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March 2025
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105 articles
- March 31
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- “There was something about hearing 'Truth' as a teenager that made me want to pick up a Les Paul.” Ricky Byrd reflects on Jeff Beck, the Who, Humble Pie and the 10 records that changed his life
- “I spent a day with Jeff and the famous white Strat, but Jeff was playing through his dodgy Marshall and didn’t like the sound.” Mick Rogers says he has Jeff Beck's final recording. Releasing it is another matter
- “I would hear Randy pick up the classical guitar. I’d say, ‘You can play that!?’ He said, ‘Yeah, that’s my first instrument.’” Rudy Sarzo on Randy Rhoads, Steve Vai and other guitar greats he’s played with
- March 30
- March 29
- March 28
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- "It’s like you’re making a statement. And you never know where it’ll lead." Pete Thorn shares the tip that convinced Joe Satriani he was the right guitarist for the SatchVai Band
- "Shane called me and said, 'The guitar is here. It plays amazing. It's providence calling!’” How an extremely rare goldtop 1958 Les Paul Standard found its way into the hands of Imagine Dragons guitarist Wayne Sermon
- “A lot of Who fans would be really pleased.” Pete Townshend ponders using AI to re-create his ‘70s heyday for fans who prefer the Who's classic songs
- March 27
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- "Excuse me, Mr. Dylan? I'm Reb, and that's a Floyd Rose." Reb Beach says he helped Bob Dylan understand how to work the locking trem and earned a nickname in return
- “I don’t see why I have to go through all the BS of high school to learn music." Watch 17-year-old Alex Lifeson argue with his parents about his future with Rush in a 1971 documentary
- March 26
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- “Eric never asked for the guitar back. He was happy that I was enjoying it and using it onstage.” When Albert Lee received a Les Paul Custom from Eric Clapton, he had no idea how much history it held
- “I bloomed on this record. There are guitar solos!” Alex Lifeson says digital technology made him a believer on his new album with Envy of None: “They don't sound like plug-ins; they sound like real amps”
- “I just started playing a guitar riff, and out of nowhere David screams 'Ooh-wah-ah-ah-ah!'" Dan Donegan tells how a "warm-up" session produced Disturbed's signature hit, "Down With the Sickness"
- March 25
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- "Ed said, ‘Did he say to you that he likes the high notes?’" Steve Stevens recalled Eddie Van Halen's hilarious comment about Michael Jackson after Stevens' own work with the King of Pop
- “It became a partnership of editing each other's material, which would carry on all through the Beatles' career.” John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s songwriting partnership explored in new book
- “I'm sure he was thinking, 'Oh my God, this guy's out of his mind!' But I think he dug it that I loved this guitar.” Billy Idol took his Les Paul Junior — and his mother — to meet Les in 1986
- "Shredding is like talking a foreign language at 10 times the speed of sound. You can't remember anything." Don Felder reveals the unlikely influence behind his iconic guitar solo for the Eagles' “One of These Nights”
- "Slightly unreal moment to sit with Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood..." The guitarist and drummer are working together again in the studio seven years after Buckingham was ousted from Fleetwood Mac
- March 24
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- "Every single King Crimson record was a battle. Everything was against them." Steven Wilson reveals what King Crimson's music taught him about Robert Fripp's genius
- "He said, ‘You get rock. I'm looking for that sort of guy.’" Joe Satriani calls him “the guitar player I wish I was.” But for Pete Thorn, making stars’ dreams come true is the secret to success
- “It really pulled me out of my grief.” Mike Campbell reveals the offer to become Fleetwood Mac's guitarist saved him just months after Tom Petty's death
- "The tuning is E to E but an octave higher than standard." Can this little guitar make you sound like you’re playing mandolin? Meet Ellis Guitars’ Soprano TX
- “I have 767 new ones for the next album.” Kirk Hammett says he’s sitting on hundreds of riffs for Metallica’s followup to '72 Seasons' and is planning another solo record
- "This is something you could actually improvise with!" Add vibrant rhythms and sophisticated chords to your guitar playing with Jesse Cook’s five essential flamenco techniques
- March 23
- March 22
- March 21
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- “Everything’s on 10. That’s how you get the sound. If it goes to 11, that’s even better!” Tommy Emmanuel reveals his custom Maton electro-acoustic — and gives two good reasons to bring three guitars to a gig
- “I just handed him the guitar, I had handed him a slide. The amp was already set up." Mike Campbell on why he asked George Harrison to replace his "Handle With Care" solo for the Traveling Wilburys
- "Turn him up, turn him up, dammit!" Dimebag Darrell stopped in a bar for a drink in 2003. He wound up onstage with a local band, shredding classic cuts for the shocked crowd
- “You could take the same scale, have two different guys play it and it will sound worlds apart.” Zakk Wylde says you don’t need to re-write classic solos to make them your own
- “I would love to make a record with no guitar solos. I don't want to hear me that much.” Nels Cline sets aside guitar improvisations — and strings up with flatwounds for the first time — on his debut release with Consentrik Quartet
- March 20
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- “If you’re a young guitar player, that’s money well spent.” John Mayer says this pedal is the next best thing to a tube amp and something every guitar player should consider
- “I’m getting better day by day.” Brian Setzer gives a health update after auto-immune disease diagnosis
- "I ask, 'Does this guitar have riffs in it?' I'll play it for 15 minutes." As Gibson Publishing drops his new tome, 'The Collection,' Kirk Hammett takes us deep into the methods behind his six-string madness
- "He’s made of different stuff from the rest of us." He should have been in the hospital. Instead he was onstage, playing guitar with two broken hands for a crowd of fans
- "Dave was standing over me going, ‘You okay, man?’" Steve Vai never knew what hit him. The guitarist recalls his biggest onstage spills with David Lee Roth and Whitesnake
- March 19
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- "This is the only known footage of a Randy Rhoads soundcheck." The Ozzy Osbourne guitarist shreds pre-show with his Gibson Les Paul and Marshalls on his final tour
- "Paul showed up on my doorstep and took me out to lunch. He was trying to change my mind.” Ace Frehley says Kiss are lying about his departures from the group. Here's his side of the story
- "Old-school guitar players can play beautiful solos. But sometimes they’re not so innovative with the actual sound.” Steven Wilson redefines the modern guitar solo on 'The Overview' by putting tone first
- “It felt so odd to my fingers.” Joe Satriani on the Eddie Van Halen song that proved his biggest challenge on the Best of All Worlds tour
- March 18
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- “Somebody's getting paid, so why shouldn't it be the guy who sat down and wrote 'Yesterday'?” Paul McCartney fought against looser AI copyright laws in the U.K. Now he's standing up to similar measures in the U.S.
- "I said, ‘Can you take five minutes away from playing Fortnite, and I’ll teach you the first three notes of ‘Stairway to Heaven'?" Tom Morello on building the perfect shredder — his 13-year-old son, Roman
- “I played it for Paul Stanley when we were touring with Kiss. He had a look on his face, like 'What the hell is this!?’” Alex Lifeson tells how Rush’s early failure pushed them for their breakthrough success, 2112
- "I left my guitar and amps in the back seat. When I went back 30 minutes later, it was already gone.” Andy Timmons on the guitars that got away — and the best gear deal he ever made
- March 17
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- “Whoever sold it to you stole it from me!” Stephen Stills cut a deal to sell Waddy Wachtel his Les Paul 'Burst — and then forgot it ever happened
- “One of the up-and-coming phenomenal players.” Peter Frampton heaps praise on “wonderful talent” Grace Bowers as the pair take on a Beatles classic with Phish’s Trey Anastasio
- "They're not your basic C, D and G kind of guitar chords.” His ex called to complain about her marriage. The result was his first hit song. All it took were some open strings
- March 16
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- "I think there is a huge misunderstanding." Steve Lukather clarifies his role in the new project to rescue unheard Eddie Van Halen recordings from the vault
- Learn 6 burning country rock licks! Matheus Canteri guides you through hybrid picking, slides, bends, muting, double-stops and more in our exclusive video lesson
- March 15
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- “It was like standing next to a hurricane.” Eric Johnson on the night he and Stevie Ray Vaughan jammed Jimi Hendrix. Fortunately, someone was running tape
- “You might call it the blues. But to me it’s cultural misappropriation.” Ian Anderson tells why he clashed with Mick Abrahams and reveals what it takes to become Jethro Tull’s guitar player
- The Ultimate Beatles Guitar Quiz
- March 14
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- “I wanted to be the top gun of studio guitarists.” How Jeff “Skunk” Baxter ruled the 1970s session scene with Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers
- “It’s always been important for my guitar to sound similar to my voice.” Warren Haynes tells us why he chose P90s for his new signature Gibson Les Paul Standard — and reveals the secret behind its new “tonal options” switch
- "It made me think and play differently, and it sounded great. But there were limitations.” Alex Lifeson explains how modding his Stratocaster led him to create one of his most iconic guitars
- March 13
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- “I was looking in the pages of guitar magazines, and I thought, ‘Oh, man, one day, I want to have one!’” Steve Stevens tells how Paul Stanley helped launch him on his way to become a Hamer signature artist in the 1980s
- "No one can do this with me as well as he can.” Alex Van Halen enlists Steve Lukather to help create a new Van Halen album from Eddie Van Halen's demos
- “You can't look over and be, 'Omigod! I'm playing with Jimmy Page!'” Twenty-five years after Page and the Black Crowes joined forces, Rich Robinson explains the group’s split with the legend as an expanded ‘Live at the Greek’ arrives
- March 12
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- "It was a hard decision we all had to make." Bill Kelliher speaks out about Brent Hinds' departure from Mastodon and looks to the metal band's “new chapter”
- "Brian May was a huge inspiration for this project.” Built entirely from scrap wood, this Randy Rhoads–style electric guitar took shape when a teen decided to pay homage to his musical heroes
- “I could take the guitar to a gig and not touch the tuners, even if a string broke.” The Jackson Pro Series Signature Diamond Rowe Monarkh is a superb rock machine. The EverTune bridge makes it invincible
- “What's magical is when you can feel the quarter note... That's where the drama is.” Al Di Meola reveals his indispensable tool for rhythm guitar playing — and it doesn’t involve your hands
- "Literally, a star is born. I have never, ever seen anything like that in my life." 11-year-old shredder Olly Pearson blows away the competition with his medley of AC/DC, Van Halen and Queen songs
- March 11
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- "I never liked it. It was a song I just knocked off.” John Lennon hated it, but George Harrison called it one of his favorites. How Lennon's “throwaway” Beatles song made it onto 'Rubber Soul'
- “Tariffs on products from its Mexico and China facilities would increase operating costs by $20 to $25 million.” Fender's credit rating is downgraded as tariffs pose new challenges for the guitar and gear maker
- “When it slid out from underneath the bed, it was like the heavens were opening up.” His dad’s vintage Les Paul became the most important ingredient in his new venture away from Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society
- “The last conversation I had with Tom, he said, ‘If I have to be in a wheelchair, I'm going to do it.’” As he prepares to release his new memoir, Mike Campbell shares the joys and struggles of his years as Tom Petty’s guitar partner
- “It's a hill I’m willing to die on.” Cory Wong just set a high bar for guitar excellence. But a blues god like Stevie Ray Vaughan probably wouldn't have passed his test
- March 10
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- "I don’t keep anything I don’t think is good enough.” Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson is a hard man to please. Here's his take on Martin Barre, Tony Iommi and four other guitarists who have shaped his music for six decades
- “Can you learn 17 Mastodon songs immediately?” With Brent Hinds' shocking departure from Mastodon, YouTuber Ben Eller endures a baptism by fire to fill his place onstage two days later
- "Pink Floyd had to borrow our instruments so they could play the show." With more than 5,000 recordings with ABBA and other acts to his name, he may be the most-heard guitar virtuoso you've never heard of
- “What if Van Halen played fretless...” What would Eddie Van Halen’s “Beat It” solo sound like on a fretless guitar? Here it is — no whammy bar required
- March 9
- March 8
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- “It's 1969, I'm in New York, and I get a phone call: 'Jimi's in the studio. Would you come down?'” Andy Fairweather Low on 3 a.m. jams with Jimi Hendrix and sleepless nights with George Harrison
- "We used the mic amp of the mixing board to get distortion. It almost sounds like a synthesizer." Jimmy Page on creating the magic behind the famous Led Zeppelin riff he didn't write
- "He was a great guy. And he had my face tattooed on his chest!” Ace Frehley offers his opinion of three guitarists who have called the first Kiss axeman their six-string inspiration
- “The guy jumped in a car, drove to Guadalajara and kidnapped my guitar!” George Harrison recounted how his "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" Les Paul was stolen in 1973 — and the extremes he went through to get it back
- “It was easier. There was something about the sound." Courtney Barnett explains why switching to a Fender Jaguar proved to be a pivotal moment in her career
- March 7
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- "I had to sit back and go, 'Is this really happening?'” Phil X on playing "Livin' on a Prayer" with Richie Sambora at a Bon Jovi show — and how he adapted his guitar playing to make the moment happen
- “This song is called ‘Fiend’ and I recorded it as a performance.“ John 5 fingertaps and shreds a new song in this live-in-the-studio video featuring his custom Fender Ghost Number Two guitar
- “Nobody will be able to afford to make music.” Queen’s Brian May blasts a new law that will make it easier for AI to use artists' music
- "Why it didn't sound like a complete pile of crap, I don't know! It's all riffs. The beat is marvelously tricky.” Steve Howe explains why his 'Close to the Edge' showpiece is so difficult to play
- "I saw Stevie Wonder with one about four years ago. Another guitar player gave me this. No one else has got one." Jeff Beck demonstrates his 'Blow by Blow'-era rig in 1974
- “I have plenty of impressive cheap guitars.” Yvette Young explains why your guitar and amp shouldn't get equal treatment when it comes to your gear budget. Here's what you should know
- March 6
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- “It just came to me. Rob said, 'Let me get my Walkman and record that.’” He was demonstrating four-track recording to his girlfriend when he spontaneously wrote a global hit song
- "That’s my favorite incarnation of the Firebird, because you’ve got the tuners on the top side.” Gibson's 1965 Firebird revival brings a classic back to life with the most unusual guitar name you've ever heard
- "There’s so much that I can’t share with him. There’s just this black hole.” Wolfgang Van Halen on life without Eddie and how his grief pushed him into a new chapter
- Eddie Van Halen asks: “Do you guys ever run out of film?" A private collection of unseen video from Van Halen's classic era is online. Here's what's in it
- March 5
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- "I have a Mercury on the guitar now, which makes me very happy.” Brian May’s new signature Gibson SJ-200 features a subtle tribute to the late Queen singer Freddie Mercury
- "BigSky MX will be replacing the BigSky as my go-to reverb pedal. I’ve heard nothing that covers all the bases with such pristine and detailed audio quality." We crowned the Strymon BigSky MX the champ of multi-reverb pedals
- Best chorus pedals 2025: the best options from Boss, Universal Audio, Ibanez, and more
- "Let’s take acoustic-electric amplification to its ultimate realization." How to make an acoustic amp shimmer like a vintage Fender, smolder like a Dumble or scream like a Marshall
- “He felt that he would never be his own man.” Rory Gallagher rejected the chance to bring Cream back from the dead when Eric Clapton left the group in 1968
- Best Clip-On Tuners 2025: 8 Top Picks For Fast And Affordable Tuning
- March 4
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- “Playing this song onstage was my rock-star moment.” Nita Strauss reveals the five riffs that changed her life and made her one of the most sought-after guitarists in hard rock
- “Everyone had told us it’s never going to work. But hearing it back through the speakers, we thought, We can conquer the world!” Brian May tells how he fought the naysayers to make the Red Special Queen's secret weapon
- Guitar Player Presents Mark Lettieri, March 7 in Napa, California – Win Tickets
- "What he really liked and what he really played at home was the blues." Jimi Hendrix's record collection reveals the artists who shaped his guitar playing. But you'd never guess what record was his favorite
- “Playing power chords but with the E tuned to low D, it's cool. There's a little bit of sadness in there…” How Lilly Hiatt found domestic bliss and conquered her inner critic on new album ‘Forever’
- March 3
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- “He was upset that it had ‘douche’ in it.” It might be the most famous misheard lyric in rock history. Behind Manfred Mann’s hit cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Blinded by the Light”
- “I figured that if it didn't work, I could get a job if I had to.” Alex Lifeson on Rush's big gamble — '2112,' the album that became their global breakthrough
- "This is the guitar that didn’t get away — and it never will.” Mike Campbell says it's the original Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers sound, and the guitar he can't live without
- March 2
- March 1
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- “Jimmy Page’s playing on the first Led Zeppelin album — we just hadn’t heard someone let loose like that.” Phil Manzanera talks Page, Beck, Townshend and the 10 albums that changed his life
- “I got sticky fingers. I thought, What am I doing here?” Paul McCartney said this performance ruined his chance to be the Beatles' lead guitarist
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