NAMM 2025 as it happened: rolling news from the world's biggest music-making gear show All the hottest new guitars, synths, drums and other gear from Anaheim 2025 MusicRadar · Jan 22, 2025
“The McLaughlin Strat was stolen after Beck absentmindedly left it in an open-top hot rod”: The highlights of the Jeff Beck guitar auction – from the story of Seymour Duncan’s Tele-Gib hybrid to his legendary Oxblood Gibson Les Paul Christie’s Jeff Beck Auction offers a revealing look at numerous iconic instruments from the guitar hero’s entire career – from the Yardbirds to Johnny Depp Guitar World · Jan 22, 2025
“Watching the destruction and its impact has been heartbreaking – I want to raise as much as possible”: Spiritbox’s Mike Stringer to raffle off his gear in support of L.A. wildfires relief Stringer reveals that the wildfires have affected the band on a personal level, as bassist Josh Gilbert lost his home to the fires Guitar World · Jan 21, 2025
“I was wrestling with whether I was going to keep doing music… and then I got the call from Robert Plant and Alison Krauss”: JD McPherson nearly abandoned his surf noir opus. But playing Zeppelin with Plant and Marc Ribot gave him a shot in the arm McPherson's new LP, Nite Owls, was nearly over before it began, but an invitation to open for Alison Krauss and Robert Plant brought it back to life. The result is a work of “surf noir”… with a little bit of Depeche Mode in there, too Guitar World · Jan 20, 2025
Drafts of Bob Dylan’s Mr Tambourine Man sell for more than £400,000 at auction The lyrical drafts were among 60 items that were up for sale in the dedicated auction for acclaimed musician Dylan. The Independent UK · Jan 18, 2025
Guitars signed by Paul McCartney, Slash, Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, Olivia Rodrigo and many more to be auctioned off in support of leading music charity Over 60 one-of-a-kind items donated or signed by music stars are up for auction, with proceeds going to MusiCares, whose vital work includes supporting musicians impacted by the wildfires in Los Angeles Guitar World · Jan 17, 2025
“We’re setting a new standard in boutique guitars”: Iconic Guitars forms a partnership to watch as it recruits former Fender Master Builder John Cruz John Cruz Custom Guitars closed its doors in 2023, but the boutique firm has promptly snapped up his services and expertise as it eyes fresh growth Guitar World · Jan 15, 2025
“As a Southern California guitar-maker for over 75 years, we are struggling to process what our diverse and deep-rooted music scene has lost”: Fender launches initiative to replace instruments and gear destroyed by L.A. wildfires Fender has committed $100,000 to this effort – with more announcements expected in the coming weeks Guitar World · Jan 15, 2025
“The tone fattens up as the amp is pushed into overdrive, and fully cranked up it pumps out deliciously gritty crunch”: In praise of the Champ, Bronco and Vibro Champ – how Fender’s compact tube amps became MVPs in the studio Countless classic recordings have been blessed with the hot tube mojo of a 1964 black-panel Fender Champ and its descendants, and it’s a sound that remains a studio superpower to this day Guitar World · Jan 15, 2025
“We’re going back, but we’re going back for one reason only”: Fender CEO Andy Mooney explains why the firm’s return to NAMM 2025 won’t be business as usual Fender is one of the key brands returning to NAMM for 2025, but it’s taking a different approach this time Guitar World · Jan 14, 2025
Guitars that bear ‘scars’ of Jeff Beck’s playing exhibited for auction Auction house Christie’s is putting more than 130 guitars, which the guitarist played during his almost six-decades-long career, on sale this month. Evening Standard · Jan 14, 2025
“It’s been an incredibly intense year – even my closest friends didn’t know what we were doing. I can’t believe we were able to keep it a secret”: Brad Delson on Linkin Park’s miraculous comeback, why he quit touring, and how he trained his replacement The co-founding guitarist has decided to focus on the studio side of the band, working with new vocalist Emily Armstrong’s energy, and balancing the PRS and Fender sounds that defined the nu-metal institution’s sound Guitar World · Jan 14, 2025
"We had turned into grotesque prog creatures": How Rush reinvented themselves After the "soul-crushing" slog of Hemispheres, Permanent Waves returned Rush to the peak of their powers and put them in a different league Louder · Jan 13, 2025
“The guitar that killed folk”: Mike Bloomfield’s butchered Fender Telecaster – which was used during Bob Dylan’s infamous 1965 Newport Folk Festival performance – is up for sale The Tele was present during a change-making moment in rock ‘n’ roll history, but was later curiously modified by a left-handed player Guitar World · Jan 13, 2025
Guitar World · Jan 11, 2025 “I was playing a lot of jazz when we did Longview. I’d sit in at jazz clubs and read off the Real Book”: If you think Mike Dirnt is another clueless punk, think again Every success story needs a behind-the-scenes hero, and for Green Day, it was bassist Mike Dirnt. He details the making of American Idiot and his forensic approach to bass tone
MusicRadar · Jan 10, 2025 NAMM 2025: Latest news, rumours and updates as the show gets ready to open its doors LA wildfires threatened the world’s biggest musical instrument expo, but it's got the green light and the product announcements are coming in thick and fast
Guitar World · Jan 10, 2025 “Hidden in a closet for decades”: Mike Bloomfield’s missing custom-painted ’66 Fender Telecaster – which was lost in 1974 – is going up for sale The quirky Tele, which mysteriously disappeared in the 1970s after it had been used by Bloomfield, was recently discovered
Guitar World · Jan 10, 2025 “My job was to add feel and groove to Brian’s written bass parts. I tried to keep it cooking for him”: Carol Kaye on how she made Pet Sounds with the Beach Boys – and why good basslines don't come from scales Kaye, the first lady of the electric bass, played her P-Bass through a Fender Super Reverb 4x10 combo on the iconic record
Guitar World · Jan 8, 2025 "This could well be Harley Benton's most impressive electric guitar platform yet when it comes to value": Harley Benton ST-Modern HSS review Can a more affordable version of its 2024 success story raise the bar for Benton?
Guitar World · Jan 8, 2025 “I’ve seen firsthand how technology and innovation have reshaped the six-string landscape”: 5 reasons why new guitar players have never had it so good Learning the guitar today vs 30 years ago is a very different experience. From online lessons and free resources, to clever practice amps, here's why it has never been easier to master the guitar
MusicRadar · Jan 7, 2025 “Personally owned and used by one of Britain’s most favoured of all rock ‘n’ roll guitarists”: One of Status Quo legend Rick Parfitt’s stage-played Fender Telecasters is up for sale It might not be the modded circa 1960 model that was the late Quo man's main stage guitar but this white Tele is worth rocking all over the world
Guitar World · Jan 6, 2025 “No Strat? Not too clever”: A Rory Gallagher statue has finally been unveiled in Belfast – but some fans aren’t too happy with it The statue was green-lit in 2016, and recreates one of the late guitar great’s most famous poses from a 1972 Melody Maker cover
Guitar World · Jan 6, 2025 “Top money buys forensically aged details and incredible craft, but you won’t necessarily hear £5k’s worth of difference in the sonic performance”: How close are Gibson's ’59 Burst replicas and their boutique rivals? We put a Gibson Custom Shop Collector’s Edition ’59 Les Paul up against a Nik Huber Orca ’59 for the ultimate single-cut shootout
Guitar World · Jan 6, 2025 “Greeny is getting a bit jealous!” Kirk Hammett sent Jack White his signature Gibson Les Paul – and received the White Stripes legend’s wild Fender Triplecaster in return The Metallica guitarist, who sent White one of his Greeny Les Pauls, seemingly can’t put down the innovative Telecaster revamp
MusicRadar · Jan 3, 2025 “There’s something about the harmonics of a V8 that’s just mind-blowingly badass and powerful sounding”: Mesa/Boogie founder Randall Smith on how his high-gain amp designs were influenced by hotrodded muscle cars In his latest YouTube video, Smith talks tubes, the similarities between automobile and amp hotrodding culture, and admits that not everybody understood his quest for more distortion