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 Best Pedal Amps: Power Up Your Pedalboard With An Amp In A Box By Matt McCracken published 11 September 23 Save on visits to the chiropractor with our pick of the best pedalboard-friendly amp simulators Played by Keith Richards and Peter Buck, Fender’s Humbucker-Loaded Telecaster Custom is a CBS Classic By Dave Hunter published 1 September 23 Punchy, powerful and versatile, version two of the Telecaster Custom carries a big slab of Seth Lover-certified humbucker mojo Are Vintage Pickups Better Than Modern Pickups? Here's What You Need To Know By Dave Hunter published 30 August 23 There was no mystical fairy dust sprinkled between the windings in Fullerton or Kalamazoo Six Important Things You Need to Consider Before Buying a Vintage Guitar Amplifier By Mitch Colby published 30 August 23 From speakers and transformers to capacitors and resistors, here's what you need to pay attention to before pulling the trigger More Playable, Portable and Versatile Than a Regular Jazz Box, Tim Bram’s Tribute Archtop Pays Homage to a Vintage Fender From His Youth By Dave Hunter published 24 August 23 Simultaneously traditional and alternative, this heirloom-level guitar is a Telecaster tribute with a twist Played by Keith Richards, Joe Perry and Tom Verlaine, the “See-Through” Ampeg Dan Amstrong Guitar Earned Its Own Fan Club of Top-Name Guitarists By Dave Hunter published 23 August 23 The story of the beloved and delightfully bizarre 1969 Ampeg Dan Armstrong A Favorite of Carlos Santana, Al Di Meola and John Frusciante, Yamaha’s SG-2000 Was Intended as a Les Paul Killer By Dave Hunter published 22 August 23 Appealing to players fed up with declining U.S. quality, the most successful and acclaimed Japanese guitar of the late ’70s wasn’t a direct copy of anything Smuggled out of Europe, a Communist Bloc Guitar Like This Delfi Kosmos Is a Rare Sight By Terry Carleton published 17 August 23 A copy of Gibson's fabled Moderne, this oddball axe is a relic of rock and roll’s war against Soviet repression The History of the Fender Duo-Sonic By Dave Hunter published 16 August 23 A favorite of Jimi Hendrix, this petite powerhouse gives a taste of authentic pre-CBS Fender without the five-figure price tag Best Acoustic Guitar Mics: The Finest Microphones For Recording Or Live Performance By Simon Fellows last updated 15 August 23 Capture every nuance of your playing with the best acoustic guitar microphones from Shure, AKG, Neumann, Fishman and more 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
Best Pedal Amps: Power Up Your Pedalboard With An Amp In A Box By Matt McCracken published 11 September 23 Save on visits to the chiropractor with our pick of the best pedalboard-friendly amp simulators
Played by Keith Richards and Peter Buck, Fender’s Humbucker-Loaded Telecaster Custom is a CBS Classic By Dave Hunter published 1 September 23 Punchy, powerful and versatile, version two of the Telecaster Custom carries a big slab of Seth Lover-certified humbucker mojo
Are Vintage Pickups Better Than Modern Pickups? Here's What You Need To Know By Dave Hunter published 30 August 23 There was no mystical fairy dust sprinkled between the windings in Fullerton or Kalamazoo
Six Important Things You Need to Consider Before Buying a Vintage Guitar Amplifier By Mitch Colby published 30 August 23 From speakers and transformers to capacitors and resistors, here's what you need to pay attention to before pulling the trigger
More Playable, Portable and Versatile Than a Regular Jazz Box, Tim Bram’s Tribute Archtop Pays Homage to a Vintage Fender From His Youth By Dave Hunter published 24 August 23 Simultaneously traditional and alternative, this heirloom-level guitar is a Telecaster tribute with a twist
Played by Keith Richards, Joe Perry and Tom Verlaine, the “See-Through” Ampeg Dan Amstrong Guitar Earned Its Own Fan Club of Top-Name Guitarists By Dave Hunter published 23 August 23 The story of the beloved and delightfully bizarre 1969 Ampeg Dan Armstrong
A Favorite of Carlos Santana, Al Di Meola and John Frusciante, Yamaha’s SG-2000 Was Intended as a Les Paul Killer By Dave Hunter published 22 August 23 Appealing to players fed up with declining U.S. quality, the most successful and acclaimed Japanese guitar of the late ’70s wasn’t a direct copy of anything
Smuggled out of Europe, a Communist Bloc Guitar Like This Delfi Kosmos Is a Rare Sight By Terry Carleton published 17 August 23 A copy of Gibson's fabled Moderne, this oddball axe is a relic of rock and roll’s war against Soviet repression
The History of the Fender Duo-Sonic By Dave Hunter published 16 August 23 A favorite of Jimi Hendrix, this petite powerhouse gives a taste of authentic pre-CBS Fender without the five-figure price tag
Best Acoustic Guitar Mics: The Finest Microphones For Recording Or Live Performance By Simon Fellows last updated 15 August 23 Capture every nuance of your playing with the best acoustic guitar microphones from Shure, AKG, Neumann, Fishman and more