News The Allman Brothers Band’s Dickey Betts has died at 80 The iconic guitarist pioneered Southern rock and the jam band genre “Joe Walsh insisted that I buy it”: Jimmy Page on his “Number 1” 1959 Gibson Les Paul In this vintage chat with Gibson, Page talks about his most famous Les Paul and some of its unique aspects, such as its sealed Grover tuners and bridge humbucker-splitting push-pull knob “‘Those old Beatle bashers?’”: Paul McCartney talks Vox amps, and his love of dirty tones In a 1990 GP interview, McCartney – typically pigeonholed as the Beatle most inclined to buttoned-up, old-school pop – expressed his personal preference for getting gnarlier rock tones out of his Vox amps, despite his reputation Latest news “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 By Jackson Maxwell published 12 April 24 The rockabilly legend attributes landing on his guitar and amp of choice at a young age mainly to “destiny” Positive Grid just launched a huge guitar month sale with 10% off Spark and free shipping on everything throughout April By Matt McCracken published 10 April 24 Get yourself an excellent discount on the Spark 40 as well as free shipping on everything over at Positive Grid “Young kids that buy their first really good guitar end up in a love relationship with it – I've never had that”: Why Pete Townshend won't apologize for his '60s-era guitar-smashing antics By Jackson Maxwell published 4 April 24 Rock's most famous guitar-smasher (mostly) abandoned that particular act over 50 years ago, but that doesn't mean he's wracked with guilt over his innumerable six-string beatings “It’s just one note, but it took my entire life to get to the point to where I could do that one note”: Steve Vai regarded this solo as his “ultimate achievement of phrasing on the guitar” By Jackson Maxwell published 4 April 24 No, it's not For the Love of God GP Presents John Scofield April 25 - April 28 in San Francisco – win tickets By Jimmy Leslie published 3 April 24 Enter for your chance to see a double bill of deep fusion grooves at San Fran's SFJAZZ Center “I've tried to avoid playing like Eddie. I've never learned the songs on purpose so I didn't steal anything. Then I had to learn the songs – I was like, ‘This is gonna be torture’”: Joe Satriani on his preparations for this summer's Van Halen tribute tour By Jackson Maxwell published 2 April 24 Satch is intensely studying the intricacies of the late guitar hero's technical quirks and tone, while trying to avoid outright mimicry. The fine line between paying tribute and copying is an act of needle-threading the virtuoso says he also faced during his tenure in Deep Purple “I was using a Telecaster because it had a really clean tone for my fingerstyle approach. Fleetwood Mac's pre-existing sound was much fatter, and they felt the Tele really didn’t fit”: Lindsey Buckingham on his turn to Turner guitars By Jackson Maxwell published 26 March 24 Though numerous guitarists cycled through Fleetwood Mac in the years following Peter Green's departure, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood remained partial to the crunch of a Les Paul, which Buckingham was hesitant to adopt “If Seven Worlds had come out at the time it was ready, instead of being held back, he would have been as big as Jeff Beck”: Stevie Ray Vaughan details his friendship with Eric Johnson By Jackson Maxwell published 22 March 24 As fellow Austin, Texas-based, up-and-coming guitarists in the 1970s and '80s, Vaughan and Johnson developed a close friendship, and had great admiration for one another “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 solo By Jackson Maxwell published 14 March 24 “Not the most relaxed situation for me,” the former Michael Jackson guitarist told GP in a 1989 interview “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 By Jackson Maxwell published 14 March 24 The pocket-sized unit features 10 amp models, access to Boss's formidable effects library, and a “stage feel” control that allows users to position the amp's sound in different places in the sound field, “giving the impression of playing with a backline on stage or jamming in a room with friends” 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 READ1The Allman Brothers Band’s Dickey Betts has died at 802“Joe Walsh insisted that I buy it”: Jimmy Page on his “Number 1” 1959 Gibson Les Paul3How Robin Trower crafted his blistering tonal triumph, Day of the Eagle4Gary Clark Jr. never asked to be a guitar savior 5Best Travel Guitars 2024: Top Portable Instruments From Lowden, Furch, Martin and more
“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 By Jackson Maxwell published 12 April 24 The rockabilly legend attributes landing on his guitar and amp of choice at a young age mainly to “destiny”
Positive Grid just launched a huge guitar month sale with 10% off Spark and free shipping on everything throughout April By Matt McCracken published 10 April 24 Get yourself an excellent discount on the Spark 40 as well as free shipping on everything over at Positive Grid
“Young kids that buy their first really good guitar end up in a love relationship with it – I've never had that”: Why Pete Townshend won't apologize for his '60s-era guitar-smashing antics By Jackson Maxwell published 4 April 24 Rock's most famous guitar-smasher (mostly) abandoned that particular act over 50 years ago, but that doesn't mean he's wracked with guilt over his innumerable six-string beatings
“It’s just one note, but it took my entire life to get to the point to where I could do that one note”: Steve Vai regarded this solo as his “ultimate achievement of phrasing on the guitar” By Jackson Maxwell published 4 April 24 No, it's not For the Love of God
GP Presents John Scofield April 25 - April 28 in San Francisco – win tickets By Jimmy Leslie published 3 April 24 Enter for your chance to see a double bill of deep fusion grooves at San Fran's SFJAZZ Center
“I've tried to avoid playing like Eddie. I've never learned the songs on purpose so I didn't steal anything. Then I had to learn the songs – I was like, ‘This is gonna be torture’”: Joe Satriani on his preparations for this summer's Van Halen tribute tour By Jackson Maxwell published 2 April 24 Satch is intensely studying the intricacies of the late guitar hero's technical quirks and tone, while trying to avoid outright mimicry. The fine line between paying tribute and copying is an act of needle-threading the virtuoso says he also faced during his tenure in Deep Purple
“I was using a Telecaster because it had a really clean tone for my fingerstyle approach. Fleetwood Mac's pre-existing sound was much fatter, and they felt the Tele really didn’t fit”: Lindsey Buckingham on his turn to Turner guitars By Jackson Maxwell published 26 March 24 Though numerous guitarists cycled through Fleetwood Mac in the years following Peter Green's departure, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood remained partial to the crunch of a Les Paul, which Buckingham was hesitant to adopt
“If Seven Worlds had come out at the time it was ready, instead of being held back, he would have been as big as Jeff Beck”: Stevie Ray Vaughan details his friendship with Eric Johnson By Jackson Maxwell published 22 March 24 As fellow Austin, Texas-based, up-and-coming guitarists in the 1970s and '80s, Vaughan and Johnson developed a close friendship, and had great admiration for one another
“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 solo By Jackson Maxwell published 14 March 24 “Not the most relaxed situation for me,” the former Michael Jackson guitarist told GP in a 1989 interview
“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 By Jackson Maxwell published 14 March 24 The pocket-sized unit features 10 amp models, access to Boss's formidable effects library, and a “stage feel” control that allows users to position the amp's sound in different places in the sound field, “giving the impression of playing with a backline on stage or jamming in a room with friends”