Steve Albini, punk guitar icon, dies at 61 By Jackson Maxwell published 8 May 24 Guitarist and frontman for hard-edged alt-rock titans Big Black and Shellac, Albini was also a famed producer, most famously manning the boards for Nirvana's In Utero
Slipknot's Mick Thomson has just released his much-speculated Fishman Fluence signature pickup set By Janelle Borg published 8 May 24 Mick Thomson's signature pickups come fully equipped with three voicings that reflect the wide array of tones Thomson has employed during his career
Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony sets the record straight on the much-rumored VH tribute project By Janelle Borg published 8 May 24 According to Michael Anthony, internal disputes have ruined the Van Halen tribute project's potential
Mick Mars’ NSFW ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ Kramer has just gone up for auction By Phil Weller published 8 May 24 The guitar was used extensively during Motley Crüe’s 1987-88 Girls, Girls, Girls world tour
“Sharper attack, extended sustain and a warmer tone”: Could brass saddles supercharge your Strat tone? By Phil Weller published 8 May 24 AxLabs Hardware certainly thinks so – its String Surfer brass saddles promise to improve Stratocaster tone and reduce string breakages
B.B. King gifted one of his Lucille guitars to the Pope – it’s now up for auction By Janelle Borg published 8 May 24 After belonging to B.B. King and Pope John Paul II’s Vatican collection, the guitar is expected to fetch more than $80,000 at auction
Bob Dylan and Robbie Robertson's 1965 Telecaster is up for auction and could fetch up to $700,000 By Phil Weller published 8 May 24 With its black finish stripped down in favor of its natural wood grain, a uniquely installed Bigsby B16 bridge, and decades of history played into it, the guitar is a key highlight in Julien’s upcoming Music Icons auction
“Strong choices with the advantage of dual modes“: Ross Pedals review By Trevor Curwen published 8 May 24 A long-lost US pedal brand makes a comeback under Josh Scott at JHS Pedals – we take a look at the Phaser, Fuzz, Compressor, Distortion and Chorus
Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready falls off stage mid-solo – but doesn’t miss a note By Phil Weller published 8 May 24 The Pearl Jam guitarist disappeared on the first night of the grunge heroes’ tour in Vancouver, but not even falling off stage could stop his shred-fest
In 2005, Prince’s Cloud 3 sold for $10,000. Now it’s expected to fetch $600,000 at auction By Janelle Borg published 8 May 24 Since its original sale, the guitar has been rediscovered as one of Prince’s most heavily used stage guitars, used on iconic tours including Purple Rain, Sign of the Times, and Diamonds & Pearls
Fender brings the Telecaster Thinline to the American Professional II Series and revives the Stratocaster Thinline By Michael Astley-Brown published 8 May 24 Kitted out in four transparent pastel finishes, the new limited-edition releases rank among Fender’s most enticing launches this year
Mark Knopfler on the guitars he couldn't bear to part with, and the six-strings that surprised him on One Deep River By Jamie Dickson published 7 May 24 On the back of his stirring new album, the guitar icon discusses the primacy of songwriting, and how his relationship with the instrument has changed
Meet 9 of Fender’s most elusive offset guitars By Jamie Dickson published 7 May 24 From Fender Japan exclusives to mid-’60s unicorns, and a 1958 Sparkle Sunburst Jazzmaster that’s a holy grail in anyone’s book…
Danelectro has brought back its Big Sitar – with some modern upgrades By Janelle Borg published 7 May 24 The new Danelectro model promises to deliver the quintessential electric sitar sound popularized by the likes of Metallica, Steve Howe and Steve Vai
Red Witch aims to harness Frank Zappa and Carlos Santana tones with its new sample hold filter pedal By Phil Weller published 7 May 24 The Euphemia offers the ability to alter the effect’s speed, aggression, velocity, and wet/dry mix while also unlocking the ‘notched’ EQ sounds of Brian May and Carlos Santana
Duane Betts joins Derek Trucks to cover the Allman Brothers Band’s Dreams in tribute to Dickey Betts By Phil Weller published 7 May 24 The pair made guest appearances during each of their sets at Miami’s Sun, Sand and Soul festival, paying tribute to Dickey Betts, who died last month
Nancy Wilson on the making of her acoustic masterpiece turned Instagram guitar staple By Janelle Borg published 7 May 24 Nancy Wilson reveals Yes were a big songwriting inspiration behind 1980 acoustic classic Silver Wheels
Epiphone debuts affordable version of Miranda Lambert's best-selling signature Bluebird acoustic By Phil Weller published 7 May 24 Costing nearly $4,000 less than the Gibson version while retaining very similar features, Lambert's second signature model updates the Hummingbird for the next generation of acoustic artists
“Light weight, raw resonance, superb playability”: Manson Guitar Works Verona Junior review By Dave Burrluck published 7 May 24 The latest release from Matt Bellamy’s guitar brand is a single-pickup workhorse that comes in two body shapes with uncompromised playability and sound at an aggressive price. Prepare to be impressed
Plini and Mateus Asato write a song in a day By Phil Weller published 7 May 24 Armed with a guitar each and their signature Neural DSP plugins, the two charming guitar maestros have collaborated on an instrumental track, with cameras documenting their process