LAURA COX

15 years ago, Anglo-French guitarist Laura Cox unknowingly set out on the path to stardom when she began posting note-perfect classic rock covers on YouTube with, she says, “nothing in mind other than to get some feedback.”

"IT SOUNDED PERFECT...LIKE A GIFT FROM ON HIGH!"

At the age of 21, with a 1959 replica Les Paul in his hands, Slash lit up Guns N’ Roses’ classic debut album Appetite For Destruction. Now, as a connoisseur with hundreds of guitars in his collection, he picks out the ones he treasures the most – and reveals how his love for Les Pauls has inspired and shaped him as a player...

18 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR TONE

It’s the most hotly-debated aspect of guitar playing! Read on as we look at the best ways to optimise your setup and get more TONE!

“WE HAVE THREE GUITARISTS BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE FOUR!"

Inside the new album from Periphery, where progressive metal meets smooth jazz - with wacky tunings,  ridiculous solos and more...

Tom Verlaine 1949-2023

The cult hero who guitar music reconfigured and inspired generations of alternative rock acts

Wilko Johnson 1947-2022

The unlikely guitar hero who had a style like no other - and wielded his Tele like a machine gun

Jared James Nichols – "It feels like the amp's about to explode!"

The blues rock power of Jared James Nichols, a man of many Les Pauls...

Nova Twins – "The bass is so loud. Guitar is the texture"

How the Nova Twins created their heavy and unique sound and why their pedalboards remain a closely-guarded secret

Polyphia – "Guitar is a Means to an End - the End Being Good Music"

Two virtuosos, no rules: how Polyphia are redefining the possibilities for guitar music

MXR DUKE OF TONE

The King is somewhat unavailable. Long live the Duke?

BOSS DS-1W

The DS-1 is many players' first pedal. Now, it gets the boutique Waza treatment...

LAVA MUSIC BLUE LAVA

Lava's Smart guitar concept gets more affordable

The Riffs of the Year

How to create a killer riff? Muse did it by going full-on metal, Ghost channeled their inner Def Leppard, and Animals As Leaders went where other bands fear to tread...

SOLOS OF THE YEAR

John Frusciante paid tribute to EVH. David Gilmour and Buddy Guy rolled back the years. But the most extraordinary solo of 2002 came from Steve Vai's collaboration with Polyphia....

The Songs of the Year

Wet Leg created a breakout hit out of one chord. But there was nothing minimalist about King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard's 18-minute psychedelic freakout with its cacophonous triple-guitar throwdown...

The Albums of the Year

So many great albums have been released this year, including two from Jack White, two from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and five from the relentlessly brilliant King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. In TG's top 20 there's everything from indie-folk to instrumental tech-metal...

John Frusciante

2022 saw the release of two monumental albums by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, in which John Frusciante demonstrated once again why he is one of the most powerful, intuitive and soulful guitar players on the planet. What's more, he also dug deep to create a song in homage to Eddie Van Halen - a heartfelt tribute from one great player to another, with an extraordinary one-take solo that underscores why TG names him Guitarist Of The Year.

HARLEY BENTON EVIL TWIN £69

Double value?

CHAPMAN £649 ML1 MODERN SPECIAL RUN

The best Chapman ML1 Modern model to date?

EPIPHONE POWER PLAYERS SG AND LES PAUL

Epiphone are here to help kids fulfil their rockstar potential with two pint-sized guitar legends

MAGNETO ERIC GALES £849 RD3 SIGNATURE

A fine slice of blues... and bling!

START ME UP!

Five awesome new products to get your gear engine revving this month...

OUTLIERS

Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, is one of the most well-known and commercially successful artists at the forefront of cutting edge guitar today. The Oklahoman singer-songwriter already has three Grammy awards to her name and has performed at the ceremony onstage with pop sensation Dua Lipa. But despite having one foot in the mainstream, Clark's unorthodox approach to guitar fully embraces the avant-garde.

“I'D NEVER HEARD ANYONE DO THIS BEFORE"

Inside the strange world of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, the most eclectic and prolific rock band on Earth...

“The solo is very much in the moment”

Brian May reveals the story behind Queen's 'lost' classic - and the epic guitar solo he created for it

“IT'S COOL TO PLAY WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE"

How the guitarists from My Chemical Romance and Coheed And Cambria find new inspiration in joint project L.S. Dunes

"The band is shifting tonalities all the time"

Three guitarists among 25 musicians playing instrumental jazz-funk: the unlikely success story of Snarky Puppy

THE TOTAL GUITAR CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE 2022

What do you get the player who has everything? Well, more stuff, duh! With a price ceiling of £150, we found 10 presents for the guitarist in your life

FIRST STEPS IN GUITAR...ROCK 'N' ROLL BENDING

Continuing his lessons in lead guitar, Paul is guided through some essential string bending techniques

RIFF OF THE MONTH: DISTURBED Unstoppable

Unstoppable is the second single from the eighth Disturbed studio album Divisive.