Gear Best Travel Guitars 2024: Top Portable Instruments From Lowden, Furch, Martin and more From short scale acoustics to carry-on electrics, we look at the best travel guitars available right now “The Opus might not displace your Helix, Fractal, Kemper or Quad Cortex, but it offers a lot of good-sounding emulation in a compact and usable package at a fraction of the price”: Two Notes Opus Amp Sim and IR Loader Unit review There’s a lot of sound and even more flexibility in this little box, and it should prove to be exactly what many guitarists are looking for “The Brown setting is the closest you’ll get to playing one of Eddie Van Halen’s Super Leads – at least in a pedal”: UAFX Lion ’68 Super Lead Amp review The Lion’s ability to replicate the attitude, pureness of tone and touch responsiveness of vintage Marshalls, and then combine it all with emulations of the right speakers and cabs, makes it one impressive package Latest gear One of the rarest and most sought-after Japanese-made Teiscos, the 1968 May Queen is a guitar designed for players, not just beginners By Terry Carleton published 25 October 23 Made for just one year, Teisco's May Queen was three times the price of its regular guitars. There's a reason for that… What Did Johnny Cash, the Grateful Dead, and the Jackson 5 Have in Common? They All Embraced the Kustom Look and Sound By Dave Hunter published 29 September 23 These bold, punchy solid-state amps rocked the backlines of many noteworthy stars All You Need to Know About Gibson PAF Humbuckers By Dave Hunter published 29 September 23 These hum-cancelling pickups are legendary for their tone, but is the “magic” just hype? Best Headphone Amps For Guitar: Get The Sound Of A Fully Cooking Rig Without Making A Sound By Richard Blenkinsop published 29 September 23 Our pick of the best headphone amps for guitar from Vox, Boss, Fender and more A Firm Favorite of Ry Cooder and Dan Auerbach, Here's Why the Humble Gold-Foil Pickup Can Deliver About as Much Aural Magic as Any of the A-List Coils By Dave Hunter published 26 September 23 The cult of the gold-foil has acquired a mystique and made its place among us Best Acoustic Guitar Amps: Top Acoustic Amplifiers And Preamp Pedals By Rob Laing published 26 September 23 Step onstage with our top picks of the best acoustic guitar amps and preamp pedals from Boss, AER, LR Baggs, Fishman, and more With a Surprising History Dating Back to the 1940s, Carvin Later Achieved Kudos With Endorsements by Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth and Joe Walsh By Dave Hunter published 20 September 23 Launched as a post-WWII startup, the firm grew into a guitar gear giant, one catalog sale at a time Best Fender Amps: Fender’s 9 Finest Amplifiers Currently On The Market By Ross Holder published 13 September 23 From small modeling practice amps to monstrous 4x10 tube-powered options, take a look at our favorite Fender amplifiers you can buy right now 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 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 READ1Best Travel Guitars 2024: Top Portable Instruments From Lowden, Furch, Martin and more2“I once asked Jeff Beck if he used Vox AC30s, and he said, ‘What? Those old Beatle bashers?’ Then he realized what he'd said”: Paul McCartney talks Vox amps, and his love of dirty tones3“I was 17 years old and found it in this local paper. It said, ‘Gretsch guitar, 100 bucks.’ I called the guy up and asked, ‘Is it like Eddie Cochran’s?’ He was like, ‘Who?’”: How Brian Setzer forged his trademark twanging tone 4“We’re the birthplace of blues, country and rock and roll music, and the guitar is at the core of all of it”: The America at the Crossroads exhibit charts the guitar’s history with instruments owned by Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and more 5“A lot of guitarists don’t consider themselves part of the rhythm section. I could always count on Randy to come up with great rhythm guitar parts”: Rudy Sarzo on the magic of Randy Rhoads' rhythm work, and the tonal quirks that set him apart
One of the rarest and most sought-after Japanese-made Teiscos, the 1968 May Queen is a guitar designed for players, not just beginners By Terry Carleton published 25 October 23 Made for just one year, Teisco's May Queen was three times the price of its regular guitars. There's a reason for that…
What Did Johnny Cash, the Grateful Dead, and the Jackson 5 Have in Common? They All Embraced the Kustom Look and Sound By Dave Hunter published 29 September 23 These bold, punchy solid-state amps rocked the backlines of many noteworthy stars
All You Need to Know About Gibson PAF Humbuckers By Dave Hunter published 29 September 23 These hum-cancelling pickups are legendary for their tone, but is the “magic” just hype?
Best Headphone Amps For Guitar: Get The Sound Of A Fully Cooking Rig Without Making A Sound By Richard Blenkinsop published 29 September 23 Our pick of the best headphone amps for guitar from Vox, Boss, Fender and more
A Firm Favorite of Ry Cooder and Dan Auerbach, Here's Why the Humble Gold-Foil Pickup Can Deliver About as Much Aural Magic as Any of the A-List Coils By Dave Hunter published 26 September 23 The cult of the gold-foil has acquired a mystique and made its place among us
Best Acoustic Guitar Amps: Top Acoustic Amplifiers And Preamp Pedals By Rob Laing published 26 September 23 Step onstage with our top picks of the best acoustic guitar amps and preamp pedals from Boss, AER, LR Baggs, Fishman, and more
With a Surprising History Dating Back to the 1940s, Carvin Later Achieved Kudos With Endorsements by Steve Vai, Allan Holdsworth and Joe Walsh By Dave Hunter published 20 September 23 Launched as a post-WWII startup, the firm grew into a guitar gear giant, one catalog sale at a time
Best Fender Amps: Fender’s 9 Finest Amplifiers Currently On The Market By Ross Holder published 13 September 23 From small modeling practice amps to monstrous 4x10 tube-powered options, take a look at our favorite Fender amplifiers you can buy right now
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