News How a deeply personal twist of events brought a beloved 'Burst into Vince Gill's life In a 2017 interview with Guitar Aficionado, the country-rock six-string ace revealed how a sad and deeply personal twist of events brought a prized '59 Les Paul into his life All-star tribute to David Lindley, one of the greatest sidemen of all time, announced Guitar Player Presents an all-star cast at Papa Mali’s New Orleans birthday bash on May 5 during Jazz Fest – and you can win tickets The Allman Brothers Band’s Dickey Betts has died at 80 The iconic guitarist pioneered Southern rock and the jam band genre Latest news The Allman Brothers Band’s Dickey Betts has died at 80 By Janelle Borg published 18 April 24 The Allman Brothers Band’s Dickey Betts has died at 80 “Joe Walsh insisted that I buy it”: Jimmy Page on his “Number 1” 1959 Gibson Les Paul By Christopher Scapelliti published 18 April 24 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 By Jackson Maxwell published 15 April 24 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 “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” “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 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 READ1PRS SE CE24, SE Custom 24 Quilt and SE Swamp Ash Special review 2How a deeply personal twist of events brought a beloved 'Burst into Vince Gill's life3How Noel Gallagher and Beck helped bring the Black Keys' latest funky full-length, Ohio Players, to life4Best amp modelers 2024: Get your dream guitar tone with our top picks5Best overdrive pedals 2024: Strap in, it's time to drive
The Allman Brothers Band’s Dickey Betts has died at 80 By Janelle Borg published 18 April 24 The Allman Brothers Band’s Dickey Betts has died at 80
“Joe Walsh insisted that I buy it”: Jimmy Page on his “Number 1” 1959 Gibson Les Paul By Christopher Scapelliti published 18 April 24 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 By Jackson Maxwell published 15 April 24 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
“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”
“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