Latest articles by Jimmy Leslie
How to choose the 12-string acoustic that's right for you — plus a few interesting options on the standard format
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'
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
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
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
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
The essence of a full Bourgeois experience at almost half the price? The revered luthier's latest collaboration with Eastman makes a convincing case
Why acoustic fingerstyle virtuoso Teja Gerken recommends playing air guitar
“And,” the acoustic ace tells GP, “there’s a side benefit from a health perspective”
Win tickets to see Dweezil Zappa in San Francisco
Frank Zappa’s prodigal son will play a set of his father's legendary music at the Warfield Theatre on August 4
Mackie ShowBox All-in-One Performance Rig review
With an ingenious breakaway six-channel mixer that includes multiple effects with snapshot recall, amp models, an overdrive, a compressor, a tuner, a looper, Bluetooth, and even onboard recording, the ShowBox promises a lot. Can it really be all that?
Robert Cray on Animal House, and the origins of the Blues Brothers
Before he came to fame in his own right, Cray played in a band with singer Curtis Salgado, on whom John Belushi's Jake Blues character was partially based
The Boss Octave pedal's Poly mode allows guitarists to make their own bass parts, and add dimension to their sound
Your playing affects the Poly effect, which in turn will affect your playing by making you think about the bass and guitar separately
Ben Harper on playing with Jack Johnson and Harry Styles, and the crazy Martin Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie built
As he celebrates his latest album, Wide Open Light, Harper shares memories of his family's iconic Folk Music Center, what he learned from legends like Taj Mahal, and the Taylor he's “head over heels for”
Win tickets to see North Mississippi Allstars featuring Luther Dickinson in Northern California
The roots rock maestro is set to play a GP Presents show at the Hopmonk Novato on July 18
Klos co-founders Adam and Ian Klosowiak are all in on creating a unique array of carbon-fiber instruments fit for an adventurous lifestyle
Klos co-founders Adam and Ian Klosowiak are all in on creating a unique array of carbon-fiber instruments fit for an adventurous lifestyle
Win tickets to see acoustic master Leo Kottke
The acoustic legend is set to play a GP-sponsored set at the historic Freight & Salvage folk house in Berkeley, California later this month
From single-cut stunners to busking Swiss army knifes, a round-up of 2024's hottest acoustic gear
GP gathers a selected swath of shining stars on the acoustic gear horizon, with a primary lens concentrated on guitar
Klos Grand Cutaway Mini review
Though the carbon fiber look might turn some away, this is a road-ready, seaworthy instrument that delivers fuller sound and better playability than a typical travel guitar
Ben Harper borrowed back a Martin from his One Direction fan daughter to use on a Harry Styles album
“I had been playing Harry Styles when he was in One Direction and giving her tacks to put up their posters,” Harper explained to GP. “But I didn’t tell her why I wanted her guitar, because I didn’t know if I was going to make the track”
Santa Cruz Guitars' Richard Hoover explains the science of vintage wood and guitar tone
Having tracked down some of the most prized ancient wood on the planet, and worked with an “artisanal lumberjack,” Hoover knows a thing or two about vintage wood, and its relationship with tone
Ska, reggae guitar king Ernest Ranglin on the origins of the ‘skank’ style, and the early Jamaican scene
In a 2014 chat with GP, the pioneering six-stringer discussed his tonal preferences and guitar teaching philosophy, and the most beloved – and enigmatic – guitar in his collection
Dweezil Zappa reveals the ins and outs of Frank Zappa's futuristic setup
Though guitar gear, of course, has advanced in leaps and bounds since Frank Zappa's heyday, the elder Zappa enthusiastically pushed its technological limits
All-star tribute to David Lindley, one of the greatest sidemen of all time, announced
Guitar Player Presents an all-star cast at Papa Mali’s New Orleans birthday bash on May 5 during Jazz Fest – and you can win tickets
“One of the beautiful things about Leo is one of the hardest things to do – forget that you’re playing a guitar and just feel like you’re playing music. He embodies that transcendence”: The lessons Julian Lage learned from acoustic master Leo Kottke
As Lage further explores his unplugged instincts, he reflects on some of Kottke's humorous nuggets of wisdom – one being that readings from sometimes-unreliable electric tuners are “only a suggestion”
GP Presents John Scofield April 25 - April 28 in San Francisco – win tickets
Enter for your chance to see a double bill of deep fusion grooves at San Fran's SFJAZZ Center
“My 1939 Martin was in a garbage bag for 15 years prior to me getting it in pieces. The neck was off and the body was crushed”: How unplugging reshaped Julian Lage's electric approach
The jazz guitar virtuoso reveals how his Collings OM1 JL signature model came to be, and why a solo acoustic show can actually be more “raucous” than an electric-driven affair
