Christopher Scapelliti
Christopher Scapelliti is editor-in-chief of GuitarPlayer.com and the former editor of Guitar Player, the world’s longest-running guitar magazine, founded in 1967. In his extensive career, he has authored in-depth interviews with such guitarists as Pete Townshend, Slash, Billy Corgan, Jack White, Elvis Costello and Todd Rundgren, and audio professionals including Beatles engineers Geoff Emerick and Ken Scott. He is the co-author of Guitar Aficionado: The Collections: The Most Famous, Rare, and Valuable Guitars in the World, a founding editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine, and a former editor with Guitar World, Guitar for the Practicing Musician and Maximum Guitar. Apart from guitars, he maintains a collection of more than 30 vintage analog synthesizers.
Latest articles by Christopher Scapelliti

Save $50 on Universal Audio UAFX stereo amp emulation pedals at Sweetwater's Black Friday sale
By Christopher Scapelliti published
These six amp emulation pedals offer something for every guitarist

We gave the PRS Archon 50 a five-star review. Get up to $200 off right now during Sweetwater's Black Friday sale
By Christopher Scapelliti published
With a wide-ranging Clean channel and a vintage-tuned Lead channel, this versatile tube amp is on sale as a head or 1x12 combo right now

Paul McCartney reveals the song he performed when he met John Lennon
By Christopher Scapelliti published
McCartney says his deep familiarity with a song Lennon loved made all difference

Ritchie Blackmore explains the health scare that forced him to cancel his 2025 tour
By Christopher Scapelliti published
The hard rock guitar icon called off the road show on November 15, just days after it had begun

Tom Petty and Mike Campbell on the song they couldn’t give Stevie Nicks — and the one they did that became a hit
By Christopher Scapelliti published
Asked to write a song for Nicks, Petty nearly gave away a cut he considered one of his best

John Fogerty on the victory that he calls “an instant esteem booster"
By Christopher Scapelliti published
In a new interview with Stephen Colbert, the former Creedence Clearwater Revival hitmaker reveals the humiliation of losing the rights to his catalog

Joe Walsh and Jimmy Webb on their surprise tribute to one of pop music’s most celebrated cities
By Christopher Scapelliti published
Walsh and Webb’s performance was a highlight of this weekend’s VetsAid benefit concert

John Fogerty on the Creedence Clearwater Revival single that predicted their downfall — and ultimately became their biggest hit
By Christopher Scapelliti published
Released in 1971, the tune has become the most streamed track in the group’s hit-heavy catalog

Dee Snider on why he got Twisted Sister back together — against all odds
By Christopher Scapelliti published

Dolly Parton on the “little Martin” that launched her music career — and the country star behind her big break
By Christopher Scapelliti published
The country legend and actress is among the select artists featured on a new album celebrating the Grand Ole Opry’s 100 years

Vince Gill tells how a tragedy brought him his prized 1959 Gibson Les Paul ’Burst
By Christopher Scapelliti published
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

Gene Simmons on the guitar solo Eddie Van Halen recorded for a Kiss hit — and Ace Frehley copied note for note
By Christopher Scapelliti published
Simmons was producing Van Halen at the time in the hope of turning the group into superstars

The hit single that’s over six minutes long, has 14 verses and no hook or guitar solo. They nailed it on the first take
By Christopher Scapelliti published
With spare time in the studio, Gordon Lightfoot peeled off a commemoration to a modern tragedy that's 50 years old today: “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”

The Journey single that became “the Biggest Song of All Time” thanks to TV, baseball and Bachman-Turner Overdrive
By Christopher Scapelliti published
Neal Schon says the classic hit owes a debt to its producers’ unusual request

John Fogerty says one word from Bob Dylan convinced him to do something he’d avoided for 15 years
By Christopher Scapelliti published
Bad feelings about his Creedence Clearwater Revival days made him swear off his old hits. Dylan changed everything in a moment

Tom Petty and Mike Campbell on how a chance meeting saved the Heartbreakers’ debut single from oblivion
By Christopher Scapelliti published
Petty was so excited to find the hook, he called the band back in the studio to remake the song — at four in the morning

Paul McCartney on life after the Beatles — and the haunting truth behind the “Paul Is Dead” rumors
By Christopher Scapelliti published
The icon tracks his life in the decade after the Beatles in his new book, ‘Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run,’ out today

J.J. Cale on his song that launched Eric Clapton’s solo career and made the laidback Tulsa guitarist a surprise overnight sensation
By Dan Forte published
Cale reflected on the Tulsa sound and his sudden rise to fame in the years after Clapton cut "After Midnight"

Ritchie Blackmore on the thing that made Jeff Beck special — but kept him from realizing his own talent
By Christopher Scapelliti published
In a new interview, Blackmore recalls the guitarist and his habit of putting himself down, something we find evident in his interviews through the years

Eric Clapton on the group he wanted to join so badly that he broke up Cream
By Christopher Scapelliti last updated
The guitarist wouldn’t perform with the act until 1976, at its star-studded farewell concert

Health issues force Brian Setzer to “regrettably” cancel the Stray Cats' fall cross-country tour
By Christopher Scapelliti last updated
After initially bowing out of the opening show, Setzer announced the band "very regrettably have to cancel our tour"

Donovan on his helter-skelter session with Jeff Beck
By Christopher Scapelliti published
After a string of hits in the late 1960s, Donovan closed out the decade with a tune that marked the end of his chart run

Joe Walsh on the iconic rock hit that got him into the Eagles and turned him into a TikTok star. And all because he mowed down his neighbor’s rose bushes
By Christopher Scapelliti published
The “Unfortunately, I do love” theme song is about standing proud even when you might feel shame. Millions of TikTok users have taken the sentiment to heart
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