EVOLUTION OF THE STRATOCASTER

It's often said that Leo Fender got it right the first time - but, actually, he got most of it right the first time and then figured out the rest as he went along. Join us as we examine how the Stratocaster evolved throughout the pre-CBS era

ROBERT FRIPP

WITH A 32-DISC BOXSET OF HIS SOLO WORK DURING THE LATE 1970s ALREADY RELEASED INTO THE WILD AND A GUITAR BOOK COMING OUT IN EARLY AUTUMN, ROBERT SITS DOWN WITH US AT FRIPP HQ IN THE MIDDLE ENGLAND COUNTRYSIDE TO TALK ALL THINGS KING CRIMSON, AS WE TAKE AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK AT THE INSTRUMENTS THAT HAVE GIVEN VOICE TO SOME OF PROG-ROCK'S FINEST MOMENTS

TOM BUKOVAC

With more than 700 albums to his credit – including his Dean DeLeo project, Trip The Witch – Nashville session ace Tom Bukovac is one of the world’s busiest guitarists. Here he shares some of the guitars behind Music Row’s biggest records

1967 Gibson ES-175D

This late-60s sparkle finish was highly irregular for Gibson's successful electric hollowbody

Junior High

Oh dear, cut up your credit cards. Patrick James Eggle has sent us his latest electric vision: a boutique Junior with not an ounce of flame maple or bling. Let’s rock!

Top Of The Class

Laney’s unique Class A tribute to vintage British tone blends classic styling with a wide range of tones. You need to hear this!

Digitally Controlled Expression - Get Expressive!

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…

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

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

TOM WEIGHTS

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

P-90 Revival

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

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 traveling 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

Lean & Mean

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

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…

Clockwork Echo

J Rockett reimagines the Deluxe Memory Man concept

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

CHRIS BUCK

The Cardinal Black guitar maestro spins tales of a bargain ’62 Strat and how the P-90 is criminally underrated…

60 YEARS OF THE SG

Its sharp horns seemed to belong to the Devil’s orchestra, not the polite jazz scene of the early 60s. As a statement of intent, the SG’s radical styling succeeded – but maybe not as first intended. The design was swiftly disowned by Les Paul, though it was supposed to be his signature instrument. Rejected by its patron, the SG grew up in the shadow of its iconic sibling, the Les Paul Standard, becoming the anti-hero’s tool of choice from Angus and Iommi onwards...

Longtermers

A few months’ gigging, recording and everything that goes with it – welcome to Guitarist ’s longterm test report

Epiphone Slash Les Paul ProBuckers

As authentic clones, the pickups in these Epiphone signature guitars offer true Gibson tone

RICKENBACKER PICKUPS

Martin Kelly – author of Rickenbacker Guitars 1931-1999: Out Of The Frying Pan Into The Fireglo – straightens out the subject of Rickenbacker pickups

Shaping Sound

Few guitar companies have the kind of technology Yamaha boasts at their disposal when it comes to the acoustic. The redesigned NX series illustrates some complex electronics under the hood of these new nylon-strings

TEENAGE FANCLUB

AS GLASGOW’S FINEST RETURN WITH THEIR ELEVENTH ALBUM, ENDLESS ARCADE, WE ASK CO-FOUNDING GUITARISTS NORMAN B LAKE AND RAYMOND MC GINLEY ABOUT SONGWRITING, STOLEN GUITARS, CHANNELLING ROBERT FRIPP AND WHY THEIR WORKING RELATIONSHIP IS “LIKE THE CHUCKLE BROTHERS”…

JOAN ARMATRADING

She’s the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter whose observational songs have struck a chord since ’72. Now, as Joan Armatrading releases her 22nd studio album, Consequences, she tells us about pawn-shop guitars, disapproving parents and why human emotion still drives her songwriting

Mods Like Us

One way to view these new ProShop guitars is as pre-modded Vintage models. So with our own Mod Squad experience in mind we grilled the team

TROY REDFERN

A musical awakening courtesy of that famous sequence in Back To The Future led to a lifelong interest in country blues, National Resonators and gnarly, fuzzed-up slide guitar…

MEETING THE MARK

Mark Lettieri is one of the most in-demand players in the world at the moment. Aside from his edgy instrumental jazz work with Snarky Puppy, he’s also a close musical compadre of neo-funk stars Vulfpeck. We catch up with him to find out how, with Paul Reed Smith’s help, he designed a guitar to cover all musical terrains – and how tins of soup played an unexpectedly important role in the process…

JACKSON BROWNE

A laureate of the Laurel Canyon scene of the 70s, Jackson Browne’s love of guitar has fuelled a 50-year career that keeps getting better. As he releases his latest album, Downhill From Everywhere, we catch up with the Californian songsmith to talk old guitars and new directions

YNGWIE MALMSTEEN

He’s the Swedish wizard whose neo-classical flash turned the 80s shred scene on its head. Now, as Yngwie Malmsteen releases new album, Parabellum, he looks back on first Strats, scalloped fretboards, crashed sports cars, and his notorious ‘air rage’ spat

NICK JONAH DAVIS

THE LATEST ALBUM FROM DERBYSHIRE GUITARIST NICK JONAH DAVIS, WHEN THE SUN CAME, WAS RECORDED IN A CHURCH AND RELEASED JUST BEFORE LOCKDOWN–AND IT COULD WELL BE HIS FINEST YET. WE FIND OUT ABOUT THE RECORD’S ORIGINS, WHILE DISCOVERING MORE ABOUT NICK’S INFLUENCES, INSECURITIES AND EXPLORATIONS INTO “WEIRDNESS”...