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August 2025

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74 articles

August 27
- “It's this different sound, and it jumbles your mind.” 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
- “Eventually, you get to the take where it all comes together and it's like a firework going off.” Recording engineer Glyn Johns on why he never used click tracks when working with the Rolling Stones, Beatles and Led Zeppelin
- “They say they are owed millions in lost royalties.” Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland sue Sting over the Police hit "Every Breath You Take"
August 26
- “Honoring Ozzy and Randy last night. I’ll be damned if it wasn’t fun to play”: Grace Bowers impresses with flawless “Crazy Train” shred as she pays tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads
- “There was just an overall feeling that John was around.” Paul McCartney on the ghost of John Lennon and “strange goings-on” that marked the recording of the Beatles’ ‘Anthology’ hits
- Beat the Labor Day rush with the Musician's Friend mega sale including $100 off the Guild Polara and a huge $500 discount on an Alvarez acoustic
- Sweetwater has set the tone for Labor Day with a massive $500 off a rare Gibson and $300 off Dave Grohl's celebrated signature Epiphone
August 25
- “He’s never forgiven me.” Brian May is still upset about the controversial B-side to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” single
- “I don’t care if you suck, and I don’t care if you are frigging brilliant. If I see you love it, I'll do anything to help you.” Tommy Emmanuel reveals everything you need to know about his upcoming Guitar Camp U.S.A.
- “We don’t communicate very well. He and I are very different and we have different needs as performers.” Pete Townshend on his and Roger Daltrey's problems as the Who set out on their final tour
August 24
- “I had been walking around with the melody in my head for a couple of years.” Ozzy Osbourne’s biggest solo hit was years in the making. It took a touch of southern rock to make it the anthem of his lifetime
August 23
- “Dylan wrote down some notes on a paper napkin and said, ‘Give this to McGuinn. He’ll know what to do with it.’” Roger McGuinn says Bob Dylan wanted nothing to do with the 1969 anthem they wrote for a major film
August 22
- “That record changed my life and how I approach playing guitar.” Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes reveal the obscure 1997 album they both call a game-changer for their playing
- “I’ve never felt any need to try to fit into anyone else's shoes. I just do what I do.” Lindsey Buckingham on joining Fleetwood Mac with Stevie Nicks and cutting their breakthrough hit album 50 years ago
- “I hate heavy metal, and I don't want to be in a heavy metal band!” Brent Hinds’ 2015 viral outburst revealed his love for Mastodon and the no-BS attitude that made him a true guitar hero
August 21
- “I would go to sleep early on a Friday so I could wake up and practice all the way ‘til Monday.” Steve Vai reveals the grueling practice routine that helped him become a virtuoso — and what drove him to do it
- "We are heartbroken, shocked, and still trying to process the loss." Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds has died in a motorcycle crash in Atlanta. He was 51
- “Ozzy told him, ‘Nobody can do that!’ Well, Randy could.” Randy Rhoads proved Ozzy Osbourne wrong with an approach to recording guitar solos that even Eddie Van Halen avoided
- It's official! New Beatles Anthology music, video and book coming this fall, with remixed "Free As a Bird" music and video out today
August 20
- “They changed their mind, and Paul said, ‘If Ace and Peter got on stage with us, the band could be called Piss.’” Ace Frehley on why he didn’t play the final show of Kiss's farewell tour
- "The police were banging on the door. The roadies held them shut until we’d finished the take." Ritchie Blackmore, Roger Glover and Ian Paice on the creation and legacy of Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water"
- “After five minutes, I was like, ‘Can I just go back to the dressing room and start this again?’” Noel Gallagher on his Oasis reunion gig struggles
- Is a new Beatles Anthology release on the way? Paul McCartney's cryptic Instagram post has fans hoping for a new collection of outtakes and rarities to go with the series that launched 30 years ago
August 19
- “We were in London and the Who were playing at the Marquee. Down we went to confront them!” Randy Bachman on Pete Townshend’s hilarious response when the Guess Who told the Who to change their name
- “He said, ‘You were betrayed.’ And that’s the first time I’d been given a word to describe the situation.” John Fogerty on losing Creedence Clearwater Revival’s music and the epiphany he had revisiting one of his greatest tracks
- "The rich clarity of a Fender Deluxe, the ballsiness of a Marshall 20 and the sparkle of a Vox AC15." We reviewed the Decker Hummingbird 15 tube combo and decided less is definitely more
- “The next day, the phone rings, and it's David.” Steve Vai on accepting his most impossible guitar gig: playing Eddie Van Halen to David Lee Roth
August 18
- Win tickets to see Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals at GP Presents in Oakland, California, Saturday, August 23
- “I just want it known I'm allowed to put four songs on the album, whatever happens.” John Lennon had a plan to keep the Beatles going into the 1970s. Paul McCartney rejected it. The rest is history
- “I called Tom and was like, ‘Hey, this whole phrase is really good. You may want to write this song.’” Tom Petty's throwaway guitar riff was hiding between two songs on a demo tape. He turned it into one of the Heartbreakers’ biggest hits
- “It was a Les Paul — and it quacked in the middle.” Joe Bonamassa on why he turned down Peter Green and Gary Moore’s iconic 1959 “Greeny” Les Paul — and why Metallica’s Kirk Hammett was absolutely the right owner
August 17
- “I was going to come onstage dressed as Diana Ross. They didn’t think that was a very good idea.” Paul McCartney's 1973 TV special is a fascinating moment from his post-Beatles career
August 16
- “Termites eat through wood two times faster when listening to rock music.” How Snapple and a 1968 news story on Steve Miller led to an urban myth about head-banging insects and heavy metal
- “We were mixing ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’ and they just kept on coming in and borrowing all sorts of different stuff!” Peter Frampton says Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley used his guitars on Kiss’s smash 1975 live album
- Chill Brazil! Add some Latin American cool to your playing with these 6 brilliant Brazilian grooves
August 15
- "I don't think I knew four chords when I started recording. All the songs I liked you could play with two or three chords. We made a lot of noise, got into a lot of fights…" Johnny Cash looks back…
- “I’m getting one-word answers, and he’s giving me the stare of death. I’m literally sweating, like, ‘Oh my god’…” Anthrax’s Scott Ian recalls his favorite memory of Ozzy, and why he was dressed as Gene Simmons at the time
August 14
- "I was recovering from losing a lot of things, including Dickey." After the death of his father-in-law Dickey Betts, Tesla's Frank Hannon rediscovered his love of recording by making an album entirely on his phone
- “It’s like that George Harrison quote: ‘I come out of my meditation and realize, Oh, sh## — I gotta play!’” Ben Harper on his high-intensity gig-day routine, from pulling in on the bus to stepping off stage
- $530 off an Ultra Luxe Tele? I’ve never seen Fender go this big on discounting American-made guitars
August 13
- “That would be great for you, Ringo!” How an unreleased John Lennon demo saw three-quarters of the Beatles write a song together, 40 years after Lennon's death
- “It shows you what you can do with two chords”: Did Van Halen's Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love really start life as a parody of the Ramones?
- “We headlined. He went on first, and he kicked our ass…" Joe Perry and Brad Whitford on the time Aerosmith were schooled by Rory Gallagher
August 12
- “A true grail that connects TWO giants of heavy metal”? Eddie Van Halen’s 1982 Kramer expected to fetch $3 million at auction this fall
- “They're derivative, and they think too much of themselves”: What Paul McCartney thought of Oasis…
- "Try. Listen. Be patient. Don't worry about playing fast…" Back in 1974, Les Paul offered seven timeless bits of advice for guitarists
August 11
- PRS are working on a Dumble-inspired amp that will make you "slack-jawed" says Mark Tremonti, as he reveals an unexpected Alter Bridge-Van Halen connection
- “Guitar solos got so crazy and had too many notes!” Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Brad Gillis says rock needed grunge after the “prissy 1980s"
- “He was always the noisy one; we gained strength from each other.” Watch George Harrison talk about the power of comedy and why the Beatles clicked with the public in a resurfaced 1981 interview
- "If you pick up a guitar and start copying Eddie Van Halen, you're going down a cul-de-sac…" How U2's The Edge ripped up the rule book
August 10
- “Despite its metal leanings, it can handle anything you throw at it.” We review the Jackson Pro Series Lee Malia LM-87 and find much more than a metal guitar
August 9
- Mark Knopfler says three bouts of COVID have stunted his abilities – but he'll get over it
- “I recall Paul asking John, ‘Are you making any music these days?’" History says John Lennon and Paul McCartney last met in 1976. A friend says it was two years later over a pizza dinner in New York City
August 8
- “A premium guitar built for speed and metal, offering even more than you might expect from a modern high-performance axe.” We review the Jackson American Series Soloist SL2 DX HT
- “It was a fantastic guitar, and a major step up for me”: Zakk Wylde on selling – and buying back – his first good guitar, and why others should avoid the same mistake
- “That was one of the most exciting moments in my musical career. Just the fact that it came out of nowhere.” Peter Frampton on Humble Pie’s out-of-the-blue hit tune
- “There were all these things I couldn’t have done in Greta Van Fleet. It wouldn’t have made much sense.” Jake Kiszka and Chris Turpin explain why Mirador is the twin-guitar fusion that's now rocking their world
August 7
- “There’s three main issues with him that are going on.” Candice Night says Ritchie Blackmore is facing health problems and gives an update on touring plans for Blackmore’s Night
- “Don’t you read the rumors? You’re working on a new album!” Robert Fripp offers a hilarious response to claim that King Crimson is in the studio making a record
- “He said, ‘I don’t have any fingers; I am only spirit.’ He wanted to utilize my body.” Carlos Santana says Stevie Ray Vaughan begged him to play his #007 Dumble amp from beyond the grave
August 6
- “I realized I was gonna look like I was trying to be Randy Rhoads, with the cream Les Paul, so I sent it to be refinished.” Zakk Wylde says his famous bull’s-eye guitar — used on Ozzy Osbourne's records — was the result of a design mistake
- “And then they couldn't find the tapes.” When Black Sabbath's master reels went missing, Steven Wilson discovered a “fascinating” alternative to remixing
August 5
- “We used to get handfuls of this bloody stuff and then go back home and stick it up.” Robert Fripp’s early music experiments were bizarre says King Crimson cofounder Peter Giles
- "There are only three things happening in England: the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and Terry Reid.” Guitarist Terry Reid, who rejected Jimmy Page's invitation to join Led Zeppelin, has died
- “Make the guitar available so that we can inspect it!” Former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor insists the Les Paul he bought from Keith Richards is in the Met's collection. The museum denies he ever owned it
August 4
- “My favorite electric guitar I’ve tested in more than two decades.” We review the Powers Electric A-Type and find a stunningly unique and inspirational creation
- “It was magic. We were just jamming that day, but blues were very common to all of us.” Jack Bruce on the day he met Eric Clapton and how the guitarist changed his way of listening and playing
- “People are always telling me, ‘That song helped me through the worst time of my life.’” Tom Petty on how he almost didn’t record his first solo hit — and how George Harrison helped save the day
- “The heavy metal version of what John Mayall was doing in the late ’60s — finding Eric Clapton, Peter Green or Mick Taylor.” Joe Bonamassa compares Ozzy Osbourne to the godfather of British blues
August 3
- “It’s like a monkey with arthritis, trying to go onstage and look young.” Keith Richards’ and Elton John’s long-running feud began with one disastrous Rolling Stones gig
August 2
- “He told the story that I got out of the helicopter with a beer in one hand and a tape in the other.” Kris Kristofferson on what really happened when he landed a helicopter in Johnny Cash’s yard to get his demo tape heard
August 1
- "It hit me like a ton of bricks: I’m playing live with Pink Floyd and trading licks with David Gilmour!” From jamming with Gilmour to getting guitar lessons from the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards — one guitarist has lived out every player’s fantasies
- “Paul never said, ‘We’re going to play Beatles songs.’ But before long, we were playing a lot of Beatles songs.” Robbie McIntosh reveals his “pinch me” moment as lead guitarist on Paul McCartney’s first-ever solo tour
- “I can only imagine how they would have reacted if they had seen us playing their guitars.” How John Lennon and George Harrison's early Beatles guitars found their way onto an obscure psychedelic rock album