“I’m not going to be here long. Just give me stuff to sing.” Brian May on Freddie Mercury’s last days
The guitarist says Queen managed to carry on thanks to the gift he left them — and reveals the song Adam Lambert nails every time
Guitarists
Dave Mustaine names four bands that could reshape thrash metal’s Big Four: “I believe there are ways to do it”
The Megadeth leader reveals which bands he thinks could carry the torch forward — but notes, “It wouldn’t be a young generation”
Rick Springfield: I played for the troops in Vietnam and ended up killing a man
Jesse's Girl singer reflects on his past: “It’s hard for me to face that I was responsible for the end of a life."
Why Robben Ford’s dream gig with George Harrison turned sour
The Dark Horse was a famously difficult time for George Harrison. A young Robben Ford had his own challenges
Steve Lukather on working with Eddie Van Halen, Michael Jackson, George Benson and other music giants: “I’ve had an extraordinary life”
The Toto guitarist looks back on a remarkable career spent making records with the biggest names in music — and becoming friends with some of his heroes along the way
Gear
We review the Warm Audio Dirty Boy Jr. Overdrive, Fuzz and Booster effects pedals
Warm Audio shrinks Alex Saraceno’s larger Dirty Boy circuits into more compact, affordable pedals, bringing the sounds of the originals to a new generation of guitarists
Best FRFR speakers 2026: the best full-range, flat-response speakers for your digital effects and modelers
Our pick of fantastic FRFR speakers that won’t color your tone from Line 6, Fender, HeadRush, Blackstar, and more
Pink Floyd unveils $6,400 18-carat gold guitar pick
Only 10 of the $6,400 picks are being made by the Royal Mint, and yes, they’re designed to be playable
We review the Positive Grid Spark Pedal Amp and Effects Modeler
The tiny modeler packs 33 amp models, 43 effects, Spark AI and a surprisingly deep editing system into a pedal that can hold its own as a practice tool, recording rig or backup setup
With 30% off across the board in Guitar Center's Labor Day sale, you can afford to splash out on tasty exclusive finishes from Epiphone, Fender, Taylor, and more
The Labor Day weekend sales are hotting up with massive discounts on big brands like Fender, Epiphone, Squier, Gretsch, and loads more
Guitars
Jimmy Page suggested Jeff Beck for the Yardbirds. What Beck gave him is part of Led Zeppelin history
Page recalls the surprise visit from Beck — and the special guitar that followed him from the Yardbirds into the early days of Led Zeppelin.
Best acoustic guitar pedals 2026: Boost your tone with the top effects pedals for acoustic guitar
Take your acoustic tone to the next level with my top pedal picks, from DIs to delays
Best acoustic guitar strings 2026: my pick of the best strings around
From coated options to custom gauges, these are the best acoustic strings on the market from Elixir, Ernie Ball, D’Addario, and more
This bizarre two-by-four guitar flopped in 1967 — then Devo made it famous
The La Baye 2x4 sold only around 45 examples after its 1967 debut. Now it’s a cult classic. Here’s why its unusual looks are only part of the appeal
Alvin Lee’s daughter tells how Gibson accidentally preserved his Woodstock guitar forever
After sending his legendary “Big Red” ES-335 in for a neck repair, the Ten Years After guitarist got back a very different instrument
Best classical guitars 2026: my pick of the finest nylon-string acoustics
From small-scale acoustics for your first steps to stage-ready electro-classicals, here's what to look for
We review the Taylor Ben Harper Gold Label 512e Special Edition grand concert
With its short scale, compact body and warm, articulate voice, Taylor’s Ben Harper signature is an acoustic that rewards everything from delicate fingerpicking to bluesy bends
Guitar Center and Sweetwater bring your dream guitar closer than ever with massive savings on Fender, Jackson, EVH, and Gretsch - and that includes $200 off the Fender American Pro II Telecaster
From Fender classics, EVH signature models, and metal-ready Jacksons, you'll find healthy discounts on a range of Fender-owned brands at multiple retailers
Makers
Guitar Center wants players to test its “revolutionary” guitar design as the launch of its in-house brand draws near
"We’re looking for genuine players who are willing to share honest opinions…"
New video shows Les Paul’s home and workshop in ruins just before demolition: “It made me sick”
Guitar collector Perry Margouleff filmed the Mahwah property in its final days, while Les Paul’s son questions why preservation was never pursued
Behind the Beatles’ Abbey Road cover with Paul McCartney and its designer: “I thought, I’ve got to do this and get it out on Wednesday?”
As Sam Mendes re-creates the iconic image for his new Beatles films, we revisit how the original cover photo became an icon
Roger Daltrey says the Who invented metal before Black Sabbath
The singer says the Who's pioneering use of volume, feedback and Marshall amps laid the foundations for metal years before Black Sabbath arrived.
Fender serves a cease-and-desist to PRS, but does this latest target meet Fender’s copyist criteria?
PRS confirms it received a cease-and-desist letter over the Silver Sky — John Mayer’s massively successful signature model. But does this latest target meet Fender’s copyist criteria?
Studio legend Glyn Johns on Paul McCartney's shocking request to work on what became the Beatles' final album
The album’s roots live on as 'Let It Be,' but Johns says the rest of the band didn’t get McCartney’s “really interesting” idea
From Taylor Swift to Phoebe Bridgers and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy — how indie rockers came to adopt a guitar bridge born from parts in Home Depot's toilet aisle
Rubber-bridge guitars have changed the sound of acoustic guitar over the past 10 years. And it's all down to one man's invention
Lessons
How I use the Melodic Minor scale by Phi Yaan-Zek
Supercharge your soloing chops with Phi Yaan-Zek’s six Steve Vai-esque examples
“Here’s how to make your guitar sing…” Larry McCray Blues Masterclass
Learn these 13 examples that span across gospel inspired moans and bends, the Chicago shuffle and Larry Carlton's super arpeggio approach to soloing
Joe Bonamassa explains his trick for finding the guitars you’ll want to keep forever
The blues guitar star has amassed more than 600 guitars, from rare Les Pauls and Strats to a $400,000 Flying V. But he says the secret to finding a keeper is asking yourself one simple question
Music
"He said to me, ‘I really feeltired and worn out.'" Tony Iommi on his last call with Ozzy Osbourne
Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi on the last words he shared with Ozzy
Neil Diamond was fired five times before the Monkees scored a hit with his song “I’m a Believer”: “He was angry I’d given away a No. 1 hit”
Diamond nearly offered the song to a country star before the Monkees turned it into one of the biggest hits of the 1960s
Squeeze cancel concert after tour bus worker crushed in accident at Virginia venue
The group says it is working with the venue and promoter on a possible rescheduling
Billy Gibbons remembers late ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard
The guitarist said the trio will "keep on keeping on," even though he's now the last surviving member of the band's iconic classic lineup
Barbra Streisand recorded over 30 takes of “The Way We Were.” Nothing worked. Then the bassist tried something different
Session legend Carol Kaye says the song came alive the moment she ignored the written part
Alex Van Halen has been knighted
The Van Halen drummer returned to Nijmegen, where he spent his childhood with Eddie, to receive one of the country’s highest civilian honors
Jimmy Page on the Beatle who inspired Led Zeppelin’s most beautiful song
George Harrison’s complaint inspired Page to borrow one of his melodies — but there’s a James Taylor connection there as well
