Latest articles by Jonathan Horsley
Davey Johnstone on the making of Elton John’s 1975 masterpiece, Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy
It began aboard the high seas, a concept record about Elton John and Bernie Taupin's early days, and when the band got to Caribou Ranch, they'd turn out one of the greatest albums of the '70s
Gibson celebrates the 30th anniversary of Oasis’ Wonderwall by releasing the most talked-about electric guitar of 2025
Following that super-limited run of 25 Murphy Lab replicas, the Ebony P-90-equipped Les Paul Standard Noel Gallagher played on the Oasis reunion tour has been added to the Gibson lineup
Jackson and Corey Beaulieu ante up with the Trivium guitarist's new Seymour Duncan-loaded next-gen King V
Available with six or seven-strings, designed for crushing high-gain playing, and with that super-cool serrated V body shape, the Jackson x Beaulieu Pro Series collab is a total metal guitar
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram on how the Telecaster won him over – and his new Delta Day signature Tele Deluxe
You've seen his Mississippi Midnight signature model, now introducing the modern blues phenom's Tele Deluxe in Delta Day – or is it Daphne Blue?
“The legendary JB tone, now reimagined for Telecasters”: Seymour Duncan might just have dropped this year’s must-have Tele mod
One of the greatest rock humbuckers of all all-time, slimmed down to single-coil size to drop into your Tele's bridge position. Meet the JB Jr For Tele
Steve Morse on the time he took power tools to his guitar so he could play a Deep Purple show with a broken wrist
Upper-fret access, the DIY way... Do not try this at home. But as the former Deep Purple guitarist explains, you can't stand on ceremony when you need your guitar to play how you want it to
Enter, the Raven: Kirk Hammett’s Custom Shop Gibson acoustic dresses up the Hummingbird for Halloween
This collector's item is limited to 100 units worldwide, has a soundhole label signed by Metallica guitarist, and has aesthetic updates that just the thing for the horror superfan
Fender x Loog’s Hello Kitty Stratocaster it might be the cutest beginner guitar of all time
But it has competition in the adorable shape and cartoon graphics of Loog's Hello Kitty mini-acoustics – all of which come bundled with learning materials for young players
The Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster returns in limited edition white as Fender announces expanded capsule collection
One of the world's most-loved single-pickup electrics is back in white, the fuzz is back in black, and there's loads of merch and accessories as Fender and the Japanese feline join forces once again
Metallica’s Master Of Puppets has been to the Upside Down but this backwards version might be the Strangest Thing you’ll hear this year
Evile's Ol Drake has played the thing that should not be – Masters Of Puppets, only backwards, and it'll give you whiplash
Orange’s King Comp is a monster compressor with the feel of a real amp and super low-noise operation
This beastly Class A VCA sibling of the Kongpressor brings us super low-noise performance, abundant headroom running at 18V DC, and it has ample controls for shaping your guitar tone
![A composite image of Vernon Reid and D'Angelo. Reid [right] cups his fingers to his ear as he performs with his PRS signature model. D'Angelo holds both hands on his mic stand and wears a black sleeveless T and black headband.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Xh9isFyYgH7eU7S24hpw3U-840-80.jpg.webp)
Vernon Reid on D’Angelo’s everlasting influence and the deep roots of the late neo-soul trailblazer's sound
Reid says his mind was blown by D’Angelo’s virtuoso command of rhythm and just how far he could stay behind the beat, and recalls the bluesy track they made together for a Queen Latifah movie
Steve Morse on playing through the pain barrier and how arthritis is forcing him to change the way he plays guitar
Morse says you really have to want to play when you have arthritis, but the good news is that he does, and he's determined to make it work – “It’s broke, but I’m gonna find a way”
Gibson unveils Custom Shop Back To The Future ES-345 Collector’s Edition – and there’s a limited edition Epiphone too
The hunt goes on for the original ES-345 used by Michael J Fox in movie, but these limited run replicas have arrived just in time to celebrate 40 years of Back To The Future
Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti on recording at the studio that Eddie Van Halen built
“It was literally, the minute we walked in the door, it was very Wayne’s World. ‘We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!’”
What are the best online guitar lessons in 2025? I review guitar gear for a living and these are my favourite lessons platforms
My pick of the best online guitar courses will get your playing up to speed from the comfort of your own home, whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player
Time to go wireless? Positive Grid’s Spark LINK XLR offers cable-free connections for live performance
Free up your performance with the $169 wireless XLR transmitter that gives you up to 70 feet of line-of-sight transmission
Gretsch relaunches the Jet in Streamliner and Electromatic series – and there is a single-pickup rock 'n' roll machine FTW
Fresh pickups, wraparound bridges, and just look at all those different colours...
By popular demand, Sean Long of While She Sleeps’ Charvel signature model now comes in Neon Pink
Well this is a pretty bright finish... but this shred and metal ready platform remains unchanged, with a pair of active EMG humbuckers, a no-fuss hardtail, and a Speed Neck for thrills
Strymon’s Olivera is a oil can delay without the oil, without the mechanics, and with a lot more control over your tone
Vintage sounds from 21st-century tech, the Olivera has a powerful ARM processor under the hood, giving us 300 presets, stereo, MIDI, while a discreet Class A JEFT input preamp keeps things real
Harley Benton’s new acoustic is a compact parlour with a solid top and metallic colour finish – and it is just $250
With five colour finishes to choose from, the CLF-50E is an eye-catching, couch-friendly but stage-ready acoustic electric for players on a budget
“I never realised how difficult it was for Alex”: When Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson had to battle to get heard
"The guitar suffered in a lot of the mixes," Lifeson said
![Fender's American Professional Classic series photographed against the side of a chrome tour bus [L-R]: Jaguar in faded Sherwood Green Metallic, HSS Stratocaster in Faded Lake Placid Blue, Stratocaster in Faded Firemist Gold, Telecaster in Faded Butterscotch Blonde, Precision Bass in Faded 3-Color Sunburst.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zqgrqTV4qT7LsXP3Udi9vm-840-80.jpg.webp)
Fender gives its US lineup a retro-modern makeover with the American Professional Classic range
Featuring vintage-voiced Coastline pickups, Faded finishes in much-loved Fender colours, plus a host of player-friendly details... And they've been road-tested by US hardcore superstars Turnstile
Warm Audio channels the greatest hits of classic overdrive with the regal Throne Of Tone dual-drive and the 3-in-1 Tone Squealer
With its Mix knob, three modes and pickup voicing switch, the Tone Squealer could be the TS-style pedal for fans and non-fans alike, while the Throne Of Tone has everything you'd need from a mid-gain drive
