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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
Guitar Man
On the eve of JJ Cale’s first posthumous album, his widow and former bandmate, Christine Lakeland, gave us a tour of his guitar collection. This is the truth behind the legend’s one-off models, his refusal to release a signature guitar – and the gig that meant he never trusted a tech again…
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
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…
Labour Of Lovetone
25 years after Lovetone’s first pedals launched, designer Dan Coggins explains how this tiny British brand’s effects ended up on U2 and Radiohead hits and acquired legendary status among tone heads...
SE: The Affordable PRS
It’s been 18 years since the first ‘offshore’ SE was introduced to the PRS range. Making guitars in Asia, however, hasn’t always been as straightforward as it might seem…
Longtermers
A few months’ gigging, recording and everything that goes with it – welcome to Guitarist’s longterm test report
Tal Wilkenfeld
Top bassist on the reviving qualities of tea and a ghastly experience at 35,000ft
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
Longtermers - Fender American Professional Deluxe Shawbucker
A few months’ gigging, recording and everything that goes with it – welcome to Guitarist ’s longterm test report
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
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
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
Telebration!
Dave Burrluck celebrates the first, and still the best, modding platform: the Fender telecaster
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…”
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
Riding With the King
Gordon Giltrap gets a second signature model from the ‘affordable boutique’ guys at Fret-King. We take the production prototype for a spin…
Scott Holiday
Rival sons’ guitar man on the perils of touring Europe in a van nicknamed ‘Castle Grayskull’
Keeley Tone WorksTaTion £239
John Mayer helped bring this ‘multi-pedal’ solution out of retirement, with a no-fuss front-end for your amp that can save you ’board space and cash…
'61 Gibson Les Paul 'SG' Custom
The Gibson Les Paul Custom underwent a sea-change in 1961 that confuses some people even today.
Makoto Terasaki
One of Japan’s most influential luthiers, Mr Makoto Terasaki’s designs have made Takamine guitars a near-universal presence on the world’s concert stages. He joins us to bust some myths about acoustic tone and share his setup secrets...
Meris Polymoon
Delay with a difference! This aptly named pedal will put your sound into several exotic orbits at once and open up new soundworlds
Here I Go Again - Fool For The Touring
In the first of a two-part tour diary blues rock legend Bernie gives us an AAA pass to his run with Gov’t Mule
The Gary Moore Collection Auction
Bonhams Rock Memorabilia Sale, Knightsbridge 28 June
Allan Holdsworth 1946 – 2017
Just before we went to press with this issue, we heard the news that Allan Holdsworth had died.
Catherine MCGrath
With over a million streams on spotify, Catherine McGrath’s EP, One, is creating quite a stir on the international country scene…
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…
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
Family Affair
Another bolt-on PRS guitar joins the ranks, but is it the bolt-on we really want? Oh, yes…
Robin Trower
The guitar legend tells tales of scary snowfall and unexpected pyrotechnics on the road…