magcontent “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 “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 “One of the beautiful things about Leo is one of the hardest things to do – forget that you’re playing a guitar and just feel like you’re playing music. He embodies that transcendence”: The lessons Julian Lage learned from acoustic master Leo Kottke As Lage further explores his unplugged instincts, he reflects on some of Kottke's humorous nuggets of wisdom – one being that readings from sometimes-unreliable electric tuners are “only a suggestion” Latest magcontent Robin Trower: My Career in Five Songs By Joe Bosso last updated 6 September 22 From his Jimi Hendrix tribute to his latest blues track, here are the cuts that make Robin Trower proud. Fender Limited Edition HM Strat Review By Matt Blackett last updated 13 May 22 A go-faster Strat with a finish so loud it's visible from space. What's not to like? Kirk Fletcher Talks Strats, Influences and Finding Different Grooves for the Blues By Art Thompson last updated 13 May 22 On 'My Blues Pathway,' the California blues specialist pays back a debt to the forces that shaped his ferocious style. Eric Johnson on His Acoustic Evolution, the Essence of Songwriting and Recreating His Legendary Virginia Strat By Jimmy Leslie last updated 13 May 22 On EJ Vol. II, Johnson doubles down on his acoustic playing while taking the electric guitar into bold, new territory. Can he have it both ways? Adrian Belew on Alternate Tuning Inspirations, 35-voice Strats, and Why His DigiTech iStomp Remains a Pedalboard Staple By Michael Ross last updated 13 May 22 Prog-rock’s perennial superpower makes a feel-good album for hard-luck times. Essential Plucking Patterns for Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar By Jimmy Leslie last updated 11 April 22 Your path to finger freedom continues with multi-string approaches that bring arpeggios to life. How Pre-War Guitars Are Recreating Acoustic Guitar History, One Lovingly Aged Instrument at a Time By Tom Beaujour last updated 11 April 22 North Carolina luthiers Wes Lambe and Ben Maschal on a special Dreadnought inspired by a 1937 design. How Molly Tuttle Found Her Mojo with Pre-War Guitars, a Set of Cover Songs and a DIY Studio Setup By Jimmy Leslie last updated 15 February 22 The acoustic phenom on turning lockdown loneliness into a rewarding home-recording experience. Lionel Loueke Talks Seven-String Jazz Guitar, Rearranging Herbie Hancock, and the Improvisational Magic of a First Take By Bill Milkowski last updated 22 December 21 The jazz fingerstylist gives a musical fist bump to his mentor Herbie Hancock on 'HH.' Treasures from the PRS Vault: Looking Back at Key Developments from 35 Years of Remarkable Guitar-Building By Art Thompson last updated 3 September 21 As PRS Guitars celebrates its 35th Anniversary, Paul Reed Smith reflects on his most important designs. 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“A lot of times when someone says, ‘They have good technique, but there’s something missing,’ what’s actually missing is part of the technique”: Paul Gilbert on the essentials of great guitar playing2“Sometimes things like that just come together, like a piece of magic. I wrote that song in just five minutes”: Dickey Betts on dueling with Duane Allman, composing Allman Brothers' biggest hit, and the oddball Les Paul/SG hybrid he “personally designed”3“When I heard Lindley play that, I went, ‘That’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life’”: All-star tribute show in honor of David Lindley, one of the greatest sidemen of all time, announced4“We all knew it was really good… The guitar playing is just amazing”: How Dickey Betts made “Ramblin’ Man”, triumphed over tragedy and led the Allman Brothers to their greatest success5“The chord progression in the Highway Star solo – Bm, to a Db, C, and then G – is a Bach progression”: Ritchie Blackmore on Steve Howe, Jimi Hendrix, classical influences and more
Robin Trower: My Career in Five Songs By Joe Bosso last updated 6 September 22 From his Jimi Hendrix tribute to his latest blues track, here are the cuts that make Robin Trower proud.
Fender Limited Edition HM Strat Review By Matt Blackett last updated 13 May 22 A go-faster Strat with a finish so loud it's visible from space. What's not to like?
Kirk Fletcher Talks Strats, Influences and Finding Different Grooves for the Blues By Art Thompson last updated 13 May 22 On 'My Blues Pathway,' the California blues specialist pays back a debt to the forces that shaped his ferocious style.
Eric Johnson on His Acoustic Evolution, the Essence of Songwriting and Recreating His Legendary Virginia Strat By Jimmy Leslie last updated 13 May 22 On EJ Vol. II, Johnson doubles down on his acoustic playing while taking the electric guitar into bold, new territory. Can he have it both ways?
Adrian Belew on Alternate Tuning Inspirations, 35-voice Strats, and Why His DigiTech iStomp Remains a Pedalboard Staple By Michael Ross last updated 13 May 22 Prog-rock’s perennial superpower makes a feel-good album for hard-luck times.
Essential Plucking Patterns for Fingerstyle Acoustic Guitar By Jimmy Leslie last updated 11 April 22 Your path to finger freedom continues with multi-string approaches that bring arpeggios to life.
How Pre-War Guitars Are Recreating Acoustic Guitar History, One Lovingly Aged Instrument at a Time By Tom Beaujour last updated 11 April 22 North Carolina luthiers Wes Lambe and Ben Maschal on a special Dreadnought inspired by a 1937 design.
How Molly Tuttle Found Her Mojo with Pre-War Guitars, a Set of Cover Songs and a DIY Studio Setup By Jimmy Leslie last updated 15 February 22 The acoustic phenom on turning lockdown loneliness into a rewarding home-recording experience.
Lionel Loueke Talks Seven-String Jazz Guitar, Rearranging Herbie Hancock, and the Improvisational Magic of a First Take By Bill Milkowski last updated 22 December 21 The jazz fingerstylist gives a musical fist bump to his mentor Herbie Hancock on 'HH.'
Treasures from the PRS Vault: Looking Back at Key Developments from 35 Years of Remarkable Guitar-Building By Art Thompson last updated 3 September 21 As PRS Guitars celebrates its 35th Anniversary, Paul Reed Smith reflects on his most important designs.