Latest articles by Jackson Maxwell
“Slash came in with the riff, and I got behind the drum kit... we got it down real quick”: Lenny Kravitz breaks down 5 of his classic songs
High-octane collaborations, sudden, manufacturing-halting bursts of inspiration... the stories behind these songs are as eclectic as the tunes themselves
“Premium sound for everyday playing without the hassle of amps, pedals and computer interfaces”: With the Katana:GO, Boss has entered the headphone amp market with a bang
The pocket-sized unit features 10 amp models, access to Boss's formidable effects library, and a “stage feel” control that allows users to position the amp's sound in different places in the sound field, “giving the impression of playing with a backline on stage or jamming in a room with friends”
“Elvis loved the way we took his stuff and went into another dimension with it”: James Burton on his time with Elvis Presley, and the origins of “Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building”
Burton – a major influence on classic rock guitar luminaries like Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Brian May – was held in very high regard by Presley
“I picked up my Fender and thought, ‘How the hell did I ever play this?’”: Jeff Beck once said “there was no turning back” to the Strat – here's why he eventually did just that
Never one to creatively and sonically stand still, Beck – just as he had with the Strat – eventually grew dissatisfied with what he saw as the Les Paul's limitations
“What we all used to dream a guitar shop should be”: Gibson opens new Gibson Garage London flagship store in star-studded fashion, unveils new Jimmy Page signature 1971 EDS-1275 double-neck guitar
Kicking off its impressive new UK flagship store with three of the greatest guitarists of all time, Gibson also announced a partnership with Jimmy Page, which will reportedly see the two work together on a series of models
“I thought I'd mastered the 7-string after a week of sitting and practicing... then I went to a Korn rehearsal and stood up – My whole week of practicing sitting down was for nothing”: Brian Welch on his 7-string journey, and his unusual playing posture
The Korn guitarist struggled initially to find his way around the 7-string in a performance-like setting. Though he would overcome his initial difficulties, their impact on his style was permanent
“You wouldn’t hear his influence in my earlier recordings... but on the David Lee Roth album and as my hands got weaker, you can hear a little more Eric Clapton in my notes”: How Jason Becker's light-speed style was forced to evolve as his ALS progressed
As the '80s ended and the '90s began, changing tastes in the guitar universe, the tasks of a new gig, and the tragedy that would forever transform Becker's life would force the guitarist to look back at early lessons he learned from a blues master
"I was criticized for sounding too much like Creedence... Every time I’d get into a groove, a little gremlin would pop up and say, 'You can’t sound like that or I’m going to sue you'": John Fogerty on double-stop solos, and bizarre legal battles
Fogerty's headline-grabbing court fight with his ex-manager caused his songwriting inspiration to "wither and die," he tells GP in this archival interview
"I showed Eddie Van Halen some of what I had to learn in order to pull off Frank’s music... Eddie said, 'Who would've thought that you'd be giving me a guitar lesson!': How Dweezil Zappa took EVH inside his father's playing, and left him in awe
In this vintage GP interview, Dweezil also reflected on the idiosyncratic nature of his father's soloing, and how the elder Zappa worked around his technical limitations
"I was playing an ES-335 before we got signed, but the guys said, 'Come on, you look like Roy Orbison' – this little punk kid playing a Ted Nugent axe": Why Eddie Van Halen left Gibson's famed semi-hollow behind, and how he would've built his ideal ES-335
"When I pick up a stock 335, you probably wouldn't even recognize my playing," the late guitar legend told GP in this classic interview
Ever wanted to play guitar in the Smashing Pumpkins? The alt-rock legends are taking applications, and anyone can throw their hat into the ring
To replace the departing Jeff Schroeder, Billy Corgan and co. are casting a wide net – a very, very wide net
"When you leave a 12-string neck open and play on the 6-string neck, you get the 12 strings vibrating in sympathy, like an Indian sitar. I use it on Stairway to Heaven like that": How Jimmy Page brought the studio magic of Stairway to the stage
Not only did the Gibson EDS-1275 make performances of Led Zeppelin's trademark eight-minute epic possible in the convenience sense, it also added another dimension to the iconic song's sound
"It will be worth the wait": The design of MXR's still-in-development Randy Rhoads Distortion+ pedal has been revealed
Outfitted in a black-and-white polka dot finish – based on that found on Rhoads' iconic Karl Sandoval Flying V – the pedal was molded in part by MXR's extensive dissection of the guitarist's famous “chip pan” pedalboard
U2 in a box? MXR goes for "atmospheric perfection" with new Joshua Ambient Echo delay pedal
Though its name gestures to U2, MXR promises that the Joshua can conjure “tonal trips out of the ’60s and ’70s” in addition to the “ethereal ambience of the ’80s” you'd expect
"A sports doctor looked at it and he was laughing at me": Steve Morse reveals how his struggle with arthritis has transformed his technique – and the nifty mod he made to limit the damage to his picking hand
"Rather than roll over and die, I’m like, ‘No, I still want to play,’” the Dixie Dregs, Kansas, and Deep Purple maestro explains
The biggest, fattest, chunkiest Cyber Monday guitar amp deals: save up to $1000 on Bad Cat, Marshall, Mesa/Boogie, Kemper and more
Here be monsters: There are some huge savings on heavyweight guitar amps this Cyber Monday. Here are the deals that are still live…
Steve Lukather: "I realized it was okay to play a bad note when I saw Larry Carlton six years ago. He broke his E string, and everybody was like 'Oh, no.' Then he took his clippers and clipped off the B and G strings and played a killer solo!"
In this classic GP interview, the session guitar and Toto king reveals how Carlton (especially his work on Steely Dan's Royal Scam) changed his view of what was possible within the confines of rock guitar playing
Fender Enters the Multi-Effects Market with a Bang with Feature-Packed Tone Master Pro Floor Unit
The Big F has taken the fight directly to Line 6 and Neural DSP with a pedal packed to the brim with immaculately-engineered features – including the first-ever brand-approved EVH amp model.
"B.B. King Had a Left Hand That Could Do Things That Were Not of This Earth. I Knew I Could Never Do Any of That": Blues Legend Buddy Guy Explains How Learning What He Could (and Couldn't) Do from His Guitar Heroes Shaped His Unique Style
While taking cues from some of his heroes, Guy also made sure that he simultaneously developed his own voice on the instrument, saying "I’ve got to do something different from them or I’m done for."
60 Years on, The Rolling Stones Are Still Going Strong. Hear Their New Single, "Angry"
The oh-so-Stones-y tune is the lead single from 'Hackney Diamonds,' the band's first studio album of new material in almost 20 years.
Kim Thayil's Signature Guild S-100 Polara Has Finally Arrived
The Soundgarden man's new signature is available in ultra-limited, US-made and assembly-line versions, with both featuring a number of unique appointments.
Peter Green’s 1962 Silvertone Speed Demon Recently Showed Up on Reverb – and Was Quickly Snapped Up
Said to be in “amazing” condition, the vintage six-string features a trio of Speed Bump-style soapbar pickups.
G&L Unveils Two Espada HH Models, Featuring a New Twist on a Lost Leo Fender Design
These new Espadas swap out their predecessors' split-coils for a pair of humbuckers.
