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

Gas Supply

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

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

PRS Robben Ford Limited Edition McCarty £4,995

Gimme Five

Walrus Audio adds to its Five-State range of overdrive and distortion effects with this quintet of fuzzes in one box

Dish The Dirt

The famous DS-1 has been on sale since 1978, but now here’s a revamped version of Boss’s best-selling compact pedal

Design For Life

This well-appointed single-cut from Vintage might just give the big boys a run for their money

Team Player

Chapman is the latest brand to take advantage of York-based UK Guitar Builders’ manufacturing facility to produce its new flagship model. We plug in the first batch

One For Your Money

Following last year’s release of the award-winning Dept. 10 valve pedals, Blackstar’s multi-function, paperback-sized new tone machine has arrived to cover any need

Light Headed

This month, editor Jamie Dickson ponders the ultimate lightweight gigging setup.....

Tones Behind The Tracks

Julian Lage's new album is full of his signature virtuoso-level guitar playing with splashes of colour provided by special guest Bill Frisell

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

Saucerful Of Syd

One man's quest for early Pink Floyd sound resulted in this stompbox emulation of a long-forgotten 1960s British amp

Inside Story

Walrus Audio takes you on an ambient adventure with five programs that mix reverbs and delays

THE WISHLIST

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

Slide Show

A newly refreshed lap steel from Gretsch, with bags of style

Dead Ringers

Universal Audio's UAFX range expands with these 'one amp per box' emulators that capture the sounds of the world's greatest vintage guitar amplifiers

Treading The Boards

Classed by Córdoba as its "first nylon-string electric", the Stage breaks all the rules but not your wallet. Does it sound as good as it looks?

Small Wonder

From the cult Foxgear pedal brand comes Baroni's latest innovation - a micro head that could just be the most portable amp out there

Start Me Up

Why don't more makers just focus on simplicity, playability and sound? Well, here's a boutique level Junior-style guitar that does exactly that. Fasten your seat belts, you're in for a ride!

METEORIC SUCCESS

When we tested Fender's radically offset Player Plus Meteora HH recently, we were impressed by its biting yet expressive Fireball humbuckers - an instant favourite at Guitarist. Intrigued, we caught up with Fender's Allen Abbassi to talk pickups...

SIMON NICOL

This year sees the 55th anniversary of Fairport Convention, prime architects of the UK's folk-rock movement and a band that has left an indelible mark on British music. Here, founder member and guitarist Simon Nicol traces the band's origins from the perspective of his own musical journey

HOLY GRAILS

In a low-key store on a quiet city street in Long Island, you will find some of the rarest custom-colour and prototype guitars from Fender and Gibson's storied past. And each one has a fascinating tale to tell about guitar history. We ventured inside Well Strung Guitars, in company with owners David and Paige Davidson, to take a forensic look at the golden-era instruments that gave birth to legends. Here's what we discovered there...

HALESTORM

As the Pennsylvania rockers return, Lzzy Hale tells us about cult guitars, her identity crisis, the darkness behind new album, Back From The Dead – and the drinking session that sparked her purist-baiting signature Gibson Explorerbird

Silent Service

Vox's noise-cancelling headphones have acoustic tricks up their sleeve for guitarists who want to shut it all out during practice

A Taste Of Honey

Andy Powers discusses the character, clarity and ‘chatoyance’ of koa, the world-class tonewood of the Taylor 724ce

ALL THE DIFFERENCE

British amp maker Laney has poured three eras of classic delay sounds into its new high-end pedal, The Difference Engine, which has attracted the interest of Brian May among many others

Tones Behind The Tracks

Al Di Meola on how a legendary live session with Paco de Lucía and John McLaughlin came to light after 40 years...

Surf’s Up

The latest range from Harley Benton is based on the rare Mosrite brand. A viable cheapie or a clone too far?

Light Fantastic

Blackstar claims its latest release is "the lightest 50-watt all-valve combo in the world". Is this really the future for valve amplification? Time to plug in

All Aboard

While Guild's Newark St Collection features numerous repros of past models, the latest bolt-on Surfliner is an all-new creation. What's going on?