Magnify Your Tone

The Man In The Moon

The artist Pablo Picasso once said, “Inspiration exists,

Editor’s Highlights

Brian Setzer The king of rockabilly is back

The X Factor

Framus, that funky brand from the 60s, produces modern German-made guitars that use innovative high-tech production methods – and should be on your radar

Orange Aid

Renowned amp manufacturer ventures into the acoustic realm to provide an all-in-one DI and EQ solution for live performance

theWishlist

Dream gear to beg, borrow and steal for

New Fidelity

The Streamliners might well be Gretsch’s start-up range, but with numerous new 2021 models and an on-trend new pickup design, they’re gathering quite a head of steam

Sonic Boom

Just another spin on existing models or a new voice to add to the Gretsch canon? We catch up with product manager Adam Bowden-Smith to chat about the new Streamliner additions

Double Identity

Acoustic carbon-fibre guitar manufacturers Emerald take a bold step into the twin humbucker semi-acoustic market with one of the most versatile instruments we’ve encountered

Clockwork Echo

J Rockett reimagines the Deluxe Memory Man concept

Source Audio pedals

Three hi-tech pedals whose app support takes you even deeper

633 Engineering pedals

You’ve seen the amps – and here are the overdrive pedals…

Gas Supply

Fender J Mascis Telecaster & Kurt Cobain Jag-Stang £1,299 & £1,249

ALSO OUT NOW...

GIBSON TONY IOMMI SG SPECIAL £2,149

The Players

The latest news, views and happenings from the world of your favourite guitarists

Albums

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

Tones Behind The Tracks

Australian Joe Robinson’s Chet Atkins-style playing needs to be heard to be believed. Here, he explains how he cut his latest album, Borders

Lean & Mean

A weekly spot at Ronnie Scott’s provides Adam Goldsmith with the welcome challenge of a stripped-back setup

Enjoy Responsibly

A recent meet-up with long-time musical friends was a joyous thing, says Neville Marten, until he recalled a truly mortifying gig…

Recipe For Success

What defines the sound of a guitar? This issue, Alex Bishop cracks the secret of perfect tone once and for all

A Question Of Scale

Scale length has a big influence on a guitar’s performance, Paul Reed Smith tells Jamie Dickson – but string gauge and tuning are just as vital

Name That Chord

This issue Richard Barrett debates the use of numbers and slashes in chord naming, and acknowledges that there’s no correct answer…

Feedback

STAR LETTER HERE I GO AGAIN Here is

Express Yourself

Stefan Fast of YouTube channel ThePedalZone goes on a trip to the creative playground that is expression. Modern technology is taking it to the next level…

MARK TREMONTI

Join Alter Bridge’s lead guitarist on his journey from buying his first guitar for $10 to hunting down Dumble amps costing considerably more…

CBS FENDER TELECASTERS

DAZED & CONFUSED

TOM WEIGHTS

Gigs are back! Are we ready? Er… no. Some peculiar things are going on and Dave Burrluck needs to fix ’em

VIBRATO WOBBLES

Like many of us, one reader is experiencing some vibrato woes. Here’s how we keep ours in check…

P-90 Revival

Bare Knuckle Pickups founder Tim Mills explains why so many of us are turning to this classic single coil

ClassicGear

This classic electric bass was Rickenbacker’s bestseller of the 70s

Vintage Icons

Our resident vintage guitar expert David Davidson on some of the earliest known Strats

Postcards From NOW HERE

Phil Manzanera gave Roxy Music the taut riffs that made the band’s hits irresistibly danceable – but his latest album, recorded with Tim Finn, is about travelling without moving. We joined him to discover why a Firebird and an Ox make a powerful combination in any home studio, and receive a masterclass in the recording techniques he’s honed over 50 years of hits

THE FIRST Les Paul

The reason Gibson’s iconic Les Paul exists is because of its namesake. A star of the 1940s airwaves, Les Paul was also a gifted inventor who strived for 30 years to make his dream of a solidbody electric a reality. As his son Gene Paul says, “This is the reason music changed and rock ’n’ roll came to be… all because of this little guitar that sounded good.” Here is the story of how that very guitar – the first of the breed – was created

ELECTRIC DREAMS

Most people think the story of the iconic Les Paul model began in 1952, when Gibson launched the guitar to compete with upstart rivals Fender. But, as Les’s son Gene explains, its evolution actually began at the dawn of the 30s, with a mysterious hand-written note that quietly changed the course of guitar history. Here, for the first time, is an intimate account of how Les Paul pushed past setbacks to become the ‘Father of the Electric Guitar’

THE FIRST – OR JUST NUMBER ONE?

Les Paul’s guitar tech, Tom Doyle, explains why ‘Number One’ was the first LP that Les signed off on

EXPLORING THE MODS & MYTHS OF ‘NUMBER ONE’

Tom Doyle was recruited by Les Paul 57 years ago to make the master guitarist’s ambitious modding projects come to life. He was even entrusted with the jewel in the crown: Les Paul’s ‘Number One’ Goldtop. Here Tom talks us through the myriad mods of this historic instrument – and its “emotional” departure from his care

MASTER MUSICIAN

Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers legend Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter shares vivid memories of the “joyous” experience of playing alongside Les Paul

BRIAN SETZER

Rockabilly’s top cat on beating tinnitus, resurrecting Dick Dale, why you’ll never catch him with a Strat, and why rockers can’t play the ’billy

FRESH CREAM

Another UK-made guitar brand is always welcome, but rarely are they conceived by a meeting of great minds that includes a grizzled USA rock icon and a ‘mad scientist’ pickup maker from Norway…

Blues Headlines

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