Sammy Hagar on the song Eddie Van Halen loved, Alex Van Halen rejected — and later regretted he passed up
Originally dismissed during early sessions, “Eagles Fly” was later revived by Hagar and Eddie Van Halen for his first Van Halen–era solo album
Guitarists
Paul McCartney on John Lennon’s accidental acid trip during a nighttime recording session
McCartney says the band was happy to see if Lennon’s altered state created studio magic. On this night, it nearly ended in catastrophe
Joe Satriani says Sammy Hagar has him beat in one aspect of guitar playing
As the Best of All Worlds band heads to Europe for July dates, Satriani says Hagar's greatest strength as a guitarist comes from thinking more like a lead singer than a shredder.
Buddy Guy on the endorsement that helped him more than any record company
The blues legend reflects on learning from Muddy Waters and B.B. King, inspiring Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, and why authenticity matters more than originality
Gear
10 mega sales in this weekend's massive 4th of July guitar blowout with discounts hitting up to 60% off
I've found all of the best sales for guitarists to help celebrate the 4th of July weekend
Best electric guitar strings 2026: freshen up your sound with some new guitar strings
Get your guitar playing to its potential with our pick of the best strings for electric guitar
Best delay pedals 2026: my top picks from slapback to space-age soundscapes
Make your tone massive with our pick of the best delay stompboxes from Line 6, Boss, Strymon, and more
Missed out on the Prime Day deals? Here are 26 guitar gear deals that are still live right now
If you were out of the loop for Prime Day, there are still some great deals you can pick up
Guitars
Thomann sues Fender over S-style cease-and-desist to take on fight for smaller manufacturers
The retailer says it is stepping in on behalf of makers as Fender seeks to enforce copyright claims tied to the Stratocaster body shape.
Lenny Kravitz on the desperate deal that gave him his number-one guitar
The guitarist learned vintage-guitar hunting from Tom Petty and Mike Campbell. Then a chance parking-lot encounter landed him a ’53 Goldtop conversion that's appeared on every album since Are You Gonna Go My Way.
We review the Martin D-18 and D-X2E Molly Tuttle acoustics
Built for Tuttle’s precision flatpicking and clawhammer techniques, these two dreadnoughts are aimed at very different budgets
“It felt too good to believe, so I bought it.” How a $175 Rickenbacker made Peter Buck a lifelong Rick devotee
The R.E.M. guitarist was looking for a cheap replacement after his Telecaster was stolen. What he found instead helped shape the sound of American alternative rock
“The best guitar Breedlove has sent my way in more than a decade.” We review the Breedlove Roots Concert SRe acoustic-electric
Built in Bend, Oregon, the new Roots Concert SRe combines articulate rosewood tone, comfortable modern playability and stage-ready L.R. Baggs electronics
Calling all flat-top fanatics! Guitar Center just launched the ultimate acoustic guitar sale with an impressive 30% off super strummers from Taylor, Martin, Gibson, Yamaha, and more
Time to save big on acoustic guitars with the awesome sale over at Guitar Center
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
Makers
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
Recording engineer Glyn Johns on why he never used click tracks when working with the Stones, Beatles, and Led Zeppelin
He’s recorded and mixed seminal records by some of rock’s biggest artists, and click tracks were always left out in the cold
Tommy Emmanuel reveals everything you need to know about his upcoming Guitar Camp U.S.A.
Presented by Dreamcatcher Events this October, the camp is a hands-on learning experience unlike any other, featuring the acoustic virtuoso and other noted guitarists
Lessons
DADGAD for Dummies: You already know 50 percent of this tuning
With its evocative and enigmatic sound, DADGAD is one of the guitar’s best-kept secrets
Warm-Up Time: 11 Guitar Exercises That Will Help You Play Even Better
Here are 11 ways to get your hands and fingers ready for action, both off and on the guitar
"Breathtaking bends!" Acclaimed European instrumentalist Marcus Deml delivers a string-bending master class
Expand your blues, rock and fusion licks with Deml's expressive string-bending examples
Music
Win tickets to see blues-rock prodigy Taj Farrant perform at Guitar Player Present in Northern California
The 17-year-old Australian sensation appears at the Hopmonk Tavern in Novato on Friday, July 10
How John Lennon’s murder inspired one of Mark Knopfler’s most personal songs
The Dire Straits leader drew on his experiences with an obsessive fan who followed him from show to show — but it took him 16 years to finish the song
Win tickets to see Charo in concert in Northern California
The flamenco guitar goddess performs at the Orinda Theatre in Orinda, California on Saturday, June 20
"It was tense... then he waved his magic wand." Andy Summers reveals the Beatles connection that saved the Police's biggest album
When a screaming match threatened to destroy Synchronicity, a desperate hike across a Caribbean island to find legendary Beatles producer George Martin changed everything
Mike Campbell on his studio secrets, channeling Jimmy Page, and what “terrifies” him about the Heartbreakers’ catalog
Fresh off his best-selling memoir, Tom Petty’s legendary chief lieutenant and the band he calls “my go-to project” return with ‘Mission of Mercy’
“What the heck is a demo?” How Sylvester Stallone accidentally created one of rock’s biggest hits
Survivor guitarist Frankie Sullivan reveals how a rejected Queen song, a broken guitar, and a confused action star birthed "Eye of the Tiger," released on this day in 1982
“Chris said, ‘See, you don’t need me at all.” Kim Thayil recalls Chris Cornell’s final hours
As he releases his new Soundgarden memoir, the guitarist shares painful memories of Cornell’s last show and offers an update on the band’s long-awaited final recordings
