Joe Bonamassa Reveals Why He Switched From Strat to Les Paul, Explains What He Looks for in Guitars
Modern blues guitar master Joe Bonamassa discussed his guitar preferences and pointed out why he switched from Fender Stratocasters to...
What Made King Crimson Stand Out in the ’80s? Adrian Belew Explains
"It was a conscious thing. I personally really enjoyed that, because I thought it really did separate us."...
Joe Bonamassa Explains Why There Are Things ’That Can’t Be Taught’ in Music
"There are certain things that can be taught. And there are certain things that are just intrinsically in you."...
Joe Satriani Reveals One Thing He Doesn’t Like About All-Maple Necks
"I do like them, and I do use them on albums from time to time. They can be a bit bright."...
Whitesnake Guitarist Recalls How He Ended Up in Cher’s Band, Explains Why It’s Important to Play Different Styles
Joel Hoekstra, guitar maestro known for his work with Whitesnake, reflected on how he started playing for the legendary pop...
There’s One Thing That Modern Guitar Solos Are Lacking, Pro Bassist Explains: ’Everything Is Going Faster and Faster’
"I do sometimes miss hearing a simple melody played with feeling – just something you can't stop humming."...
Gus G. Recalls Why Sharon Osbourne Wanted Him to Re-Record an Ozzy Solo: ’I Just Think You Can Do Better’
Firewind guitarist Gus G. recalled how he had to re-record a solo for one of the songs he did for...
Steve Vai Explains Difficulties of Playing Robert Fripp’s Guitar Parts: ’I Don’t Know How He Does It’
"I just love the atmosphere it creates, holding tight to it. And then, when the beautiful melody comes on top of it, it brings it right to your living room. I m...
Paul Gilbert Explains What Helped Him Recreate Dio’s Vocal Parts on Guitar
Maestro Paul Gilbert discussed his recent Dio tribute album and revealed a few secrets of how you can perform vocal...
Zakk Wylde on Importance of Vibrato on Guitar: ’It’s Your Calling Card’
"I think you can teach somebody the technique of how to bend a string, but I think the rest of it is gonna fall on you."...
Mark Knopfler Says That His Guitar Playing ’Has Deteriorated a Little Bit,’ Adds That ’The Writer Part Is as Strong as Ever’
"If a song wants to be born, then I try to let it happen, but I think the playing has deteriorated a little bit."...
Joe Satriani Reflects on Teaching Thrash Metal Guitar Legends, Recalls Hearing Kirk Hammett’s Rehearsal Tapes
Being one of the most influential electric guitar virtuosos of all time, Joe Satriani reflected on being a teacher to...
Roger Glover Reveals How Deep Purple’s ’Smoke on the Water’ Really Came to Be: ’It Was Just a Jam’
"And it was just a jam, we didn't know what it was going to be. It was a mid-tempo with a kind of interesting riff."...
Yngwie Malmsteen Reveals Why He ’Didn’t Feel Good’ About Rock & Roll, Names One ’Trap’ Guitarists Easily Fall Into
"And very quickly, I realized that most rock 'n' roll consisted of five notes, and I didn't really feel good about that."...
No, Don’t Buy a New Pedal: Learn a New Melody Instead, Paul Gilbert Argues
"The next time that you want to buy a pedal, like an effect pedal — don't buy the pedal, learn another melody."...
Joe Satriani Names Neil Young Solo That He Considers to Be ’Shred’: ’It’s Not the Quantity That Defines the Shred’
"Neil Young did that one-note solo really well, so players who just fill it up with a lot more notes, it still has to be done well. It's not the quantity that d...
Paul Gilbert Names Best Thing About Being an Ibanez Artist: ’Such a Wide Range of Instruments!’
Guitar virtuoso legend Paul Gilbert reflected on his long-lasting relationship with Ibanez and revealed some of the best things about...
Herman Li Explains What Guitarists Often Get Wrong, Says That Machine Gun Kelly Is a Good Player
"But I'll tell you, he can connect with people in a certain way, that if I do a fast guitar solo, I cannot do."...
Guitarists Tend to Focus Too Much on Gear, Matteo Mancuso Says: Here’s What They Should Do Instead
According to the young and talented Italian guitar virtuoso Matteo Mancuso, guitar players these days are a little too focused...
Joe Satriani Names Difficult Aspect of Learning Eddie Van Halen’s Guitar Parts, Reveals Gear He’s Using for Van Halen Tone
Reflecting on his upcoming tour with Sammy Hagar, Jason Bonham, and Michael Anthony, guitar legend Joe Satriani revealed some of...
Mick Mars Reveals Why He Was Never Into Shredding: ’I Like Something That You Can Hum’
Former Mötley Crüe axeman also reflects on his feelings about grunge....
Ex-Iron Maiden Guitarist Reveals What It Was Really Like to Tour With Kiss, Recalls How Ace Frehley Played
Dennis Stratton was still a member of Iron Maiden when the band went on tour with Kiss back in 1980....
Steve Vai Explains Why He Stuck With Ibanez for So Long, Reveals Why He Didn’t Like Single-Coil Pickups
"So, a lot of these companies started and then lost interest, or they failed. But Ibanez had a history, they had a foundation, they were substantial, and they w...
Joe Bonamassa Reveals One Simple Upgrade for Modern Guitars, Explains Why ’Mystique’ Is Also Important
You don't need to spend a lot and you can significantly improve your guitar's performance....
Yngwie Malmsteen Shares Opinion on Jimmy Page, Says Angus Young Is ’Underrated’
"When it comes to straight-up rock 'n' roll where you mean every note you play, Angus is the man."...
’It’s Not in the Fingers’: Uli Jon Roth Explains How to Master ’Technically Difficult’ Guitar Parts
"The fingers, of course, are the faithful servants of the idea, but it's your mind more than anything."...
Herman Li Explains Why You Shouldn’t Focus Too Much on Shredding: ’Finding a Balance Is Always a Challenge’
"Like all the great young shredders, many new players have a certain mindset because shredding is so much fun."...
Joe Bonamassa Names Technique He’s Not Good at, Explains Downside of Internet for Musicians
Although one of the greatest living encyclopedias of blues and a guitar virtuoso in the genre himself, Joe Bonamassa admits...
Nita Strauss Names One Aspect of Eddie Van Halen’s Playing That She Always Tried to Replicate
Modern metal guitar shredder Nita Strauss reflected on some of the aspects of Eddie Van Halen’s musicianship that she’s been...
Ex-Iron Maiden Guitarist Reveals If He Regrets Getting Fired From the Band, Says He Introduced Them to Guitar Harmonies
"They still use the harmony guitar style, which they weren't doing before me. I'm very proud that whatever I took into Maiden, it's still there."...
’Guitar Is Lucky to Be Alive This Long’: Marty Friedman Addresses the Future of the Instrument
According to guitar virtuoso Marty Friedman, the guitar, as an instrument, is “lucky to be alive” at this point. There’s...
Joe Bonamassa Explains Why Old Guitars Aren’t Necessarily Better, Names ’Most Important Part of the Puzzle’ for Good Tone
Are vintage guitars really worth their price?...
Slash Recalls First Les Paul He Got With Gibson and How He Accidentally Broke Its Neck in Half
Slash's famed "Jessica" Les Paul has a lot of stories to tell....
Noel Gallagher Once Wiped Peter Green’s Signature Off a Vintage Les Paul: Guitar’s Current Owner Reveals Why
As it turns out, Noel Gallagher once deliberately wiped off Peter Green’s signature from an old Gibson Les Paul, which...
This Is the Main Difference Between Good and Bad Guitars, Paul Reed Smith Reveals
"The guitar is either shutting down a string or allowing it to ring."...
Zakk Wylde Reveals When He First Thought About Joining Pantera, Opens Up on Band’s Impact Today
The idea of a reformed Pantera goes a long way back....
Marty Friedman Points Out Why Playing Technique Shouldn’t Be a Goal, Shares Opinion on John Mayer
Although one of the most technically proficient guitar players out there, Marty Friedman points out that the pursuit of good...
Rob Trujillo Names Biggest Differences Between Playing in Metallica and Infectious Grooves
Metallica and Infectious Grooves seem to be completely different beasts with their own sets of challenges....
Gibson Releases Limited-Edition Custom Shop Jimmy Page Double-Neck, Price Is $50,000
Gibson brings exact replicas of Jimmy Page's 1969 EDS-1275 that were done using the company's "groundbreaking 3D scanning technology."...
Key Thing to Being a Successful Session Musician, Bass Legend Leland Sklar Reveals: ’You Have to Be a Chameleon’
The session bassist legend explains what he loves about this line of work, despite all the supposed challenges that he faces....
That Time Ace Frehley Had to Learn Eddie Van Halen Solo Note-for-Note, Gene Simmons Recalls
Gene Simmons reveals that Ace Frehley wasn't happy about this decision....
Some Guitarists Overlook This, but It’s Really Important, Matteo Mancuso Says
Italian fingerpicking virtuoso points out how important it is to listen to different musical styles and blend them in your own unique way....
Rob Trujillo Reveals What Metallica Members Think of Him Working Outside of the Band
What do Lars, James, and Kirk think of Robert Trujillo working outside of Metallica?(SPOILER: They're cool with it.)...
These Are the Best Guitars for Blues, Joe Bonamassa Says
What are the best blues machines? Here's what Joe Bonamassa had to say about that...
Testament Bassist Explains What He Loves About Ibanez, Recalls How He Started Using Their Basses
Testament's Steve Di Giorgio looks back on how he got into Ibanez...
Yngwie Malmsteen Almost Got Kicked From Tour With Triumph in the ’80s, Rik Emmett Reveals
"He was being sort of egocentric in what he was doing."...
Why You Shouldn’t Obsess Over Virtuosity, The Black Crowes Guitarist Explains: ’Don’t Lose the Human Element in Your Music’
"We don't have to be so uptight about everything being perfect"...
Being a Good Guitar Player Is Just ’Half of It’: John 5 Explains What Makes a Successful Musician
"I do try to keep everything in tune for the people - they wait a long time for the shows, they pay a lot of money, and I just want to give them the best show p...
’Get Rid of That, It Sounds Like Queen!’ Ex-Iron Maiden Guitarist Recalls Creative Disagreements With Band’s Manager
Ex-Iron Maiden guitarist Dennis Stratton recalls Rod Smallwood's reaction to his ideas for "Phantom of the Opera"...
Ex-Whitesnake Guitarist Addresses Coverdale’s ’Tongue-in-Cheek’ Lyrics, Explains What He Loved About the Band
Coverdale "could sing a kiddie song and make it sound like a rock song because of his delivery and his voice," says Adrian Vandenberg...
Core of Eddie Van Halen’s ’Brown Sound’ Was in His Hands, Joe Bonamassa Says: ’He Could Play Anything and Sound Like Him’
"First of all, it's in his hands. He could play anything, and it would sound like Eddie Van Halen."...
Herman Li Reflects How Guitar Hero Affected DragonForce, Reacts to Band’s Boom in Popular Culture
Herman Li looks back on how being featured in Guitar Hero affected Dragonforce's success...
Guitar Amplifiers Only a Tiny Part of Marshall’s 2023 Earnings, Company to Push for Digital Amps
What will we see from Marshall in the near future?Here's what the company's new CEO says....
Should You Use a Lot of Guitar Pedals? Answer Isn’t That Simple, Legendary Producer Steve Albini Explains
“It’s a trend,” Albini added. “I don’t really have an opinion about it.”...
What Makes a Good Guitar? Matteo Mancuso Explains: ’It Doesn’t Need to Be Expensive’
"You don't need to spend a lot of time finding the right wood for the fretboard or the right pickup combination"...
Teemu Mäntysaari Explains What It’s Like to Play With Dave Mustaine: ’He’s a Very Confident Guitarist’
Metal virtuoso Teemu Mantysaari shares some details on what it's like to share guitar duties with Dave Mustaine in Megadeth...
Amp Modeling Just Isn’t Good, Idles Guitarists Say: Here’s Why
According to Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan of the IDLES, modelers just aren't good enough...
’I Didn’t Know How to Capture My Guitar in a Big Way’: Steve Stevens Recalls Tone Issues While Making ’Rebel Yell’ and How Brian May Inspired Him
The guitar sound for Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" was inspired by Brian May, Steve Stevens recalls...
Zakk Wylde Explains Why He Prefers Active Over Passive Pickups
"There's no right or wrong, but if you have something you like, that's what you use"...
Bumblefoot Says All Digital Amps Today Are Good: ’I Can Do Things That I Couldn’t With Analog Gear’
"I don't feel like I've sacrificed sound quality in any way," Bumblefoot said...
Paul Reed Smith Explains Importance of Tonewood in Guitars, Says That Core of the Sound Is in the Player
"If you coat the whole guitar with GE clear silicone caulk, it's not going to vibrate very well, but the internet says it doesn't matter"...
Jeff ’Skunk’ Baxter Once Traded Guitars With Jimi Hendrix and Got in Trouble for It
Jeff "Skunk" Baxter recalls getting in trouble with his boss for trading guitars with pre-fame Jimi Hendrix...
Steve Hackett Recalls How King Crimson Influenced Genesis
Steve Hackett reflects on how Genesis were influenced by King Crimson back in the day....
Tech Explains John 5’s Super-Simple Pedalboard, Says He ’Doesn’t Need a Lot of Gain’
As it turns out, John 5 doesn't use high-gain amp settings...
Mastodon’s Troy Sanders Names His Go-To Distortion Pedal (and It’s Made By a Smaller Brand)
"I own a lot of different distortion pedals, and I bring out a different one for every tour"...
Mick Mars Opens Up on How His Condition Affects His Playing, Recalls How Jimi Hendrix Influenced Him
Mick Mars reflects on his struggle with ankylosing spondylitis and debut solo record "The Other side of Mars"...
Steve Vai Explains What Guitar Players Today Are Lacking: ’It’s Usually the Same Old Chord Changes’
"New players rarely venture into deep, rich, exotic, sort of unconditioned melodic and harmonic atmospheres."...
This Is What Robin Trower Did at Every Live Show (and So Should You), Producer Max Norman Reveals
Now, that's something that every live band should be doing...
Gibson and Jimmy Page Are Teaming Up for a New Guitar Series, First Model Announced
Gibson and Jimmy Page announce signature EDS-1275 guitar with more on the way...
Internet Is Making It More Difficult to Be a Successful Guitarist, Matteo Mancuso Says: ’You Need to Be a Musician and a Content Creator’
"We need to separate content creators from real musicians, let's say."...
Paul Gilbert Explains How He Approaches Teaching Students Guitar: ’I’ll Pretend They’re Robin Trower’
"I get to sit in the teacher's chair, which is generous of the student," said PAUL GILBERT, one of the finest guitar virtuosos out there...
Scott Henderson Names One Thing He Doesn’t Like About Vintage Strats, Explains Why Choosing a Distortion Pedal Is Difficult
"If you bend the strings, they tend to fret out. So you have to have the action a little bit higher than I like it."...
Session Guitarist Names One Thing Frank Zappa Was Really Good At, Reflects on Zappa’s Cynicism
Guitarist Mike Keneally looks back on what Frank Zappa was like...
Legendary Producer Addresses Jimmy Page’s ’Sloppy’ Playing, Names Jimi Hendrix’s Best Guitar Performance
coverdale "could sing a kiddie song and make it sound like a rock song because of his delivery and his voice," says Adrian Vandenberg...
Misha Mansoor Recalls How Periphery Wrote 17-Minute Song, Discusses Band’s Creative Process
How do you end up writing a 17-minute-long prog metal masterpiece? Misha Mansoor explains...
Steve Stevens Remembers What Eddie Van Halen Was Really Like, Recalls Playing Through Eddie’s Rig
"There was no secret sauce or something to being Eddie Van Halen"...
Rex Brown Recalls How He and Dimebag Darrell Got Pantera Material to Sound So ’Tight’
"I'd play with him, just guitars and bass, which sounds weird - but that was how we got it so tight"...
Mick Mars Explains How Prog Rock Inspired His Solo Album, Recalls How He ’Winged’ His Classic Mötley Crüe Solo
"I just winged it, actually," Mick Mars said while recalling his classic Motley Crue solo...
Steve Vai Was Never Into Classic Marshall Tone: ’It Needs to Be a Friendly Sound’
According to Steve Vai, the usual Marshall sound isn’t something that he was ever into. Although both Marshall and Steve...
Dave Mustaine Explains What Makes a Good Band Leader, Speaks Up on Working with Teemu Mäntysaari
"There's a lot of really good artists from the '80s - they just weren't allowed to really do their craft."...
Brian May ’Never Liked’ How Queen and David Bowie Collab Turned Out, Says It Was Supposed to Have ’Heavy Guitar’ Parts
As it turns out, "Under Pressure" was supposed to sound heavier...
Session Guitarist Explains Biggest Challenges and Importance of Humility in Improvisation
Humility is very important if you want to be good at improvisation, explains session guitar legend Mike Keneally...
Epiphone Continues Gibson-Style Headstock Streak With Adam Jones Les Paul: This Is the Price
Epiphone release Adam Jones's signature Silverburst Les Paul. And yes, it has the Gibson-style headstock...
Ibanez Almost Gave Up on 7-String Guitars, and Then Korn Happened: Steve Vai’s First Reaction to Nu Metal Pioneers Playing His Universe Series
"Ibanez was considering discontinuing it"...
Marty Friedman Says His Comments About ’Traditional Guitar Solos’ Were Taken Out of Context: ’Guitar Solos Are My Bread and Butter’
Marty Friedman clarifies comments from a recently published article: "Where does this stuff come from?"...
Lzzy Hale Explains What Makes Her New Kramer Signature Guitar So Special: ’I Love One-trick Ponies’
"This guitar has been a long time coming," Lzzy Hale said about her new Kramer guitar...
Brian May Admits That He Still Struggles With This Queen Riff Live: ’It Isn’t Natural’
"It's one of the most unnatural riffs to play you could possibly imagine"...
Famous Producer Names One Important Problem With Modern Musicians: ’No Idea About Dynamics’
"I can see there's a thousand of Yngwies, but there's only one Uli Jon Roth"...
Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher Reveals Why He Isn’t a Fan of Gibson SG and Flying V Guitars
"I don't trust a light guitar"...
Scott Henderson Explains the Importance of Recording Solos Live With a Band and Why ’Mistakes Are Cool’
"Sometimes, we do leave mistakes because the mistakes are cool. We like them."...
Modern Guitar Virtuoso Matteo Mancuso Explains the Importance of Blues
"Blues, I think, is one of the most important things you can learn, actually," Matteo Mancuso said....
Gibson’s New $2k Les Paul Is an Innovative Combo of Two Models. But Is It Worth the Price?
Gibson adds ergonomic features and some other traits to their otherwise stripped-down Les Paul Studio model. Here's what that looks like...
Steve Hackett Shares Opinion on Bob Dylan Angering ’Folk Purists’ by Going Electric in the ’60s
"You can have rock, you can have thunder, but then you can also have delicate things too."...
’Eddie Probably Got Some Ideas From Me’: Ace Frehley Recalls Using Two-Hand Tapping Before Eddie Van Halen
"Eddie probably got some ideas from me, just like I got ideas from other guitar players."...
Ozzy Producer Recalls What Randy Rhoads Was Like in Studio, Explains What the Guitarist Struggled With
"He wanted to play it better, play it better, play it better"...
Kerry King Reflects How Slayer Changed When Jeff Hanneman Left, Opens Up on His Passing
Kerry King looks back on Jeff Hanneman's final days in Slayer....
Neural DSP’s New Gojira Plugin Is Better Than You Think, and Joe Duplantier Proves It in a New Demo
Neural DSP's Archetype: Gojira X is a very potent plug-in...
One Thing You Weren’t Supposed to Do in Frank Zappa’s Band, as Adrian Belew Reveals
"He didn't leave a lot of room for you to create. That wasn't the idea."...
Rudy Sarzo Speaks Up on How Randy Rhoads’ Death Affected Him, Recalls What It Was Like to Perform Black Sabbath Material With Ozzy
"You're getting on stage with Randy, Ozzy, and Tommy Aldridge - I can't think of a better combination of musicians to go on stage with."...
Steve Vai Names Favorite Digital Guitar Amp: ’It Retains the Integrity of the Signal’
"It's the one piece of rack-mount where I've found that the quality of the signal that goes through it is the best that I've heard."...