Latest articles by Jonathan Horsley
Paul Gilbert on why it can be so hard to resist the urge to shred
Gilbert says shred can sometimes be the easy way to give his audience what they want, but their expectations only make him want to work harder on his melodies
Could the Line 6 Helix Stadium Floor be a serious rival to the Quad Cortex?
Line 6's new flagship amp modelling platform not only has to live up to the Helix's reputation, it arrives when the competition has never been steeper. But it has features, lots of 'em...
“You can have a great amp but if the speaker sucks it won’t sound good”: Sylosis' Josh Middleton on the most important link in your signal chain
The secret to great tone? Don't forget the speaker cabinet matters, too
Gary Clark Jr channels the King of the Blues for limited edition Gibson Custom Shop collab
The 21st-century blues king pays dues to his hero with a stunning limited edition Cobra Burst ES-355, fresh from the Custom Shop
![Vernon Reid [left] wears a brightly patterned suit and plays his signature Reverend onstage; [right] a still of the late great Arthur Rhames performing.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sjkugqBND4ekbX32UwgeaF-840-80.jpg.webp)
“I was scared to say it – but he played at the level of John McLaughlin!”: Vernon Reid pays tribute to a lost genius
“He should have been much more known than he was”
Gibson unveils the $449 Murphy Lab aged humbucker set that will make your Les Paul sound like ‘Greeny’
Limited to 100 units worldwide, exclusive to Gibson, these are aged by the Murphy Lab to look just like the real thing
Harley Benton’s 2026 mega-drop: Metallica makeovers, fresh colours and a baritone SC Custom III, all-solid acoustics for under $250 and more
The budget gear giant rings in the changes with eight new electrics, one ‘thunderous’ retro beginner bass, and a pair of acacia bodied Custom Line acoustics… All at ridiculously low prices
Harley Benton just dropped an 8-string for southpaw players that has a multi-scale fretboard, high-gain humbuckers and offers change from 300 bucks
The R-458MN is a tidy-looking multi-scale eight-string that treads djently on your budget but will put some weight on your riffs
Billy Corgan says virtuosic guitar solos mean nothing in the social media age – and argues guitar influencers need to make a bigger impact on popular music
The Smashing Pumpkins frontman sees virtuosos everywhere but he would like to see these talents being applied in the next generation of great alt-rock and metal bands
The Beatles-approved J-160E makes its return as Gibson unveils a trio of Original Collection flat-tops celebrating the golden era of acoustic guitar making
It's time to tap up the new Originals, as the LG-2 50s, SJ-200 60s and the J-160E '60s join the present-day Gibson catalogue
Amp modelling titan Fractal Audio unveils its first guitar plugin suite
The ICONS series is created using the same algorithmic magic as Fractal's Axe-Fx modelling units, and its debut Fullerton Collection features a range of models inspired by vintage Fender
Billie Joe Armstrong debuts new signature ‘Dookie’ Marshall amps during Super Bowl LX show
Is Marshall about to make the legendary Dookie mod go mainstream? BJA's Super Bowl backline, finished in a very familiar shade of 'Blue', suggests it is
![Zakk Wylde [left] plays a lightning blue electric guitar live on the Pantera tribute tour. Randy Rhoads [right] plays his iconic polka-dot V.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VxG8nkYuwUSxReTVYbe4a9-840-80.jpg.webp)
“Without Ozzy as a foil, Randy would have never been able to do it": Zakk Wylde's favourite Randy Rhoads solo
Plucked from Quiet Riot, Rhoads was the transfusion of virtuosity Ozzy needed to launch his solo career. But Wylde says it goes both ways, and the Prince Of Darkness was the "perfect foil" for Rhoads' classically trained style
Dimmu Borgir’s Silenoz on playing a guitar inspired by a shark – and why you can be black metal and still love the blues
The symphonic black metal trailblazer offers us a tour of his signature Okkultist, expresses a deep appreciation of W.A.S.P. and stakes out the limits of a musical education
Mark Morton and Gibson unveil a signature Les Paul that brings the fire with a “flamethrower” bridge humbucker
The Lamb Of God guitarist's long-awaited Les Paul features an all-new set of ceramic humbuckers and is limited to just 350 units worldwide
![Vernon Reid of Living Colour [left] smiles as he plays his Reverend signature model live onstage. On the right, Jack White, bathed in blue stage lights, plays his Fender Triplecaster.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8nesie45SGgARsJpqKkKMQ-840-80.jpg.webp)
Vernon Reid says he hopes he and Jack White have started a trend for pro guitarists swapping signature models
It all started with a chance meeting at the airport but now the Living Colour guitarist says he's already lined up more high-profile trades
Mooer Audio’s flagship Intelligent Amp lets you find guitar tones using AI prompts
The Mooer AI system is online and awaits your queries. Type in the sound you're looking for on the app and it'll offer three options. Oh, and the F40i / F40i Li amps are stacked with features
Why Zakk Wylde brought his “Grail” Les Paul Custom out of retirement for Ozzy Osbourne tribute song
The iconic cream Les Paul Custom with the bulls-eye graphic completed a full circle moment as Wylde salutes his old boss on new Black Label Society album
![Zakk Wylde [right], Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown perform as Pantera during their 2023 reunion/tribute tour honouring late members, Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tgbPsbWYWpBaURNSQhHTdH-840-80.jpg.webp)
“You never know”: Zakk Wylde says its possible that the Pantera tribute lineup could record music together
The Black Label Society frontman/guitarist says "never say never" – but if they did it might end up like the Eagles
Dave Mustaine admits he nearly passed on Marty Friedman for Megadeth because he didn’t like his hair
But then he heard Friedman play...
Epiphone revamps core lineup with the Inspired By Gibson series
NAMM 2026: Laurel is out, rosewood is in for all but entry-level models, as upgrades come across the board
“This has been a difficult decision for us”: Harley Benton is closing its US store on Reverb
Players in the US have until 31 January to place their orders before the doors shut at the German brand's US warehouse. Harley Benton says it is “no longer feasible” to operate in the US
Best electric guitar strings 2026: Sets for all styles and budgets
These are the very best guitar strings from Ernie Ball, D’Addario, Elixir, Rotosound and more
Best acoustic guitar strings 2026: Find your favourite acoustic strings
Our pick of the best acoustic guitar strings for your style and budget from Elixir, Ernie Ball, Martin, D'Addario, and more
MXR's high-gain Eddie Van Halen collab headlines Jim Dunlop's fresh pedal drop – and there's an Iron Maiden Killers Cry Baby too
NAMM 2026: The MXR EVH Modern High Gain Pedal was co-designed with Eddie Van Halen in 2015 and is officially here, and it's joined by a special Way Huge fuzz and some cool Cry Babies