Prime Day guitar deals 2026: handpicked early deals and buying advice
Cut through the noise ahead of Amazon's big sale to get to the early price drops on guitars, amps, pedals, and more, guided by Guitar Player's gear experts
Guitarists
“They said I couldn’t follow ‘American Pie.’ I heard two years of this crap.” Don McLean on proving his critics wrong
He was told he’d be a one-hit wonder, but the tunesmith is going strong — and still holding the keys to his empire
As he approaches 90, guitar legend Buddy Guy prepares to return to the road with the BG90 tour
Three years after retiring from the road, Guy is still out there and has no plans to stop
“I won’t name any names... but I think those people missed my point.” Eddie Van Halen had a blunt critique of his imitators
The rock pioneer said his followers stripped the soul out of his guitar innovations and helped usher in the 1990s disregard for guitar virtuosity
“Oh my god — I ruined my guitar!” Brian Setzer on the night a stunt went wrong and destroyed the rockabilly star’s beloved ’59 Gretsch
The Stray Cats star says he watched in horror as his prized 6120 snapped in two during a show in Japan
“For a minute he thought, ‘They just both died tonight.’” Gregg Allman nearly died the same night Duane was killed, a new documentary reveals
A harrowing account in Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul details how a heroin overdose nearly claimed both Allman brothers on the same night in 1971.
Gear
Randy Rhoads’ constant practice drove Ozzy Osbourne crazy. The solution? A tiny pedalboard designed to please them both
A unique feature were the "Ozzy Jacks," added at the singer's insistence
“Chuck Berry, he wrote the lyrics, baby!” Inside Bruce Springsteen’s star-studded 250th anniversary jam
Sheryl Crow, Gary Clark Jr. and an army of guitar legends joined the Boss for a historic, multi-night concert honoring the songs that shaped America.
Best tube amps 2026: my top valve amplifiers for home, studio, and stage
From low-wattage bedroom-friendly rigs to gig-ready classic combos, I’ve personally tested these six awesome guitar amps to find the ultimate tube tone for serious players
We review Solid State Logic’s SSL 1 portable USB-C audio interface
Designed for beginners, mobile musicians and content creators, the SSL 1 packs the company’s renowned audio quality into a compact and affordable unit
Guitars
“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
Vince Gill tells how a tragedy brought him his prized 1959 Gibson Les Paul ’Burst
In a 2017 interview with Guitar Aficionado, the country-rock six-string ace revealed how a sad and deeply personal twist of events brought a prized '59 Les Paul into his life
“A Beatle touched it.” The vintage charms of Watkins’ Rapier guitar line enticed George Harrison. I understand why
This under-appreciated vintage gem is a clean-tone machine — and (for now) a bargain on the vintage market
“An inspiring guitar to handle just about any style.” We review the Gretsch Streamliner Hollow Body electric
With eye-catching style, lively acoustic resonance and versatile BT3S pickups, Gretsch’s Streamliner Hollow Body delivers classic tones and impressive performance for the price.
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 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
Rita Coolidge says Eric Clapton owes her a writing credit for one of the most celebrated songs in rock
The Grammy-winning singer helped pen the piano coda that closes "Layla," but was never credited despite her pleas to the guitarist
“I said, ‘How come you didn't use these!?’” Steve Lukather says Eddie Van Halen’s unreleased recordings left him stunned
Lukather says the unreleased recordings are completed performances by both Van Halen brothers — not scraps being pieced together after the fact
