Forget broken guitars – what the TSA did to Vernon Reid’s pedalboard is something else
We’ve all heard horror stories about broken guitars on airplanes (thankfully less commonplace now you can bring them as carry-on luggage). But Vernon Reid faced…
Richie Sambora has a supersized blues soloing style – make your solos more melodic by learning his lead guitar tricks
Few bands have been as iconic and timeless as the great Bon Jovi. Bringing the 1980s era of hair metal to the masses with their…
His playing took Eric Clapton’s breath away and David Bowie called him the most exciting guitarist since Jeff Beck: how Stevie Ray Vaughan became a blues guitar hero
When the legendary Jeff Beck passed away in January, he was remembered as a player who epitomised ‘feel’ in just about every conceivable way. Summarising…
How to tell the difference between add chords and altered guitar chords
When you’re looking at the conventions for chord naming, it’s easy to become confused around sus, add and altered chords. Here we aim to demystify…
Dave Mustaine explains why "it's not really that hard to shred fast" and what makes his Gibson and Epiphone models impossible to tell apart
For Dave Mustaine, the last few years have seen the thrash metal icon rebound from knocking at death’s door to a cycle of continuous rejuvenation.…
Guitarists on TikTok are wrapping rubber bands around their strings – here’s why
TikTok truly is a goldmine for guitarists. Not only is it the home of serious players – an unassuming guitar teacher who wowed on America’s…
Taylor CEO Andy Powers has launched his own electric guitar company – and his first model looks like an absolute winner
Taylor CEO and President Andy Powers has established his very own electric guitar company called Powers Electric, and has launched his new venture with a…
My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields hid new music in a flash drive inside his signature Fender Blender pedal
Any fan of Kevin Shields, the pioneering but ever-mysterious electric guitar player for My Bloody Valentine, will know all too well just how rare a…
John 5, Nikki Sixx, Rob Halford and… Dolly Parton – metal's newest, and best, supergroup?
Last March, Dolly Parton announced that she was withdrawing her nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At the time, the…
This week’s essential guitar tracks: from a former Megadeth shredder’s Pink Floyd cover to Dumble-assisted slide brilliance
Hello, and welcome to a new Spotify playlist-embiggened Essential Guitar Tracks. As you may well know, every seven days (or thereabouts), we endeavor to bring…