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November 2024

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75 articles

November 22
- "I took the top E string off. I originally wrote it on a guitar with four strings. I didn’t really know what I was doing’ ” John Rzeznik reveals how his odd alternate tuning resulted in a song that's reached 2 billion streams
- “People had so many crazy ideas about what the song meant. But it was complete B.S." His song about a killer and a haunted lake launched an urban legend. Thirty years later, some fans still think "Possum Kingdom" is true
- "There was a guy walking down the street, singing it at the top of his lungs. I thought, 'Wow — that song can be interpreted a whole different way.' " Warren Haynes explains the lucky break that led to his transformational take on U2's "One"
- “It took me months of searching through tens of thousands of photos. And there we had it: George Harrison at home with his collection of guitars.” An unusual guitar is at the center of a mystery about the Beatles' White Album, released 56 years ago today
November 21
- "It came down to saying, ‘Man, you’re playing better than I am. You gotta take the part.’ You gotta be honest with each other, or it’s just going to be crap.” Scott Gorham recalls finding his footing with Thin Lizzy’s 1976 classic “Emerald”
- “My lad will say, ‘You can’t play guitar like that,’ and I’m like, ‘Thank the Lord!’ ” Noel Gallagher’s son called him out because he can’t shred. His response was priceless
- “They can get on their rocket ship and don’t f***ing come back. Nobody wants to be me anyway.” Elvis Costello identifies what AI is really all about. And it isn't music
- “There's coughs, squeaks and rattles. If somebody got it wrong, you'd have to start all over again.” K.K. Downing on making Judas Priest’s 'Rocka Rolla' debut and the chance to finally fix its blemishes
- "He woke up with this insane screaming in his ears. I wanted to pack it up that day and send my amps home." Slash recalls how a jam with Jeff Beck nearly ended his idol's career
- JHS Pedals are already 25% off at Sweetwater and yes, it includes the brand new Flight Delay pedal
- With a massive 50% discount, these Walrus Audio savings are the best Black Friday pedal deals we’ve seen so far
- "The country a guitar is made in doesn't matter.” Guitar maker Paul Reed Smith tells guitarists the last thing they want to hear
- "Acclaimed Katana tones in a fun and inspiring amp for daily practice and jamming." Boss announces the new portable battery-powered Katana-Mini X guitar amplifier
- "I told the guys, ‘I’ll go out there and blow for about 60 seconds.’ I hit the first chord and my Marshall blew up.” Richie Sambora recalls the disastrous show that turned him into a pro
November 20
- "Simply one cool guitar from one of the hippest builders working these past two decades." The Rivolta Quadrata delivers a stylishly original take on a famous retro rocker
- Spend less and get more in Reverb's early Black Friday sales event - save up to 80% on second-hand gear
- “I got backstage and gave the watch back to him. He had a light — an aura or energy — about him." Guitarist Jim Suhler recalls meeting Stevie Ray Vaughan and the career-shaping advice he gave him
- “There are these strange coincidences. It’s kind of amazing.” David Gilmour weighs in on the longtime conspiracy theory that links Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' to 'The Wizard of Oz'
- “They were chasing success. I had my own vision, and after 'Strangers in the Night,' I split.” Michael Schenker brought UFO global fame. He had other plans for himself
November 19
- “He let everyone know he was the new dangerous kid on the block. It started me on a relentless mission to find out just who this man was”: Eric Clapton reveals the guitarist that inspired him to quit the Bluesbreakers and form Cream
- I’ve been playing guitar for 20 years – discover why I switched to Til guitar lessons and get $20 off your first lesson from a pro tutor
- "When you look at his 18-page discography, the enormous impact he and his guitar have had on the world of music becomes clear." Learn these 10 techniques that made Steve Lukather a legendary studio ace
- "I placed the DeArmond pickup near the bridge. I put a crushed cigarette packet underneath it. That helped to get that round sound.” Vic Flick, guitarist behind the iconic James Bond theme, has died. Read our historic interview with him
- Snag one of our favorite 3/4-sized acoustic guitars for only $99 this Black Friday with Taylor's superb Get One, Gift One promotion
November 18
- “Bobby came in and he went, ‘Da-da-da-da-da-da-da DUH-daaa!’ I said, ‘That’s the only thing you think I should do?’” George Benson tells how one small change turned the song “Breezin’” into an instrumental guitar sensation
- “Brent’s accident changed not only him but Mastodon. I feel like that was the last record we did as a band that was complete.” Guitarist Bill Kelliher says "things were never the same" after Crack the Skye. The reasons are complicated
- The Black Friday deals are reaching fever pitch, with Sweetwater offering up to 80% off big-name guitar brands - including $900 off a PRS!
- “He went through the paperwork, and when he looked at the serial number, the color drained from his face. He just looked ashen.” Vernon Reid reveals how a simple error resulted in his greatest guitar find
November 16
- “Listen, I’ve actually sat in a room with her and a guitar, watching those tiny hands finding all these weird jazz chords. She made it look so effortless.” Watch Amy Winehouse stun audiences with her voice and a Stratocaster
November 15
- “People disparage Gibson’s Norlin years, but my '72 SG has a classic tone. It comes down to how you play it.” Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein challenges lazy thinking about Gibson’s most notorious era
- "John Mayall called me up a second time. He said, ‘Don't hang up! I really am interested in having you in the band.' ” Coco Montoya explains how John Mayall turned him from a bartender into his Bluesbreaker guitarslinger
November 14
- “Everyone was hanging their heads, saying, ‘We’ve got to re-do it. Listen to this.’ ” Rich Williams recalls how his guitar picks ruined a day’s worth of playing on the biggest hit Kansas ever had. Even worse — he'd quadruple-tracked his guitar
- "He approached a dreadnought much like he did a Les Paul, attacking leads and muscling the strings to achieve bends and vibrato." These Allman Brothers songs explain why Dickey Betts was a legend on acoustic as well as electric
- “Rehearsal rooms are expensive in Los Angeles. So I decided to buy a boat. It’s way cheaper.” How one Grammy-winning guitarist, three Gibson ES-295s and a tiny ship became a formula for musical success
- "The luthier said, 'I've never seen one that had this penciling inside. It's a ground-zero Jazzmaster.’ ” Thurston Moore was gifted a vintage axe when Sonic Youth's gear was stolen. He had no idea how rare it was
- With up to 50% off stage-ready staples, Guitar Center proves its massive Black Friday sale is the place to shop for gigging musicians
- "It can get the really dark chewy sounds, the clean bright stuff... It will do everything if you just fiddle with the volume and tone controls." Joe Bonamassa reveals the one guitar he can't do without... and it's not a Les Paul
- “Brad said, ’Your Les Paul? I know where it is.’ He pulled out a guitar magazine with Slash's collection.” Joe Perry reveals the full story behind the Les Paul ’Burst he lost to the Guns N' Roses guitarist
- “An overdrive pedal this tiny is a bit ridiculous. Turns out, making it small also makes it pretty awesome.” Roughly the size of a nine-volt battery, the Cicada may be the world’s smallest effect pedal
November 12
- “There was a deadly silence for what seemed like ages after the song had finished. And then a thunderous applause engulfed the room.” Ralph McTell scored a hit with his classic “Streets of London.” It only took him 10 years — and three recordings
- Les Paul’s partner Mary Ford was a talented guitarist in her own right. At long last she’s getting her own signature Gibson Les Paul.
- Max out your amp modeling with a massive 75% Black Friday discount on this IK Multimedia Tonex and Amplitube 5 software bundle
- "I wrote out a list of things I wasn’t going to do: No Floyd Rose. No three notes per string. It was like, 'Let me see how much I can get away with this.’ ” Zakk Wylde explains his weirdly effective method for creative guitar playing
November 11
- “It started as a personal quest to make the smallest, lightest and loudest possible amp.” Fuchs' ODH hybrid tube/solid-state amp is a gig-worthy tone machine at an approachable price
- "Gorgeous, giggable and collectible." Taylor 50th Anniversary 858e LTD Grand Orchestra 12-string combines vintage glory with modern tech for a glorious playing experience
- “Every one carries a small oscilloscope front and center that displays the circuit’s effect on the waveform as you play.” Vox’s four new Valvenergy pedals put tube richness and compression in guitarists’ sight
- "Stunningly deep, great sounding and highly functional. Editors' Pick Award? Do you even have to ask?" Fractal's VP4 delivers much of what's in its big-brother powerhouse, the Axe-FX III, in a compact and price-friendly unit
- “I didn’t have a guitar or any paper, so I did the only thing I could. I sang the melody over and over so I wouldn’t forget it.” Warren Haynes reveals how one of the best-loved songs in the Allman Brothers’ catalog was almost lost.
- “The minute I figured out some alternate tunings, it was like the sky opened up. I even had two double-necks with capos and alternate tunings”: Rival Sons' Scott Holiday shares tips to help players get out of ruts
- “A lot of guitar players want to go in there and shred. I came up with a minor 9th arpeggio and put it over the cello. I approached it as if I was scoring a film.” As Trans-Siberian Orchestra revs up again, Al Pitrelli reflects on how it all began
November 10
- From a beginner-friendly SG to a classic ES-335 equipped with American hardware, this year’s Black Friday Epiphone deals just started hotting up thanks to Guitar Center
- “He said, ‘Count heartbeats and squeeze the trigger. It’s a kung fu trick.’ ” He was the secret weapon behind L.A.'s classic rock legends. Now they reveal the genius behind their favorite slide guitarist
November 8
- “I had this really nice old Strat I used for a lot of stuff. I loved Jimi Hendrix so much and I really liked the tonality of that guitar.” Chris Stein on Blondie’s hit “Dreaming” and its secret ingredient
- “I might have done better in the Bluesbreakers than in the Yardbirds. But I didn't want to be mimicking Chicago blues musicians forever." Jeff Beck said he turned down a spot in John Mayall’s group, only for Jimi Hendrix to nearly derail his career
- “Every guitar that had been in Jamaica had to be pulled apart and rebuilt because of what the humidity there did to the electronics.” Pedal legend Roger Mayer reveals how he perfected Bob Marley's guitar tone for 'Exodus,' his global breakthrough
- "I played this riff, and Phil said, ‘Do you mind if I write some lyrics to that?’ I said, ‘Are you kidding me? Hell, yes!’ " Scott Gorham tells how an offhand moment led to his favorite Thin Lizzy song, released 50 years ago
- “People always say I’m the Beatle who changed the most.” How playing sitar helped George Harrison become a guitar legend
November 7
- "I decided that I was going to write a song with a lot of chords. Nobody was doing that in rock and roll at the time.” Guitarist Robby Krieger reveals how breaking the rules resulted in the Doors' chart-topping hit
- "Purists say players like me are killing the guitar. But if evolution is bad, then guitar is dead." A master of fingerstyle percussive playing, Marcin might be the best thing to happen to acoustic guitar since Segovia
- “John Mayall said I was the best guitarist he’d heard since Eric Clapton. I tried to float on that.” Peter Green recalled talking his way into Eric Clapton’s Bluesbreakers shoes. That's when his struggles began
November 6
- Sweetwater just kicked off Black Friday early with the first ever reductions on the Boss' Katana Gen 3 amps
- "His daring note choices and diverse skills are what make him a master fingerpicker and flatpicker." Learn Travis picking, harp harmonics and 8 other techniques that make Tommy Emmanuel an acoustic tour de force
- Musician’s Friend go early on Black Friday with huge savings of up to 50% off music gear
- “He was an angel playing with the Prince of Darkness and I was just a kid. I was possessed — and obsessed.” Jim DeCola explains how he modded Randy Rhoads’ polka-dot V backstage just minutes before showtime
- "A 12-string acoustic sounds magical, but know what you're getting before you buy one." How to choose the 12-string acoustic that's right for you — plus a few interesting options on the standard format
November 5
- “Paul said, 'Ernie, if it were not for the Isley Brothers, the Beatles would still be in Liverpool.'” Ernie Isley tells how a chance meeting with Paul McCartney led them to perform the 1960s hit that helped launch the two groups to fame
- “I had to do something I've never really done before. I don't play like Lindsey.” Mike Campbell talks about replacing Lindsey Buckingham in Fleetwood Mac
November 4
- "Even though it took a couple calls to convince you it was actually me on the phone, you killed it." Quincy Jones, who died Sunday, never forgot his infamous phone call with Eddie Van Halen or the hit track they created
- “It’s a famous riff, and I have to admit, it’s hard to play. You have to be a real guitarist to do it well." How Andy Summers made a massive Police hit using a hand-wrenching guitar figure and a Telecaster with a mysterious history
- “We left that in because it captures what people want to hear from us. It felt so good to be playing together.” Warren Haynes talks recording with Derek Trucks for the first time in over 20 years on Gregg Allman's lost gem
November 3
- "That riff was the first thing we sat down and played and we were like, 'Oh, that's interesting. Let's build a song around that.' ” How I Prevail and All Time Low rescued their monster hit “Hate This Song” from the dustbin
November 2
- “I said to them, ‘Just play these three chords and follow me!’ And then — boom — it hit me: This is a classic!” It took guitarist Randy Bachman seven years to write "Takin' Care of Business." It finally came together at one nearly disastrous show
November 1
- "I wouldn’t normally be caught dead with one because I think they’re ugly. But that’s the only guitar I used." Mikael Åkerfeldt talks about his surprising choice of guitar for Opeth's latest album
- "My manager said did I fancy trying to write a song with David Gilmour? I was delighted to have a track on a Pink Floyd album." Exclusive: Hear Phil Manzanera's demo that became a Pink Floyd cut
- “We recorded fresh guitar parts to allow us to create new Thin Lizzy acoustic versions of some of our favorite songs.” Guitarist Eric Bell announces a new Thin Lizzy album with original unheard vocals from Phil Lynott