Al Di Meola says an acid trip landed him the gig of a lifetime: “He said, ‘Don’t worry — the Beatles take this stuff’”
Di Meola was just 17 when he played a drug-induced gig that would change the course of his career
Guitarists
Pete Townshend reveals why he avoided Led Zeppelin: “They were trying to pinch our audience”
The Who guitarist says he eventually discovered “some fucking great stuff” in Zeppelin’s catalog — but explains why he struggled to connect with heavy metal, including Black Sabbath
Neil Young sues Donald Trump over “Rockin’ in the Free World” again: “The song is the opposite of everything he stands for”
Young is seeking $10 million in damages after the track was played at a Trump rally in October, reviving a dispute that dates back to 2015
Gene Simmons challenges Ace Frehley’s account of an infamous Kiss incident
The late guiatrist said Simmons saved his life in a hotel pool. Simmons now says the rescue involved another Kiss bandmate — and recounts a second frightening hotel incident involving Ace
Jack White on the priceless advice Prince gave him
The pair only met once, but what the Purple One said resonated with the newly inducted Hall of Famer
Donnie Iris, the guitarist and singer behind “Ah! Leah!” and “The Rapper,” dies at 83: “Music has given me far more than I could ever put into words”
The Jaggerz hitmaker and former Wild Cherry guitarist became a Pittsburgh rock institution with Donnie Iris and the Cruisers, scoring enduring hits with “Love Is Like a Rock” and “My Girl”
Gear
We review the LiquiSlide Jules Leyhe Signature glass slide
Filled with a proprietary liquid and golden shimmering flakes, it looks and feels fabulous while delivering smooth, balanced and refined tone
Black Friday guitar deals 2026: The lowdown on the biggest sale of the year and early deals
Black Friday is nearly here, and you can grab massive guitar gear savings right now
“I was one of Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix’s best-kept secrets”
The inventor described in detail how he crafted effects for Page and Hendrix based on their needs
“There’s no limit on the variety of sounds that can be dialed up.” We review the Positive Grid Reactor 50 combo
The 50-watt modeling amp combines a wealth of usable tones and effects with AI-powered rig creation, making it a versatile option for home players, recording and small gigs
Guitars
Best Telecasters 2026: top-rated Fender & Squier Tele's for all players
Shopping around for a Fender Telecaster? Here’s a list of our top choice Teles from Fender and Squier
Best wireless guitar systems 2026: my top picks for stage, studio, and home
Unlock the freedom of the stage with our pick of the top-rated wireless guitar systems from Boss, Line 6, AKG, Behringer, Sennheiser, NUX, and more
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
Test your knowledge with The Ultimate Eric Clapton Guitar Quiz
Think you know everything there is to know about the guitars of Eric Clapton? See where you end up on the leaderboard of the GP quiz…
Steve Vai had a three-necked guitar, so Michael Angelo Batio built one with four. It was stolen before he ever played it
The shredder tells the story behind his most outlandish creation — and what remains of it
The 145-year-old Martin acoustic Kurt Russell smashed in The Hateful Eight may not have been destroyed by accident after all
Martin historian Dick Boak claims the guitar tech had gone home before the scene was filmed, and the prop instruments were never brought to the set
If Amazon's Prime Day guitar deals leave you underwhelmed, you should check out the Musician's Friend Rocktober sale, which has up to 50% off guitar gear
The Musician's Friend Rocktober sale is running from now until October 26, with up to 40% off big-name brands
“I found crazy chords I’d never played before.” We review the Martin Terz 5-28 acoustic
Dolly Parton made the tiny terz guitar famous, and Martin’s 5-28 brings the short-scale classic back with a bright, chiming voice and surprisingly versatile playability
Rare bootleg Gibsons will be up for grabs when the Outlaw Custom Shop Guitar Collection goes to the auction block on October 20
The 16 one-of-a-kind guitars were built by master luthier Roger Giffin and vintage-gear expert Brett Allen in the late ’80s and include experimental Les Pauls, hollowbodies, rare baritones and a Goldtop 12-string
Makers
Metallica’s And Justice for All mix engineer says burying Jason Newstead’s bass guitar was stupid
Steve Thompson says he fought to keep Newsted’s bass audible on Metallica’s 1988 classic, but James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett ultimately got the mix they wanted
Led Zeppelin wanted this record destroyed. A rare copy has just showed up
It’s one of the band’s most iconic songs, but it was forbidden from being released as a single in the U.K.
Guitar Center wants players to test its “revolutionary” guitar design as the launch of its in-house brand draws near
"We’re looking for genuine players who are willing to share honest opinions…"
New video shows Les Paul’s home and workshop in ruins just before demolition: “It made me sick”
Guitar collector Perry Margouleff filmed the Mahwah property in its final days, while Les Paul’s son questions why preservation was never pursued
Behind the Beatles’ Abbey Road cover with Paul McCartney and its designer: “I thought, I’ve got to do this and get it out on Wednesday?”
As Sam Mendes re-creates the iconic image for his new Beatles films, we revisit how the original cover photo became an icon
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?
Lessons
Sue Foley serves up five game-changing blues guitar tips: “That’s where you control your tone”
Foley offers essential advice for electric and acoustic blues players
Add jazz flair to your 12-bar blues with this time-tested shortcut from GIT master tutor Les Wise
Jazz chord pairs add sophistication to your sound while improving your knowledge of dominant 7th and extended chords
Flair, fluidity and fire: Allen Hinds' legato style will help you create your own stunning solos
From sequential patterns to doubling notes for unique phrasing, this tutorial will provide you with many new lead ideas
"Everybody was going crazy about Yngwie Malmsteen. Joe Satriani told me, ‘Don’t get too into him.'" Alex Skolnick's top five tips to becoming a better guitarist
Testament's Alex Skolnick on why you should be honest with yourself, never listen to negativity and focus on creating your own identity as a guitar player
Music
Fleetwood Mac authorized documentary arrives as Lindsey Buckingham hints at future activities: “Quite a few things will reveal themselves”
The Chain revisits the band's complicated history as Buckingham says he and Nicks are talking regularly again, fueling speculation about a possible reunion.
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr welcome a massive new Beatles experience in Liverpool
The 100,000-square-foot attraction will recreate key moments in the band’s history, with sets and props from Sam Mendes’s upcoming four-film Beatles biopic
Aerosmith reunites classic lineup with Joey Kramer: “The bad boys from Boston are back”
The drummer’s last show with the band was in February 2020. Rehearsal photos point to his return for the group’s upcoming Hollywood Bowl concerts
The Sony Walkman is back, and this time it’s $6,000
The price of nostalgia is pretty high if you want to return to the personal stereo era with the flashy-named NW-WM1ZM3
Bruce Dickinson forced backstage as Iron Maiden fans set off flares: “I can’t sing if you light flares!”
The Iron Maiden frontman, who recovered from tongue cancer in 2015, took cover behind the stage as smoke filled the crowd during a concert in Ecuador
Andy Summers saved a Police hit with his guitar riff. It’s now been streamed nearly four billion times
Summers contends the song was nothing without his iconic creation. And this recording bears him out
Robert Plant: “Whatever Led Zeppelin was, it was definitely not glamorous”
The singer explains why he’s content to leave superstardom behind, live outside the spotlight and put new music on hold.
