. “Because I did a shred version of this one on my YouTube channel and I did the original solo. Before this I was very much, you know… let’s shred like crazy! [When] I had to learn this, I really had to adjust my playing style.”

“I think studying the way David Gilmour bends, the way he puts licks together and stuff, just really kind of opened my eyes to playing with feeling and telling a story through your solos,” she continues. “I really credit that as a turning point in my kind of soloing journey.”

Another challenging solo that would help define Lloyd’s style was that of Beast and the Harlot by Avenged Sevenfold. “When I was growing up, I remember thinking and listening to that solo in the car thinking ‘When I can play that, that’s when I’ll finally admit I’m a good guitarist,’” she recalls. “I still won’t admit it, but I can play it!”

“The techniques that Synyster Gates uses are just fucking incredible,” she adds. “His little chromatic runs at the end… he really is the daddy of shredding to a lot of people! And I think he just comes up with such cool, creative ideas. The harmonies with Zacky Vengeance [are also] really cool and really inspiring to me. [Gates is] definitely a guitarist that I look up to. And I think you can see that in my playing.”

Lloyd also gives a nod to Ozzy Osbourne with Crazy Train – quite fitting, considering this weekend saw the Prince of Darkness’ final ever performance with Black Sabbath. “Randy Rhoads, of course, recorded this solo,” she explains. “[It’s just a] masterclass in good rock metal soloing. It’s got so much feeling in it… you feel like you’re on the crazy train with the way he uses his techniques, uses the whammy bar in the solo and does his tapping down. It really kind of portrays that craziness.”

“Again, that was another one [where] I was like, ‘when I can play that, I’ll admit I’m a good guitarist,’” she notes. “And I still won’t admit it! Randy Rhoads is such a big inspiration for me. Like his little techniques and tricks he does, like his finger slides on the fretboard.”

The final pick is November Rain by Guns N’ Roses, a track Lloyd notes as an “all-round beautiful” song. “It’s amazing,” she praises. “They kind of switch up from the slow song to suddenly having this build into this epic solo at the end with the epic bends! And everyone knows that scene with Slash in the wind, everyone wants to recreate that. And I think it’s just something that really stands out in people’s minds as a solo.”

Like most guitarists, Lloyd notes Slash as a standout inspiration. “He’s one of my biggest inspirations of all time,” she says. “I couldn’t not put a Slash solo in there! Again, I did a shred version of that [track], and learning that solo really taught me so much about emotion and putting different notes into different scales to make it sound good according to the backing track and everything.”

Check out the full clip below:

The post “He really is the daddy of shredding”: Sophie Lloyd picks her five favourite guitar solos of all time appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Blackstar goes up against Boss and Positive Grid with the ID:X – a next-gen modeling amp with newly developed tech that isn’t afraid of the competition

Fancy a brand-new electric guitar for 100 quid? This is easily one of the best Prime Day guitar deals we’ve seen yet.

For a limited time only – Prime Day lasts until 11 July – you can grab this Fender Squier Debut Collection Telecaster in either Seafoam Green or Dakota Red for just £109.99. As an entry-level model in the Fender lineup, the guitar normally boasts an affordable price tag, but right now you can get it even cheaper.

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• READ MORE: Save £100 on Universal Audio’s excellent Flow and Brigade pedals at Thomann

An ideal beginner guitar – or indeed a vibrant addition to any existing guitar collection – the Squier Debut Collection Telecaster features a lightweight poplar body, comfortable slim “C”-shaped neck profile, 21-fret laurel fingerboard and two single-coil pickups for that timeless Tele sound in a package that’s wallet-friendly, to say the least.

Elsewhere, the guitar offers three-way switching for a healthy palette of tones to explore, as well as a hardtail bridge for reliable tuning stability, and sealed-gear tuning machines for smooth, accurate tuning adjustments. It also sports chrome hardware for a premium look which far belies its price point.

Credit: Amazon

When in the market for your first guitar, it’s hard to know where to start. There are a plethora of affordable options available on the market, so choosing the right one can be a little daunting.

But with Squier – a budget brand owned by Fender, one of the world’s best and most reputable guitar companies – you know quality is assured. And for a little extra piece of mind, this guitar comes with a two-year warranty, too.

Does the deal still need sweetening? Okay, fine. If you grab this guitar for just £109.99 this Prime Day, you’ll also get a free subscription to Fender Play, Fender’s own learning platform which includes thousands of instructional videos to build your skills.

In terms of value for money, Prime Day guitar deals don’t come much better than this. Grab the Squier Debut Collection Telecaster for just over £100 right now.

Learn more at Amazon.

The post The cheapest Fender guitar on the market is even cheaper this Prime Day appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Blackstar Amplification has announced the launch of ID:X, a new line of advanced DSP modelling amplifiers.

Available in both 50 Watt and 100 Watt models, the ID:X is built on the foundation of Blackstar’s ID:Series, Silverline, and AMPED models. It “goes head-to-head with the current market leader” of the modelling world, according to the amplification brand, and is built to offer a streamlined user experience.

• READ MORE: “It started with a Laney, it ends with a Laney”: Laney to reissue Tony Iommi signature amp to mark Black Sabbath’s final farewell

The ID:X introduces a discreet, user-friendly OLED display that provides instant visual feedback and deep access for editing settings and effects. It also features six voices, including both cleans and signature Blackstar high-gain, all of which are shaped by a four-band EQ section.

Of course, ID:X also includes Blackstar’s latest IR-based CabRig speaker and mic simulation technology, and additionally features new In The Room tech – able to create the experience of standing next to an amp while you play, rather than the “studio focussed tones” of traditionally captured IRs.

Players can create and store up to 99 patches, with easy recall via the front panel or using a compatible FS-12 or FS-18 footswitch, and the amp is fully integrated with Blackstar’s Architect software for further editing, patch management, and more. You’ll also find over 35 effects directly on board (overdrive, delay, reverb, etc.), and each can be edited straight from the amp for convenience.

Image: Blackstar

This new amp is suitable for both stage and studio, and has selectable power modes including a 1W setting for quiet playing. The 100 Watt model includes a balanced XLR out plus MIDI in and thru, while both models host USB-C for recording, a 1⁄4-inch line out, headphone output, and an aux input.

The 50 Watt ID:X is available for £292.99, while the ID:X 100 is priced at £379.99. You can find out more via Blackstar. 

The post Blackstar’s new ID:X advanced DSP modelling amplifiers go “head-to-head with the current market leader” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Since President Donald Trump took office for the second time in January, his administration has used executive orders to enact sweeping changes to the way the USA trades with the rest of the world – most notably by using hefty tariffs on the import of goods into the United States from countries around the world.

While the impact of these tariffs has been felt across the American economy, the guitar industry seems to be especially keenly impacted.

• READ MORE: “There is no magical increase in sales from patriotic Americans willing to rescue us” – how Trump’s tariffs are stretching US amp and pedal companies to breaking point

Over the last few weeks on Guitar.com we’ve been covering the devastating impact these new tariffs have had on America’s thriving boutique effects industry. Dozens of makers told us how their businesses were teetering on the brink of collapse as a result, and explained why the long-term goals of bringing certain industries to America from China and elsewhere would come too late to save them.

But what about the guitars themselves? On the surface US-made guitars are less keenly impacted by the tariffs on electronic components from places like China, but what about wood? The awkward reality is that a huge amount of the tonewoods that are used in the construction of US-made guitars come from outside of the US.

That’s a significant problem for the American guitar industry as a whole, and it’s led NAMM CEO John Mlynczak to spur his organisation into action. Mlynczak has spoken out several times about the threat these tariffs pose to the industry and called for musical instruments to be exempted from tariffs, but he’s also been working behind the scenes.

Back in May, Mlynczak and NAMM went with a delegation of key figures from the US guitar industry – representatives from Fender, Gibson, PRS, Martin and Taylor – to Washington DC. The aim was meet with congressional representatives and try to help them understand the situation.

John Mlynczak. Image: Press

It was an unusual and striking move to see the biggest players in the American guitar industry move as one, so now that the dust has settled, we caught up with Mlynczak to find out why he felt the mission was an important one.

“We talk so much about the NAMM show, but we are first and foremost, an association [NAMM is an abbreviation of National Association of Music Merchants – Ed],” Mlynczak explains. “And so that was a big thing we got from talking to members – what can we do for you year round?

“We have amazing companies, we have innovators, we have incredibly resilient people in our industry that are out there fighting the good fight every day. But what is it that only the Association can do? Particularly in DC, only the Association, in partnership with members, can go lobby.”

Mlynczak describes the tariff situation as “scary and unfortunate” for the guitar industry, but it was also a chance for NAMM to provide leadership, organisation and direction – and to show its members that it is going to bat for the US music industry at the highest level.

“We can now show our industry that we’re not just the big trade show of the past,” he explains, animatedly. “We’re out there.”

John Mlynczak and Jon Batiste at The 2025 NAMM Show at Anaheim Convention Center on January 24, 2025 in Anaheim, California. Image: Daniel Knighton/Getty Images

Story Tellers

You might well ask what an organisation like NAMM, or indeed the brands associated with the delegation can really do to impact US government policy given the comparatively small size of the guitar industry in relation to something like consumer electronics or the garment industry.

But Mlynczak believes that there’s power in putting human faces and real-world testimonials into the hands of lawmakers.

“Members of Congress, we hear it time and time again – they desperately need stories when they go debate in committees and they go debate on the floor,” he affirms. “If you ever watch C-Span – and I was a C-Span junkie for a while – they’re focusing on stories from their district.

“That’s what they’ve told us, ‘We need stories from our district. How do I make the case to the other side or to my committee?’ So when we bring members and we’re arming them with data. It’s super necessary work.”

Regarding the specific issue of tariffs on tonewoods, Mlynczak clearly believes that the proactive stance that NAMM and its members took in DC was the best route.

“The tariffs are incredibly nuanced and complicated,” he admits. “But there are various Section 232 investigations [an investigation by the Department of Commerce on the impact of certain imports on national security – Ed] on various industries happening right now.

“One of them is on imports of timber. And so the high level ask that we wanted to work on, was making sure that we submitted letters to congress, and we submitted investigation letters through the process.

“But we also met with high-level members of Congress just to follow up and say, ‘Hey, we’ve done this… and by the way, American made brands can’t make these products unless they get wood from overseas. We don’t grow these species of wood in the United States!’”

Time will tell how effective this lobbying effort was on US government policy, but Mlynczak feels like there’s a clear and obvious case for the exemptions he’s previously called for.

“Our industry does have American manufacturing,” he insists. “I mean, you think about it, what’s more iconically American, what’s more apple pie… than the electric guitar? Man, come on, there’s nothing more American than that!

“The electric guitar – that is an American cultural export. And so if we were going to fight for anything in this climate of prioritising American manufacturing, that was the one.”

The post “The electric guitar is an American cultural export” NAMM CEO John Mlynczak on why Fender, Gibson, PRS and others joined forces to lobby congress over wood tariffs appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Gorilla DSP releases Old Vintage Fuzz

Dave Matthews’ guitar playing left its mark on the hosts of 100 Guitarists. In this episode, we’re talking about his unique style and sound and the players who influenced it. From his work leading DMB to his duo performances with guitarist Tim Reynolds, there’s a lot to cover.

Speaking of Reynolds, Jason calls on Dave and Tim to return to Luther College for the 30th anniversary of their first live record. And Jason learns about Michael McDonald’s guest spots with DMB.

Sponsored by Fishman: fishman.com

What does your favorite player’s back catalog reveal about their artistry?

I recently reconnected with one of my earliest teachers and mentors in London, Geoff Gascoyne. Google him—he’s had an incredible career, and he set me up with some invaluable information at the beginning of mine. I was a guest on his podcast, The Quartet, and so many amazing memories about my very first days of becoming a bass player came flooding back.

One of the most important lessons I learned, just weeks after picking up my first bass, was also something that wouldn’t come into focus for some years—and it’s something I think we all deal with as fans of music.

We all have our favorite artists and favorite albums or periods of output from our heroes. It’s one of the major considerations that factors into whether we’ll go that extra step and buy a new recording or a concert ticket. Geoff knew I wanted to be a jazz musician and recommended some incredible albums like Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, Speak No Evil by Wayne Shorter, and Soul Station by Hank Mobley. But in that very same lesson, he threw another name into the mix: Meshell Ndegeocello.

I fell in love with her albums Peace Beyond Passion and Plantation Lullabies, and her playing on those records has shaped my foundation as a bass player more than any other artist I’ve ever listened to. Both came out in the early and mid ’90s, when I was doing nothing but listening to and playing bass every day. They were the soundtrack of a very formative time in my life, and as such, my attachment to the music was intense.

Fast forward a decade to the mid 2000s: I’m living in New York, even playing on the same bill as her. Through my initial disappointment that she didn’t play any of those songs I loved so much as a kid, I started to understand something incredibly important about what it is to be an artist.

She was playing for herself in the studio. She was making music that mattered to her and not following a tried-and-tested formula of copying the albums that made her successful early on. It would have been so easy to make variations of Plantation Lullabies and be known for a specific thing for the rest of her career. But despite the massive success of Peace Beyond Passion, which was her second album, she followed it up with Bitter: acoustic guitars, strings, and big, open-sounding drums. A complete—and very brave—left turn.

“Curiosity is always going to win out in the artist’s mindset, and those who are truly curious tend to write and play for themselves.”

This is not the norm today. People find something that works, and then they do it over and over again. They maybe change the lighting in their TikTok video once in a while or go do “their thing” in front of a famous landmark in the hopes of more followers. But they rarely seem to play for themselves. They do it specifically because they deal in the metric of attention, and are beholden to their audience.

My big takeaway is that I think it’s important to realize this both as a fan and as a player. It’s easy to expect something from your heroes because you have such a connection to a small part of their catalog—and that’s what you want to hear when you go to see them live. But history tells us that a large percentage of serious artists have moved on, sometimes even before an album is released.

Curiosity is always going to win out in the artist’s mindset, and those who are truly curious tend to write and play for themselves. Whoever comes along for the ride is a bonus.

We’re all basically along for the ride, and I think we can lose sight of that when we get too attached. Don’t get me wrong—I’m always going to love Peace Beyond Passion—but I’m also going to remember that it’s the artist beneath the performance that I’m actually most attached to. I now try to have as open a mind as possible when I go see my heroes live or listen to their new music, and that has a massive impact on how I go about my own career as an artist.

With my current goal of releasing three new albums every year until my time here ends, I have to let go of the last thing and move to the next more efficiently than ever.

I think you’d be surprised by some artists you think you really know—then you go digging in their back catalog and discover there are things they put out that never reached your ears.

Now, more than ever in history, it’s our job as fans and players to stay engaged in the fundamentals—and ignore the noise.

PG contributor Tom Butwin tries the Lutefish Stream, a desktop device that lets musicians rehearse, record, and collaborate online with ultra-low latency. Tom tours the hardware, explores the browser-based mixer, and enlists a musical collaborator to test a real-time rehearsal for an upcoming performance.

Lutefish Stream

Play online, in real-time, with your band. Jam with up to 5 musicians up to 500 miles away!

Get Your Lutefish:
https://lutefish.com

For his latest Fretboard Journal session, Bill Frisell plays the Billy Strayhorn/Duke Ellington classic “Isfahan.”

On this track, Bill borrowed the Fretboard Journal’s Grez Grand Tour guitar. He’s playing straight into a Carr Sportsman amp.

Filmed June 23, 2025 at the Fretboard Journal’s Seattle headquarters.

The post Bill Frisell – “Isfahan” first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

Benson Amps is proud to present their new flagship tube effect unit, the Tall Bird Plus Reverb and Tremolo. This marks a leap forward in spring reverb and optical tremolo design, solving many of the noise and technical issues of classic units, while also pushing the boundaries of what these circuits are capable of. The Tall Bird Plus is musical, quiet and extremely flexible.

According to company founder/ designer Christopher Benson, ”In a tale as old as time, in 2023 we were approached by The Beach Boys to create a limited edition reverb-tremolo unit called the Surf’s Up, based on the classic Fender circuits with some upgrades, which was exciting because it allowed us to slay some dragons in the form of abiding tech problems with that type of circuit.

After the dust settled, we realized the dragons could be deader, threw out the Fender schematics and performed a ground up redesign of how WE would achieve the classic sounds with even more versatility and lower noise…and also have regular AND harmonic tremolo in one unit. After “some” experimentation (like a LOT) we settled on a design called the Tall Bird Plus that checks all the boxes."

Key features:

• Separate Wet and Dry controls
• EL84 driven transformer coupled reverb.
• “Size” control – Shapes reverb character from splashy and shimmery to boomy and cavernous. - “Dwell” controls how much signal is sent to the reverb tank, ranging from short, spanky sounds through longer decay all the way up to saturation of the tank circuit.
• “Classic” and “Harmonic” tremolo modes, possibly the only tube-driven optical harmonic tremolo on the market.
• Reverb and Tremolo are can be independently bypassed with the included 2 button foot switch.

MSRP: $1899

Summer’s officially here! And to celebrate, Thomann’s making your holidays a little louder with its Music Days sale, meaning now’s your chance to grab a premium Universal Audio UAFX pedal for less than £90 – a saving of £100 on each!

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Both the UAFX Flow and Brigade are heavily discounted over at Thomann until 22 July. These two are part of UAFX’s more compact range of effects launched back in 2023. Rather than UAFX’s own original platform, these pedals are much more like your standard single-stomps, with smaller footprints, a mono signal path and no need for a control app.

Flow and Brigade joined the range last year, and when we reviewed them on launch we were mightily impressed. Despite a little bit of a shaky start from the rest of the range, the Brigade and the Flow were impressive effects, and garnered an 8/10 and a 9/10 from us respectively.

Both effects are digital recreations of classic analogue effects. The Brigade recreates a bucket-brigade chorus/vibrato, and can operate in either mode for your preferred flavour of wobble. On top of that, you also get a choice of true or buffered bypass, as well as a preamp recreation engaged on your dry tone. Flow recreates three discrete analogue tremolo effects, including two vintage amp tremolo effects and a choppier squarewave optical tremolo.

Both units come with excellent build quality, too – making use of a rugged smooth-edged steel chassis, a soft-touch footswitch and three chunky knobs with great travel and resistance.

These pedals both launched at £189, making their current sub-£90 prices at Thomann absolute steals. Check out the deals now!

The post Save £100 on Universal Audio’s excellent Flow and Brigade pedals at Thomann appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Iconic British string manufacturer Rotosound is proud to reveal a fresh redesign of its electric andacoustic guitar string packaging. The new look delivers a clean, modern feel while paying tribute tothe brand’s rich legacy of serving music’s rebels, rule-breakers, and pioneers. Rolling out thismonth with the Rotos product line, the updated packaging will appear across other lines in thecoming months.

At the heart of the redesign is a celebration of Rotosound’s storied heritage. Created in-houseusing the company’s own archives of catalogues, advertisements, and vintage string packs, the artwork draws directly from designs dating back to the 1960s. For example, the Jumbo King, TruBronze, and Super Bronze sets repurpose graphics directly from one of the company’s earliest string packs. The aesthetic also draws inspiration from the visual language of early British rock and punk — including album art from Decca Records and the use of bold typography — connecting the new look to a lineage that includes The Who, Pink Floyd, The Clash, and The Damned.

Function Meets Familiarity with a Splash of Color

One of the key goals behind the packaging refresh was to improve product differentiation.Previously, many Rotosound string sets shared a similar visual identity, making it hard to distinguish between different lines — for instance, a regular gauge nickel set like Roto Yellows and an acoustic Tru Bronze set. The new designs give each line a unique visual identity, making it easy for players to find exactly what they need at a glance.Despite the fresh appearance, brand familiarity has been carefully preserved. Longtime Rotosound users will recognize the brand logo, gauge information, and key descriptors in their familiar positions. The British flag still adorns each pack — now in a clearer, refined form —representing the company’s proud tradition of UK manufacturing since 1958. Still using airtight foil pouches — containing the strings, a silica gel sachet, and nothing else — Rotosound’s packaging remains one of the industry’s most eco-friendly, with 90% less packaging material than other packing methods.To further streamline the experience, gauge-specific colour coding now links sets across different lines. For example, all 10–46 gauge sets, regardless of series, share a yellow theme;9–42 sets are pink.

Notably, packaging for the acoustic sets now match the colour of the string material itself, allowing players to connect what's on the outside with what they’ll find inside.

Designed with Players in Mind

Rotosound consulted players and retailers to better understand what information was most valuable on the shelf. The result is a dedicated product information box, placed uniformly across the new packs, which makes it easier to compare materials, instruments, and tonal profiles.Short, descriptive summaries have been added to help players understand each line’s sonic characteristics, whether they’re chasing warmth, brightness, or vintage feel.

New endorsees have also been added to Rotosound’s impressive artist roster of legendary and contemporary acts — from Jimi Hendrix to Blur, AC/DC to Idles. Last but not least, a QR code on the back of each pack links to extended product details, recycling advice, and GPSR compliance information, giving players more insight — and more options — than ever before.

Rolling Out from the Factory to the World

The new packaging is shipping now, beginning with the Rotos line. Other sets — including BritishSteels, Jumbo King, Tru Bronze, and more — will update gradually as retailers replenish their stock. Players around the globe can expect to see both old and new designs side-by-side on the shelves of Rotosound’s dealers across the world during this transition period.

Our columnist Barry O’Neal of XAct Tone Solutions revisits compression. Now that you know what those knobs and switches do, it’s time to add some seasoning.

In my last column, we talked about compressor basics, so now you’re totally comfortable with all the compressor controls. You’ve cracked the code on what all those little knobs and switches do and now comes the real fun: figuring out how to actually use the thing.

Maybe more than any other effect, compression is a type of seasoning, and like salt, the line between tastefully enhanced and completely ruined can be a thin one.

Clean Tone Glue
If you play clean, or even edge-of-breakup, compression might be the secret sauce you didn’t know you were missing. A compressor in front of your amp smooths out dynamics, helping every note ring with equal authority—great for funk rhythms, arpeggiated picking, and those bell-like Strat runs that just need a little more shimmer and staying power. Compression reins in dynamics, unifying your sound and gluing it together.

Country players have stuck with compression for decades. And not just any compression—often high ratios and fast attacks with liberal makeup gain to keep those percussive chicken-pickin’ runs present without being overwhelming.

Tightening Dirty Tones
You might think compressors are only for clean tones, but they can actually bring order to the chaos of an overdriven rig. Place a compressor before a dirt pedal or amp and it can tame uneven pick attack, keeping the signal more consistent. While compression can help make up for a slightly undisciplined right hand, don’t stop those picking exercises cold turkey. Too much compression into distortion can flatten your dynamics.

Some players also run compressors after overdrive. It can be a more surgical application, less about sustain and more about volume consistency. Think like a mastering engineer, and subtly control the chirps and squawks that fast, articulate playing sometimes produces.

Sustained Leads Without SaturationWant sustain for days without drowning in distortion? Try compression. By squashing the initial transient and boosting the tail of the note, a compressor can keep a solo singing even at lower gain settings. Add in some delay and reverb and you’ve just entered the realm of David Gilmour. Origin Effects’ SlideRIG stacks two compressors in series to add obscene amounts of sustain without getting into Soldano levels of distortion.

“One of the keys to understanding compression is experimentation.”

Want a cheat code for expressive lead playing? Try a lower ratio with a low threshold and longer attack. The lower threshold will mask the compression effect. You’ll retain articulation while getting more sustain than your amp can usually muster on its own.

Rhythm Precision
In the world of rhythm guitar, especially in funk, pop, or modern gospel, compression is your timing assistant. It helps keep chord stabs consistent in volume, enhancing the sense of groove. Fast attack and release times tighten up the transients, making you sound more locked-in. Don’t dismiss this use as a crutch for the weak. Instead, think of it as a finesse tool that allows the player to further clarify what good technique has created.

One of the keys to understanding compression is experimentation. Don’t be afraid to twist knobs. In fact, get used to over-twisting knobs, turning them past the useful setting and to the extremes where the effect is overdone and beyond good taste. Note the timbre changes at that extreme setting, lock into them, and try to stay locked in as you roll the control down to a more reasonable level. This type of ear training can help you identify what the compressor can do for you and how each knob can be manipulated to arrive at subtle squish while avoiding the super squashed.

Compression is one of those effects that, when dialed in just right, makes everything feel easier at your fingertips and more polished in your ear. The trick is knowing what you want before you start turning knobs. A compressor affords you so much control, it’s easy to get in the weeds if you rush headlong into adjustments.

Need more sustain? Tame a spiky tone? Control volume swings? Add some glue? A compressor can do all that and more, but only if you take a moment to move from seeing it as a mystery box and start using it like the tool it is. Get comfortable experimenting, and remember: If you’re not sure it’s on, but everything just sounds better, it’s probably working.

The gorgeous ancient relic was made famous by Gallagher’s take on the Tony Joe White song on his 1974 live album, Irish Tour

Bettencourt took to the stage for the historic event with a Washburn-esque build that flashed a new ‘Nuno’ logo on the headstock – and we have some questions

K.K. Downing, Rudy Sarzo and Danny Carey joined the trio to perform Judas Priest and Black Sabbath cuts

As Black Sabbath took a triumphant bow at Back to the Beginning, we reexamine their recorded works, from the riff that started metal through the Dio years, to the return of Ozzy Osbourne and 13