Issue 290 is on sale

In Guitarist 290, on sale 10 May -

FREE DVD!
Time to lock yourselves in your practice room and be blown away by our third techniques-packed Guitarist DVD, free with this issue, including:
> Fusing Blues & Rock with Thomas Blug
> Acoustic Masterclass with Tommy Emmanuel
> Downtuned Metal Mayhem with Deftones' Steph Carpenter
> Demo of the new Fender VG Stratocaster
> Lick Library tuition DVD showreel

FENDER VG STRATOCASTER
Unmissable exclusive UK review of the world's first digital Strat

SLASH
Velvet Revolver's guitar hero offers precious insight into his guitar style and the band's explosive new album

MEGADETH
Metal is his business, and business is as good as ever for Dave Mustaine

ALSO INTERVIEWED
Deftones, Noisettes and Black Stone Cherry

VOX AT 50
Welcome to the jangle as the chime marches on - we celebrate 50 years of fantastic amps from Vox

40 HOT NEW PRODUCTS
We round up the best new gear from the Frankfurt Musik Messe show

CLASSIC TRACK
Learn to play Stevie Ray Vaughan's Mary Had A Little Lamb - with full backing track on the CD and tablature in the mag

ELECTRICS
New vintage modded Strats, Yamaha SGs and many more

ACOUSTICS
Affordable new wares from Fairclough and Ovation

AMPLIFIERS
New Two-Rock and Divided By 13 tone machines

EFFECTS
We stomp all over the new floor-based Tonelab LE

BASS
A new active four-stringer from Zoot

PLUS
Effects, recording plug-ins, quick test accessories and much more in the world's best gear reviews section

TECHNIQUES
Learn the playing tips and secrets of Dickey Betts, John Scofield, Steve Howe and Maybelle Carter, and get your head round 7/4 and 7/8 time signatures

AUDIO EXAMPLES
Hear the gear, and play along with pro audio examples from our techniques section

SOUNDCHECK
Our musician and band advice section offers a gear Q&A, a jargonbuster, advice on songwriting, setting action, and irreverent opinion from Charles Shaar Murray

The June issue of Guitarist is on sale 10 May, priced £5.25…