JAZZ ODYSSEY

Freedom has been on a lot of people’s minds the past two years. Jazz-fusion pioneer John McLaughlin made it the topic of his latest solo album, Liberation Time.

California Dreamin'

The new Matchless Laurel Canyon and Coldwater Canyon amps capture classic West Coast splendor.

Catch Me if You Can

Chuck Berry brought poetry to pop and broke race barriers to become rock and roll's first guitar-playing frontman. As he recalled, it all began with some "hillbilly stuff' he revved into a rocker: "Maybellene."

Beat the Odds

Luther Dickinson reveals his technique for fingerpicking with groups of five and seven.

John Frusciante

He saved the red hot chili peppers. But first he had to save himself.

Alternative Notion

"AVA puts an elegant spin on carbon-fiber luthiery with its One First Edition electric guitars."

Fire Down Below

"Armed with just his phone and extensive network of musical cohorts, Tom Morello takes the electric guitar into uncharted territory on The Atlas Underground Fire."

ROYAL TREATMENT

Blues phenom Eric Gales returns with the album he was born to make: Crown.

INTO THE GROOVE

Nylon-string maestro Jesse Cook finds release in electronic beats on Libre, his latest fret-burning effort.

FOREVER '50s

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

Time Is on Her Side

Stripping away the heavy rock guitars of her previous albums, Courtney Barnett makes a fresh start with Things Take Time, Take Time.

Leo Rising

After 50 years, Leo Nocentelli’s long-lost solo debut reveals a softer side to the hard-nosed electric funk legend.

How I Wrote... "I Love Rock 'N' Roll"

The late Alan Merrill recalled how his flop became Joan Jett's runaway hit.

Acoustic Blues Musings, Pt.4

Slide song suggestions with insights from Ben Harper and Roy Rogers.

NEW ADVENTURES IN HI-FI

Armed with a Rickenbacker and a Fender Twin, Peter Buck helped R.E.M. put alternative rock on the map. Producer Mitch Easter reveals the genius behind the jangle pop.

THESE THINGS TAKE TIME

Rejecting traditional rock guitar stylings, Johnny Marr created a new ethos that defined alternative rock and placed it at the forefront of the U.K.’s 1980s music scene.

EARTHQUAKER DEVICES

Hizumitas Fuzz Sustainer

WINNING LAP

Having mastered Guitar Hero, Yasmin Williams turned her attention to the real deal and became a lap-tapping superhero in her own right for a new generation of players.

SHOUT IT OUT

LOUD It took four albums for Kiss to rise from Rust Belt cult act to national rock stars. Now the pressure was on for a follow-up. They responded with Destroyer, the 1976 album that turned the New York City glam-rockers into Gods of Thunder.

RUST BELT Troubadour

After making his mark with Gregg Allman and members of the Band’s camp, Scott Sharrard now takes his place in Little Feat while dropping a solo album infused with his Midwest roots.

Light and Shade

Zakk Wylde emerges from lockdown with an album that laces ballads with twin-guitar rockers.

Cicognani Engineering

Sexyboost2 Analog Tube Boost

Lake Effect

The late Pat Martino took a stirring voyage on fusion's treacherous waters.

MY CAREER IN FIVE SONGS

With thousands of sessions to his name, Lee Ritenour picks five solo tracks that define his multi-genre career.

LONE STAR Mojo

Sue Foley brings swagger, sweetness and bite to the bold and unfiltered Pinky's Blues.

RETRO-MODERN MARVEL

Mike Baranik’s “Arabella” B-1 brings 1960s-inspired guitar design to the boutique market.

Switched-On Box

With its range of tones and innovative features, the Teisco Spectrum 5 will push your buttons.

THE SPACEMAN'S RETURN VOYAGE

Back on the road, Ace Frehley is still struttin' and smokin'.

COLD TRUTH

Guthrie Govan delivers a faithful account of the Aristocrats onstage with Freeze! Live in Europe 2020.

Acoustic Blues Musings, Pt. 3

Open roots tuning tips.