Latest articles by Michael Molenda
How Andy Summers used chord fragments and an Echoplex to change the sound of rock guitar
The former Police guitarist told us how the group's evolution in the midst of punk led him to his breakthrough achievement as a singular guitar stylist
Brian Ray on the only time Paul McCartney and John Lennon got writer's block
“You have to remember,” Macca's longtime guitarist told us, “the Beatles did a record every six months”
Why Noel Gallagher overhauled his Oasis rig at the peak of the band's success
The hangover (sonically and otherwise) from Oasis's infamously overstuffed and overlong third album, Be Here Now, led Gallagher to pursue a wholesale transformation in sound
INXS's Tim Farriss on tonal touchstones, and that reality TV show
Speaking to GP about the studio rig he used for the band's then-new comeback album, Switch, Farriss cited his love for guitars both traditional and unusual for an arena-rocker
"I never had a good voice for singing, so I took it out on the guitar." An epic Duane Eddy interview by Bill Nelson
Back in 2012, we brought electric guitar pioneer Duane Eddy and visionary British legend Bill Nelson together for an epic interview. Topics covered include everything from meeting Elvis, swapping tips with Chuck Berry, pioneering a whole new playing style, and the idea of making a dark, ambient album…
“It’s tempting to look for more overdrive, distortion or feedback, but the volume control is what it’s all about. Just listen to Jeff Beck!”: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s Zal Cleminson on tone, Marshalls, and what he learned from his late bandleader
Scales might be a “mystery” to this underrated riff-master, but few guitarists of Cleminson's (or any) era can match his flair for the dramatic. In this classic interview, Cleminson takes GP inside his enviable tone
Bonnie Raitt: “I play the way I play, just like I sing the way that I sing. I’m not a schooled guitar player, and I can’t say I’m getting appreciably better, but I know how to do what I do. It’s the songs that change”
The legendary slide-master discusses how to find the right bandmates and collaborators, and reveals why the "loosey-goosey parts" of songs can be the most exciting, in this classic GP interview
Les Paul: "I Invented Multitracking, So I Know You Can Record Parts Separately, but I Don’t Do That... A Song Has to Have One Feeling – When You Punch in, You’ve Got One Feeling Over Here, Another in the Middle, and Something Different Near the End"
The late guitar pioneer discusses chasing the perfect sound (even at 90 years old), reading a story to audiences through his playing, and the unparalleled beauty of one magnificent note in this 2005 GP interview.
"I Kept Trying to Use Other Guitars, but Nigel Godrich Would Say, ‘You Know What We Should Try, Don’t You?’ ‘Casino?’ ‘Yep!’": Paul McCartney Reveals How He Fell Back in Love with His Epiphone Casino, and Transformed His Sound, in 2005 GP Interview
For the critically acclaimed 'Chaos and Creation in the Backyard,' McCartney was encouraged to abandon his Les Paul, but also found time to beef up his acoustic fingerpicking, and plug into his old Vox AC30.
"You Don’t Want to Play Like B.B. King or Somebody Else. You Want to Be You": Some Collected Words of Wisdom From B.B. King Himself
"Try to ‘borrow’ a little bit from each guy. And, like that, you become you," said the King of the Blues
“If You Want to Be Successful, You Have to Love What You Do:” EHX Founder Mike Matthews Reveals the Secrets of His Success
“The first thing with me is Electro-Harmonix, the second thing is fishing, and the third thing is the ladies,” says the pioneering effects builder
“Les Pauls, Teles, and Strats Restricted Me”: Joe Satriani Explains His Devotion to Ibanez Guitars
How the virtuoso’s creative horizon expanded with Ibanez
Three Ways to Get Terrific Speaker Cab Tones at Home
Enhance your home studio production with these expert recommendations
“I’m Very Much Into the Science of Building the Production Brick by Brick”: Caroline Jones Explains Why Production Elements Are Crucial to Songcraft
The country singer-songwriter reveals her secrets to studio success
“They Turned out to Be the Most Prolific Sessions I’ve Ever Done”: Jennifer Batten Explains How She Transformed a Session Gig Into a Starring Role
Melodic, unpredictable and jaw-dropping, the guitarist’s fiery solos on the ‘BattleZone’ LP elevated her name “above the title”
“You Have to Be Intuitive and Flexible”: Chris Cornell, Courtney Love and Pink Session Guitarist Pete Thorn Reveals His Go-To Gear
“It all starts with the tuner,” says the tone-obsessed YouTube star
“You Certainly Don’t Want to Be Looking for Commercial Success”: Andy Summers Reveals the Evolving Strategies That Keep His Creative Life Busier Than Ever
“You have to be very much engaged in the pursuit of finding new and unique ways to express your art,” says the Police guitarist
“If I Can Get That Live-Performance Spark Across in the Studio, I’m Very Happy”: Richard Thompson Talks Songwriting, Self-Production and His Fast-Paced Approach to Recording
Following the release of his latest solo album, ’13 Rivers,’ the guitarist spoke to ‘GP’ about his creative process and how to put together the perfect Frankenstrat
Andy Summers Tells the Turbulent Tale of ‘Zenyatta Mondatta'
Video How the Police battled a tight deadline and vanquished label interference to make the album that would turn them into international superstars.
“Hearing Yourself Too Well Is Almost as Bad as Not Hearing Yourself Well Enough”: Gretchen Menn Talks Stage Volume
The guitar sensation and winner of Martin and Guitar World’s No Limits Challenge shares some wisdom on amps, speakers, effects and earplugs.
“The Ultimate Destination for Guitar Players is to Create Heaven and Wonderment”: 5 Spiritual Lessons for Guitarists by Carlos Santana
We celebrate the Grammy-winning guitarist’s 75th birthday with this insightful interview extract from the GP archive.
“I Sit Down With an Acoustic Guitar”: Noel Gallagher Explains How Hit Records Are Made
The Oasis singer-songwriter and guitarist reveals his tricks of the trade in this classic interview from the GP archive.
Steve Hackett Reveals the Beatles’ Crucial Influence on Genesis
The guitarist discusses the progression of modern music and his own evolution as a musician.
