CATEGORIES

New York City Guitar Shops

For vintage guitar enthusiasts, a shopping trip to the US is surely a fixture on the bucket list.

BRIDGE OF SIGHS

While our mainly recycled build cracks on at a pedestrian pace, Dave Burrluck pauses to ponder that old chestnut: the offset bridge

BECK THE GUITAR AUCTION

Jeff Beck had no equal for the joyous, headstrong energy and beguiling subtlety he brought to his playing. When he died suddenly in January of 2023, he left behind the lightning rods through which his electrifying talent passed an eclectic collection of guitars, many of which are as heavily customised as the hot-rod cars that were Beck’s other ruling passion. Almost exactly two years after his passing, these legendary instruments are now set to go under the hammer in London. We join the experts from Christie’s auction house on the eve of the sale to take a closer look at Oxblood’ and other historic instruments from Jeff’s career and discuss the portrait they paint of a pragmatic, restless yet peerlessly gifted talent and his musical legacy

POWER STATION

Founded by Jimi Hendrix mere months before his death, Electric Lady Studios was a mind-expanding creative mothership where his guitar playing reached new heights. As a new documentary explores this lost chapter, longstanding Hendrix engineer Eddie Kramer and filmmaker John McDermott tell us about Jimi's final brainwave

Virtual Pedalboard

Fractal Audio puts its Axe-Fx III effects in a conveniently sized stage-ready floor unit

Larkin Poe

Seventh studio album, Bloom, sees Rebecca and Megan Lovell embrace family dynamics, take the spark from stage to studio, and serve up the guitars neat”

And Your Bird Can Sing...

We travel back to the future to bask in the glory of Gibson’s reincarnated 1960s rare classic, the Falcon combo

Outer Limits

Walrus Audio revitalises its very first pedal, the Klonemulating Voyager, with some tasty additions

Top Tier

The upgraded American Ultra guitars get a subtle makeover, creating what Fender believes is its most advanced series of electric guitars. Vintage buffs, look away...

DON MUSSER ACOUSTICS

He’s built guitars for some of the very biggest names in the business and yet Don Musser remains a known unknown. We track him down to fill in the blanks

1960 Epiphone Coronet

Not long ago I was at the Philadelphia Guitar Show and a buddy of mine told me he had something I’d probably never seen before – and, sure enough, it turned out he did.

QUICK CHANGE

As Gibson finally adds some Quick Connect pickups to its Pickup Shop line-up, Dave Burrluck revisits this simple no-solder method to mod your Modern guitar

Return Of The Rack

A revered rackmount digital delay makes a welcome comeback in pedal form.

Pure Filth

This all-analogue preamp pedal based on Blues Saraceno's amp is a flexible powerhouse with a variety of roles.

Reptile Royalty

From Queen to King - there's another Electro-Harmonix royal vying for the crown of octave distortion

Tradition Revisited

Line 6 refreshes its Helix-based modelling amp range by doubling the number of available amp voicings - and more

Ramble On

Furch's travel guitar folds down so you can transport it in its own custom backpack and, the company claims, it returns to pitch when you reassemble it. Innovation or gimmick?

Redrawing The 'Bird

A fascinating reimagining of one of Gibson's more out-there designs, the Gravitas sticks with vintage vibe and mojo. Oh, and that sound...

1965 Fender Jazz Bass

\"They made them later on, but it's not something I've ever seen this early.

Boss Cube Street II

Regular readers will know that the last time I took the Boss Cube Street II out, I was in rehearsal for a debut gig in London.

STILL CRAZY

One of the most creative yet reliably great-sounding effects makers out there, Crazy Tube Circuits grew out of a fetish for old valve amps. We meet founder Christos Ntaifotis to find out more

All Grown Up

PRS might well be 40 years old in 2025, but the SE guitars seem to be catching up with a 25th anniversary celebration planned for 2026. Where does the time go?

JIM WEIDER

Woodstock native Jim Weider got a chance to prove his mettle in the mid-80s when he stepped up to replace Robbie Robertson in The Band. Here, he tells us his story - and how a '52 Tele came along for the ride

BERT JANSCH'S FYLDE ACOUSTIC

Gordon Giltrap tells how an instrument made for folk legend Bert Jansch in the early 70s now takes pride of place in his own collection

JOE PERRY

For five decades, his raw, instinctive guitar lines have helped Aerosmith become the kind of rock act whose songs an entire generation can sing.

MARTIN BARRE

A signature-shifting collision of bucolic folk and frayed-edge rock, Jethro Tull's Aqualung stands among the most daring records of the 70s. Martin Barre takes us back to those fabled sessions, from winging his parts to snubbing Jimmy Page

Sonic Shaper

Electro-Harmonix revisits the effect that launched the company with the LPB-3 Linear Power Booster and EQ

Platinum Blonde

PRS has updated its Texas-voiced David Grissom signature amp with more features, lower wattage and a more approachable price tag

TAN LINES

Many of us regard straps as a bit of an afterthought, but to find one that matches the quality of a custom or vintage guitar, Rod Boyes of Pinegrove Leather can help

ELECTRIC STRINGS

Your tone starts with your strings - strike a balance between sound, tuning and durability with six of our favourites