Latest articles by Rod Brakes
“’Any Means Necessary’ Is My Philosophy”: Forget Analog Versus Digital – Steve Vai Had the Final Word in 1990
How the shred master made the best of both worlds on his breakthrough sophomore album, ‘Passion and Warfare’
The History of Martin 18-Series Acoustic Guitars
From mid-19th-century parlors to MTV, we retrace the history of Martin’s all-American 18-series flat-tops with CF Martin & Co’s museum and archives specialist, Jason Ahner
Watch AC/DC’s Stunning ‘Back in Black’ Tour Footage
Video This unmissable concert film captures the band’s raw energy at a pivotal moment in rock and roll history
Watch Eric Clapton’s Epic “Layla” Live Aid Performance
Video Slowhand gives his “Blackie” Fender Stratocaster one of its final outings in this landmark rendition of the Derek and the Dominos classic
Watch Noel Gallagher’s Breathtaking “The World Keep On Turning” Peter Green Tribute Performance
Video The Oasis guitarist gives a stellar rendition of the British blues hero’s 1968 acoustic number
“For the First Time in a While, I’m Very Excited About Electric Guitar Again”: The Edge Talks Rekindling His Passion for Tone
Don’t miss our June issue celebrating U2’s latest album, ‘Songs of Surrender,’ and the 40th anniversary of their milestone 'War' LP
Watch Steve Howe’s Jaw-Dropping “Clap” Instrumental Solo Performance
Video The legendary Yes guitarist gives an energized live rendition of his timeless acoustic guitar number in this classic clip
“It’s an Amazing Piece of Kit”: Vintage Amp Restorer Fabio Cutolo Details the Resurrection of a ‘Mark I’ Mesa/Boogie
Get an in-depth look at this rare giant killer from the 1970s
“He Holds Everything Together”: Neil Young Reveals Why Nils Lofgren Is the Ideal Bandmate
Video A brief history of the timeless partnership between Neil and Nils
Watch Joe Bonamassa Play Blues Legend Albert King’s Flying V
Video JB honored the great bluesman on his Three Kings tour with a knockout rendition of "I'll Play the Blues for You"
Watch Gary Moore’s Stunning “So Many Roads” Performance with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers
Video Strapped with a Les Paul, the Irish guitarist defines the sound of blues rock
Watch Led Zeppelin’s Mississippi Delta-Inspired “Travelling Riverside Blues” Video
Video Jimmy Page pays tribute to blues guitar hero Robert Johnson in this 1969 BBC recording
The History of the Gibson L-5
As the L-5 celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, we take a look back at the evolution of Gibson’s seminal f-hole jazzbox with archtop historian Thomas Van Hoose and examine how this watershed design set benchmarks in guitar building
The History of the Fender Jazzmaster
With the Jazzmaster’s underdog image rapidly fading into the past, we take a step back in time with Fender historian Terry Foster, and catch up with Mike Long, proprietor of vintage specialists ATB Guitars in Cheltenham, U.K., to touch on its future
This Behind-the-Scenes Mini Documentary Reveals Why Furch Acoustics Have Been Causing Such a Stir in the Guitar World
Video The Czech Republic acoustic builder is now a favorite of Al Di Meola and Suzanne Vega
New Jeff Healey Film ‘See the Light’ In the Pipeline – Watch the Trailer Here
The Estate of Jeff Healey announces the “first official feature length documentary” on the Canadian music icon
Vintage, Rare, NOS and Prototype: Mark Agnesi Introduces More Stunning Gibson Certified Vintage Guitars
The second batch from Gibson’s groundbreaking program comprises a quintet of vintage beauties from across the decades
“Rick Rubin Said We Needed One More Song for the Album”: Billy Gibbons Explains How ZZ Top Melded Hip Hop and Blues Rock With “I Gotsta Get Paid”
“We had this great meeting of the minds,” says the frontman
“I’ve Been Paid to Play Rhythm Guitar 90 Per Cent of the Time”: Steve Lukather Reveals the Truth About Session Work
Video Watch Luke’s captivating interview with Rick Beato as he explains the importance of mastering rhythm guitar
“Les Pauls, Teles, and Strats Restricted Me”: Joe Satriani Explains His Devotion to Ibanez Guitars
How the virtuoso’s creative horizon expanded with Ibanez
“I’m Very Much Into the Science of Building the Production Brick by Brick”: Caroline Jones Explains Why Production Elements Are Crucial to Songcraft
The country singer-songwriter reveals her secrets to studio success
“It’s Kind of a Crazy Sound”: Watch Eddie Peabody Demo the Obscure Electric Banjoline on ‘The Lawrence Welk Show’ in 1962
Video Eventually put into production by Rickenbacker in 1968, this niche electric six-string was invented by the Banjo King
“He Just Wanted Me to Go Wild on the Guitar”: Adrian Belew Reveals How David Bowie Helped Him Become a More Creative Player
The guitarist recalls his “wild and unusual” approach to recording the final instalment of Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy, 'Lodger'
