Joe Satriani on the “small realities” every player needs to hear
The guitarist dismisses the belief that speed is the be-all and end-all
Guitarists
Danny Cedrone recorded possibly “the best rock and roll solo of all time” – twice! – but a cruel tragedy meant that he never got to perform it
Danny Gatton said his playing “knocked him on his ass” and Brian Setzer calls it “the best solo of all time”: Danny Cedrone could have been rock’n’roll’s first guitar hero – but he didn’t live to see the impact he had
Neil Young on why guitar virtuosos and music schools doomed the future of rock — and why one note is enough
Long before social media made technical perfection a currency, Young argued that feeling — not flawless technique — was the true measure of a great guitarist
From Metallica playing in the Antarctic to Van Halen performing in a blizzard — here are the wild stories behind three of rock’s coldest concerts
Playing in subzero temperatures meant frozen fingers, failing tuning and some very unusual rules — including one gig where the audience had to wear headphones
Gear
Guitar Center just slashed up to 25% off high-velocity shred machines, iconic guitar amps, and legendary guitar pedals in this epic sale
The latest sale over at Guitar Center delivers seriously good deals for guitar players
We review the Mesa/Boogie Mark VII 1x12 Combo tube amp
Mesa's all-encompassing 3-channel tube monster delivers Fender cleans and Mesa high gain in a gig- and studio-ready 1x12 combo
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
Guitars
Best electric guitars under $1,000 in 2026: find your perfect guitar for less than a grand
Here are my top picks of the best electrics below $1,000 from Fender, PRS, Jackson, and more
"I hit it with a hammer…" J.J. Cale had one of the craziest guitars you'll ever see
When his Harmony acoustic was wrecked, Cale transformed it into a 'solid body' electric. With no back.
Best beginner electric guitars 2026: start your guitar journey with our pick of guitars for beginners
From Squier to Ibanez, here's our expert selection of the best electric guitars for beginners
A jaw-dropping $899 off a Gibson Les Paul Modern has just kicked off a wave of 4th of July guitar savings - here are 9 deals on guitars from a genuine Gibson and Epiphone addict
Score hefty discounts on a slew of Gibson Les Pauls, as well as Epiphone Joe Bonamassa, Jeff Beck, and Jerry Cantrell signature models
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
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
$99 for full access to Guitar Tricks online lessons is an absolute steal with this Summer Black Friday deal – especially if you’re a beginner
Save a huge $861 off this mega bundle and take your playing to new heights this year
Blues and Jazz Chord Masterclass! Learn the sweetest chords from world-renowned Gypsy-jazz guitarist Tim Lerch
Discover a wealth of dominant 7th, diminished and chromatically colored chords to bring variety and sophistication to your playing
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
Music
“Why didn’t I write that?” Noel Gallagher on the Coldplay song he wishes he’d written
As ‘Parachutes’ turns 26, the story behind “Yellow” reveals how a nighttime break, a busted piece of studio gear and a Neil Young impression produced one of the biggest songs of the 2000s
How one man used math to solve the Beatles’ greatest guitar mystery
Released on this day in 1964, “A Hard Day’s Night” has confounded guitarists with its famous opening chord. Here’s why no one was ever able to play it correctly.
”We need to make a live album.” Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman reveal the complete story behind rock’s definitive live album
Fifty years on this definitive album remains the gold standard of blues-based rock and roll.
“I cried for two years. I blamed myself.” Don McLean on the “unspeakable” death that haunts his iconic hit “American Pie”
The songwriter kept silent about the meaning behind the song for half a century
What Charlie Christian did with his reasonably sized toolbox was incredible. Here's what I learned
Charlie Christian's recordings with the Benny Goodman Sextet still reveal the ideas that shaped jazz, blues and rock guitar decades after his brief career ended
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
Ritchie Blackmore says a “brilliant” performance was lost during the making of Rainbow’s epic “Stargazer”
Inspired by an advance listen to Led Zeppelin’s unreleased ‘Presence,’ Rainbow aimed higher than ever on its 1976 masterpiece. Not everyone’s contribution survived the session
