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May 2024

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53 articles

May 31
- “My hands are the true story of my personality. One hand looks glamorous, and the other is a real worker with broken nails”: Heart's Nancy Wilson on rhythm guitar, and the mistake acoustic players often make when playing electric
May 30
- “When Bob Dylan went electric, this Telecaster was one of his most crucial weapons”: Robbie Robertson’s heavily modified Telecaster, played by Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton, sells for $650,000
- “Fender saw the indented pickguard and said, ‘This isn't good for you’”: John 5 played his “Goldie” Telecaster so much that Fender feared for his health
- “Today’s unprecedented sale is a testament to the timeless appeal and reverence of the Beatles' music and John Lennon”: John Lennon’s rediscovered Framus 12-string becomes one of the most expensive guitars to ever sell at auction
May 29
- “Alex and I were looking for one of Gordon’s songs that might better suit our style, and we found that in The Way I Feel”: Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee make surprise appearance at Gordon Lightfoot tribute concert
- “My live rig doesn’t work; Van Halen is a different animal”: Is Joe Satriani ditching Ibanez for the upcoming Best of All Worlds tour?
- “He exemplifies everything Les Paul was about and wanted to accomplish”: Peter Frampton to be honored with Les Paul Spirit Award
- “He’d put his right hand onto a fret and make this beautiful singing sound... I said, ‘I’m going to nick that!’”: The guitarist who inspired Brian May’s tapping techniques reflects on pivotal chance meeting
- With an epic up to 40% off, Positive Grid’s Father’s Day sale is the best place for smart amp and software savings
May 28
- “An exclusive finish for three timeless models”: Gibson has given some of its most iconic guitars a striking new look with exclusive Dark Purple Burst finish
- “It had been sawed straight down the middle. My grandfather said, ‘Good riddance, get it out of here’”: Ben Harper’s grandfather sold Woody Guthrie’s wildly modded Martin on the cheap because he didn’t know it belonged to the folk legend
May 27
- July 2024 Guitar Player lesson audio
- “We made suggestions and Roger made suggestions – I didn’t care for Roger’s suggestions. In the end, I thought, ‘We’re Pink Floyd and he’s our guest’”: David Gilmour reflects on Syd Barrett, and Pink Floyd's Live 8 reunion
May 24
- Sweetwater has the biggest pedal sale around this Memorial Day – here are 5 top picks from a stompbox expert
- “Me and Pete Townshend had a rivalry to see who could get the loudest. We kept pushing Jim Marshall to make amps with more watts and volume controls that went up to 12!” Ronnie Wood on the early days of Marshall, and his loudness war with the Who
- Guitar Center's epic Memorial Day sale includes $200 off a Gibson Les Paul and $150 off a Martin Dreadnought
- “Inspiring gear that connects acoustic players to pandemic era developments, novel innovations, and commemorative celebrations”: From single-cut stunners to busking Swiss army knifes, a round-up of 2024's hottest acoustic gear
May 23
- “Designed to meld with the city's pulsating artistic energy... sparking inspiration in the upcoming generations of musicians”: Guitar stars unite for the grand opening of Fender's new Nashville HQ
- “Finding a live recording with Little Richard and Jimi Hendrix is akin to discovering a musical holy grail”: A rare live recording of Jimi Hendrix and Little Richard covering The Beatles is up for auction
- “The white Falcon is such a versatile, beautiful guitar... but we wanted to add some pizzazz”: Country star Orville Peck becomes Gretsch's latest signature artist with sparkling new signature Falcon
- “Not only is it a classic from the maker’s ‘golden era,’ but it wears a rare Bonni Pink finish that comes with its own story”: The pretty-in-pink PRS Custom 24 “Bonni Pink” guitar is a stunning example of Paul Reed Smith's cornerstone model
- “Taking guitar ambitions to the next level”: Boss ushers in the third generation of its flagship, seven amp-strong Katana line
May 22
- “Eric continued to be surprised at how a lower-cost acoustic could stand up to top-of-the-line guitars”: One of the “best-sounding” guitars Eric Clapton has ever played is set to be auctioned
- “From the first time I played through it, I was blown away”: David Grissom aims to rival his favorite vintage amps with new 15-watt signature PRS tube amp
May 21
- “It was terrifically ugly… but I plugged it into a Bassman and fell in love with it immediately”: Steve Hunter hated the look of his '59 Les Paul TV Special – but tonally, it was love at first strum
- “The honor of a lifetime”: Joe Bonamassa's “museum-grade” 1941 Martin acoustic has been reissued as his first Martin signature model
- “The sonic nostalgia and authenticity of yesteryear”: Friedman announces new Vintage Collection with the PLEX – a “sonic twin” of Dave Friedman’s favorite amp
- Grab epic guitar gear savings up to 40% off in the best-ever Musician’s Friend Memorial Day sale
- “I remember going to see Little Feat in the early ’70s, and Lowell George was using a brand-new guitar. If someone tells me a ’70s Strat is no good, I’ll say, ‘Well, here’s what I can do with it!’” Walter Trout comes to the defense of CBS-era Strats
- Save up to 30% on Player, Paranormal & Affinity guitars in Fender's massive Memorial Day sale
May 20
- “A rare combination of portability, playability, tone, and gig-worthiness... If you’re looking for a travel guitar, this one fits the bill”: Klos Grand Cutaway Mini review
- “Harry said, ‘Can you bring that acoustic you had on your first few records?’ I had given that guitar to my daughter... She fell on the floor”: Ben Harper borrowed his '50s-era Martin back from his One Direction fan daughter to use on a Harry Styles album
May 17
- “The extraordinary Larry Graham grooves and basically invents slap bass, while Neal Schon’s wah lines complement the lyrics”: Betty Davis's self-titled debut album is essential funk guitar listening
May 16
- “A three-in-one tribute to the best of British tone”: Carr Amplifiers' Bel-Ray excels at just about any vintage-voiced intentions a guitarist might have for a compact tube combo in 2024
- “When I told my father I wanted an acoustic guitar, he was thrilled about getting me an instrument that wouldn’t deafen the family, like my Les Paul and Twin Reverb”: With a spunky vintage National resonator, Tinsley Ellis has finally gone acoustic
May 15
- “That guitar went through a lot of different phases and changes... I kept changing it because I was tired of people copying my guitar”: Eddie Van Halen on Frankenstein, and why he never apologized for modding
May 14
- “The only way I could afford my ’66 Strat was to take the ‘66 neck off and sell it to a guy across the street, then go back to Manny’s and buy an ESP neck”: Marshall Crenshaw looks back on the making of his unsung, under-appreciated masterpiece, Field Day
- “I was on a mission to find the next big guitar hero. When I heard Yngwie, I knew that he was the guy I was looking for”: How Guitar Player's Spotlight column made Yngwie Malmsteen a guitar hero overnight, and sent neoclassical shred into overdrive
May 13
- “Give the guitar 10 years, 50 years, 100 years, and it progressively becomes more resonant and sounds better”: Santa Cruz Guitars' Richard Hoover explains the science of vintage wood and guitar tone
- “As soon as I started playing a Telecaster, I formed an instant connection with it. It’s like when you find the right person to marry. You just know”: John 5's top tips for beginner, and veteran, guitarists
May 10
- “Whenever you switch back to your pick, it’ll be even more fun to have its signature attack back”: There’s a reason everyone from Eddie Van Halen to Lindsey Buckingham and Mark Knopfler have made fingerstyle part of their repertoire
- “I trade licks with Joe on Funk 49; that’s enough for me – my head would explode if I had to go back and forth with Joe on a song like Hotel California”: Vince Gill on his role in the Eagles, and the wonders of playing with Joe Walsh
May 9
- “Allan Holdsworth is untouchable, unimpeachable... He is just the total king. I would build a shrine to him”: Meet Max Light, the jazz guitarist who loves John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Meshuggah in equal measure
- “Many young guitarists get discouraged because the comments sections on all platforms are somehow even more toxic than they were five or 10 years ago”: Slowly emerging from a hiatus, Sarah Longfield's ever-impressive playing is “more chill now”
May 8
- “I was the first guy at Studio One, and I played with everybody who came through. Bob Marley was a little boy when he cut his first tune there”: Ska, reggae guitar king Ernest Ranglin on the origins of the ‘skank’ style, and the early Jamaican scene
- Best guitars for kids 2024: Acoustic and electric models for your budding guitar hero
May 7
- “Efficient solutions to an issue that hinders pure tone: the tarnish, corrosion, and grime that accumulate over time on jacks and plugs”: Stedman PureConnect GP-2 and PK-3 cleaning kits review
- “From the mid ’70s through the early ’80s Frank used a rig that allowed for amp and effects switching and presets. He said he spent close to $30,000 dollars to develop it. That would be like $300,000 now!” Dweezil Zappa on Frank Zappa's futuristic setup
May 3
- "Conan O’Brien asked me: 'What do you consider your greatest contribution to music?' I said, 'Not singing.' I never had a good voice for singing, so I took it out on the guitar." An epic Duane Eddy interview by Bill Nelson
- June 2024 Guitar Player lesson audio
May 2
- “I was plugged into a souped-up Magnatone amp. It ran at 100 watts, and stayed clean and wouldn’t break up no matter how hard you hit the note”: How Duane Eddy wrote his twanging, game-changing instrumental smash, Rebel Rouser
May 1
- “The first rock and roll guitar god”: Instrumental guitar legend Duane Eddy has died at 86
- “I carried Ed’s guitar picks like a little old lady carrying her purse”: Eddie Van Halen loved throwing guitar picks into the crowd – but the simple act often had unintended consequences