Players How Robin Trower crafted his blistering tonal triumph, Day of the Eagle With some help from legendary Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick, Trower laid down an inspired tune that – 50 years later – remains, for his money, his “best rock and roll song” Gary Clark Jr. never asked to be a guitar savior Though he sometimes considers his own solos to be “gross,” the often-pigeonholed player took inspiration from the original G3 trio – alongside a potent cocktail of hip-hop, jazz, soul, R&B, and funk – on his stellar new album, JPEG Raw “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 A new exhibit at The MAX museum explores the guitar’s cultural impact through dozens of significant instruments – from a stunning custom Martin D-28 built for Elvis Presley's estate to a rickety Soviet-era Tonika model Latest Players "It’s not what you play, it’s what you don’t." Paul Rodgers – the singer's singer who played with the guitar player's guitar players – on what he learned from the likes of Paul Kossoff, Mick Ralphs and Jimmy Page By Ken Sharp published 26 January 24 Paul Rodgers on his charmed guitar life, his famous axe partners, soloing on Can't Get Enough and the stroke that nearly killed him “I don’t see myself as having a particular sound. I’m more of a music creator, and guitars are my tools. I just try to be prepared for any job”: The career of Lyle Workman, sideman, session guy and soundtrack composer in five songs By Joe Bosso published 25 January 24 Sideman, session player and film music composer, Lyle Workman more than lives up to his surname, but still doesn’t mind “being the smallest cog in the wheel”. Discover the five deeps cuts he considers his best “It’s tempting to look for more overdrive, distortion or feedback, but the volume control is what it’s all about. Just listen to Jeff Beck!”: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s Zal Cleminson on tone, Marshalls, and what he learned from his late bandleader By Michael Molenda published 24 January 24 Scales might be a “mystery” to this underrated riff-master, but few guitarists of Cleminson's (or any) era can match his flair for the dramatic. In this classic interview, Cleminson takes GP inside his enviable tone “I had a huge pedalboard at one point. You have 15 pedals, and your tone sucks... Joe Walsh and Hendrix, they didn’t use a bunch of pedals”: Schooled in jazz and classical guitar, with a punk spirit, Mary Timony's skilled fretwork is as unique as ever By Tom Beaujour published 23 January 24 Back with her first solo album in over a decade and a half, Timony chats with GP about her frustrations with the punk genre, losing (and subsequently regaining) her touch on the guitar, and recording rhythm parts on a near-century old Gibson “When you show up to a set thinking you’re gonna hear acoustic blues and you hear tapping on an overdriven resonator, it might make you stop and listen”: Buffalo Nichols on breaking with blues tradition, and charting his own resonator-led path By Jim Beaugez published 22 January 24 With programmed drums, samples, some occasional two-hand tapping, and a renewed sense of purpose – as displayed on his sophomore album, The Fatalist – Nichols is taking the blues into the 21st century “Make the worst-sounding chord you can imagine…” Alter Bridge supremo Mark Tremonti’s top five tips for guitarists By Joe Bosso published 21 January 24 Whether it’s practicing while standing, taking time to master a new technique or embracing open tunings, these are the rules Mark Tremonti uses to stay at the top of his game “I was on the toilet with my acoustic guitar and I just started playing the riff. I thought, 'Wow, that’s either something or it’s just a bunch of irrelevant notes'. The next day, the riff came back…" How Trevor Rabin wrote Yes’s Owner of a Lonely Heart By Gary Graff published 20 January 24 Trevor Rabin reveals the origins of the 1983 mega-hit that put Yes on top of the charts "Sometimes, when I play through a huge stack, I’m like, ‘Holy sh*t – the power!’ That's all great, but it tempts me into taking the easy way out instead of trying to find the perfect part”: Marnie Stern on tapping, modding, and finding your own voice By Jude Gold published 17 January 24 In this archival interview, the tapping maestro – who would go on to join the Late Night with Seth Meyers band – discusses how she layers countless guitar tracks without losing sight of the song, and hitting that tonal sweet spot “It's about the band. There’s a kind of confession in it…” How the fear, hope and sadness of a love affair mixed with secret band tensions helped Justin Hayward write the Moody Blues’ The Story in Your Eyes By Joe Matera published 14 January 24 Justin Hayward lifts the lid on the making of the Moody Blues’ immortal 1971 hit single The Story In Your Eyes “The weakness that guitar players often have is they’re good at noodling but not necessarily at making a hook that sticks to your ribs”: How heartland rocker Dave Hause made his new album Drive It Like It’s Stolen By Jim Beaugez published 13 January 24 We catch up with Dave Hause as he prepares to take the songs from his latest album on the road and talk parenthood, the benefits of stripped-down production and discover why Mike Campbell is his favourite guitarist 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 READ1How Robin Trower crafted his blistering tonal triumph, Day of the Eagle2Gary Clark Jr. never asked to be a guitar savior 3Best Travel Guitars 2024: Top Portable Instruments From Lowden, Furch, Martin and more4“‘Those old Beatle bashers?’”: Paul McCartney talks Vox amps, and his love of dirty tones5“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
"It’s not what you play, it’s what you don’t." Paul Rodgers – the singer's singer who played with the guitar player's guitar players – on what he learned from the likes of Paul Kossoff, Mick Ralphs and Jimmy Page By Ken Sharp published 26 January 24 Paul Rodgers on his charmed guitar life, his famous axe partners, soloing on Can't Get Enough and the stroke that nearly killed him
“I don’t see myself as having a particular sound. I’m more of a music creator, and guitars are my tools. I just try to be prepared for any job”: The career of Lyle Workman, sideman, session guy and soundtrack composer in five songs By Joe Bosso published 25 January 24 Sideman, session player and film music composer, Lyle Workman more than lives up to his surname, but still doesn’t mind “being the smallest cog in the wheel”. Discover the five deeps cuts he considers his best
“It’s tempting to look for more overdrive, distortion or feedback, but the volume control is what it’s all about. Just listen to Jeff Beck!”: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band’s Zal Cleminson on tone, Marshalls, and what he learned from his late bandleader By Michael Molenda published 24 January 24 Scales might be a “mystery” to this underrated riff-master, but few guitarists of Cleminson's (or any) era can match his flair for the dramatic. In this classic interview, Cleminson takes GP inside his enviable tone
“I had a huge pedalboard at one point. You have 15 pedals, and your tone sucks... Joe Walsh and Hendrix, they didn’t use a bunch of pedals”: Schooled in jazz and classical guitar, with a punk spirit, Mary Timony's skilled fretwork is as unique as ever By Tom Beaujour published 23 January 24 Back with her first solo album in over a decade and a half, Timony chats with GP about her frustrations with the punk genre, losing (and subsequently regaining) her touch on the guitar, and recording rhythm parts on a near-century old Gibson
“When you show up to a set thinking you’re gonna hear acoustic blues and you hear tapping on an overdriven resonator, it might make you stop and listen”: Buffalo Nichols on breaking with blues tradition, and charting his own resonator-led path By Jim Beaugez published 22 January 24 With programmed drums, samples, some occasional two-hand tapping, and a renewed sense of purpose – as displayed on his sophomore album, The Fatalist – Nichols is taking the blues into the 21st century
“Make the worst-sounding chord you can imagine…” Alter Bridge supremo Mark Tremonti’s top five tips for guitarists By Joe Bosso published 21 January 24 Whether it’s practicing while standing, taking time to master a new technique or embracing open tunings, these are the rules Mark Tremonti uses to stay at the top of his game
“I was on the toilet with my acoustic guitar and I just started playing the riff. I thought, 'Wow, that’s either something or it’s just a bunch of irrelevant notes'. The next day, the riff came back…" How Trevor Rabin wrote Yes’s Owner of a Lonely Heart By Gary Graff published 20 January 24 Trevor Rabin reveals the origins of the 1983 mega-hit that put Yes on top of the charts
"Sometimes, when I play through a huge stack, I’m like, ‘Holy sh*t – the power!’ That's all great, but it tempts me into taking the easy way out instead of trying to find the perfect part”: Marnie Stern on tapping, modding, and finding your own voice By Jude Gold published 17 January 24 In this archival interview, the tapping maestro – who would go on to join the Late Night with Seth Meyers band – discusses how she layers countless guitar tracks without losing sight of the song, and hitting that tonal sweet spot
“It's about the band. There’s a kind of confession in it…” How the fear, hope and sadness of a love affair mixed with secret band tensions helped Justin Hayward write the Moody Blues’ The Story in Your Eyes By Joe Matera published 14 January 24 Justin Hayward lifts the lid on the making of the Moody Blues’ immortal 1971 hit single The Story In Your Eyes
“The weakness that guitar players often have is they’re good at noodling but not necessarily at making a hook that sticks to your ribs”: How heartland rocker Dave Hause made his new album Drive It Like It’s Stolen By Jim Beaugez published 13 January 24 We catch up with Dave Hause as he prepares to take the songs from his latest album on the road and talk parenthood, the benefits of stripped-down production and discover why Mike Campbell is his favourite guitarist