Keith Urban on the virtuoso who got him fired from a heavy metal band
Urban’s growing love of country music derailed his metal career — but he had the last laugh
Guitarists
“Eric was struggling at the time.” Tim Renwick on his highs and lows with Eric Clapton, David Bowie and Al Stewart
After getting passed up for Bowie‘s Spiders From Mars band, Renwick built a solid career as a journeyman guitarist to the stars
When Dolly Parton met the Beatles — and stole the show
Former Fabs Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were on hand for a pair of memorable events in Dolly‘s history
Vince Gill on his first performance, and the surprising style of music that shaped his early years
The country music star says he was only in second or third grade when he sang the famous blues tune, completely unaware of its meaning
Gear
Best guitar amp headphones 2026: practice your guitar quietly with my top picks
Play your guitar ear-responsibly with these superb headphones from Audio-Technica, Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, and more
Best patch cables 2026: put your pedalboard in order
My selection of the best patch leads to get your pedalboard tidy, including options from EBS, MXR, Ernie Ball, Mogami, and more
Best guitar tuners 2026: clip-on, pedal, and app-based tuning options for all guitarists
Nail your tuning with our selection of tuners for guitar, bass, and more from the likes of TC Electronic, Boss, Korg, and D’Addario
Best reverb pedals 2026: embolden your guitar tone with my top-rated reverb pedals
From affordable stompboxes that deliver classic reverberations to sophisticated FX processors, these are the best reverb pedals for guitar
Guitars
Best guitars for kids 2026: acoustic and electric models for your budding guitar hero
Our pick of the best guitars for kids; electrics and acoustics from the likes of Yamaha, Squier, Taylor and more
From Cinderella’s Tom Keifer to Keith Urban — how a vintage Fender “Nocaster” made a cross-genre commute
The 1950s guitar was perhaps regretfully sold, with one Tele obsessive the beneficiary of a bad decision
“Christmas came early!” Brian May gifted Tony Iommi a left-handed Red Special. But what's this special modification?
The Queen and Black Sabbath guitar gods have been close for decades, with May calling Iommi his "dearest friend in the business"
Jeff Beck had a secret love affair with a PRS guitar. Paul Reed Smith is trying to track it down
He’s most commonly associated with Les Pauls and Strats, which makes Paul Reed Smith’s revelation even juicier
Best acoustic guitar pedals 2025: Boost your tone with the top effects pedals for acoustic guitar
Take your acoustic tone to the next level with my top pedal picks, from DIs to delays
The late guitar ace who spurned the jazz world, climbed the pop charts and lived in terror of taking a solo
Wes Montgomery revealed the insecurities that forced his retreat from jazz, even as he was celebrated as a giant of jazz
As a guitar reviews editor, I've discovered the Fender Player II model is the essential Telecaster for value, but somehow it's still $190 cheaper – in an exclusive finish too
At $649.99, nothing comes close right now for Cyber Week Tele goodness
Makers
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
New tariffs are having a negative impact on Fender’s credit rating
The taxes affect production at Fender’s facilities where guitars, amps, pedals and other electronics are made
Ciari Guitars is rising high as the industry’s premier travel guitar maker
Ciari founder Jonathan Spangler tells the story behind his company's innovative folding guitar design and technology
Lessons
Session guitar ace Shane Theriot shows how to elevate your rhythm and lead chops with bluesy licks, soul grooves and jazzy chromaticism
Inspired by Joe Walsh and bebop, these examples are perfect for a range of genres, including rock, blues and jazz
Fake nails improved my fingerstyle guitar game. Should you do it too? Here’s everything you need to know
James Taylor wears them. So does Sonny Landreth and Kaki King.
We review the Gibson: Learn to Play Guitar app
Gibson heritage meets the modern, gamified guitar learning experience in an immersive method that keeps you moving forward
Music
How a Kiss guitar legend decided to charge fans more than $4,000 to buy his new record
Titled ‘Guitarmageddon,’ the 18-track album is his first new music in 20 years. But you'll have to shell out $200 per track — plus shipping — to hear it
Rita Coolidge says Eric Clapton owes her a writing credit for one of the most celebrated songs in rock
Read one of Guitar Player's top stories of 2025
Don McLean on the “unspeakable” death that haunted the writing of his iconic acoustic hit “American Pie”
Read one of Guitar Player's top stories of 2025
The Journey single that became “the Biggest Song of All Time” thanks to TV, baseball and Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Read one of Guitar Player's top stories of 2025
Joe Walsh names the “12 best all-time-forever” guitar solos by Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix and nine other icons
The Eagles guitarist told us what rocked his boat from these classics across the decades of rock and roll
John Lennon played it on repeat. Frank Sinatra called it the best song of the 1970s. How a simple C9 chord inspired a timeless top-10 hit
“It was a spiritual download that just flowed through me”: guitarist Graeham Goble explains how learning this extended chord unlocked LRB's “pinnacle song” in half an hour
A new Van Halen album features Eddie, Alex and Wolfgang Van Halen playing classic tracks without a vocalist
The album features recordings made by filmmaker Andrew Bennett during his time documenting Van Halen from 2006 to 2007
