Players Blue Öyster Cult's Buck Dharma on the stories behind (Don’t Fear) The Reaper, and other BÖC classics Less cowbell, more songs – the Blue Öyster Cult guitarist goes deep on the writing and recording of some of the band's greatest tunes How Amos Garrett and switching away from a Strat helped Glenn Tilbrook write Squeeze’s Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) Though most of Squeeze’s breakthrough US hit came easy for Tilbrook, its solo took the guitarist out of his usual comfort zone David Gilmour reflects on Syd Barrett, and Pink Floyd's Live 8 reunion “The years in what is now considered to be our heyday were 95 percent musically fulfilling and joyous and full of fun and laughter – and I don’t want to let the other five percent color my view of what was a long and fantastic time together” Latest Players Betty Davis's self-titled debut album is essential funk guitar listening By Jim Campilongo published 17 May 24 This oft-overlooked, and recently-reissued, album sprang from the early '70s Bay Area music scene, which featured some of the best funk ever played by human hands With a spunky vintage National resonator, Tinsley Ellis has finally gone acoustic By Gary Graff published 16 May 24 Though he often feels, when called to the stage to start a solo show, “like the executioner has arrived to take me to the gallows,” Ellis's new acoustic album, Naked Truth, finds the veteran guitarist right at home without accompaniment Marshall Crenshaw looks back on the making of his masterpiece, Field Day By Christopher Scapelliti published 14 May 24 With the help of producer-of-the-moment Steve Lillywhite, Marshall Crenshaw made the guitar album of his dreams. Critics, however, panned its production, halting his rising career. Four decades later, Field Day is finally being reappraised How Guitar Player's Spotlight column made Yngwie Malmsteen a guitar hero overnight By Matt Blackett published 14 May 24 “It wasn’t just the notes in his playing, but the energy and the attitude behind them,” tastemaker and Spotlight author Mike Varney told GP Meet Max Light, the jazz guitarist who loves Coltrane, Miles, and Meshuggah in equal measure By Bill Milkowski published 9 May 24 The Brooklyn-based virtuoso is unafraid to challenge himself – see his mind-boggling re-interpretation of Coltrane’s 26-2, and tunes so challenging he could only get through one take in the studio – but is nonetheless a “serial monogamist” when it comes to his beloved Collings Slowly emerging from a hiatus, Sarah Longfield's ever-impressive playing is “more chill now” By Andrew Daly published 9 May 24 Having recently served as an instructor at Vai Academy 7.0, the genre-blending, Strandberg-wielding innovator is set to take her playing in an entirely new direction Ska, reggae guitar king Ernest Ranglin on the origins of the ‘skank’ style, and the early Jamaican scene By Jimmy Leslie published 8 May 24 In a 2014 chat with GP, the pioneering six-stringer discussed his tonal preferences and guitar teaching philosophy, and the most beloved – and enigmatic – guitar in his collection "Like somebody trying to string telephone wire across the Grand Canyon…" Duane Eddy: My Career in Five Songs By Mark McStea last updated 3 May 24 His twangy guitar helped Duane Eddy travel across decades and genres. These are the top cuts from his long-running journey. "I never had a good voice for singing, so I took it out on the guitar." An epic Duane Eddy interview by Bill Nelson By Michael Molenda published 3 May 24 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… How Duane Eddy wrote his twanging, game-changing instrumental smash, Rebel Rouser By Mark McStea published 2 May 24 Needing an intro for his shows, Eddy – with the help of an empty 2,000-gallon tank – created one of the most influential guitar instrumentals of all time 123456789Archives Get The Pick NewsletterAll the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors MOST READ1“When Dr. Z founder and chief designer Mike Zaite tells you ‘I think this is the best amp I’ve ever built,’ it’s worth paying attention”: Dr. Z Z-80 Head review2“For the solo on Owner of a Lonely Heart, there were two amps facing each other about a foot apart”: How an unorthodox studio setup helped Trevor Rabin re-establish Yes with an improbable #1 hit 3“There's cool and then there's this”: Joe Bonamassa tracks down Lowell George's Dumble Overdrive Special after a 15-year search4“We’re thrilled to be back – in-person interaction is vitally important for the industry”: Fender will return to NAMM in 2025 5“I can still remember the audience being filled with people like Rod Stewart, The Beatles, members of the Small Faces... all of them were silent when Jimi was done”: Junior Marvin on seeing one of Jimi Hendrix's early UK gigs
Betty Davis's self-titled debut album is essential funk guitar listening By Jim Campilongo published 17 May 24 This oft-overlooked, and recently-reissued, album sprang from the early '70s Bay Area music scene, which featured some of the best funk ever played by human hands
With a spunky vintage National resonator, Tinsley Ellis has finally gone acoustic By Gary Graff published 16 May 24 Though he often feels, when called to the stage to start a solo show, “like the executioner has arrived to take me to the gallows,” Ellis's new acoustic album, Naked Truth, finds the veteran guitarist right at home without accompaniment
Marshall Crenshaw looks back on the making of his masterpiece, Field Day By Christopher Scapelliti published 14 May 24 With the help of producer-of-the-moment Steve Lillywhite, Marshall Crenshaw made the guitar album of his dreams. Critics, however, panned its production, halting his rising career. Four decades later, Field Day is finally being reappraised
How Guitar Player's Spotlight column made Yngwie Malmsteen a guitar hero overnight By Matt Blackett published 14 May 24 “It wasn’t just the notes in his playing, but the energy and the attitude behind them,” tastemaker and Spotlight author Mike Varney told GP
Meet Max Light, the jazz guitarist who loves Coltrane, Miles, and Meshuggah in equal measure By Bill Milkowski published 9 May 24 The Brooklyn-based virtuoso is unafraid to challenge himself – see his mind-boggling re-interpretation of Coltrane’s 26-2, and tunes so challenging he could only get through one take in the studio – but is nonetheless a “serial monogamist” when it comes to his beloved Collings
Slowly emerging from a hiatus, Sarah Longfield's ever-impressive playing is “more chill now” By Andrew Daly published 9 May 24 Having recently served as an instructor at Vai Academy 7.0, the genre-blending, Strandberg-wielding innovator is set to take her playing in an entirely new direction
Ska, reggae guitar king Ernest Ranglin on the origins of the ‘skank’ style, and the early Jamaican scene By Jimmy Leslie published 8 May 24 In a 2014 chat with GP, the pioneering six-stringer discussed his tonal preferences and guitar teaching philosophy, and the most beloved – and enigmatic – guitar in his collection
"Like somebody trying to string telephone wire across the Grand Canyon…" Duane Eddy: My Career in Five Songs By Mark McStea last updated 3 May 24 His twangy guitar helped Duane Eddy travel across decades and genres. These are the top cuts from his long-running journey.
"I never had a good voice for singing, so I took it out on the guitar." An epic Duane Eddy interview by Bill Nelson By Michael Molenda published 3 May 24 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…
How Duane Eddy wrote his twanging, game-changing instrumental smash, Rebel Rouser By Mark McStea published 2 May 24 Needing an intro for his shows, Eddy – with the help of an empty 2,000-gallon tank – created one of the most influential guitar instrumentals of all time