Music is the universal language
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” - Luke 2:14
Guitar World
All the latest content from the Guitar World team
Updated: 2 hours 50 min ago
“There was the greatest guestlist in rock history – Jimmy Page, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and Neil Young”: Jimmy Rip was a session man in demand by Mick Jagger and Tom Verlaine – then came a rock ’n’ roll icon
Armed with the Tom Verlaine’s first guitar, and his own first instrument, the 69-year-old session veteran has come home from Argentina to keep memories alive
Categories: General Interest
“We were opening for Deep Purple, and Ritchie Blackmore got food poisoning and was in the hospital overnight”: How a support slot with Deep Purple and a last-minute guitarist replacement led to Eric Johnson meeting Christopher Cross
Johnson cut his teeth as a session player for the likes of Cat Stevens, Carole King, Steve Morse, and, of course, Christopher Cross
Categories: General Interest
“They have always been a big thing for me because I think they’re the heart and soul of a Fender”: What gives a Fender guitar its spirit? For the Custom Shop's Senior Master Builder, there’s only one answer
Paul Waller has singled out what he believes to be the defining feature of a Fender guitar – and it might surprise you
Categories: General Interest
"One of the most versatile baritone guitars I’ve ever played": Orangewood Del Sol Baritone review
Orangewood and TreeTone guitars come together to mix acoustic guitar building nous with retro styling, resulting in a baritone guitar that will suprise people
Categories: General Interest
“Kurt said, ‘I want the guy that did the Slayer album’”: How Kurt Cobain brought a more aggressive edge to Nevermind with the help of Slayer’s producer
Cobain sought out Slayer collaborator Andy Wallace to help give Nevermind an extra edge
Categories: General Interest
“I went to Guitar Center and saw this Iceman sitting there and I was like, ‘You know, that’s a guitar that not too many people use’”: How the Ibanez Iceman became System of a Down’s Daron Malakian’s go-to guitar – and why he initially didn’t play it live
The System of a Down guitarist even got his own limited-edition signature version in 2004
Categories: General Interest
“The music was very dependent on accurate timing… If it was a big stage and we were spread out, it was just murder for us”: They were a pivotal band in prog’s golden age and split in 1980, but Gentle Giant still have a rabid fanbase
With Gentle Giant’s legendary Playing The Fool receiving a remix, the band’s Gary Green reminisces about the challenges of gear and gigging in the ’70s
Categories: General Interest
“From a selection of over 300 instruments I’ve measured over the past seven years, things are not quite what they seem”: Why string spacing can radically change the way an electric guitar plays
Irrespective of the nut width, it’s the string spacing that determines how much room your fingers have. If you've struggled to find a neck wide enough, read on... Help might be at hand
Categories: General Interest
“That's my specialty: playing fast clusters of notes with the guitars. I had to pluck with four fingers instead of three!” Billy Sheehan and Paul Gilbert trade blistering licks in this standout rocker from Mr. Big
Inspired, according to Paul Gilbert, by the grooves of Christina Aguilera, Mr. Big’s Mean to Me is brimming with top-drawer axe-work
Categories: General Interest
“With the new opportunities that I have ahead, I need to prioritize my long-term future”: Prog virtuoso Jason Richardson leaves All That Remains after 7 years
The guitarist leaves after seven years and has some currently unspecified projects lined up
Categories: General Interest
“The first one was a struggle. Making the video was harder than making the album. I was fully expecting that it was going to be a train wreck”: How guitarist and YouTube sensation Rob Scallon manages to write – and record – a full album in one day
Together with fellow mega YouTuber and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Huang, Scallon has made this challenge a yearly tradition
Categories: General Interest
“Playing Dean Town forces me to keep my chops up. Vulfpeck fans can sing every note of that bassline”: Joe Dart breaks down his lightning-quick studio approach – and how he tackles his hardest bassline to play live
Joe Dart continues to make a lasting impression on the world of retro-funk bass guitar
Categories: General Interest
“I got tired of carrying different guitars with me. It’s delightful”: Skunk Baxter is a session legend – and his cutting-edge guitar rig probably isn’t what you expect
Baxter has settled on a Roland/Fender Stratocaster, which he uses alongside some other off-the-shelf Roland gear
Categories: General Interest
“It got stuck in the snow. We were like, ‘The truck’s not making it, the gear is not making it”: Primus’ Larry LaLonde on how he and Les Claypool ended up with off-the-rack gear from Guitar Center right before a show
The guitar and bass behemoths eventually auctioned off the Strat and P-Bass they bought at the last minute for charity
Categories: General Interest
“I wish I’d been treated more fairly by the record execs, but I was part of the creation of one of the biggest bands of all time. That’s a nice legacy”: How LA guitarist Chris Weber laid the foundations for Guns N’ Roses in a single studio session
Weber’s parents lent the Axl Rose-fronted Hollywood Rose $500 to make the demo that started a rock ’n’ roll revolution. Despite being replaced by Slash and losing credit for his contributions, he wouldn’t have things any other way
Categories: General Interest
“I can't help but question why Gibson decided to label this model as a Les Paul”: Gibson Les Paul Music City Special 50th Anniversary review
Has Gibson gone in too deep with its Marauder-esque take on the Les Paul?
Categories: General Interest
“It’s that Rolling Stones thing – using two guitars to make one part bigger. We’re aiming to sound more like one-and-a-half players than two!” Too rock for country and too country for rock, Morganway are an old-school guitar duo in the best way
Husband and wife Kieran Morgan and SJ Mortimer are inspired by Queen, Fleetwood Mac and boygenius in equal measure – and their guitar approach leans into the classic rock guitar pairings
Categories: General Interest
D’Angelico celebrates Grateful Dead’s 60th anniversary with 3 special-edition guitars – which revive the Lightning Bolt design
Two electrics and an orchestra acoustic from D’Angelico bring back a special-edition Grateful Dead finish that pays homage to the pair’s first collaborative model
Categories: General Interest
“After touring so much, I do not enjoy sweating bullets, having to nail every little surgical run”: Yvette Young on the pressures of touring in the social media age – and why we all need to rethink our relationship with music
The multi-hyphenate artist has recently kickstarted her solo era – and lent her chops to James Gunn’s new Superman movie soundtrack
Categories: General Interest
“If you listen to Summer Nights, the Van Halen tune, that’s a headless guitar. It sounded fantastic”: Could PRS ever make a headless guitar?
Strandberg, Ibanez and Schecter have all been flying the flag for headless designs – could PRS be next?
Categories: General Interest