The guitar gear secrets behind James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett’s tones on 72 Seasons
Greg Fidelman first worked with Metallica as engineer on the 2008 album Death Magnetic – a result of his long association with that album’s producer Rick Rubin. …
How Jeff Beck sparked Fender’s first Graffiti Yellow finish – and the Strat Plus design that helped revive its ’90s fortunes
UK auction house Bonhams has recently listed a 1986 Fender Stratocaster in Graffiti Yellow, previously owned and played by Jeff Beck. It is a guitar…
Tim Henson reveals how his rejection from Berklee inspired Polyphia: “I didn't have a back-up plan”
Some of the most influential guitar players have all attended the Berklee College of Music, with the prestigious music school boasting the likes of Steve…
This week's essential guitar tracks: alt-rock heroes return and a virtual metal band team up with a thrash legend
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…
5 ways to use DADGAD tuning
Not just the open tuning that’s most fun to say, DADGAD is also one of the most versatile guitar tunings. When you strum the open…
The worlds of reverb and tremolo come crashing together in Catalinbread's new Tremol8 pedal
Portland, Oregon-based pedal builder Catalinbread has unveiled an impressive new stompbox called the Tremol8. As you would expect from the name, this is indeed a…
Larry Graham on when you really need to use a 5-string bass
It would be fair to say that the majority of bass guitar greats have all used a 4-string for their entire career without ever touching…
Takamine GD34CE BLK review
Takamine acoustics need little introduction from us as their reputation for high-quality, road-warrior six-strings is well established. After arriving on these shores in the mid-’70s,…
Voyager’s Simone Dow on why “prog is perfect for playing at Eurovision” as she brings tech-metal solos to one of the world’s biggest stages
Historically, the Eurovision Song Contest might not always have made for essential viewing for those of a guitar-y persuasion. But this year, it’ll be worth…
How a Tom Morello attitude and madcap Kemper experimentation shaped Enter Shikari’s genre-smashing tech-forward guitar sound
On June 19, 2021, Enter Shikari headlined the Saturday night of Download’s 10,000-capacity Pilot Festival at Donington Park. After an excruciating 20-month battle with writer’s…