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The Latest Breaking News from Phil Barker

“Ibanez and Japanese brands in general were irritating the hell out of Gibson, Fender and other US companies targeted by copyists”: From copies to innovations – the origin and rise of Japanese electric guitars (and the truth about ‘lawsuit’ guitars)

We dig into the Japanese guitar industry of the 1960s and ’70s and find notable brands, mischievous copies, diligent makers and original designs that led to the instrument’s renaissance in the 1980s and beyond

Guitar World

“We go and look in the garage – it was there. It hadn’t been looked at for 20 years and was sad and falling apart. It was like, ‘Help me!’” James Dean Bradfield on unearthing his rare “birthright” guitar, gear epiphanies and why Robert Smith is underrated

Manic Street Preachers' new album, Critical Thinking, had Bradfield reconnecting with guitars new and old, Nicky Wire unleashing on the title track, and it is a typically unique work from the Welsh rock institution

Guitar World

“The most convincing acoustic tone from an acoustic electric that we’ve yet heard”: LR Baggs AEG-1 review

This cutting-edge electro from LR Baggs has a plywood body frame, torrefied spruce top, rosewood back and studio-quality electrics – and we can’t wait to plug it in…

Guitar World

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“The tuning did not need tweaking for the entire time we spent trying to avoid playing Stairway To Heaven”: Faith Eclipse Venus E/Cutaway & Neptune E/Cutaway 12-String review

“Designed as the ultimate stage guitars, with workhorse reliability and maximum performance capability,” theselook the part, but how do they deliver in terms of quality and tone?

Guitar World

“A fully fledged Lowden that will relish everything from sofa noodling to professional gigs, once the pickup of your choice is installed”: Lowden F12 review

A new model from Lowden is something of an event, and when that instrument involves a reimagined neck joint, we’re instantly intrigued

Guitar World

“If you thought Godin only did lower-end ‘functional’ guitars, this might make you think differently. We certainly did”: Godin 5th Avenue TL Gold Foil and Lerxst by Godin Grace review

Few, if any, major guitar manufacturers offer Godin’s extensive range of guitar styles. We catch up with a couple of new additions that couldn’t be more different

Guitar World

“It began as a sharp abdominal pain. A decade later I received the shock diagnosis – I had ‘Telecaster Rib’”: I spent thousands trying to identify the source of my pain – it turned out to be my Fender Telecaster

Medical experts took the money but couldn’t stop the pain until the real culprit revealed itself

Guitar World

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“There’s something about handling a Martin that’s about to celebrate its 100th birthday that is absolutely terrifying”: Getting up close and personal with a 1928 Martin 00-42 – a pre-war, small-bodied vintage unicorn of an acoustic guitar

Martin has become synonymous with dreadnoughts and OM models, and there were rich pickings in the small-bodied pre-war era, too. We take a closer look – and get Chris Buck’s thoughts on it, too

Guitar World

How to clean a microwave with lemon — the natural cleaning hack you need to know, no scrubbing required

3 simple steps to loosen food splatters and banish grease

Ideal Home

“I was also able to purchase boards that were cut from a Honduras mahogany so legendary it’s known as ‘The Tree’”: Meet Don Musser, the ‘Dumble of acoustic guitar’ who has made custom builds for Dylan, Eddie Van Halen and Neil Young

He’s built guitars for some of the very biggest names in the business and yet Don Musser remains a known unknown. We track him down to fill in the blanks

Guitar World

“When I was a teenager, I had a dream about a guitar with a dragon inlaid down the neck. That dream has since become an important part of our history”: How Paul Reed Smith created the ultimate Dragon for PRS Guitars’ 40th Anniversary

Debuting PRS’s “throaty” new McCarty III humbuckers, the Private Stock 40th Anniversary McCarty Dragon is a work of art and a triumph of engineering – and, says Smith, it’s built to play

Guitar World

“Good weight, versatile sounds and a far from ‘shredder’ neck… It’s a very credible, classy instrument”: Jet Guitars JS-45 Elite review

Based in Slovenia and made in China, Jet Guitars’ impressively wide range of mainly lookalikes is now heading upmarket. The seatbelt sign is on…

Guitar World

“Walrus has gone well beyond the typical Klon-style proposition”: Walrus Audio Voyager Preamp/Overdrive MKII review

Walrus Audio revitalises its very first pedal, the Klon-emulating Voyager, with some tasty additions

Guitar World

“What ran the risk of being a toy-like guitar actually proved to be some serious fun”: Lava ME Air review

Lava is hellbent on revolutionizing the acoustic guitar. Forget what you know about spruce and cedar – this one’s boasting about carbon fiber and onboard effects

Guitar World

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Guitar World

“This cutaway format is a real winner. What’s even more remarkable is that the Studio version is every bit a champ”: Gibson Acoustic Hummingbird Studio EC and Hummingbird Standard Rosewood EC review

Gibson refreshes one of its most iconic acoustic designs with three new cutaway models. Will these latest ’Birds fly or simply fail to take off? Let’s take a look

Guitar World

“Give it some time and you’ll find a guitar sound you have never heard before. We need pedals like this”: Walrus Audio Mako M1 MKII High-Fidelity Modulation Machine review

A studio-quality greatest hits of modulation, now with a two-inch OLED screen

Guitar World

“Sonic wizardry at its finest”: Electro-Harmonix POG3 review

Updated and enhanced, this latest version of the POG takes its pitch-shifting and tone-shaping possibilities to the limit

Guitar World

“It’s a modern clean machine, but there are plenty of twists to create a clear and powerful rock machine. A unique and frankly inspiring instrument”: Cream T Astra Custom ‘Decades’ review

The Astra ‘Decades’ aims to stand apart from the generic Tele-style guitar. So if you want more sounds, not to mention pickup swapping, you just might fall for its charms – Dumbucker included…

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Guitar World

“Plentiful bass, well-rounded trebles, bags of toneful volume… there’s really not much more you could ask for”: Atkin Dust Bowl 0012S and 00014 review

Alister Atkin’s UK workshop pays homage to the stripped-back, no-frills instruments that were available in the USA nearly a century ago when money was tight but roots music was blooming

Guitar World

“It ain’t hip, but it’s fairly priced for a North American-made guitar – and an instrument this writer would happily gig with, no hesitation”: Godin Radium review

Along with making guitars for Alex Lifeson, Godin’s standard electric range has plenty to offer. We take this pared-down roots-rocker for a long overdue spin

Guitar World

“In the past you might have said, ‘That’s only for a metal or super high-performance hard-rock guy.’ Well, maybe not”: Allen Abbassi has overseen every Fender electric guitar since 2007 – but he’s still pushing the envelope

The Director of Electric Guitars on the Ultra II line, the future of high-end offsets –and why Fender is keeping one eye on YouTube

Guitar World

“A more sophisticated version of a Bluesbreaker pedal”: Origin Effects Halcyon Blue Overdrive review

The British amp-in-a-box specialist expands the Halcyon drive pedal series with a next-gen take on the Marshall Bluesbreaker

Guitar World

“A guitar so playable that you might need to put the brakes on yourself and remember to play to the count”: Fender American Ultra II Telecaster review

The workhorse is newly shod for the modern player but still packs the tones that made it famous

MusicRadar

“A pro-quality tool for hard-working musicians who like the guitar to do the heavy lifting”: Fender American Ultra II Stratocaster HSS

In refreshing its state-of-the-art US line, has Fender made the original – and the best – Superstrat?

Ideal Home

How to organise your fridge quickly - a 15 minute blitz to get your fridge ready for Christmas

These are the 7 quick steps to creating an orderly haven in your fridge this Christmas

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