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

Gene Simmons says Ace Frehley copied a Robby Krieger guitar solo note for note on a famous Kiss track
By Christopher Scapelliti published
Frehley's solo from "She" was directly inspired by Krieger's own for the Doors' "Five to One"

"We thought his music was very similar to ours, and we latched on to him amazingly quickly.” Paul McCartney explained how a youthful error led him to write one of his greatest guitar tracks for the Beatles
By Christopher Scapelliti published
"Blackbird" developed from his and George Harrison's love of Bach's Bourée in E minor and their attempts to master the piece as young teenagers

Leslie West revealed the picking techniques that made him a singularly great guitar hero to Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads and Pete Townshend
By Christopher Scapelliti published
Speaking to Guitar Player in 1972, the Mountain guitarist laid out his use of "harmonic jumps" and high volume to achieve a wide range of articulations

Peter Frampton on how George Harrison shocked him when they met in 1970 with an invitation to record
By Christopher Scapelliti last updated
The guitarist said it was the first time he met George. It led to a friendship that lasted until Harrison’s death

Alex Lifeson recalls the thrill of meeting his guitar hero, Jimmy Page
By Christopher Scapelliti published
Lifeson also weighed in on Pete Townshend's influence on his rhythm playing and writing, and the guitar talents of Michael Schenker, Steve Morse and Eric Johnson

“When I saw this 'Let It Be' footage, I noticed how easy it looked to play.” Paul McCartney on why he pulled his Höfner bass out of mothballs after ignoring it for nearly two decades
By Christopher Scapelliti published
McCartney credited Elvis Costello for encouraging him to return the instrument to his lineup when the two began working together in 1987

“In my head, I could hear it as a monster.” Tony Iommi on the moment he instantly composed “Iron Man,” calling it one of two Black Sabbath songs he relates to
By Christopher Scapelliti published
The guitarist, who will regroup with Black Sabbath's original lineup, told Guitar Player the song is an example of his desire to write "something dramatic and big"

B.B. King on the night in 1967 when he jammed with Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix
By Christopher Scapelliti, Andy Ellis last updated
The night marked the moment King recognized his influence on the new generation of blues guitarists — but he had no bitterness for his years in obscurity

David Gilmour revealed his favorite solo and the guitar behind Pink Floyd’s biggest songs (it’s not the Black Strat)
By Christopher Scapelliti published
The guitar icon shared insights into his guitar style and the origins of his pedal-steel guitar with Guitar Player in 2003

Peter Frampton makes surprise appearance at Martin Guitar's NAMM booth and gives updates on his health and music
By Christopher Scapelliti published
The guitarist also regaled fans with the story of how he and Eric Clapton performed "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at the 2019 Crossroads Guitar Fesival

Paul McCartney made some surprising revelations about his favorite guitar in our historic interview with him
By Tom Mulhern published
The former Beatle gave Guitar Player insights into "Taxman" and "Blackbird," as well as John Lennon's previously unknown fingerpicking skills

John Sykes has passed away at age 65 after a long battle with cancer
By Christopher Scapelliti, GP Editors published
The English guitarist arrived in the 1980s' New Wave of British Heavy Metal, toting a Les Paul Custom and a vibrato wider than the English Channel

"He had that flowing melody thing that feels like you're singing along with the music." Warren Haynes talks Dickey Betts' influence as he prepares to honor the Allman Brothers Band giant in a star-studded concert
By Christopher Scapelliti published
Haynes will join Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi and many others for the 'In Memory of Dickey Betts' tribute show in Macon, Georgia, on February 28

How Andy Summers used chord fragments and an Echoplex to change the sound of rock guitar
By Michael Molenda, Joe Bosso published
The former Police guitarist told us how the group's evolution in the midst of punk led him to his breakthrough achievement as a singular guitar stylist

“The best Binson Echorec emulation ever made.” Dawner Prince tackles the king of all delays with its new Boonar Tube Deluxe. Repeat after us: It's a winner
By Christopher Scapelliti published
Built by hand, and available in limited quantities, it’s a gorgeous emulation of the delay unit famously used by David Gilmour

Sophie Lloyd tells how she’s learned to deal with rejection — and why guitar makers need to think more about women's bodies
By Christopher Scapelliti last updated
The guitarist credits her guitar mentor for advising her she would "have to be the best guitarist" in the male-dominated world of rock guitar

Joe Satriani says Kurt Cobain was underrated and points out what few appreciate about the Nirvana guitarist
By Christopher Scapelliti published
Satch also reveals the difficulty of accommodating the styles and requests of virtuosos as varied as Yngwie Malmsteen and Robert Fripp

How Andy Summers made a massive Police hit using a hand-wrenching guitar figure and a Telecaster with a mysterious history
By Christopher Scapelliti published
The guitarist says “It’s a famous riff, and I have to admit, it’s hard to play. You have to be a real guitarist to do it well."

"She made it look so effortless.” Watch Amy Winehouse stun audiences with her voice and a Stratocaster
By Christopher Scapelliti published
Known for her singular voice, Winehouse was also a talented guitarist

Eddie Van Halen on guitar solos, the music teacher who slapped his face, and his all-time worst song
By Jas Obrecht published
EVH touched on the essence of his approach to soloing in this classic Guitar Player interview

Randy Bachman tells us how an inside joke gave him a hit even bigger than "Takin' Care of Business"
By Gary Graff published
Not many artists can boast that their song won an award from the Stuttering Foundation of America

Robbie Robertson told us how this simple change helped the Band save "The Weight" from oblivion
By Christopher Scapelliti published
In our 1995 interview, the guitarist said this classic hit was originally a B-list song intended as filler

Lindsay Ell talks performing with Shania Twain and finding joy in her career after 16 years
By Christopher Scapelliti last updated
The guitarist addresses her struggles and the lessons learned in her life-affirming new EP, 'Love Myself'
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