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February 2025

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28 articles

February 10
- “Think you’ve heard the most jaw-dropping hardcore blues solos of all time? We don’t think so.” Guitar Player presents 50 badass blues guitar solos you must hear
- "It's a steal, but since it’s the only one, who knows how it might appreciate?" What do you get when a car designer builds a guitar? Our intrepid guitar hound goes in search of his next six-string oddity
- "He was everything I hoped he would be. I'll never ever forget that.” Alex Lifeson recalls the thrill of meeting his guitar hero, Jimmy Page
- “You’d be surprised how hard it is to find a big rock electric guitarist playing rhythm in tune.” Steve Vai says he's “admired” this guitar player “for quite a while.” Now they're playing together
February 9
- “I’m going to introduce readers to the concept of the Golden Goose. It’s happened to quite a few people, and in 2000 it happened to me.” Joe Bonamassa says he's played over 3,500 shows. This was his worst
- “The guys had big smiles on their faces, like, ‘What did you do?’“ Elliot Easton talks us through his guitar solos on “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Just What I Needed” and three other classic cuts
February 8
- “I felt like this band was created for me and for everything I was looking for.” Nels Cline on the Allman Brothers Band, the Byrds, John Coltrane and the 10 albums that changed his life
- "Tommy Bolin's Les Paul had to go. The first black Stratocaster ever made had to go." Joe Bonamassa gives an update on the Nerdville guitars following the L.A. fires and lays out his plans for handling future catastrophes
February 7
- “Stevie had this superstition about numbers.” Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar and amp secrets are revealed in this deep dive into his gear and tone
- “When I saw this 'Let It Be' footage, I noticed how easy it looked to play.” Paul McCartney on why he pulled his Höfner bass out of mothballs after ignoring it for nearly two decades
February 6
- “ZZ Top didn’t just happen upon becoming a trio because it was easier; it’s a lot more challenging.” Billy Gibbons explains the role Cream and Jimi Hendrix played in the creation of ZZ Top
- “He just didn't want to do it, so he came up with the most ridiculous suggestion.” Joe Satriani reveals that a G3 tour with Jeff Beck nearly happened – only for him to pull out last minute and suggest Prince filled his spot
- “I've experienced everything, but this was a different level.” Rudy Sarzo on the differences between Ozzy and Dio — and the Dio rarities tour that never was
February 5
- “He was the whole package; I learned a lot from that.” Eric Johnson on the one thing that took Stevie Ray Vaughan’s playing to the next level
- “In my head, I could hear it as a monster.” Tony Iommi on the moment he instantly composed “Iron Man,” calling it one of two Black Sabbath songs he relates to
- "I remember thinking, Why didn’t anybody tell me that you could do that with a guitar?" Nita Strauss opens up about the support of her guitar hero, Steve Vai, and her hopes to inspire more female guitar players
- “This will be the greatest heavy metal show ever!” The original Black Sabbath lineup will reunite for one final show with Ozzy Osbourne, with guests to include Metallica, Slayer, Pantera and an all-star supergroup
- “Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore and Jimi Hendrix were great at writing them. Now the guitar riff has disappeared from popular music." Dweezil Zappa laments the absence of riffs in modern music and what it means for future guitar players
- “George said, ‘No, I’m playing rhythm. You’re playing lead.’” Peter Frampton recalled the shocking recording session that led him to perform on George Harrison's 'All Things Must Pass'
February 4
- “It sounded like an angry wasp. It didn’t have any depth or articulation.” Brian May details his disastrous experiment with a Marshall stack — and how Jimi Hendrix showed him up with it
- “It started with the lick — just fooling around on the guitar. And I thought, ‘That could turn into a song!’” He kickstarted 1970s power-pop with a Gibson SG, a rented acoustic and a gem of a song that remains a classic
- “I had him mix some paint there on the spot, and finally we came up with Fiesta Red!” With one decision, Fender increased the desirability — and future value — of a select few guitars
- “It's the sound you recognize when you hear 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away.' ” John Lennon’s legendary Framus 12-string gets an official reissue just months after its landmark sale
February 3
- "When it comes to playing, if you do it well and keep at it, somebody is going to appreciate it.” B.B. King on the night in 1967 when he jammed with Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix in New York City
- “They said if I told anyone, they would deny it.” Ritchie Blackmore got the loudest amp Marshall ever made. All he had to do was keep two secrets
February 2
- “I can play so funky it bring teardrops to your eyes.” John Lee Hooker told us how the blues is supposed to be played — with each foot tapping to a different beat
February 1
- “John learned upside down too, because of me.” Paul McCartney said necessity made him and John Lennon learn to be ambidextrous guitar players
- “I was trying to figure out what my sound was going to be. I didn’t have an answer until I heard 'Maggot Brain.'” Grace Bowers on Funkadelic, Leslie West and the 10 records that changed her life