Jimmy Leslie
Jimmy Leslie has been Frets editor since 2016. See many Guitar Player- and Frets-related videos on his YouTube channel, and learn about his acoustic/electric rock group at spirithustler.com.
Latest articles by Jimmy Leslie

Win tickets to see Julian Lage in a special duo setting with Marc Ribot
By Jimmy Leslie published
GP Presents teams with SFJAZZ for Lage’s residency in San Francisco, February 20 to 23

Taylor’s Gold Label 814e SB Super Auditorium: “The most remarkable Taylor I’ve reviewed in nearly a decade”
By Jimmy Leslie published
Says Andy Powers, “I wanted to create an instrument with a totally different sound than what Taylor is known for while retaining what we love in a modern Taylor guitar.”

Guitar Player presents 50 badass blues guitar solos you must hear
By GP Editors last updated
From the players of old to the guitarists shaping the blues scene, this list serves up a cross section of the genre’s finest solos from across nearly a century of guitar blues

The Best Acoustic Guitars of 2025! These are the guitars that got our attention at the 2025 NAMM Show
By Jimmy Leslie published
With notable entries from Martin, Gibson, Taylor, Breedlove and many other makers, this year's offerings have something to please everyone

“What if I started with the pickup and built the guitar around it?” We tried the new L.R. Baggs AEG-1 and discovered an acoustic-electric guitar unlike any we've ever seen before
By Jimmy Leslie published
Its two pickup systems reproduce string vibration and body resonance while capturing ambience and offering resistance to feedback

Amplifying your acoustic? Here's how to get the best sound using two signal paths
By Jimmy Leslie published
With one signal path for true acoustic tone and another for effects, you'll have maximum control over your live sound

Martin's U.S.-made SC-18E and SC-28E build on the groundbreaking SC-13E with all solid woods and top-tier electronics
By Jimmy Leslie published
For those who have been waiting for a more aficionado-style version of the Road Series SC-13E, this is your time to celebrate

Watch Grace Bowers riff on her Gibson SG while she shows us what’s on her pedalboard
By Jimmy Leslie published
Guitar Player caught up with the 18-year-old blues guitar phenom at the Allman Betts Family Revival show in San Francisco. Watch our exclusive video

Win tickets to see Johnny A. in Northern California
By Jimmy Leslie published
Boston’s instrumental maestro returns to the West Coast for a Yoshi’s show in Oakland’s Jack London Square.

Fame's Forum IV Modern 20th Anniversary lets you rock like a star without having to spend like one
By Jimmy Leslie published
The Forum IV Modern 20th Anniversary offers stunning looks, fine craftsmanship and broad tonal versatility at an exceptional value

Can Taylor's new Legacy 514CE Grand Auditorium replace our reviewer's prized quarter-century-old 514CE?
By Jimmy Leslie published
The guitar is part of Taylor's retrospective Legacy Collection celebrating the 50th anniversary of the company's classic designs

“For acoustic guitarists, two pickup signals are better than one.” Getting the best acoustic guitar tone from an amp is within your reach. Try these tips.
By Jimmy Leslie published
If you're using only one channel of your two-channel acoustic amp, you're missing out

Win tickets to GP Presents' 20th Anniversary Bash
By Jimmy Leslie published
Sgt. Splendor feat. Eric McFadden plus Spirit Hustler feat. Jimmy Leslie, Jules Leyhe, Bryan Kehoe, Benjamin Andrews & more at Ivy Room on Thursday, December 5

These Allman Brothers songs explain why Dickey Betts was a legend on acoustic as well as electric
By Jimmy Leslie published
You can rock classics like "Blue Sky" and "Ramblin’ Man" — as well as most of Betts' material — with nothing more than an acoustic guitar

Taylor 50th Anniversary 858e LTD Grand Orchestra 12-string combines vintage glory with modern tech for a glorious playing experience
By Jimmy Leslie published
In homage to its founding year, no more than 1,974 guitars for each model will be made available worldwide

David Lindley took slide guitar beyond the blues. Ry Cooder, Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt share tales of his brilliance
By Jimmy Leslie published
Fluent on guitar and any number of stringed instruments, David Lindley shaped the sound of California's classic-rock era

Percussive fingertapper Marcin might be the best thing to happen to acoustic guitar since Segovia
By Jimmy Leslie last updated
His guitar-tapping mastery has made him a rising star — and brought new attention to the acoustic guitar's expressive potential

How to choose the 12-string acoustic that's right for you — plus a few interesting options on the standard format
By Jimmy Leslie published
From higher string tension to tuning issues, a 12-string is a different animal from your standard six-string

Win tickets to see guitarist Ron Artis II in Northern California at 'Guitar Player Presents'
By Jimmy Leslie published
The rising guitar star celebrates his record release at Hopmonk Novato this Saturday, October 19.

“I was given a second chance”: Win tickets to see Al Di Meola in Northern California
By Jimmy Leslie published
The jazz master is set to play five shows at Yoshi’s Oakland next month

“I thought about it as a possible James Bond theme”: Jack White on the origins of the iconic Seven Nation Army riff
By Jackson Maxwell published
Ironically enough, White would end up writing an actual Bond theme just five years later

On Tripliciti, Andy McKee, Calum Graham, and Trevor Gordon Hall put their fluid fingerstyle chemistry on stunning display
By Jimmy Leslie published
This formidable trio's self-titled debut is the ensemble guitar album of the year – and a watershed acoustic moment

Bourgeois Touchstone Signature OM and Dreadnought review
By Jimmy Leslie published
The essence of a full Bourgeois experience at almost half the price? The revered luthier's latest collaboration with Eastman makes a convincing case
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