Fab Four Fuzz

Fit For Repurpose

Putting together this month’s feature on Fender offsets

Return Of The Kraken

Victory’s compact high-gain monster is back, revamped and improved, and with a new Clean mode

Mystery Tour

As Canada’s foremost manufacturer of steeland nylon-string acoustics and electros, not to mention an increasingly broad line of electrics, Godin combines its past into the G-Tour

Some Kind Of Monster

One of the most distinctive electric guitars is back as another replica, but this time it’s missing its main visual identifier. Double-cut eruption or paint job disruption?

Golden Goose

We have a gander as Electro-Harmonix debuts its enhanced take on Marshall’s Bluesbreaker overdrive sounds

the Wishlist

Dream gear to beg, borrow and steal for...

Back To The Source

Can’t afford a vintage Fender? Neither can we. So until we win the lottery, the Vintera range aims to satisfy our lust. Let’s jump on the offset train and go back in time…

Go For Gold

It’s time to hang out the bunting as Taylor celebrates its 50th anniversary with some very special limited-edition instruments, including this superb Grand Auditorium acoustic

Deep Space

Boss expands its 200 Series range of effects with a long-awaited reverb pedal

Gas Supply

Our pick of the month’s most delectable and wallet-bothering new gear

Fretbuzz

A monthly look at must-hear artists from all corners of the guitar world, from the roots of their sound to the tracks that matter most

Albums

The month’s best guitar music – a hand-picked selection of the finest fretwork on wax

Tones Behind The Tracks

Scott Henderson returns with a new instrumental album that fuses his rock, blues and jazz-inf luenced backgrounds seamlessly

Twist Or Stick?

Neville Marten ponders whether it’s best to switch between lots of guitars, or nurture one main instrument that you get to know intimately…

Team Building

This month Alex Bishop clears the decks to prepare the workshop for a three-week guitar-making extravaganza

Carry That Weight

Neville Marten asks, do lighter guitars sound better? And are older guitars better because they’re often lighter? Is it all in the pickups? Help!

THREE TO GET READY

Experience the light brigade

Open Chords

Richard Barrett presents alternative voicings of commonly found chords using open strings

Feedback

Your letters to the Guitarist editor. Drop us a line at guitarist@futurenet.com

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CONNOR SELBY

The young blues maestro recounts a great deal on a vintage Gibson ES-125 and an aversion to Firebirds

NYLON CALLING

Ever attempted to clean up and get a nylon-string playing to its full potential? Dave Burrluck shares some tips

Huw Price’s Nitty Gritty

Among the earliest guitar effects, wah has remained a pedalboard staple for decades

Touch Wood

Paul Gough of Zilla Cabs takes a closer look at cabinet materials – and asks what’s more important to you, consistency or quality of sound?

David Davidson’s Vintage Icons

1946 Stromberg Master 400

Guitarist

Nextmonth

JOHN DIGGINS

27 July 1945 – 2 January 2024

TONY CLARKIN

24 November 1946 – 7 January 2024

TOMMY EMMANUEL & MOLLY TUTTLE

It’s not often that you find two of the world’s greatest acoustic players on tour together in the UK, and we couldn’t resist the opportunity to invite both of them to the Guitarist studios for an interview and video masterclass…

IDLES

Savage, socially charged and allergic to cliché, Bristol’s Idles are less categorisable than ever on fifth album, Tangk. We meet square-peg guitar duo Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan to talk baritones, dog ‐bothering frequencies and why modelling is “wack”

THE RISE, FALL & RISE OF THE OFFSET

Fender’s Jazzmaster, which made its debut in 1958, and its shorter-scale sibling the Jaguar, launched four years later, failed to surpass the popularit y and utilit y of the Strat and Tele that went before them. Only now, over 60 years on, is the offset-body electric truly becoming recog nised as a guitar for all players. We trace the offset’s long journey from misunderstood outsider to contemporary king

ON BRAND

Fender offsets go beyond traditional Jazzmasters and Jaguars: here are six alternatives

OFFSETUPS

Mod tips and setup tricks to optimise your Jazzmaster and Jaguar guitars

BIG IN JAPAN

While American grunge bands may have popularised offsets in the 90s, Fender Japan showed the world how radically they could be modified and finished in a dazzling array custom colours, allowing the offset to evolve into a truly contemporary electric. We visit specialist Japanese guitar retailer Gas Station Guitars to find out more

SET IT OFF

There’s more to offset electrics than Leo’s designs. These options go beyond the origins of asymmetry

MAPLE MADE NEW

Martin’s elegant new Inception acoustic hides some seriously innovative features that are designed to coax richer sounds from its maple and walnut body. We join Fred Greene to find out more

Blues Headlines

Richard Barrett is on a mission to make you a better blues player – with full audio examples and backing tracks