“I can gauge his reaction.” Paul McCartney says he still talks to John Lennon while writing songs
McCartney says he often imagined what Lennon would think of his new material — and could still hear his old songwriting partner's voice in the process.
Guitarists
“You should be doing rap like Limp Bizkit.” Zakk Wylde recalls the career advice that backfired
At the height of the nu-metal boom, Wylde says he was repeatedly told to follow trends instead of trusting his instincts
How John Lennon created one of the Beatles’ strangest sounds in just five minutes
Eddie Kramer recalls watching Lennon discover a forgotten electronic instrument and turn it into the signature sound of “Baby You’re a Rich Man.”
"She has the guts to sit in that seat." Geddy Lee defends Rush's choice of Anika Nilles
Lee knows some fans will never accept a drummer other than Neil Peart but says Nilles was the only person Rush considered for their return
Gear
Best looper pedals 2026: my top guitar loop stations for practice and live performance
Check out the top looper pedal choices, including the Boss RC-5, TC Electronic Ditto 2, and the Boss RC-600
I’ve tracked down an amazing $599 saving on a legendary Gibson J-45 and $250 off a PRS SE Silver Sky as Guitar Center officially launches its huge 30% off Memorial Day sale
Treat yourself to a gear upgrade with some massive savings over at Guitar Center for Memorial Day
Musician's Friend is helping you beat the holiday rush with up to 60% off in the early Memorial Day sale - get $500 off a wild Gibson and $250 off a gorgeous PRS
From premium electrics to budget-friendly acoustics, Musician's Friend is the place to be if you want an early Memorial Day deal on guitars
With discounts hitting up to $600 off guitars, there’s no need to wait for Memorial Day because Fender just kick-started the sales early - here’s the 5 sweetest deals with $230 off an all-solid acoustic and $74 off a fuzz pedal
Fender just got the Memorial Day party started with some sweet deals on guitar gear
Guitars
Calling all flat-top fanatics! Guitar Center just launched the ultimate acoustic guitar sale with an impressive 30% off super strummers from Taylor, Martin, Gibson, Yamaha, and more
Time to save big on acoustic guitars with the awesome sale over at Guitar Center
Vince Gill tells how a tragedy brought him his prized 1959 Gibson Les Paul ’Burst
In a 2017 interview with Guitar Aficionado, the country-rock six-string ace revealed how a sad and deeply personal twist of events brought a prized '59 Les Paul into his life
“A Beatle touched it.” The vintage charms of Watkins’ Rapier guitar line enticed George Harrison. I understand why
This under-appreciated vintage gem is a clean-tone machine — and (for now) a bargain on the vintage market
“An inspiring guitar to handle just about any style.” We review the Gretsch Streamliner Hollow Body electric
With eye-catching style, lively acoustic resonance and versatile BT3S pickups, Gretsch’s Streamliner Hollow Body delivers classic tones and impressive performance for the price.
“Everyone goes on about the guitar, but I just love that voice.” Phil Manzanera on working with David Gilmour
As the Roxy Music guitarist tours the U.S., he recalls helping Gilmour sort through “153 little bits” of music for ‘On an Island’ and assembling Pink Floyd’s ‘The Endless River’
How many pickups is too many? This guitar has 64
Engineer David Wieland’s PolyMap system captures each string at eight points, letting players create “virtual pickups” anywhere along the string
Best wireless guitar systems 2026: unshackle yourself from cables, it’s time to go wireless
Unlock the freedom of the stage with our pick of the best wireless guitar systems from Boss, Line 6, AKG, Behringer, Sennheiser, NUX, and more
Makers
Roger Daltrey says the Who invented metal before Black Sabbath
The singer says the Who's pioneering use of volume, feedback and Marshall amps laid the foundations for metal years before Black Sabbath arrived.
Fender serves a cease-and-desist to PRS, but does this latest target meet Fender’s copyist criteria?
PRS confirms it received a cease-and-desist letter over the Silver Sky — John Mayer’s massively successful signature model. But does this latest target meet Fender’s copyist criteria?
Studio legend Glyn Johns on Paul McCartney's shocking request to work on what became the Beatles' final album
The album’s roots live on as 'Let It Be,' but Johns says the rest of the band didn’t get McCartney’s “really interesting” idea
From Taylor Swift to Phoebe Bridgers and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy — how indie rockers came to adopt a guitar bridge born from parts in Home Depot's toilet aisle
Rubber-bridge guitars have changed the sound of acoustic guitar over the past 10 years. And it's all down to one man's invention
Recording engineer Glyn Johns on why he never used click tracks when working with the Stones, Beatles, and Led Zeppelin
He’s recorded and mixed seminal records by some of rock’s biggest artists, and click tracks were always left out in the cold
Tommy Emmanuel reveals everything you need to know about his upcoming Guitar Camp U.S.A.
Presented by Dreamcatcher Events this October, the camp is a hands-on learning experience unlike any other, featuring the acoustic virtuoso and other noted guitarists
Lessons
"Breathtaking bends!" Acclaimed European instrumentalist Marcus Deml delivers a string-bending master class
Expand your blues, rock and fusion licks with Deml's expressive string-bending examples
“What I learned at GIT.” Jennifer Batten delivers three must-know fusion licks
The first woman to graduate from the famed Guitar Institute of Technology, she reflects on her time there as the school's first female instructor
Allen Hinds: Master the art of sophisticated guitar harmony
While Allen can play stunning solos, his colorful chords hold equal weight, a fact proven across these 28 illuminating examples
Music
Rita Coolidge says Eric Clapton owes her a writing credit for one of the most celebrated songs in rock
The Grammy-winning singer helped pen the piano coda that closes "Layla," but was never credited despite her pleas to the guitarist
“I said, ‘How come you didn't use these!?’” Steve Lukather says Eddie Van Halen’s unreleased recordings left him stunned
Lukather says the unreleased recordings are completed performances by both Van Halen brothers — not scraps being pieced together after the fact
The Journey single that became “the Biggest Song of All Time” thanks to TV, baseball and Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Neal Schon says the classic hit owes a debt to its producers’ unusual request
Todd Rundgren recalls taking over Badfinger’s ‘Straight Up’ after George Harrison abandoned the troubled sessions
Rundgren says Harrison left the album unfinished as Apple Records scrambled to salvage the project behind “Baby Blue” and “Day After Day.”
How Alice Cooper spun a 1960s ballad into his own glam-rock anthem
As the lead track to 1973‘s ‘Billion Dollar Babies,‘ it served double duty as a dramatic opening number on the album‘s tour
How Neil Diamond, a bag of weed and a twice-rejected song turned a pair of struggling young guitarists into global stars
As the Bellamy Brothers reveal, they were hurting for a hit when they befriended Diamond’s band. The rest is history
Todd Rundgren on the tense sessions for XTC’s ‘Skylarking,’ the hit album that nearly broke up the band
The producer recalls the infighting and conflicts behind the 1986 record that saved the group’s career
