Publication

60 ANNIVERSARY

FEATURING THE MAKING OF CREAM’S DEBUT ALBUM THE GUITARS & AMPS THAT FUELLED CLCLAPAPTON’STON’S SOUND MYTH-BUSTING THE BAND’S BREAK-UP & MORE

Back To The Future

This month’s illustrious crop of Gear Of The Year-winning guitars, amps and e ects always presents an occasion to muse about where guitar is headed. Gear design is, after all, often no more than a delayed reflection of what guitar players are into at a...

NOEL GALLAGHER LP

PLUS BONEHEAD & GEM ARCHER EPIPHONES!

30 YEARS OF THE BLUES JUNIOR

Not-So Horrible Histories

This month’s cover feature on the first five years of Fender’s CBS era reminds us that, over time, all historical stories get reduced to simplistic clichés that help us sum up a period of complex activity in a single phrase. The trouble is that these...

Live And Dangerous

This month’s cover feature on Mirador, Jake Kiszka’s new band with Chris Turpin of Ida Mae, brings to mind some really big issues that cut to the heart of why we play guitar. The band’s philosophy on their debut album was very much centred on capturing...

JEFF BECK OXBLOOD

EPIPHONE’S REPLICA OOF THE ICONIC ’54 LES PAUL

Views From The Top

It’s always interesting to hear what someone who can have any gear they want has to say about sounding good, as with this month’s cover feature interview with Joe Bonamassa (see page 60), who has one of the most coveted vintage gear collections in the...

GOLDEN ERA STRATS

THE EVOLUTION OF LEO’S MASTERPIECE 1957-’64

Changing Times

The only constant in life is the inevitability of change. But even so it was sad and sobering to hear that one of the pillars of British musical instrument retail, GAK of Brighton, closed its doors on 25 March and (at the time of writing) has yet to...

Keeping It Real

While we were chatting with this month’s cover stars, Chrissie Hynde and James Walbourne, the subject of phones at gigs came up –The Pretenders have a strict no‑phones policy, which has caused some fans to grumble. Why shouldn’t people capture a little...

MARR’S GUITARS

MARR’S GUITARS JOHNNY ON NEW MARTIN SIGNATURE M-7

Perspiration, Inspiration

The revered American choreographer and dancer Martha Graham once said, “No artist is ahead of his time. He is his time; it is just that others are behind the times.” I was reminded of the quote reading this month’s cover story with Brian May – the...

BECK THE GUITAR AUCTION

FEATURING 1954 Gibson ‘Oxblood’ Les Paul 1959 Gibson ‘Yardburst’ Les Paul Standard Fender/Seymour Duncan ‘Tele-Gib’ & MUCH MORE

FENDER PRS GIBSON THORPYFX EPIPHONE BOSS JWJ PATRICK JAMES EGGLE BAD CAT NIK HUBER POWERS ELECTRIC CRAZY TUBE CIRCUITS PJD GORDON SMITH BARE KNUCKLE J ROCKETT

Simple Pleasures

Maybe it’s coincidence, but two very di erent guitarists – both on top of their game in their own spheres – said to me recently that restrictions can be a more powerful spur to creativity than endless choice. Both conversations were sparked by their...

Live & Learn

This month’s cover feature with Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry (see page 60) and our look back on Tull’s classic 1971 album, Aqualung, with guitarist Martin Barre (see page 52) speak to the value of both experience… and inexperience. Martin Barre in...

Stealing The Scene

Reading this month’s cover story on the explosion of the blues in 60s Britain (page 54), it’s striking how it was a movement that grew not just from the burgeoning mass media of the time (such as TV shows bringing American blues music to the public...

Passing The Torch

This issue’s cover feature about the upcoming sale of Rory Gallagher’s guitars got me thinking about what it means to own – and eventually let go of – treasured instruments. Unlike objects such as a lamp or a dining chair, a guitar has a special...

MASTE CLASS How To Be A Better Player By 57 Top Guitarists

JOE BONAMASSA KIRK FLETCHER NILI BROSH ERIC JOHNSON ORIANTHI BILL NELSON STEVE LUKATHER MARTY FRIEDMAN TRACII GUNS ANDY TIMMONS STEVE HACKETT SAMANTHA FISH STEVE CROPPER DAMON J OHNSON PHILIP SAYCE JENNIFER BATTEN NITA STRAUSS DEVON ALLMAN JESSE DAYTON...