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The Latest Breaking News from Guitar World

“I think they actually thought I was going to die, but they never took steps to kick me out of the band, which I can’t believe”: How Mike McCready overcame his addictions to form a grunge supergroup

Emerging from rehab in 1994 gave McCready a sense of purpose and clarity, and a newfound creativity as he put together Mad Season with Layne Staley on vocals

Guitar World

“My godfather played drums with Herbie Hancock, and he asked this guy to help me out on bass. Years later I found out it was Jaco”: How a chance family connection brought Raphael Saadiq a lesson with one of the greatest bass players of all time

Since breaking through as the frontman of Tony! Toni! Toné!, Raphael Saadiq has forged a career alongside A Tribe Called Quest, Snoop Dogg and Q-Tip, while playing a key role in the sound of D’Angelo’s acclaimed neo-soul albums

Guitar World

“They’re so scarce. Fender only made 200 and the majority of them have been monkeyed with”: The Stratocaster was in constant flux during its first year of production – and these two 1954 models prove it

We take a closer look at a pair of Strats that might share a birthday but have quite different sounds and specs, as Fender was evolving the design in real-time when it launched in ’54

Guitar World

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“Herein lies the beauty of the blues”: Joe Bonamassa explains why varying your pick attack is a fundamental part of your playing style

Want to find your voice? Switch up your pick attack and put some character into your phrasing

Guitar World

“A very versatile wah pedal that has you covered for whatever style of music you play”: Dunlop Cry Baby BB535 Reissue review

First seen in 1994, updated in 1999 and reissued in 2026, Dunlop’s Cry Baby now comes with even more versatility

Guitar World

“I was a session guitarist for a bit, which is unbelievable because I can’t read music. I used to pretend to flip the music sheets during sessions!” Dan Hawkins says it’s a miracle The Darkness have survived so long

His most prized Gibson was made for Jimmy Page and contains an Angus Young pickup. He knows the difference between opening for Metallica and Iron Maiden. He knows kids hate AI. And there’s one thing that he can’t tell you for legal reasons

Guitar World

Learn the all-purpose passing chord – the get-out-of-jail-free hack used by everyone from Kurt Cobain to Billie Joe Armstrong

You’ve heard it in Smells Like Teen Spirit and countless other grunge and punk classics. You may even already be doing it…

Guitar World

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“It changed what we thought was possible for electric guitars”: How a $20 box designed for cheap speakers became the secret weapon behind Metallica’s massive Black Album guitar sounds

How the SRS WOW Thing became an unlikely studio must-have, proving that how tools are used is more important than what tools are used

Guitar World

“Frank who? They were like, ‘Frank Ocean!’ He listened halfway through, took a picture, and posted it”: How Cashier’s DIY alt-rock sound is winning them fans in high places

Kylie Gaspard and Jo Perillo discuss the nuanced differences between shoegaze and alt-rock, and the borrowed J. Mascis Jazzmaster that holds the key to it all

Guitar World

“One of the most impressive designs we’ve encountered in quite a while”: Valiant Mercury Distressed review

A guitar built in Ukraine that nods to the familiar yet brims with ideas to set it apart from the mundane

Guitar World

How rhythm and lead techniques can combine for the ultimate blues solo – especially in a trio

This lesson presents an improvised blues solo as a launchpad for your own improv

Guitar World

What’s the greatest singer/guitarist partnership of all time?

It’s that most vital, and combustible, of rock band relationships – that of the singer and guitarist. Which partnership do you think created the most magic together?

Guitar World

“He couldn’t resist the offer to trade it for the car of his dreams”: The story of Danny Gatton’s strange, magical ’53 Telecaster – and where it is today

With a Willie Nelson autograph carved into the finish and a mount for a “Magic Dingus Box” controller, “The Telemaster”’s #1 was truly one-of-a-kind

Guitar World

“Ever since seeing Kiki Wong play it at Lollapalooza we want one bad”: My pick of the best new guitar gear launched this week – featuring a Dimebag-approved classic, Bonamassa signature acoustics and quite possibly the future of the S-style

Big new drops from Martin, MXR, Fender and more

Guitar World

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Guitar World

"It may not be perfect, but it is a bargain": Valeton GP-5 review

Valeton takes the miniature to the extreme with a fully capable amp modeler and multi-effects – with NAM compatibility to boot

Guitar World

“One of the secrets that they will deny to this day was that they could not come up with the sound that I wanted”: Why Ritchie Blackmore’s iconic Marshall stacks were actually Vox amps in disguise

Back in the ’70s, the Deep Purple guitarist was on the hunt for a specific sound, look and wattage, so the Marshall team found a way to get the best of all worlds (even if it meant using a rivals’ components)

Guitar World

"Technically speaking, there are infinite notes available to us. The problem is we can’t hear all of them": Decoding the notes between the notes – the ultimate guide to microtonal guitar

Ready for a math and history lesson? We break down microtonal music’s mind-bending tones for the modern guitar player

Guitar World

“I asked what the artist’s name was. He said, ‘Meat Loaf.’ I thought he was joking. He said, ‘Just show up at the studio tomorrow…’” Bass journeyman Kasim Sulton on Meat Loaf, Todd Rundgren, Joan Jett, the New Cars, and the hand he never got to shake

Keeping his bass rig simple for the most part, he recalls the fun of overplaying on Bat Out of Hell while thinking it would sink without trace, and writing Utopia’s only hit in 20 minutes after reality struck

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Guitar World

“At this price point, there is no room for anything other than excellence, and despite a few niggles, that is what this guitar delivers”: Gibson ES-335 ‘50s review

Harking back to the golden age of guitar innovation, Gibson promises to deliver stellar vintage tones with this authentically spec’d 335

Guitar World

“When I saw he was the one buying it, it made selling it feel a little better”: Country star surprises seller as he personally shows up to buy Facebook Marketplace find

Jacksonville singer-songwriter Riley Green shrugged off his rising fame to personally collect the Gibson J-45

Guitar World

Fender Japan’s new Stratocaster collection is inspired by Kyoto, katanas and matcha: “Designs that symbolize its unique world”

The Made in Japan Limited Japan-Inspired Collection Stratocaster celebrates Japanese culture with five fresh aesthetics

Guitar World

“We were opening for ZZ Top at Madison Square Garden. I told the guys, ‘I’ll go out there and blow for 60 seconds, then we’ll go into the first tune.’ I hit the first chord and my Marshall blew up”: Richie Sambora on Bon Jovi's nightmare arena debut

Reflecting on the experience decades later, Sambora said that – embarrassing as they are in the moment – mishaps like that are “what shape you as a pro”

Guitar World

“When I heard Anna play, I thought, ‘How the hell is that sound coming out of a22-year-old’s fingers?’” Alice Cooper’s guitar trio on how a wunderkind from England replaced Nita Strauss – and tackled the Godfather of Shock Rock’s most challenging tracks

Not just anyone could temporarily fill Strauss’ shoes in Alice Cooper’s band. In this GW exclusive, Coop’s longtime sidemen reveal how Anna Cara scored shock-rock’s biggest gig

Guitar World

“He stopped me after 15 seconds, visibly irritated, before grabbing my hand and filing down my nails to a good angle”: How Angine de Poitrine’s eccentric guitar teacher shaped their oddball sound

The “highly strung” Frank Zappa nut was an imposing figure, but a guitar hero in his students’ eyes

Guitar World

“Larry started playing that beat, while Edge was playing something else entirely. Bono said, ‘Whatever you’re doing, don’t stop!’ So we kept playing and he improvised that melody”: How a spontaneous studio jam sparked an unexpected moment of U2 magic

Adam Clayton reveals the story behind one of U2’s defining bass-driven riffs – and how he evolved as a player

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