Articles by Rob Laing, Guitars Editor, MusicRadar

I'm the Guitars Editor for MusicRadar, handling news, reviews, features, tuition, advice for the strings side of the site and everything in between. Before MusicRadar I worked on guitar magazines for 15 years, including Editor of Total Guitar. I've currently set aside any pipe dreams of getting anywhere with my own songs and I am enjoying playing covers in function bands.

Articles by: Rob Laing

"To me, the challenge of guitar playing is playing stuff people want to hear over and over again" – Nashville session player Rob McNelley teaches the art of writing hooks

By Rob Laing published 19 May 23

"My favourite players are people like Keith Richards and George Harrison, they played a ton of great parts and hooks and riffs"

Phil Collen talks Def Leppard's orchestral maneuvers, Rockman amps, Mutt Lange… and why he wants the band to play in the round again

By Rob Laing published 19 May 23

Interview: "What would I do if I was starting out now? I would play the opening of a letter"

Jon Stockman, bassist with Karnivool, and his pedalboard

Karnivool pedalboard tour: Jon Stockman and Drew Goddard

By Rob Laing published 18 May 23

Up close with the rigs of Australia's progressive alt-rock titans

Daniel Lanois talks producing and his memories of making So with Peter Gabriel: "If you don't get to a soulful place making a record, don't put it out"

By Rob Laing published 18 May 23

"Sometimes groove and tapestry will provide the platform for the big melody to come. You have to be patient," Lanois says of the process writing and recording Sledgehammer in the studio

Remembering Chris Cornell, the unsung guitarist, on the anniversary of his death - “My approach to guitar has always been, 'I don’t want to know anything'”

By Rob Laing published 18 May 23

Six years on from the loss of one of rock's greatest voices with Soundgarden and Audioslave, we look at why Chris Cornell's legacy is also one of a consistently inventive guitar player

Boss unveils two digital delay pedals based on the classic Roland SDE-3000 rack unit – and one is a special edition Eddie Van Halen model

By Rob Laing published 18 May 23

Dual delay the digitally authentic way with the SDE-3000D and SDE-3000EVH

ESP Guitars / Mick Thomson from Slipknot

After BC Rich, Ibanez and Jackson, Slipknot's Mick Thomson moves to ESP for the development of new signature guitars

By Rob Laing published 17 May 23

"It’s been taking longer than expected, as deciding on a model hasn’t been easy," says the Slipknot #7

Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins performs at Hordern Pavilion on April 19, 2023 in Sydney, Australia

Billy Corgan: "When Kurt died, I cried because I lost my greatest opponent"

By Rob Laing published 16 May 23

“I want the Pumpkins standing on the top of the heap of our generation,” Corgan said in a new interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music. “If that means I got to write 800 songs to do it, I’ll do it"