Latest articles by Phil Weller
Yngwie Malmsteen explains why he rejected UFO to venture into the unknown with Alcatrazz
Back in 1983, Yngwie Malmsteen received two big offers in the space of 24 hours –here's how he made his decision…
Why old coins proved the perfect guitar pick for Brian May
The guitarist is famed for his use of his Red Special guitar and a Vox AC30 amp, but a Queen expert believes his unusual choice of pick is just as important to achieving his tone
Alex Lifeson on the audience member who brought Rush crashing down to Earth
The band’s first taste of playing a major gig soon turned to a moment that left Lifeson reconsidering his future
The Beatles song with three guitarists, three bassists, McCartney on drums — and a lyric that made enemies
Inspired by Chuck Berry, aided by the Beach Boys, Back In The USSR annoyed people on both sides of the political spectrum
How David Crosby's casual recommendation changed George Harrison’s guitar playing forever
Harrison’s love for Ravi Shankar and his sitar experiments are well documented, and it seems Crosby got the ball rolling
Jimmie Vaughan says Stevie Ray would agree there's no tone difference between maple and rosewood fretboards
It’s a light/dark battle that has raged since the first Stratocasters went into production, but the Vaughan family's opinions go against the grain
Lenny Kravitz guitarist Craig Ross just played Jeff Beck’s ‘59 Yardburst Les Paul for a full tour
Matt’s Guitar shop bought the guitar for earlier this year, and now it wants to keep its legacy alive by lending it to the best guitarists in the business
Why the Beatles couldn't have made "Helter Skelter" without the Who
McCartney was seduced by the idea of a “screaming record” after reading about the Who, and said the Beatles cut their track “in madness and hysterics”
Watch Andy Summers teach John Mayer how to play “Message in a Bottle”
Mayer was due to perform with the British trio, but first Summers had to help him tackle a song he had struggled with himself
Eddie Van Halen’s ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli hopes a Van Halen biopic never happens, despite his brother putting plans in motion
The drummer has been determined to celebrate Van Halen's legacy in new ways, but Bertinelli says a film would be a bridge too far
Chapman Guitars owner Rob Chapman raises concerns about the impact Trump’s tariffs will have on the guitar industry
Chinese imports make up 43 percent of the instruments imported into the U.S., leading insiders to fear a music recession could result from Trump’s tariffs
Ritchie Blackmore on his first meeting with Jimmy Page, and early recording sessions with Jeff Beck
Today, the former Deep Purple guitarist is full of praise for his compatriot, but a 1975 interview suggests a slightly different narrative
Gene Simmons tells how he, Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley gave Kiss some British swagger
The bassist grew up adoring British bands and felt they had a wild, carefree attitude that U.S. acts lacked. Kiss set about changing that
Martin Barre on Jethro Tull’s famous Grammy triumph over Metallica 36 years on
Even the band’s label thought Metallica would win, so they refused to fly them out for the ceremony
Eric Clapton on the one guitarist who blew him away onstage
The pair had become great friends, but when Slowhand stepped up for a guest spot, he got thrown for a loop
Joe Perry on 'Toys in the Attic' and the riffs that saved Aerosmith from oblivion
After two under-performing albums that had seen their well of songs run dry, Aerosmith found inspiration from unlikely places and turned their fortunes around
Yvette Young gives her top tips for regret-free guitar shopping and recalls her worst impulse buy
The Ibanez signature artist also expains why in-person shopping helps save her from embarrassment
How a 20-year-old hot-shot guitarist convinced Eric Clapton to switch to Fender Strats
Having made his name with the Gibson brand in the mid to late 1960s, Clapton made the dramatic switch in the ‘70s and hasn’t looked back since
Martin Barre neglected one aspect of guitar until another famous player helped him see the light
The former Jethro Tull guitarist says, "There’s always some aspect that will grab me, and right now it’s my right-handed technique"
How The Kinks inspired Al Di Meola to write a fusion classic
And it turns out he inadvertently tracked it with Leslie West’s preferred guitar tone
Dweezil Zappa offers a look into his rare guitar vault with a one-of-a-kind MIDI and fretless Gibson SG
The heavily modded guitar is showcased across his 2015 'Via Zammata' album, where he demonstrates the value of its unusual features
Don't bother giving Chrissie Hynde a guitar. She's set for life with her Ice Blue Fender Telecaster
The Pretenders' frontwoman says guitar companies have tried to tempt her into playing their wares, but the punk guitarist in her has no mind to shop around
Andy Summers isn’t a fan of King Crimson — but his collaboration with Robert Fripp came at just the right time
He’d made his name in the mainstream, but after several albums with the Police, Andy Summers was looking for another guitarist to get weird with
