CATEGORIES

King Of The Mods

With the release of PRS’s Paul’s Guitar, evaluated elsewhere in this issue, Dave Burrluck wonders if Paul Reed Smith is actually the ultimate modder…

ESP USA

What happens when you take exacting Japanese guitar design and craft it in California, the spiritual home of the electric guitar? We meet the elite luthiers of the ESP USA workshop to find out…

Ariel Posen

With his long-awaited debut album, How Long, now out in the wild, the Canadian songwriter joins us for his second Guitarist masterclass, sharing the tricks of his well-stocked pedalboard and his go-to guitar tunings

Sink Or Swim?

Scott Sasser, head of Martin’s Custom Shop, explains why sinker mahogany is taking its place alongside some of the world’s premium tonewoods

One For All

These three all-new pure class A combos from Blackstar put the output valve centre stage. Take your pick…

Session Diary Bittersweet Symphony

Session players should recognise their limitations, says Adam Goldsmith, and the karma will take care of itself

Raising The Tone Don't Fret

Frets have a huge influence on the feel of your guitar – but also its tone. Jamie Dickson finds out why...

Robin Trower

The guitar legend tells tales of scary snowfall and unexpected pyrotechnics on the road…

Family Affair

Another bolt-on PRS guitar joins the ranks, but is it the bolt-on we really want? Oh, yes…

Neville's Advocate

Nev ponders an upcoming rock ’n’ roll tour and what he needs to do to prepare. And realises he’s (sort of) in the charts

Lightning Strikes

Seldom given to false modesty, the Swedish shred maestro talks blues (kind of ) and gear (that he designed), and almost unleashes the fury on us. Twice…

High Flyer

This US boutique builder presents an offset beauty that makes us dizzy in more ways than one…

Blow Wind Blow

Rory Gallagher Was the Original Irish Guitar Hero – but His Playing Was Deeply Rooted in the Rich Soil of American Blues, Which He Studied From Boyhood. Now, on the 50th Anniversary of His Recording Debut, a Treasure Trove of Previously Unheard Tracks Sheds Light on His Rare Gifts as a Player and Lifelong Disciple of the Blues. We Lift Open the Cases of Some of Rory’s Best-loved Guitars to Learn How They Helped Him Transport Listeners a Million Miles Away…

07 Ways To Play Better Gigs

From prep to performance, there’s simple ways to step up live

True Colours

From the whites of early prototypes and 50s hot-rod colours, through the many shades of Fiesta Red and beyond, we take a look at Fender’s colourful history with David Davidson of Songbirds Guitar Museum

The Darkness

15 years ago, Justin and Dan Hawkins of The Darkness swept the board at the BRIT awards. Catapulted onto the world stage, they arced high then crashed back to earth in flames when the band split in 2006. With the band now firmly back together and making joyous, hard-edged rock once again, we join the brothers to hear their advice on how to squeeze top performance from Marshall amps – and learn why they “didn’t come here to ride the teacups…”

Telebration!

Dave Burrluck celebrates the first, and still the best, modding platform: the Fender telecaster

Tailoring Your Tone

In the fourth part of our PAF focus, Mark Stow of OX4 Pickups explains how customised PAF repros can help you achieve the ultimate tone

Remembering Renbourn

John Renbourn’s death sent shock waves throughout the acoustic guitar world when he passed away in 2015. We asked Clive Carroll, who toured with John extensively, for his reminiscences about the man and his music

Longtermers - Fender American Professional Deluxe Shawbucker

A few months’ gigging, recording and everything that goes with it – welcome to Guitarist ’s longterm test report

Gibson Memphis 2013 ES-330

As readers who have followed previous installments of this Longterm Test will know, I sold an ES-335 that I was using for a Hendrix/ Cream tribute gig, plus used a bit of extra savings, to get a reissue ES-330.

Origin Effects

This issue, we venture to the leafy outreaches of Buckinghamshire to discover more about an effects manufacturer whose pedals are turning up on the ’boards of top players all around the world

Going For 'Gold

Designing a new guitar is one thing. Getting it made in a factory across the world is another matter entirely, even for the likes of Patrick James Eggle and the Shergold team…

70 Years Of The Telecaster From Prototype To Present

FEW DESIGNS EVOLVE FROM PROTOTYPE TO SHOWROOM FLOOR IN JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEN GO ON TO REMAIN RELEVANT – AND, IN THEIR ESSENCE, UNCHANGED – FOR THE NEXT 70 YEARS. SEVEN DECADES ON, WE PAY TRIBUTE TO THE FIRST, AND JUST MAYBE THE GREATEST, SOLID BODY ELECTRIC GUITAR: THE FENDER TELECASTER. JOIN US AS WE TRACE ITS EVOLUTION FROM SINGLE-PICKUP ESQUIRE ANCESTRY TO THE LATEST ACOUSTASONIC INCARNATION OF THIS AGELESS ELECTRIC

Are Ariana And Big Sean Back Together?

It looks like Ariana Grande and Big Sean might be getting close again, after splitting up in 2015. The duo sent fans into a frenzy last week after they were spotted leaving a recording studio together in LA.

The Greatest Showman

As prog-metal titans Dream Theater raise the curtain on their ambitious new album, talismanic guitarist John Petrucci tells us about pressure, testosterone-powered jams and camaraderie on the road with Satriani, Collen and Roth…

The Bright Side

‘My strat is too bright,’ said a forumite. But compared to what? Dave Burrluck offers some basic advice about listening before you mod

Sea Change

Guitarist gets the inside perspective on the Grand Pacific in Nashville with master luthier Andy Powers, who reveals “it’s like an entirely different thing than what we’re known for”

Careful With That Axe

Preparing David Gilmour’s Guitar Collection For Auction Is A Daunting Task, Not Just Because Of The Iconic Nature Of The Instruments – But Because Some Are Incredibly Rare Vintage Pieces In Their Own Right. How Do You Put A Value On All That? We Join Christie’s Guitar Expert, Kerry Keane, To Find Out

John Etheridge

In a short break from Soft Machine’s extensive worldwide tour schedule, John Etheridge talks us through the band’s inner workings and reveals what it’s like to be in the six-string driving seat of one of the most legendary British jazz-fusion outfits