Latest articles by Phil Weller
New tariffs are having a negative impact on Fender’s credit rating
The taxes affect production at Fender’s facilities where guitars, amps, pedals and other electronics are made
How John Lennon's “least favorite” Beatles song made it onto 'Rubber Soul'
Paul McCartney said the track demonstrated Lennon's insecurities about relationships, noting, "John was always on the run, running for his life"
His dad’s vintage Les Paul became the most important ingredient in Dario Lorina's new band
Dario Lorina typically plays Wylde Audio six-strings, but his love for the vintage LP is about family
Cory Wong sets a new bar for guitar excellence. But Stevie Ray Vaughan probably wouldn't have passed his test
The funk maestro says if guitarists can't ace this one skill, “I would not consider you an advanced guitarist”
Mastodon part ways with guitarist Brent Hinds and draft in YouTuber Ben Eller to fill his place
Hinds' exit was announced on March 7, leaving Eller just hours to step into his new — though possibly temporary — role in Mastodon
Andy Fairweather on 3 am jams with Jimi Hendrix and sleepless nights while playing in George Harrison’s band
The session guitarist has played with some of the biggest names in the business – even if he was Harrison’s seventh choice for the gig
When George Harrison’s “Lucy” Les Paul was “kidnapped” in 1973, he went to extreme measures to get it back
The cherry-finished Les Paul — dubbed Lucy — had been owned by several famous guitarists, including Eric Clapton, who gifted it to Harrison in 1968
Courtney Barnett tells why switching to a Jaguar proved a pivotal moment in her career
The Aussie played Telecasters until necessity required her to chase a bigger, more versatile sound
Phil X on playing "Livin' on a Prayer" with Richie Sambora at a recent Bon Jovi show
Sambora turned heads by playing alongside the guitarist who replaced him, but Phil X was more than willing for the link-up to happen
Brian May’s new signature Gibson JS-200 features a subtle tribute to Freddie Mercury
May's new acoustic has another quirky feature — reversed string pairs that suit his style of strumming
Yvette Young explains why your guitar and amp shouldn't get equal treatment from your gear budget
The Covet guitarist. who recently released the signature Qi Etherealizer pedal with Walrus Audio, will receive her third signature model guitar from Ibanez
Gibson's 1965 Firebird revival has has the most unusual name
The guitar was an important transitional build as it tampered with the model designed to rival the Stratocaster
Wolfgang Van Halen on life without Eddie and how his grief pushed him into a new chapter
After shelving his debut album as his dad’s health deteriorated, the guitarist found that working on the record helped him channel his grief
A huge archive of unseen footage from a canceled Van Halen documentary has leaked online
The videos chart the band’s antics on and offstage across six years, including their tour with Black Sabbath and their Monsters of Rock headliner in 1984
Why Rory Gallagher rejected the chance to bring Cream back from the dead in 1968
Clapton’s power trio imploded almost as quickly as it had arrived, but the band’s management didn’t want the party to end
Nita Strauss reveals the five riffs that changed her life
She's played two of the riffs on a nightly basis at different times in her career and refers to one Swedish metal band as "my Beatles"
Brian May tells how he fought the naysayers to make the Red Special Queen's secret weapon
The homemade guitar had its issues at first, but the guitarist and his father refused to give up and forged one of rock’s most iconic guitars
Gibson spotlights its forgotten Superstrat era in its latest Certified Vintage collection
The prototype models showcase the time when the luthier tried to seduce shredders who defined a decade of guitar playing
Wolfgang Van Halen hits back at the haters who threatened to tarnish his time in Van Halen
Portions of the fan base were unhappy when Wolfgang got the bass gig in Michael Anthony’s absence, but he says it couldn't have happened without him
Joe Bonamassa and Gibson’s Tom Murphy explain how to tell a real Gibson Les Paul from a fake
When $18 million of fake Les Pauls were intercepted last year, it highlighted the danger of counterfeit guitars tainting the market. An all-star YouTube video is helping people spot the differences
Mark Knopfler called it his most challenging Dire Straits song to perform
The guitarist once said "Having good chops definitely helps, but it’s not the whole story.” This revelation proves it
John Mayer had an unusual idea about how to fix his Fender Custom Shop Strat
Mayer's desperate attempt to put his guitar right shows his talent for thinking outside the box
How Prince, Robert Fripp, and Kirk Hammett flew the flag for underdog luthiers
Off-brand guitars have found great fame under the fingers of great players, proving there’s plenty to admire beyond the major manufacturers
