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

the Wishlist

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

Eccentric Echo

It might be small, but Free The Tone’s latest has all the facilities to really shape the sound of your delay trails

Fly Drive

A new approach to clipping circuits from Kernom aims to offer all the overdrive sounds you need in a single pedal

Look Sharp

Tanglewood Guitars in the UK commissioned veteran guitar designer Gary Levinson to create a range of affordable but contemporary guitars. Here’s the result

Sound Shapers

Zilla Cabs’ Paul Gough demystifies the humble baffle, and explores how different types can affect your combo’s sound

SUPER 'NAUT

If you can't make the world’s most influential acoustic guitar better, you can always make it bigger, explain Scott Sasser and Tim Teel of Martin

Cool Cats

There’s no pussyfooting around for new company KittycasterFX as it hits the ground running with a pair of serious tone-shapers

Clarity Redefined

Premium-quality USB audio interfaces designed for producers, engineers and artists.

Lustre For Glory

A trio of Gibson dreadnoughts with faded satin nitro finishes, vintage appointments and modern-day electronics. Serious players or mere novelty acts? Let the auditions begin...

ALTER BRIDGE

Guitar duo Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti discuss their new album, custom guitars, the art of crafting long songs, and why you really, really don't want tinnitus...

CHARLIE BURCHILL

He's the Glasgow guitar maverick who broke into the 80s stadium league with Simple Minds. Now, as the band return with 18th album, Direction Of The Heart, Charlie Burchill tells us about pushing the envelope, falling for the White Falcon, commandeering The Edge's rig, and why you won't catch him playing powerchords

EXTRA, SPECIAL

We devote so much thought to big gear purchases but it's the little things that make the difference from day to day, we argue

MXR CUSTOM SHOP CSP039 DUKE OF TONE

Plenty of players would like to get their hands on an Analog Man King Of Tone, the twin-channel stompbox based on heavily modded circuitry from the Marshall Bluesbreaker pedal.

UNIVERSAL AUDIO UAFX RUBY '63 TOP BOOST AMPLIFIER

Universal Audio has been on a stompbox roll recently. Following a trio of effects last year, the company has condensed the sound and features of three classic amps into three stompboxes.

FLOOR AMPS & MULTI-EFFECTS

Compact tone from world-class amps-in-boxes and feature-packed multi-effects processors

BLACKSTAR ST JAMES EL34 1x12 COMBO

In recent years we've seen many guitar amplification designs leveraging Class D technology to produce lots of watts from unfeasibly small packages.

AMPS

Portable power with vintage tone, modern features or both you're spoilt for choice

THE ACOUSTIC PARADOX

Are there times when a top-ofthe-range acoustic guitar is just foo good to use for the job in hand?

TAYLOR 724CE KOA

Taylor’s commitment to a more ecological approach regarding the use of timbers in its guitars is exemplified in its new koa-bodied 700 Series.

PRESTIGE ELECTRICS

The flawless electrics that reside at the peak of guitar design in 2022

MAINSTREAM ELECTRICS

Irresistible builds from both sides of the pond

THERE'S A STORM A'COMING

Rising prices are everywhere, including on our cherished guitars. VWWe discuss the background to the ongoing price hikes with the head of PRS Europe, Gavin Mortimer

GEAR YEAR OF THE

IT’S THAT TIME AGAIN WE PRESENT OUR PICK OF 2022’S MOST OUTSTANDING GEAR

WALTER TROUT

Now in his 70s, having survived rock 'n' roll excess and a debilitating pandemic-induced depression, Walter Trout takes us on the emotional road he travelled to release his 30th solo album, Ride, a record that revisits the trials of his New Jersey childhood and affirms his place in the annals of blues-rock

Voice Leading

Richard Barrett shares some useful gradual transitions between chords around the fretboard

And Custom For All

Fender's Mod Shop offers buyers the chance to custom-build a new guitar andit’s cheaper than going the Custom Shop route. Our editors try it out

Under Pressure

This issue, Alex Bishop deals with the twin troubles of tension and playability that you may encounter when building a guitar

Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware)

Neville Marten recalls how playing thousands of good and bad instruments has gained him a degree from the guitar university of life’

Albums

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