Gear “Dave Friedman's amps deliver many of the things we love about big ’70s rock, molten ’80s metal, and modern high-gain guitar... If you want a handy sampling of these sounds that travels well, the JEL-20 might be your golden ticket”: Friedman JEL-20 review With its monster tones, is this the ultimate hard rock amp? Best guitar stands and hangers 2024: Keep your precious guitars safe and secure From multi-guitar racks to compact stands and wall hangers, we pick the best from K&M, PRS, Fender, Hercules and more “With a through-neck, two DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups, an onboard booster preamp, and a fixed adjustable wrap-around bridge, the B.C. Rich Mockingbird was the ultimate hard-rock weapon”: How a small Los Angeles shop changed the rock guitar game Used by the Runaways’ Lita Ford, the Alice Cooper tandem of Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter, Slash, and Aerosmith's Joe Perry, the Mockingbird made the models of the '50s and ’60s look like old hat upon its mid-'70s debut Latest gear Gear of the Year: The best guitars, amps, pedals and more of 2023 By Dave Hunter, Jimmy Leslie, Christopher Scapelliti, Art Thompson published 26 December 23 Our guide to the greatest guitars, amps, pedals and accessories of 2023, handpicked by the Guitar Player team Covered in brown Zolotone paint with a Masonite body and orange plywood pickguard, Kay’s 1958 Solo King looks pretty bizarre, but this budget rock axe is a U.S.-made marvel By Terry Carleton published 22 December 23 Even though it may seem ugly to some, this quirky-looking 1950’s guitar is still collectable and super affordable in 2023 “I did just build a Chena with World War II fighter planes on it for a guy”: With celebrity fans including Billy Morrison and Steve Stevens, luxury guitar maker Joe Knaggs sets his sights on six-string perfection By Art Thompson published 21 December 23 Joe Knaggs started at PRS guitars before forming his own company. Their goal? To make high-end instruments that “ignite the senses and summon the muse”. Discover his unique take on guitar design and plans for the future The mission: create a multi-tone classic-sounding tube amp for the 21st century. 3rd Power founder Dylana Nova Scott on her inspiration behind the “optimal, gigable” Clean Sink MkII By Dave Hunter published 18 December 23 “Players need inspiring tools to create and deliver their heart, soul and music to their audience That’s what 3rd Power does”: Discover the Clean Sink MkII, a game-changing tube combo with three blendable iconic amp tones Best Guitar Tuners: Clip-On, Pedal, and App-based Tuning Options For All Guitarists By James Farmer last updated 14 December 23 Nail your tuning with our selection of tuners for guitar, bass, and more from the likes of TC Electronic, Boss, Korg, and D’Addario “From its bling to its stereo electronics, Gibson’s ES-355 launched the semihollow format to swank new heights in 1958”: Favored by everyone from B.B. King to Johnny Marr, here's what makes the ES-355 so special By Dave Hunter published 14 December 23 Gibson's upgrade to the ES-335, the ES-355 was fancy but a little too fussy for some… Best Electric Guitar Strings: Freshen Up Your Sound By Matt McCracken last updated 14 December 23 Get your guitar playing to its potential with our pick of the best electric strings for all styles and budgets Cyber Monday guitar deals 2023: You can still save big on guitar gear By Matt McCracken last updated 28 November 23 Cyber Monday may be officially over, but here you'll find all the sales that are still live Black Friday guitar deals 2023: Here are the biggest savings on guitar gear that are still live By Matt McCracken last updated 25 November 23 Your one-stop-shop for all the post-Black Friday savings on guitars, amps, pedals, and loads more For those about to rock: we salute the Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive which has wowed lead guitarists for over 40 years with its jagged, granular tone By Dave Hunter published 25 November 23 Boss brought out the SD-1 Super OverDrive in 1981, refining the circuit for more gain and aggression and adding a tone knob – and it’s sold by the millions 123456789Archives Get The Pick NewsletterAll the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors MOST READ1“Dave Friedman's amps deliver many of the things we love about big ’70s rock, molten ’80s metal, and modern high-gain guitar... If you want a handy sampling of these sounds that travels well, the JEL-20 might be your golden ticket”: Friedman JEL-20 review2“Link Wray does it all, but his style also reminds us how captivating a few well-chosen riffs can be when combined with compelling tone, passion, and musicality”: Link Wray's Rumble (1956–62) is an essential document of ‘less is more’ guitar playing3Best guitar stands and hangers 2024: Keep your precious guitars safe and secure4“Eddie Van Halen had me play his 5150 guitar, and then he asked me to show the solo to him, because he’d forgotten it”: Jennifer Batten recalls re-teaching EVH the Beat It solo5“Premium sound for everyday playing without the hassle of amps, pedals and computer interfaces”: With the Katana:GO, Boss has entered the headphone amp market with a bang
Gear of the Year: The best guitars, amps, pedals and more of 2023 By Dave Hunter, Jimmy Leslie, Christopher Scapelliti, Art Thompson published 26 December 23 Our guide to the greatest guitars, amps, pedals and accessories of 2023, handpicked by the Guitar Player team
Covered in brown Zolotone paint with a Masonite body and orange plywood pickguard, Kay’s 1958 Solo King looks pretty bizarre, but this budget rock axe is a U.S.-made marvel By Terry Carleton published 22 December 23 Even though it may seem ugly to some, this quirky-looking 1950’s guitar is still collectable and super affordable in 2023
“I did just build a Chena with World War II fighter planes on it for a guy”: With celebrity fans including Billy Morrison and Steve Stevens, luxury guitar maker Joe Knaggs sets his sights on six-string perfection By Art Thompson published 21 December 23 Joe Knaggs started at PRS guitars before forming his own company. Their goal? To make high-end instruments that “ignite the senses and summon the muse”. Discover his unique take on guitar design and plans for the future
The mission: create a multi-tone classic-sounding tube amp for the 21st century. 3rd Power founder Dylana Nova Scott on her inspiration behind the “optimal, gigable” Clean Sink MkII By Dave Hunter published 18 December 23 “Players need inspiring tools to create and deliver their heart, soul and music to their audience That’s what 3rd Power does”: Discover the Clean Sink MkII, a game-changing tube combo with three blendable iconic amp tones
Best Guitar Tuners: Clip-On, Pedal, and App-based Tuning Options For All Guitarists By James Farmer last updated 14 December 23 Nail your tuning with our selection of tuners for guitar, bass, and more from the likes of TC Electronic, Boss, Korg, and D’Addario
“From its bling to its stereo electronics, Gibson’s ES-355 launched the semihollow format to swank new heights in 1958”: Favored by everyone from B.B. King to Johnny Marr, here's what makes the ES-355 so special By Dave Hunter published 14 December 23 Gibson's upgrade to the ES-335, the ES-355 was fancy but a little too fussy for some…
Best Electric Guitar Strings: Freshen Up Your Sound By Matt McCracken last updated 14 December 23 Get your guitar playing to its potential with our pick of the best electric strings for all styles and budgets
Cyber Monday guitar deals 2023: You can still save big on guitar gear By Matt McCracken last updated 28 November 23 Cyber Monday may be officially over, but here you'll find all the sales that are still live
Black Friday guitar deals 2023: Here are the biggest savings on guitar gear that are still live By Matt McCracken last updated 25 November 23 Your one-stop-shop for all the post-Black Friday savings on guitars, amps, pedals, and loads more
For those about to rock: we salute the Boss SD-1 Super OverDrive which has wowed lead guitarists for over 40 years with its jagged, granular tone By Dave Hunter published 25 November 23 Boss brought out the SD-1 Super OverDrive in 1981, refining the circuit for more gain and aggression and adding a tone knob – and it’s sold by the millions