Latest articles by Rod Brakes
Jim James: “There’s just something so beautiful about a 335. To me, it really is the ultimate guitar”
The My Morning Jacket frontman discusses his new signature Gibson ES-335, reveals his favourite fuzz pedals, and says we can all learn from the owls of Twin Peaks
Richard Fortus on his new Gretsch signature guitars: "I used one of the prototypes when we recorded the new Guns N’ Roses songs"
A true guitar connoisseur talks Falcons
Interview: "I like my guitars to be like Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes" – Steve Howe talks new Yes album The Quest
"Less isn’t always more; sometimes more is more"
Interview: Steve Hackett talks new solo album Surrender Of Silence and returning to touring
"I think every guitarist is always chasing the ultimate sound"
Interview: Gary Kemp – "To this day, I really believe in writing the song completely on an acoustic instrument before taking it into the studio"
As the Spandau Ballet songwriter releases his second solo album, he talks prog rock inspiration and his guitar rig
Producer Mitch Easter shares the inside story of R.E.M.’s early recording sessions: “It was glorious. They rehearsed a lot just because they liked to play together“
With R.E.M.’s debut 1981 single, Radio Free Europe, poised for reissue, Easter offers a definitive account of the moment that kickstarted both his and the band’s storied careers…
Marc Ribot: “It's good to understand not only how to play guitar, but also why to play guitar”
With further albums in the pipeline adding to an already extensive and creatively divergent back catalogue of music, Brooklyn’s finest shares an audience with Guitarist before a sell-out London show
Manic Street Preachers' James Dean Bradfield: “I’m loving Strats now - if I can make them sound a bit more like a Gibson!”
The frontman and guitarist of the Manic Street Preachers walks us through some of the creative decisions behind recording guitars for the band’s new album, Resistance Is Futile
FX guru Roger Mayer on Hendrix: “Anybody can buy a wah and just make it go ‘wah-wah-wah’, but making it talk is something else”
Gear mastermind on that Woodstock set and Jimi's rig
Classic gear: Fender Telecaster
Leo Fender’s brainchild wins the long game after a hesitant start…
Classic gear: Fender Esquire
The Fender Esquire represents a historic turning point in guitar evolution
"I needed to have a guitar that can make many different sounds and has the potential to go into lots of different areas" – Radiohead's Ed O'Brien talks Strats
An in-depth chat with the pioneering player about his signature Fender guitar
Classic gear: Fender Telecaster Deluxe
The history of Fender’s '70s flagship Tele - a melting pot of influences...
Classic gear: Fender Jaguar
Riding the wave of 60s surf, the Jag topped Fender’s big-game guitars…
Dave Hill: “We were always thinking outside the box, but we were also conscious of entertainment”
The Slade guitarist talks first guitars, Chas Chandler and rebooting the band
Classic gear: Fender Jazzmaster
Fender’s offset solidbody makes a splash in surf and new wave
Classic gear: Marshall JTM45 MK II
How Marshall’s debut amp opened a new chapter in rock ’n’ roll history...
Richard Fortus: “We’re pushed and inspired by our own tone... We’re gonna be playing better because we’re hearing what we want to hear”
The GN’R veteran talks hunting down guitars, nailing his tone and sharing a stage with Slash
Classic gear: Dallas Rangemaster - the secret sauce behind Rory Gallagher, Tony Iommi and Marc Bolan's signature tones
How this humble unit helped guitar’s greatest achieve their iconic tones...
Mad Professor Double Moon
A compact multi-modulation pedal with expansive analogue sounds
Historic hardware: Lovetone pedals
How the legendary brand behind the Meatball and Big Cheese came to be
Cecilia Della Peruti: “Stand behind what you want to do musically and try not to be too impressionable”
We talk to the Beck guitarist and Gothic Tropic frontwoman
Classic gear: Epiphone FT 110/Frontier
When Epiphone went to Kalamazoo, a new Frontier beckoned…
