General Interest

A short excerpt from Clay Frohman’s cover story on Joni Mitchell’s Greenpeace guitar in our 57th issue. 

On a bright sticky Saturday in early May 1995, I was sitting with friends near the front of the main performance stage at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. We were waiting for Joni Mitchell to come on. She was headlining the closing weekend, a coveted slot, but freighted with even more anticipation than usual because (a) Joni hadn’t toured since 1983, more than a decade ago, due in part to the impracticality of adjusting her many tunings between songs or carrying enough guitars and techs to handle it all, and (b) word had circulated that today’s show might be her swan song, a final public performance before she called it quits on the “star making machinery” of the music business, toward which she had for years harbored a simmering antipathy.

Thousands of music fans and Joni fanatics filled the sprawling lawn behind me. Joni’s career spanned many eras, genres and styles and they were all reflected in the mix of folkies from the “Circle Game” and “Both Sides Now” early years, reverent intimates from the probing confessional “Blue” and “For the Roses” period, pop fans from Joni’s commercial breakthrough “Court and Spark” and beyond.  As her thirst for new sounds evolved from the solo folk guitar and dulcimer of “Song to a Seagull” and “Clouds” into more complex and rhythmic band arrangements, Joni sought out schooled jazz musicians like Jaco Pastorius, Wayne Shorter and Tom Scott who could work through her unorthodox chord voicings and add their own swing and sass to the challenging music heard on “Hissing of Summer Lawns,” and “Hejira.” As an artist, Joni had always thrived on risk and experimentation, and always pushed forward with a stubborn velocity, sometimes to the detriment of record sales and industry backlash, as evidenced in her collaboration with dying jazz eminence Charles Mingus on Mingus. To the critics and company suits and even her own management team it just wasn’t a “Joni record,” but no matter; Joni did it for herself, and for Charlie.

Not all of Joni’s fans kept up with her jazzier enthusiasms, but I did. Having come of age as a rock guitarist mainlining Beatles, Motown and my hometown Chicago blues, I was introduced in elementary school to Miles, Bill Evans, and Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage” by my best friend, a budding clarinet prodigy who dove deep into jazz and brought me along. I walked around the schoolyard humming the bass line to “Bitches Brew” and feeling like a Major Dude. When I moved to Los Angeles after college one of my first gigs was writing liner notes for Blue Note, the premier jazz label in town. I worked for the label on album projects with Chick Corea, Ronnie Laws and, yes, Wayne Shorter. So, Joni’s jazz direction suited me. She was playing with half of Weather Report! How cool was that for the Woman of Heart and Mind?

As I was relating some of this personal history to my friends on the Jazz Fest lawn, Joni stepped on stage with her luminous smile, wearing a broad brimmed straw hat, cradling a curious green Strat-shaped electric guitar that appeared to have no pickups or volume controls save for a block of black plastic near the bridge. The crowd greeted her with cheers and applause. Joni announced, “I’m going to try something new today.”

Photograph by Eleanor Jane

She launched into “Sex Kills” from her album Turbulent Indigo. But something was off. The sounds coming from the green guitar were drenched in delay and reverb, distorted and unintelligible. There was a palpable uncertainty in the crowd. This didn’t sound like the music they expected, like nothing they recognized. And what was this strange green guitar under her fingers? It barely sounded like a guitar at all. More like a rude synth.

Joni pushed on, into “Moon at the Window” from Wild Things Run Fast. The guitar sound still wobbled wildly out of control. From where I sat the crowd energy had turned against whatever new thing Joni was trying to do. A couple behind me collected their lawn chairs and left.

I looked on in dismay. I knew the backstory of Greenpeace.

There is a series of photographs of a young Joni, David Crosby and Eric Clapton taken in the backyard of Mama Cass Elliot’s Laurel Canyon home back in the late ’60s. Joni is new to the scene, having been brought to Los Angeles by ex-Byrd Crosby after he was entranced by a set she played in a Florida folk club. She sits cross-legged on the lawn playing her D-28, and the dour Clapton is focused hard at her, trying to decipher how these incredible songs and sounds are coming from this stunning blonde Canadian with a Martin guitar. He’s watching her hands for familiar chord shapes, but there are none.

Photograph by Eleanor Jane

Clapton was stumped because Joni Mitchell was no ordinary guitar player. Her approach to the instrument was entirely of her own design. After picking up her first chords, as many did, with Pete Seeger’s How to Play Folk Style Guitar, Joni found Elizabeth Cotten’s fingerpicking style, then migrated to blues tunings and the more traditional open tunings, then began to invent tunings and voicings based on what sounded interesting to her ear in the moment. She would tune to numbers in a date, to a piece of music on the radio, to the environment she found herself in, to birdsong. Her process was one of invention, discovery, a breezy disregard for traditional forms. With her longtime guitar tech and archivist Joel Bernstein she created a numerical notation system to keep track of her tunings and which song they were assigned to.

To read the rest of the article, order the issue or subscribe now. 

The post Excerpt: Joni Mitchell’s Greenpeace in the Fretboard Journal 57 first appeared on Fretboard Journal.

Your guitar’s voice deserves strings that sing. Premier Guitar and Santa Cruz Guitar Co. are giving you a chance to win a year of their world-class acoustic strings, crafted for exceptional tone, balance, and feel.

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The Science of Perfect Tension

When it comes to guitar strings, it's all about tension. While gauge is simply the measurement of the string's diameter, the tension of a string determines its relative volume to the other strings (EQ). String tension is determined by its core to wrap ratio, which can vary greatly among manufacturers.

Santa Cruz Guitar Company has developed unique "Parabolic Tension" acoustic guitar strings that are engineered to create even tension across all strings for a more balanced tonal response. This innovative approach ensures that each string has the optimal tension for its pitch, resulting in superior projection, clarity, and tonal balance.

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PG contributor Tom Butwin explores the new BOSS XS‑100 Poly Shifter—an 8-octave powerhouse that lets guitarists and bassists go from subtle drop-tuning to full-on pitch chaos with expression pedal and MIDI control. From transforming a standard guitar into a baritone to turning a 4-string bass into a five-string monster, this pedal offers both inspiring sounds and real gig-day utility.

Boss XS-100 Poly Shifter Pitch-shift Pedal

XS-100 Poly Shifter Pedal

Boss XS-1 Poly Shifter Pitch-shift Pedal

XS-1 Poly Shifter Pedal

IK Multimedia is proud to announce TONEX Plug, the ultimate portable guitar and bass headphone amp, offering instant access to over 40,000 free amps and pedal rigs, plus Premium and Signature Collections. Powered by IK's award-winning AI Machine Modeling™, TONEX Plug delivers the same studio-quality tone as the TONEX Pedal and TONEX ONE in a sleek, pocket-sized design.

With built-in Bluetooth and the included TONEX Control app (iOS/Android), users can practice or play anywhere, stream audio, and browse and edit presets with the app, then load them wirelessly to TONEX Plug.TONEX Plug Overview

• Personal headphone amp with AI Machine Modeling™ for guitar and bass
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The TONEX Plug isn't limited to just factory sounds. Through the app, users can instantly connect to ToneNET and explore over 40,000 free Tone Models, as well as Premium and Signature collections. The active ToneNET and Tone Partner community uploads and shares some of the most sought-after amps ever made, all of which are easily searchable by song and artist keywords or by using dedicated filters such as instrument, type, Most Liked, Top 10, and more.

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Pricing and Availability
TONEX Plug will ship in November and can be ordered now from the IK online store and from IK dealers worldwide at the following prices:

TONEX Plug - $/€149.99* - Includes TONEX Plug, USB-C cable, TONEX SE and AmpliTube 5 SE software.

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For more information about TONEX Plug and to hear it in action, please visit:
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Jason Isbell has just unveiled his new collaboration with Martin, a pair of classy acoustic signature guitars. And while promoting the fresh Jason Isbell 0-17 and the 0-10E Retro acoustics, the Americana star has shared some rather unconventional advice on how to break an acoustic guitar in.

Isbell insists that a new acoustic guitar should be introduced to good, loud music before it’s played. His advice? Popping your guitar in front of some speakers and letting your axe soak up all the musical magic. “I recommend putting it in front of a couple of stereo speakers when you leave the house and turn it up really loud,” he says [via MusicRadar].

• READ MORE: Positive Grid BIAS X review – “it’s like having a virtual studio engineer doing the hard work”

His personal preference is treating his guitars to a bit of good ol’ hip-hop. It’s not the only option – but it’s just the kind of music Isbell enjoys. “I normally use OutKast or something, just so when I come home, OutKast is playing on the stereo,” he explains. “It makes me happy! But all my new acoustic guitars get to listen to Outkast for about 40 hours the first week they’re in the house.”

While Isbell doesn’t quite explain the science behind his technique, we can only ponder why he stands by it. Perhaps the loud vibrations loosen the guitar up a bit? Sort of like you pull on a new set of strings before retuning a few times so the tuning sets. Or perhaps it really does just sink right into the mahogany, giving it a thorough lesson on what good music should sound like.

If you’re on the hunt for a new acoustic to trial Isbell’s technique out on, one of the guitarist’s new Martin models might take your fancy. The pair of mahogany guitars come in a more premium Jason Isbell 0-17 model, sitting at $4,999 and limited to just 50 units, while the 0-10E Retro is a slightly more affordable $1,049

The premium Jason Isbell 0-17 also serves as a replica of the pre-war 0-17 guitar heard across the entirety of his 2025 record, Foxes In The Snow. The guitars also both come with onboard Martin E1 acoustic guitar pickup systems, which also have the benefit of an inbuilt guitar tuner.

“If you’re a beginner player, a guitar this size and the shape works for you because it’s easy to play, but the more advanced you get as a guitar player, the guitar still works because it’s easy to control,” Isbell explains.

“A guitar like this meets the artist criteria that the instrument can’t be the challenge…” he continues. “What the guitar should be is an extension of your own physical self, and that doesn’t necessarily mean that you play it well enough to where it feels like you’re tying your shoes, but it can mean that you play it well enough to where you don’t notice it after a while.”

The limited Martin 0-17 Jason Isbell is priced at $4,999, while the 0-10E Retro version comes in at $1,049. Both are available from Martin Guitar in left- or right-handed configurations.

The post Jason Isbell might have the strangest tip for breaking in an acoustic guitar we’ve ever heard appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

With an iconic blues drummer for a father, Doyle Bramhall II was surrounded by the greats from a young age. Over his career, he’s played with Roger Waters, Jimmie Vaughan and more – however, one of his most influential connections would come in the form of the legendary Eric Clapton.

An initial opportunity to collaborate with Clapton arose in 2000, when Slowhand personally asked Bramhall to work on his collaborative album with B.B. King, Riding With the King.

Not only did the record go on to win a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album, but it also marked the start of a collaborative partnership made in heaven, with Bramhall joining Clapton’s touring band and eventually co-producing his 2010 Clapton and 2013 Old Sock records.

Of course, the years of close collaboration have rubbed off on Bramhall. “There’s no way I can adequately describe what Eric has meant to me all of these years,” Bramhall tells Guitar Player. “The musical lessons he taught me have been immense, and I’m proud to call him my dear friend.”

• READ MORE: “We’ve gone from a jack-o’-lantern to a plastic pumpkin:” Creeper on the best horror-themed albums

Most importantly, Clapton taught Bramhall that every second you’re on stage should mean something. “Everything he plays has a purpose,” Bramhall explains. “There are no throwaway lines.”

Specifically, Bramhall zeroes in on the gravity one of Clapton’s guitar solos can muster. In Bramhall’s words, his solos are “commanding”, with every note holding huge importance. “His notes are big,” he says. “There isn’t a lot of extraneous stuff, and even when he does get fiery, it’s always there for a reason. There’s emotion behind what he plays.”

“He also understands the arrangement to a solo,” he adds. “He gets in big and he gets out big. It’s like he’s making a real statement.”

When you make sure every single note counts, you’re instantly on to something extraordinary. “When you’re standing right next to [Clapton], you really feel it.” he reflects. “When a song builds to a crescendo, it’s like he’s rising right along with it… There’s always an urgency to what he’s playing. He’s taking you on a ride.”

Bramhall’s time playing with Clapton has also taught him a very vital lesson: when you’re performing with a guitar hero, you’ve got to prove that you’re worthy of standing beside them. “You get onstage with somebody, you’ve got to have the goods,” he explains.

Of course, it helps when your musical peers are so willing to extend a helping hand along the way. “I have to credit the people who brought me along, because they taught me the true spirit of musicianship, listening and collaborating,” he says. “I learned from the best, and that helped me go from one musical experience to the next!”

The post “He gets in big and gets out big”: The ultimate secret of Eric Clapton’s guitar solos, according to his most trusted guitar confidant appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

[Editor’s note: Heritage Guitars and Guitar.com are both part of the Caldecott Music Group.]

After unveiling its Standard II Collection back in September – bringing a number of “meaningful refinements” to its Standard Series – Heritage Guitars has added three new models to the line, the H-150 P90, H-535, and H-530.

All built at the brand’s iconic factory at 225 Parsons Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the new additions bear the same ethos as the Standard II Collection’s existing models, with Custom Shop pickups, refined aesthetics and more.

• READ MORE: Ernie Ball rechargeable batteries: The end of the guitar world’s infatuation with 9V batteries?

Standard II Collection H-150 P90

Credit: Heritage Guitars

The H-150 P90, as you might have guessed, sports a pair of Heritage Custom Shop 225 Standard P90 pickups, designed and wound in-house with 42 AWG poly wire and featuring Alnico 5 magnets. These pickups are bolstered by CTS potentiometers, Vishay capacitors and Switchcraft components for the “purest signal and reliable performance”.

Like the other two models joining the Standard II Collection, the H-150 P90 boasts a new headstock veneer with the Heritage logo, as well as a slim ‘60s neck profile for a vintage feel.

Elsewhere, the guitar features a genuine mahogany body with weight relief for greater playing comfort, and comes in four colourways, Dirty Lemon Burst, Midnight Blue, Cherry and Ebony.

Standard II Collection H-535

Credit: Heritage Guitars

The semi-hollow H-535 sports a pair of Heritage Custom Shop 225 Standard humbuckers – wound in-house using 42 AWG plain enamel wire in the neck pickup and 43 AWG poly wire in the bridge pickup, and with 2.5” roughcast Alnico 5 magnets with potted covers for minimising unwanted feedback at higher volumes.

The H-535’s electronics feature modern wiring, though, with series/parallel switching via push/pull tone pots for enhanced tonal flexibility. Like the H-150 P90, the H-535 features CTS potentiometers, Vishay capacitors and Switchcraft components.

It also sports the same new headstock veneer with the Heritage logo, as well as a ‘60s neck profile. Finish options include Chestnut Burst, Trans Cherry, Ebony and Original Sunburst.

Standard II Collection H-530

Credit: Heritage Guitars

And last but not least, the hollowbody Standard II Collection H-530 sports a pair of Heritage Custom Shop 225 Standard P90s with CTS potentiometers, Vishay capacitors and Switchcraft components, as well as the same new additions as the previous two models: a new headstock veneer and ‘60s neck profile.

This one comes in four colourways: Chestnut Burst, Trans Cherry, Ebony and Original Sunburst.

Pricing and availability

• Standard II Collection H-150 P90 – $2,599
• Standard II Collection H-535 – $2,999
• Standard II Collection H-530 – $2,999

All three guitars are available now direct from Heritage Guitars or from select authorised Heritage dealers.

For more info, head to Heritage Guitars.

The post Heritage Guitars builds on the momentum of its new Standard II Collection with three new premium electric guitars appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Whether in stompboxes, active pickups or portable practice amps, guitar gear is often reliant on battery power. But the hidden cost of this dependency is both the ongoing cost to the player of replacements, and the thousands of disposable batteries that find their way into landfill.

Ernie Ball reckons it has the solution, as it’s just launched a line of USB-C rechargeable batteries in partnership with Paleblue, an industry leader in the area.

• READ MORE: “Not many people want to watch a band stand in front of their amp line”: Metallica guitar tech thinks ditching real amps helped the band improve spectacle of their live shows

Available in both AA and 9V formats, the new rechargeable batteries deliver “full-voltage performance” across everything from instruments to effects pedals, with USB-C direct charging (no external charger required), and an environmentally friendly lithium-ion design rated for over 1,000 recharge cycles. That’s a lot less batteries headed to landfill.

Recharge times are fast, too; with up to 80% charge achievable in as fast as 75 minutes, while LEDs indicates your charge level.

And they’ve already had the stamp of approval from touring techs with a range of high-profile artists, including Red Hot Chili Peppers, My Chemical Romance, Billie Eilish, Jack Johnson, Zac Brown Band, Jason Mraz, Turnstile, Nine Inch Nails and more.

“I think rechargeable batteries are the only way forward in this industry,” says Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jerry Cantrell guitar tech Henry Trejo. “There’s too much waste when it comes to conventional batteries. You also have the added benefit of carrying less bulk which also reduces weight, especially when touring on a budget.”

He goes on: “I love the charging indicator lights on these new Ernie Ball batteries and absolutely love the included charging dongle to be able to recharge multiple at the same time.”

Credit: Ernie Ball

It’s worth noting that these rechargeable batteries deliver consistent full-voltage power until they need to be recharged, so you won’t need to deal with that period of unreliable sound courtesy of a dying battery.

You can learn more at Ernie Ball.

The post Ernie Ball rechargeable batteries: The end of the guitar world’s infatuation with 9V batteries? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The ultimate portable headphone amp and TONEX rig for Guitar and Bass

The Foo Fighter’s second album, The Colour and the Shape was a pivotal point in the career of the band. Through a turbulent recording process that forever altered the lineup of the band, it sent the Foo Fighters flying high with their first Top 10 album, their biggest hit song, and significant radio play. In this article, we’ll look at the gear that was used to record this landmark album (twice…).

For those unfamiliar with this era of the Foo Fighters career, it was one of unrest in the band. That unrest is laid out quite well in the documentary Back and Forth. The band recorded tracks for their second album at Bear Creek Studio in Washington. After that Grohl went to Hollywood to mix the record but discovered that he wasn’t happy with the sound, so he decided that he would re-record many of the tracks, including all of the drum tracks, which resulted in the departure of William Goldsmith and the introduction of Taylor Hawkins.

The Essentials – Guitars

I recently spoke with Dave Grohl’s guitar tech, Earnie Bailey, who was kind enough to look through his notes of the gear that was sent to Bear Creek Studio in Washington for the initial recording sessions. However, a lot of that gear was left behind when Grohl moved the sessions to Hollywood, California.

The guitars present at the Bear Creek sessions included some oddities, but we are unsure if they were used on the final tracks. Some of those included a Roland Synth guitar, an old Silvertone model from the 1960s that had an amplifier built into the case – these were really cool. They were only made for seven years (1962-1968), and they came in one and two-pickup versions. There was also a Mosrite 12-string, and two Travis Bean models (on Standard and one Artist) – only 755 Artist models were ever made. Both would have had the aluminum necks. A Telecaster Thinline was also present. The acoustic on those sessions was a Gibson (unsure of the model).

There are six guitars that we know made it to Los Angeles to be used on the tracks recorded at Grandmaster Studio in Hollywood. A Gibson Barney Kessel, a Gibson Les Paul P90 Goldtop, a Gibson Trini Lopez, a White Gibson Les Paul Custom, and a Hagstrom HiiN with a blue metalflake finish. Grohl also had a black 1990 Gibson Explorer that Earnie Bailey bought for him in Austin, Texas, in September of 1995. Bailey added chrome pickup covers and Gibson reflector knobs to it so it would be styled after a 1963 model. That guitar became his primary instrument through most of 1996.

Dave Grohl primarily used the Gibson Trini Lopez – he claims that this has been his secret weapon in the studio for much of his career. He got his first one, a 1967 model, back in 1992 when he was still with Nirvana. He also used the Les Paul Goldtop with the P-90 pickups. Given Pat Smear’s affinity for Hagstrom guitars, we can assume that he used the HiiN as his weapon of choice. We were also able to confirm that he had in the studio a Super Swede as well as his alpine white 1977 Gibson EDS-1275 SG Double Neck.

Grohl and Smear probably didn’t know it at the time, but they were both playing guitars in that studio that would later be the basis for signature models. Dave Grohl’s Gibson DG-335 was heavily based on his beloved Trini Lopez model. Pat Smear’s history with the Hagstrom HiiN model goes all the way back to 1980 when he was with The Germs. He used them all the way through his time with Nirvana, amassing quite a collection of them, I’m told. He now has a beautiful signature model from Hagstrom that is heavily influenced by the HiiN models.

Make It Loud – The Amps

Dave Grohl played the bulk of his guitar tracks through a Fender (Zinky) Custom Shop ToneMaster 2×12 100-watt amp. The Fender Zinky was an amp that was present at the studio. Grohl would eventually buy three ToneMaster heads in 2000 that he still uses today. For those unfamiliar with “Zinky” amps, they were amps built in Fender’s Custom Shop by a guy named Bruce Zinky starting in the early 1990s. He eventually made his own company, Zinky Electronics, and eventually bought the Supro brand.

In addition to the Fender Zinky ToneMaster, there were some additional amps that we know were at the original Bear Creek sessions. Those amps were a Marshall ‘77-78 JMP 2204 50 watt head, a Marshall 1968 Super Bass 100watt head, a late 80’s or early 90’s Vox AC30, a 70’s Kustom K250 head, an Ampeg VT-22 combo, and a Mesa Boogie Studio .22/Crest 4801. It seems most likely that Pat Smear was using the Mesa Boogie Studio .22 preamp along with the Crest 4801 power amp as that is what he had been using at Nirvana’s live shows. His rig mirrored Kurt Cobain’s rig during the In Utero days as well.

The bass rig on the album was straightforward – Nate Mendel used a Candy Apple Red Fender P Bass through an Ampeg SVT. The P Bass is something that has been part of Mendel’s rig since he was in Sunny Day Real Estate. I believe that Mendel’s bass is a 1971 model. In 2012, Fender graced Mendel with his own signature model, which mirrors this bass and only comes in one color – Candy Apple Red.

Effects

The effects that were sent to Bear Creek were as follows: ProCo Turbo Rat, ProCo Rat 2, Kay Fuzz, Jordan BossTone, Boss BF2 Flanger, Ibanez AD9 Delay, Ebow, Dunlop Rotovibe, Cry Baby Wah, Boss delay, DigiTech Whammy, DOD Gonkulator. We don’t know how many of these were used on those sessions or what made it to the Hollywood sessions, but it does give a pretty good rundown of the basic effects that would have been used on the early Foo Fighters records.

A Foo Fighting Legacy

The Colour and the Shape remains their best-selling album, in part, due to the success of the singles, Everlong, Monkey Wrench, and My Hero, all of which are still fan favorites. While the album’s recording process may have created some turbulence, it solidified the band’s signature sound – quite literally – three of the instruments on this record served as a basis for signature instruments that would come from three different companies over a decade later.

For those seeking the Foo Fighters sound, there really isn’t much of a secret to it. It’s not necessarily a band where people geek out about the gear. The sound is rooted in a Gibson humbucker sound running through a loud amplifier. It is loud, straight-forward rock and roll, backed by some of the most brilliant songwriting of our generation. That’s what makes the Foo Fighters the quintessential rock band of the 21st century.

The post The Guitar Gear Used on The Foo Fighters landmark The Colour and the Shape appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Last updated on April 28, 2022

So-called "cowboy chords" have been fundamental to the guitar since its invention. In this lesson, we'll look at easy ways to spice up these everyday grips so they'll add interest to your playing, improve your rhythm, and liven up even the most predictable of progressions.

What is a Cowboy Chord? 

Speculation abounds regarding the origin of the term "cowboy chord," but here's an explanation that makes sense to me: In many 1940s movies, such actor-musicians as Roy Rogers and Gene Autry portrayed cowboys who played guitar and sang. In these musical scenes, the actors strummed first-position, open-string chords and seldom strayed beyond the 3rd fret.

However they earned this nickname, cowboy chords remain essential to all guitarists—from beginners to pros. Unfortunately, many players rarely get past the most basic shapes shown in Ex. 1. That's a pity because by just moving a finger or two—or sometimes simply lifting a finger off the fretboard—you can add color, tension, movement, and zest to your playing. Let's make that happen now!

Cowboy Chords Ex. 1

Just Move a Finger

These days it seems like every other hit song features the prosaic I–VIm–IV–V progression. Now there's nothing wrong with the progression itself. In fact, the reason we hear it so frequently is because it sounds good, and it has been used masterfully by everyone from George Gershwin to the Rolling Stones and the Police. But the aforementioned songwriters knew that to make the everyday unique, you need to add some spice.

That's exactly what we've done in Ex. 2. This example demonstrates two basic concepts: The first is that you can add color to the most basic chords, in this case C–Am–F–G, by moving, removing, or adding a finger to each voicing. This second concept is particularly interesting because even though we keep moving the same notes on the 2nd string against the first three chords, the quality of these chords keeps changing. For example, when you let the 2nd string ring open on a C chord, it becomes a Cmaj7, but when you let the same string ring open on an Fmaj7 chord it becomes the much more sophisticated Fmaj7#4. Now that's spice.

Cowboy Chords Ex. 2

Ex. 3 uses the same progression (I–VIm–IV–V), this time in the key of G, but now all the movement happens on the 1st string. Once again, we find ourselves with some very elegant harmonies. The Gmaj7 in measure one is particularly noteworthy because it sounds quite mournful, as if longing for something. Lost love perhaps? Maybe that's why the Smiths, Jim Croce, and the Sundays have all used it to complement melancholy lyrics.

Cowboy Chords Ex. 3

Ex. 4 expands upon the "move a finger" idea by moving several fingers to create a melodic motif in the D and G chords. It also gives movement to the A7 chord by shifting shapes up and down the neck. We'll expand upon the latter idea in the next example.

Cowboy Chords Ex. 4

Spice Up Your Blues

Ex. 5 appears to be a common 12-bar blues, and form-wise this is true, but the uncommon movement we've applied to the E7 and A7 shapes adds considerable harmonic sophistication with very little effort.

Cowboy Chords Ex. 5

Going Outside the Key

Up to this point, all of the examples have been completely diatonic, meaning all the notes we've added to the basic triads have been in the same key as the chord progressions. But what happens if we add some notes that are not in the home key? Well, now things get really spicy, though no more difficult to perform. Ex. 6 is an ingenious example of how to add variation when you're stuck on one chord for more than a measure or two. Notice how tense the progression becomes when you play the Em#5 and yet completely relaxes when you conclude on the Em. This particular progression, both descending (as shown) and ascending (just play in reverse order) was used numerous times by the Beatles, most notably in "Eleanor Rigby," "Hey Bulldog," and "Savoy Truffle."

Cowboy Chords Ex. 6

Speaking of the Beatles, Ex. 7 is a progression they learned from "Don't Ever Change," written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and recorded by the post-Buddy Holly Crickets. Once again, the tension created by the D augmented chord resolves very nicely into the D6 on the way up, and into the D triad on the way down. By the way, if you just play the D to Daug over and over again, you'll find yourself playing the verse to Eddie Money's "Baby Hold On."

Cowboy Chords Ex. 7

Add Some Bass

So far, all our examples have focused on movement and color in the higher registers, but you can also add spice to the bass notes. Ex. 8 is a folk and folk/rock staple, used by everyone from Simon and Garfunkel to Led Zeppelin and, despite the obvious chord names that are written here, it's relatively complex harmonically. You see, in this folk context, it is best to name the chords using the bass-note slash, i.e., Am/G–Am/F#–Am/F. But in different contexts, particularly in jazz, those last two chords could be named F#m7(b5) and Fmaj7, suggesting that adding a bass note can radically alter—and enhance—the harmonic quality of any given chord.

Cowboy Chords Ex. 8

Ex. 8 featured a descending bass line, but in Ex. 9 we'll turn that around and have the bass ascend while we're playing an Em chord. Notice how we've included a non-diatonic note, Bb, at the end of the progression. This adds tension that's released by the final Em.

Cowboy Chords Ex. 9

Be Judicious

These exercises have been specifically designed to get you into the habit of adding variation to your everyday cowboy chords. They're also, as good exercises should be, rather formulaic. While you play through them, remember that when making up your own progressions, you don't need to add movement to every chord. Maybe you insert movement in the verse but not in the chorus, or vice versa. There's no need to overdo it: A little spice can go a long way toward making your songs and arrangements a lot more inventive.

This article was last updated on May 17, 2021

A 21st-century bluesman raised in the heart of the Mississippi Delta carries with him both instant credibility and the burden of an illustrious history. Growing up in an environment so saturated with the imposing spirits of America’s musical past, a person might, you’d think, find it hard to pick up a guitar and even consider making a career with it. But Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, born 26 years ago in Clarksdale, Mississippi—the legendary stomping ground of Robert Johnson, Son House, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker, memorably depicted this year in Ryan Coogler’s hit movie Sinners—doesn’t seem to have paid much mind to any of that. For him, the blues has simply always been a part of his everyday life.

“Muddy Waters and B.B. King were the first two bluesmen that I learned about at an early age, before I even got to proper schooling,” Ingram said in a recent Zoom interview. “My dad showed me a PBS documentary on Muddy Waters and he showed me B.B. King doing a cameo on an episode of Sanford & Son. I remember those two things very well. And not only that, I lived right next to a blues band. Being around them definitely made me want to do what I’m doing now.

”Getting from there to here—“here” being the position of critically lauded, internationally touring Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and guitarist—involved a mixture of raw talent, good genes (Kingfish comes from a musical family; the late great Black country star Charley Pride was his mother’s first cousin), and a supportive cultural infrastructure. Not long into his elementary school years, Ingram got involved in the music education program at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale. Starting out on drums in his church group at age six, he switched to bass by 11 and guitar by 13.

“When I started learning about the blues, I wanted to get on guitar,” he recalls, “but I felt like my fingers were too big for the strings, so I moved to bass and that became my primary instrument. And when that phase went away, I switched to guitar. First I would do some of my bass fills and lines [on guitar], and next thing you know, my teachers at the museum taught me how to use the first two high strings, and once I started learning a couple of chords, I took it from there.”

Christone "Kingfish" Ingram's Gear

Guitars

• Fender Kingfish Telecaster Deluxe signature
• Banker Custom V
• 2001 Gibson Memphis ES-335
• Gibson ES-339
• Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster
• Custom Michael Chertoff Les Paul-style electric
• Fender Acoustasonic
• Fender Redondo

Amps

• Two Fender ’65 Twin Reverb reissues

Effects

• Dunlop Cry Baby Mini Wah
• Marshall ShredMaster
• Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
• Boss TU-3W Chromatic Tuner
• Strymon power supply

Strings, Picks, & Accessories

• Ernie Ball Power Slinky strings (.011–.048)
• Dunlop Jazz III picks
• Shure BLX4

That he did. Within a couple of years, Ingram was gigging locally and, thanks in part to his Delta Blues Museum connections, gaining national notoriety. At 15, he performed with the museum’s band for Michelle Obama at the White House. The emotional authority of his guitar playing in particular astonished listeners. Veteran bluesman Eric Gales told Blues Rock Review that Kingfish was “killin’ from day one … It’s a beautiful thing to see such a vibrant, intense, very skilled artist.” (Gales and Ingram have since become close comrades, referring to each other as uncle and nephew.)

“Muddy Waters and B.B. King were the first two bluesmen that I learned about at an early age.”

Ingram’s superb 2019 debut album Kingfish, the recording of which was financed by no less an elder statesman than Buddy Guy, turned plenty of heads in the music world; its crunchy opening track, “Outside of This Town,” remains an excellent introduction to the Kingfish style. Its 2021 follow-up, 662, won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album, and 2023’s fiery Live in London consolidated his status as a major modern blues force. His latest collection, Hard Road, presents a markedly different picture, though. No longer a Clarksdale resident, Kingfish now makes his home in Los Angeles, where he moved three years ago. “Sometimes I miss the simplicity of Mississippi,” he acknowledges. “But out here in California I definitely have more resources, more opportunities, and more ways to work.”

That new reality is reflected in the songs on Hard Road, which were the product of collaboration with 11 songwriters and 12 musicians, recorded with three producers in 11 studios spread across two states—a level of ambition, and logistics, that dwarfs any of Ingram’s prior work. For five songs cut at various locations in Nashville, Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, George Thorogood, Susan Tedeschi), who’s been working with Ingram since the start of his recording career, took the reins. Patrick “Guitar Boy” Hayes (Usher, Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole) helmed sessions for four songs in L.A., Hollywood, and Irvine, California, while up-and-comer Nick Goldston oversaw two songs in Santa Monica and Memphis.

As you’d expect, it took a while to put all this together. Ingram at first estimates a gestation period of three to four years, then reconsiders. “Probably even longer than that, because some of the songs that we used were from the 662 sessions,” he says. “But it was really when I came out here to L.A. and was working with Guitar Boy in the studio week after week when I wasn’t on the road that this project was born. I was a little scared, making a project with all these different genres. I didn’t want it to sound like a random jukebox thing, you know? I just wanted to do more music that showcased a lot of other things about my talent: the vocal range, the writing, stuff like that.”

“Sometimes I miss the simplicity of Mississippi. But out here in California I definitely have more resources, more opportunities, and more ways to work.”

Hard Road certainly achieves that goal. Riff-powered rock and luscious R&B coexist comfortably with more traditional-sounding electric and acoustic blues turns. “Nothin’ But Your Love,” for example, is an irresistible slow jam recalling Prince in his ’80s prime that keeps the focus squarely on Ingram’s rich baritone. “That was one of the songs we’d been sitting on since 2021,” Kingfish reveals. “A young man out of Nashville by the name of Dylan Altman came to us with it, then we added a verse and switched some things around. We recorded that in Memphis at Royal Studios, and for the solo I was using my Custom Shop Strat with just a little bit of gain on a [n Ibanez] Tube Screamer, going through a Sunn amp. I remember that session because I don’t play Strats that often, except in the studio—live it’s all [guitars with] humbuckers.”

As Ingram’s comment makes clear, Hard Road’s stylistic diversity doesn’t mean an absence of guitar solos. For further proof, check out his slippery-smooth funk excursions on “Bad Like Me” or his psychedelic scorcher on the downright Hendrix-ian “Crosses.” Moments like these also demonstrate Kingfish’s multidimensionality as a player. Sure, he can lean into a gut-punching bend with the best of them, but his ear for melody and sophisticated sense of harmony are what really set him apart.

“The Covid era was a little good for me,” Ingram says, “because I was able to sit back and [wood]shed and learn more about music theory. I was always into it, but I just wasn’t figuring out a way to play it. I’m still learning, but now I definitely know the numbers, and I can explain a bit of what I play. Shout out to a couple of guitar players outside the blues, like Isaiah Sharkey and Jerry Mosey and Uncle Kevin Wilson in the gospel realm. These are players that I listen to who are fluent in that area, that I can borrow stuff from and pull into my blues. Josh Smith, too, who’s one of my favorite blues-fusion players.”

Of course, when showtime rolls around, the time for shedding is over and Ingram lets the spontaneous phrasing instincts that he’s cultivated for years take charge. Most of the time, he says, it’s not a process that involves the conscious mind. “For my live show, there are definitely spots in certain songs where I feel like a certain lick needs to go there, because it just sounds good on top of that progression at the time, so I do think in that way. But as far as soloing goes, it’s all improv.”

“I was a little scared, making a project with all these different genres. I didn’t want it to sound like a random jukebox thing.”

Another noteworthy fact about Hard Road is that it’s Ingram’s first release on Red Zero, the record company he recently co-founded with his manager, Ric Whitney (all previous Kingfish albums were issued by the respected blues label Alligator). According to Ingram, Red Zero is no mere vanity imprint. He and Whitney intend to build a significant stable of artists in the months and years ahead, inspired in part by SAR Records, the indie label founded by Sam Cooke in 1959 that was an early home to artists such as Bobby Womack, Johnnie Taylor, and Billy Preston.

“My manager and I formulated this idea,” Ingram explains, “because we saw a lot of talented artists out there who aren’t being shown in a proper light. We wanted to give them an opportunity. Sam Cooke gave some people a shot who hadn’t been lucky like he was. So that’s pretty much all I’m trying to do. And me owning my records, of course we thought about that as well. But for me, the bigger picture was just shining a light on a lot of young and old and middle-aged talent, in the blues and outside the blues.”

Early Red Zero signings include Texas guitarist Mathias Lattin, winner of the 2023 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and St. Louis soul singer Dylan Triplett. “We have a lot of guitar slingers these days,” Ingram says, “but we don’t have much of a Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland type of thing going on, and that’s what Dylan has. We’re starting with the blues because that’s our forte and we want to take care of family first, but Ric and I are both lovers of music and we can definitely see ourselves venturing out into other genres.”

Before that happens, Ingram will be venturing out on the road once again, where he’s starting to like what he’s seeing. “Man, I think the blues is thriving,” he says. “And in a sense of young artists coming out of the woodwork, like the ones I just mentioned, Mathias and Dylan [both of whom are joining Kingfish on tour], and Stephen Hull and bands like Southern Avenue. It’s all out there—artists that are honoring the tradition but also creating a new sound and bringing that sound to a broader audience.”

Artists, in other words, like Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.

A 21st-century bluesman raised in the heart of the Mississippi Delta carries with him both instant credibility and the burden of an illustrious history. Growing up in an environment so saturated with the imposing spirits of America’s musical past, a person might, you’d think, find it hard to pick up a guitar and even consider making a career with it. But Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, born 26 years ago in Clarksdale, Mississippi—the legendary stomping ground of Robert Johnson, Son House, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker, memorably depicted this year in Ryan Coogler’s hit movie Sinners—doesn’t seem to have paid much mind to any of that. For him, the blues has simply always been a part of his everyday life.

“Muddy Waters and B.B. King were the first two bluesmen that I learned about at an early age, before I even got to proper schooling,” Ingram said in a recent Zoom interview. “My dad showed me a PBS documentary on Muddy Waters and he showed me B.B. King doing a cameo on an episode of Sanford & Son. I remember those two things very well. And not only that, I lived right next to a blues band. Being around them definitely made me want to do what I’m doing now.

”Getting from there to here—“here” being the position of critically lauded, internationally touring Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and guitarist—involved a mixture of raw talent, good genes (Kingfish comes from a musical family; the late great Black country star Charley Pride was his mother’s first cousin), and a supportive cultural infrastructure. Not long into his elementary school years, Ingram got involved in the music education program at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale. Starting out on drums in his church group at age six, he switched to bass by 11 and guitar by 13.

“When I started learning about the blues, I wanted to get on guitar,” he recalls, “but I felt like my fingers were too big for the strings, so I moved to bass and that became my primary instrument. And when that phase went away, I switched to guitar. First I would do some of my bass fills and lines [on guitar], and next thing you know, my teachers at the museum taught me how to use the first two high strings, and once I started learning a couple of chords, I took it from there.”

Christone "Kingfish" Ingram's Gear

Guitars

• Fender Kingfish Telecaster Deluxe signature
• Banker Custom V
• 2001 Gibson Memphis ES-335
• Gibson ES-339
• Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster
• Custom Michael Chertoff Les Paul-style electric
• Fender Acoustasonic
• Fender Redondo

Amps

• Two Fender ’65 Twin Reverb reissues

Effects

• Dunlop Cry Baby Mini Wah
• Marshall ShredMaster
• Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
• Boss TU-3W Chromatic Tuner
• Strymon power supply

Strings, Picks, & Accessories

• Ernie Ball Power Slinky strings (.011–.048)
• Dunlop Jazz III picks
• Shure BLX4

That he did. Within a couple of years, Ingram was gigging locally and, thanks in part to his Delta Blues Museum connections, gaining national notoriety. At 15, he performed with the museum’s band for Michelle Obama at the White House. The emotional authority of his guitar playing in particular astonished listeners. Veteran bluesman Eric Gales told Blues Rock Review that Kingfish was “killin’ from day one … It’s a beautiful thing to see such a vibrant, intense, very skilled artist.” (Gales and Ingram have since become close comrades, referring to each other as uncle and nephew.)

“Muddy Waters and B.B. King were the first two bluesmen that I learned about at an early age.”

Ingram’s superb 2019 debut album Kingfish, the recording of which was financed by no less an elder statesman than Buddy Guy, turned plenty of heads in the music world; its crunchy opening track, “Outside of This Town,” remains an excellent introduction to the Kingfish style. Its 2021 follow-up, 662, won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album, and 2023’s fiery Live in London consolidated his status as a major modern blues force. His latest collection, Hard Road, presents a markedly different picture, though. No longer a Clarksdale resident, Kingfish now makes his home in Los Angeles, where he moved three years ago. “Sometimes I miss the simplicity of Mississippi,” he acknowledges. “But out here in California I definitely have more resources, more opportunities, and more ways to work.”

That new reality is reflected in the songs on Hard Road, which were the product of collaboration with 11 songwriters and 12 musicians, recorded with three producers in 11 studios spread across two states—a level of ambition, and logistics, that dwarfs any of Ingram’s prior work. For five songs cut at various locations in Nashville, Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, George Thorogood, Susan Tedeschi), who’s been working with Ingram since the start of his recording career, took the reins. Patrick “Guitar Boy” Hayes (Usher, Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole) helmed sessions for four songs in L.A., Hollywood, and Irvine, California, while up-and-comer Nick Goldston oversaw two songs in Santa Monica and Memphis.

As you’d expect, it took a while to put all this together. Ingram at first estimates a gestation period of three to four years, then reconsiders. “Probably even longer than that, because some of the songs that we used were from the 662 sessions,” he says. “But it was really when I came out here to L.A. and was working with Guitar Boy in the studio week after week when I wasn’t on the road that this project was born. I was a little scared, making a project with all these different genres. I didn’t want it to sound like a random jukebox thing, you know? I just wanted to do more music that showcased a lot of other things about my talent: the vocal range, the writing, stuff like that.”

“Sometimes I miss the simplicity of Mississippi. But out here in California I definitely have more resources, more opportunities, and more ways to work.”

Hard Road certainly achieves that goal. Riff-powered rock and luscious R&B coexist comfortably with more traditional-sounding electric and acoustic blues turns. “Nothin’ But Your Love,” for example, is an irresistible slow jam recalling Prince in his ’80s prime that keeps the focus squarely on Ingram’s rich baritone. “That was one of the songs we’d been sitting on since 2021,” Kingfish reveals. “A young man out of Nashville by the name of Dylan Altman came to us with it, then we added a verse and switched some things around. We recorded that in Memphis at Royal Studios, and for the solo I was using my Custom Shop Strat with just a little bit of gain on a [n Ibanez] Tube Screamer, going through a Sunn amp. I remember that session because I don’t play Strats that often, except in the studio—live it’s all [guitars with] humbuckers.”

As Ingram’s comment makes clear, Hard Road’s stylistic diversity doesn’t mean an absence of guitar solos. For further proof, check out his slippery-smooth funk excursions on “Bad Like Me” or his psychedelic scorcher on the downright Hendrix-ian “Crosses.” Moments like these also demonstrate Kingfish’s multidimensionality as a player. Sure, he can lean into a gut-punching bend with the best of them, but his ear for melody and sophisticated sense of harmony are what really set him apart.

“The Covid era was a little good for me,” Ingram says, “because I was able to sit back and [wood]shed and learn more about music theory. I was always into it, but I just wasn’t figuring out a way to play it. I’m still learning, but now I definitely know the numbers, and I can explain a bit of what I play. Shout out to a couple of guitar players outside the blues, like Isaiah Sharkey and Jerry Mosey and Uncle Kevin Wilson in the gospel realm. These are players that I listen to who are fluent in that area, that I can borrow stuff from and pull into my blues. Josh Smith, too, who’s one of my favorite blues-fusion players.”

Of course, when showtime rolls around, the time for shedding is over and Ingram lets the spontaneous phrasing instincts that he’s cultivated for years take charge. Most of the time, he says, it’s not a process that involves the conscious mind. “For my live show, there are definitely spots in certain songs where I feel like a certain lick needs to go there, because it just sounds good on top of that progression at the time, so I do think in that way. But as far as soloing goes, it’s all improv.”

“I was a little scared, making a project with all these different genres. I didn’t want it to sound like a random jukebox thing.”

Another noteworthy fact about Hard Road is that it’s Ingram’s first release on Red Zero, the record company he recently co-founded with his manager, Ric Whitney (all previous Kingfish albums were issued by the respected blues label Alligator). According to Ingram, Red Zero is no mere vanity imprint. He and Whitney intend to build a significant stable of artists in the months and years ahead, inspired in part by SAR Records, the indie label founded by Sam Cooke in 1959 that was an early home to artists such as Bobby Womack, Johnnie Taylor, and Billy Preston.

“My manager and I formulated this idea,” Ingram explains, “because we saw a lot of talented artists out there who aren’t being shown in a proper light. We wanted to give them an opportunity. Sam Cooke gave some people a shot who hadn’t been lucky like he was. So that’s pretty much all I’m trying to do. And me owning my records, of course we thought about that as well. But for me, the bigger picture was just shining a light on a lot of young and old and middle-aged talent, in the blues and outside the blues.”

Early Red Zero signings include Texas guitarist Mathias Lattin, winner of the 2023 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and St. Louis soul singer Dylan Triplett. “We have a lot of guitar slingers these days,” Ingram says, “but we don’t have much of a Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland type of thing going on, and that’s what Dylan has. We’re starting with the blues because that’s our forte and we want to take care of family first, but Ric and I are both lovers of music and we can definitely see ourselves venturing out into other genres.”

Before that happens, Ingram will be venturing out on the road once again, where he’s starting to like what he’s seeing. “Man, I think the blues is thriving,” he says. “And in a sense of young artists coming out of the woodwork, like the ones I just mentioned, Mathias and Dylan [both of whom are joining Kingfish on tour], and Stephen Hull and bands like Southern Avenue. It’s all out there—artists that are honoring the tradition but also creating a new sound and bringing that sound to a broader audience.”

Artists, in other words, like Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.

PRS Guitars today announced the 40th Anniversary Special Semi-Hollow Limited Edition. Limited to just 280 pieces worldwide, this special edition features PRS McCarty III treble and bass pickups with a proprietary PRS Narrowfield in the center position, along with an artist-grade figured maple top, black limba back and neck, and Honduran rosewood fretboard and headstock veneer. Each guitar features the pre-factory eagle on the headstock and includes a 40th Anniversary certificate hand signed by Paul Reed Smith.

The PRS Special Semi-Hollow delivers twelve pickup combinations to players, thanks to the three-pickup configuration paired with a 5-way blade and two mini-toggles. Roll back the tone control for added growl, turn it up for some shimmer. The volume level between the humbucking and single-coil settings remains even, and the semi-hollow body provides airiness and depth to the guitar’s tone.

“This has been an incredible year of releasing special limited-edition guitars to celebrate our anniversary. The 40th Anniversary Special Semi-Hollow Limited Edition is the culmination of this year’s anniversary lineup. With a dozen pickup combinations, the ability to summon both humbucker and single-coil sounds, and beautiful woods, this instrument will inspire you to play. Have fun exploring this versatile tonal palette," said PRS Guitars Director of Marketing, Judy Schaefer.

PRS Guitars continues its schedule of launching new products each month in 2025. Stay tuned to see new gear and 40th Anniversary limited-edition guitars throughout the year. For all of the latest news, click www.prsguitars.com/40 and follow @prsguitars on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

Of all the factors of a guitar’s build, fingerboard radius is a common one guitarists wax lyrical about. But there’s one thing players can adjust themselves which has more of an effect on their playing than that, at least according to John Mayer.

Speaking in a new interview with Guitar World, the guitar legend reflects on the making of his now-legendary PRS Silver Sky signature model, and how he “didn’t understand what neck radius meant” before making the guitar.

• READ MORE: “Not many people want to watch a band stand in front of their amp line”: Metallica guitar tech thinks ditching real amps helped the band improve spectacle of their live shows

“I just looked at the guitars I loved the most, and they were 7.25 inches” he says, speaking about the Silver Sky’s 7.25”-radius fingerboard. “That was my measuring stick. Now that I know the math behind it, I still don’t think about it. The difference between 7.25” and 9.5” is less significant than your strap being an inch higher or lower. I’ll fight anybody on that.”

It’s certainly true that how high you choose to have your guitar while playing standing has an enormous impact on your ease in playing across the fretboard. But what’s Mayer’s reasoning?

Image: Jeff Kravitz / Getty Images

“Every guitar is different and has about 100 points of variation,” he says. “Neck profile helps sort out neck profile, which is only one of many details. So the only way to truly compare radii is to build two molecularly exact copies of the same guitar with just that difference.

“But we have to try and organise these details in some less-chaotic way, which is why we debate 7.25” vs 9.5”. I can do everything on this neck that I could do on a 9.25”. If the guitar is set up correctly, if the frets are level – which these are – you can do anything you want in regard to bending strings on this neck radius.”

Recently, John Mayer revealed he’s written enough songs to put together a new album, but explained why it’s not on the agenda for him at this stage.

“I’ve been going around making music, touring, making music, touring…” he said. “It makes sense at this stage in my life to take a breather.”

The post John Mayer thinks fretboard radius makes less of a difference on your playing than strap height: “I’ll fight anybody about that” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The long-running punk quartet pick prototypes, P basses, and Pauls for their latest live shows.

On tour supporting their 12th full-length record, Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…, California rockers AFI rolled through Nashville’s Marathon Music Works in October. After first running down their rigs in 2017, PG’s Chris Kies linked up again with guitarist Jade Puget and bassist Hunter Burgan to see how their gear has evolved in the past eight years.

Brought to you by D’Addario.

Off the Wall

Puget found this Les Paul Standard hanging at Guitar Center 15 years ago, and it’s still his go-to live guitar. A surprisingly light specimen, it’s had a Seymour Duncan pickup swapped in, and it’s strung with Ernie Balls—usually .010s.

Throughout AFI’s set, Puget switches between tunings: D sharp, drop C sharp, D standard, and E standard.

Silver Surfer

This new Schecter, a prototype made for Puget, is his first ever silverburst, which saw service in the music video for “Holy Visions.” It’s loaded with a Sustainiac system in the neck position.

Willing and Ableton

Puget has experimented a lot to get his rig to this point. His signal runs through a pair of rack-mounted Line 6 Helix units in a stereo configuration, and also through a computer running Ableton that triggers the exact sound designs he created while recording. The RJM Mastermind and Effect Gizmo are programmed to control all pedals, the Helix, and Ableton.

Jade Puget’s Pedalboard

Most of Puget’s effects come from the Helix, but he also runs a few pedals in his rack, including an MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive and Carbon Copy, Boss DC-2W, RV-2, and BF-2, and a Keeley Compressor.

Another board carries a Boss TU-3, TC Electronic Mimiq, EHX The Clone Theory, TC Electronic Arena, MXR Echoplex, and L.R. Baggs Venue DI.

Blackout

In live contexts, Burgan uses Fender P basses exclusively. This is his No. 1, which he’s had since 2012.

Pinky

This dazzling Fender P was made custom for Burgan before this tour.

Triples is Best

Burgan runs this trio of Ampeg SVT Classics.

Hunter Burgan’s Rack Setup

Burgan uses a RJM Mastermind GT to control his in-show switching. In his backstage rack, there’s an EHX Bass Big Muff, Micro Synth, Satisfaction, Nano POG, Bass Clone, and Graphic Fuzz, and on a second shelf, there’s the rest of the collection: a Bass Soul Food, Battalion, Lizard King, Neo Mistress, and Memory Toy.

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Ernie Ball Strings

Line 6 Helix

MXR EVH 5150 Overdrive

MXR Carbon Copy

Boss DC-2W

Keeley Compressor

Boss TU-3

TC Electronic Mimiq

MXR Echoplex

LR Baggs Venue DI

Ampeg SVT Classic

EHX Bass Big Muff

EHX Micro Synth

EHX Satisfaction

EHX Nano POG

EHX Bass Clone

EHX Bass Soul Food

EHX Battalion

EHX Lizard King

EHX Neo Mistress

EHX Memory Toy

Guitar pedals! Those wonderful boxes of tone that can do seemingly anything to your guitar sound, from light overdrive to wild fuzz – from a little bit of slapback to insane, incredible ambience. No matter your tonal tastes, there’s a pedal for you – likely more than one.

Yes, in reality the pedal market can be a little intimidating, even for a season effects junkie. But over the years we’ve taken a look at more than our fair share of pedals, and so we’re here to help you pare down the rather intimidating universe of stompboxes into something a little more manageable with a list of our favourite overdrives, fuzzes, phasers and more.

At a glance:

• Best overdrive: Boss SD-1
• Best distortion: ProCo RAT 2
• Best fuzz: Great Eastern FX Co Focus Fuzz Deluxe
• Best muff-style fuzz: Evil Eye FX Warg
• Best analogue delay: Boss DM-101
• Best digital delay: MXR Joshua
• Best big-box reverb: Strymon BigSky MX
• Best compact reverb: Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Star Stereo
• Best phaser: Beetronics Larva
• Best chorus: Mythos Pedals The Fates
• Best multi-effects: Neural DSP Nano Cortex
• Best compact amp pedal: Walrus Audio Mako Series MkII ACS1
• Best beginner effects: Fender Hammertone
• Why you can trust Guitar.com

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Best overdrive: Boss SD-1

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The Boss SD-1 is an utter overdrive classic. The brand’s take on a Tubescreamer-style mid-hump soft-clipping overdrive, the SD-1’s asymmetrical diode layout and versatile fequency response make it a great choice for players in any genre who need a bit more grit.

Need more? Read our Boss SD-1 review.

Best distortion: ProCo RAT 2

The RAT 2

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And speaking of versatile classics – the Pro Co RAT 2 is an amazingly wide-ranging box of chaos that can go from gentle overdive sounds to chugging distortion to all-out overblown fuzz. It’s found on pro boards from across the world of music, which ain’t bad for an affordable and simple little unit!

Need more? Read our ProCo RAT 2 review.

Best fuzz: Great Eastern FX Co Focus Fuzz Deluxe

Image: @mydeargear

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This awesome boutique fuzz from Great Eastern FX is more than just a fuzz pedal – it has some killer drive and boost sounds on tap, too, but thanks to some revamped circuitry and a return to germanium transistors, there’s a bigger, well, focus on the fuzz side of things. Not least because of the addition of some wild octave-up sounds accessibe by a second footswitch. It’s a thick and throaty fuzz sound with a balanced tonality and plenty of muscle in the mids. And the unique focus control can take you anywhere from a subtle tightening-up to something like a superpowered Tube Screamer.

Need more? Read our Great Eastern FX Co Focus Fuzz Deluxe review.

Best muff-style fuzz: Evil Eye FX Warg

The Warg Fuzz. Image: Evil Eye FX

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The Evil Eye FX Warg is based on an old Ace Tone Big Muff clone, with the addition of a midrange-flattening switch to temper the circuit’s propensity for getting lost in a mix. It’s a slighty lower-gain variant of the pedal, but rather than being underpowered this instead means it has a mean snarl on it, perfect for downtuned sludgy dirges.

Need more? Read our Evil Eye FX Warg review.

Best analogue delay: Boss DM-101

Credit: Boss

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This pedal brings all the delay gratification most guitarists will ever need, with twelve modulatable delay modes (six of them stereo-compatible), some very good presets, tap tempo and a MIDI input. Such comprehensive functionality is remarkable in an analogue delay.

What’s even more impressive is how this unit sounds. Our reviewer particularly enjoyed the Ambience, Reflect and Pan modes, which respectively sound solo-thickening, rockabilly-ready and expansively spacey. Don’t be put off by the pedal’s plethora of controls – it’s great fun adjusting them to create all sorts of analogue delay sounds.

Need more? Read our Boss DM-101 review.

Best digital delay: MXR Joshua

Controls on the MXR Joshua. Image: Adam Gasson

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It’s a mixed blessing to own a 1980s rackmount delay unit. There’s a good chance it’ll sound exceptional – but how are you going to store and transport the unit, without a massive 80s hairdo within which to stow it?

The MXR Joshua seeks to give you the best of both worlds, racking up a motley crew of authentic 1980s delay tones in a great-sounding, feature-packed pedal that’s just as neatly proportioned as most other MXR effects.

Sure, the Joshua’s highly musical repeats lend themselves well to U2-like walls of chiming sound – but there’s plenty here for other ambient experimentalists too, including options to modulate, syncopate and add octaves to your signal.

Need more? Read our MXR Joshua review.

Best big-box reverb: Strymon BigSky MX

Strymon BigSky MX. Image: press

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Creating an even more expansive horizon than the original, the Strymon BigSky MX is a comprehensive revamp and expansion on Strymon’s world-moving big box.

With our ambient hats jauntily cocked atop our heads, we’d say the most significant upgrade here is the MX’s capability to run two reverb algorithms at once, routed in series, parallel or split. This gives you the scope to arrange those classic BigSky reverb sounds into new and idiosyncratic constellations.

It’s a little cleaner cut and more utopic than, say, the Meris MercuryX, but the BigSky MX is a powerful, premium option to flavour your guitar sound with the infinite.

Need more? Read our Strymon BigSky MX review.

Best compact reverb: Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Star Stereo

Image: Richard Purvis

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Old Blood Noise Endeavors have always been ones for ambient oddness, and the Dark Star Stereo is no different. A very modern update of their classic ambient reverb, the Dark Star stereo comes with a ckiller new enclosure, extra control, presets and, of course, stereo functionality – all in a relatively compact package. Is it a bit of a one-trick pony? Perhaps, definitely more so than the workstarations like the BigSKy MX, but that one trick is damn impressive.

Need more? Read our Old Blood Noise Endeavors Dark Star Stereo review.

Best phaser: Beetronics Larva

Beetronics Larva. Image: Adam Gasson for Guitar.com

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Beetronics always gets points for uniqueness – this phaser isn’t just a normal phaser, no – it’s a warpng phaser!. What does that mean? Well, it means you can ramp from one preset to another – a bit like the acceleration of a real leslie! This can create some awesome dynamic shifting across your playing, even more so than a regular phaser, and it helps that the actual sounds that you’re warping too and from are all damn lovely by themselves, too.

Need more? Read our Beetronics Larva review.

Best chorus: Mythos Pedals The Fates

Mythos The Fates

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For a unique take on the much mythologised Boss CE-1 chorus, go whither The Mythos Fates calls. This boutique clone repackages pleasing CE-1-like sounds with some innovative controls and features, including a JFET buffered input/bypass stage and a tweaked vibrato option that reins in the chorus’s warblier tendencies.

We reckon The Fates is at its best with the rate knob at noon and the depth set slightly higher, which brings out a beautiful responsiveness. The vibrato section is a great option to have, too, especially for tone minimalists who like their modulation to sit a little behind their guitar’s signal.

Need more? Read our Mythos Pedals The Fates review.

Best multi-effects: Neural DSP Nano Cortex

Neural DSP Nano Cortex. Image: Adam Gasson

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When the Nano Cortex first arrived, it was not without controversy. Not just because of Neural DSP’s propensity for confusing marketing videos – but also because people were kind of expecting a full-blown Quad Cortex at half the price and size. We didn’t get that – however, NanOS 2.0 brought us pretty close. With expanded signal chain flexibility and countless quality-of-life improvements, the Nano Cortex is an extremely powerful capture engine and compact multi-effects unit all in one.

Need more? Read our Neural DSP Nano Cortex review.

Best compact amp pedal: Walrus Audio Mako Series MkII ACS1

Walrus Audio Mako Series MkII ACS1. Image: Adam Gasson

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Ever since digital modelling became powerful enough to be “good”, there’s been a product category that aims to bring an entire amplifier simulation to what would otherwise be just another slot on your pedalboard. Perhaps the best of these, in 2025, is the MkII update of the Walrus Audio ACS1. With three discrete amplifiers per ear to choose from, custom IR loading and

Need more? Read our Walrus Audio Mako Series MkII ACS1 review.

Best beginner effects: Fender Hammertone

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Fender’s range of budget effects stompboxes is a great place to start with effects. Not only are the pedals all very affordable, they all also offer a good overview of their chosen effect, often with multiple operating modes. For example the fuzz offers both standard speaker-ripping fun as well as an octave-up mode. The reverb and delay also offer unique operating modes, and the flanger is a particularly versatile standout. In short, these are pedals that will absolutely get you started on the right foot with their respective sounds, and will be more than happy to stay in your rig as you grow as a player.

Need more? Read our Fender Hammertone review.

Why You Can Trust Us

Every year, Guitar.com reviews a huge variety of new products – from the biggest launches to cool boutique effects – and our expert guitar reviewers have decades of collective experience, having played everything from Gibson ’59 Les Pauls to the cheapest Squiers.

That means that when you click on a Guitar.com buyer’s guide, you’re getting the benefit of all that experience to help you make the best buying decision for you. What’s more, every guide written on Guitar.com was put together by a guitar obsessive just like you. You can trust that every product recommended in those guides is something that we’d be happy to have in our own rigs.

The post The best effect pedals for all styles and budgets appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

New Releases from September and October 2025 feature acoustic guitars at every end of the spectrum

Those of us immersed in guitar culture love to see the gear a band is using front and centre when they’re performing onstage, but what about the average fan?

Sure, a wall of amps at the back of the stage was, for decades, part of the spectacle of seeing a heavy metal band perform live, but with the increasing prevalence – and quality – of digital amp modellers, many bands are opting to shun the logistical burden of heavy amplifiers, and instead reach for more compact modellers for their live tones.

According to Chad Zaemisch – guitar tech for Metallica frontman James Hetfield – fans don’t really miss the presence of physical amps from a visual point of view, either.

• READ MORE: Kirk Hammett is auctioning his silver Gibson CEO4 SG from Black Sabbath’s farewell show – plus more than 150 guitars from his collection

In an interview in the new issue of Guitar World, Zaemisch reflects on Metallica’s transition from physical amps to digital amp modellers, as the group remain one of the top live forces in the world, still in the midst of their massive M72 World Tour.

As is often the case with the adoption of new technology, there was a single event which sparked Metallica’s transition to amp modellers. And that came with their one-off Freeze ‘Em All concert in Antarctica in 2013.

“We were kind of forced to come up with a solution for playing a show in Antarctica where we couldn’t have speakers,” Zaemisch reflects.

“For environmental reasons, they didn’t want any noise pollution. We had a lot of help right off the bat. Matt Picone from Fractal came and got all our sounds started. It was definitely a learning curve for us and the band, but once we got through that, everybody started to look at how convenient it was.”

Zaemisch credits James Hetfield’s open-mindedness with Metallica’s eventual adoption of digital amp modellers.

“James wants to know all of the different ups and downs of things and, you know, he can play through whatever he wants,” he continues.

“The fact that he chose to kind of say, ‘Well, maybe we’re the ones to embrace this and use it to its fullest extent,’ I really had to hand it to him because we were excited to use this stuff.”

But outside of sound, removing walls of physical amps from the stage presents new opportunities in terms of stage design, and according to Zaemisch, most fans don’t really care anyway.

“The people in set design realised that if we don’t have this wall of speakers anymore, we have all of these other things available to us.

“Everybody’s all about content these days, and not a lot of people want to watch a band stand in front of their amp line with nothing else going on. Now we can use large video screens. It opens up a lot more opportunities to do different things.

View a full list of Metallica’s upcoming live dates via their official website.

The post “Not many people want to watch a band stand in front of their amp line”: Metallica guitar tech thinks ditching real amps helped the band improve spectacle of their live shows appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$299/£289, beetronicsfx.com

Guitar pedals skulk on the floor like rats and their only job is to sound good, so it really doesn’t matter how pretty they are… but holy guacamole, the Beetronics BeeBeeDee is a looker.

• READ MORE: Gamechanger Audio Auto Delay review – a dynamic delay that lets you wire it up how you want it

Resplendent in metallic green, this is the California firm’s first venture into the world of delay, and it promises to unlock a range of sounds far beyond anything you might expect from an analogue pedal. The only question is, can it possibly sound half as delectable as it looks?

Image: Press

Beetronics BeeBeeDee – what is it?

They love their ‘bee’ puns at Beetronics – and as this is a bucket-brigade device, or BBD for short, the name must have pretty much written itself. There’s a modulation section for the repeats, so the obvious reference point is the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man; but with six knobs, two footswitches and two three-way toggles, you know this isn’t going to be a simple DMM clone.

First up, there are three operating modes: ‘classic’, with vintage-style modulation; ‘lo-fi’, with tape-like wobbliness and randomised tone filtering; and ‘pitch’, with repeats that skitter up and down at intervals of up to two octaves. Then there’s the second footswitch, which can be assigned to set the delay time, turn the modulation on and off, or switch to double speed.

All that’s on top of the usual array of controls – including one for tone, with the repeats turning murky to the left and thinning out to the right – while the bypass footswitch can be held down to max out the feedback. That’s good news if you fancy having a mess about with the Karma Police ending; maybe not such good news for the neighbours.

Image: Press

Beetronics BeeBeeDee – what does it sound like?

Analogue delays tend to be hissy, and this one is no different – and while you can turn the trails off, there’s no true-bypass option, so unless you use a loop you’re stuck with a bit of background noise even when the pedal isn’t on. But if you can live with that, you’ll be rewarded with some truly luscious delay tones.

The basics are sound, with the tone control offering everything from mushy washes to crisp-edged slapback, while the chorus-like modulation of an old DMM is super-easy to dial in – and even easier to switch off with a foot-tap if you’re in danger of being overcome by the heady perfume of its prettiness.

Switch to lo-fi mode and that vintage wobble is replaced by something really very interesting: Beetronics calls it ‘unpredictable’ and that’s exactly what it is, with a real sense of fragility to the repeats as they flutter in and out of the darkness. It takes some getting used to, but it’s strangely likeable.

You might find the pitch-shifting mode less easy to get on with, but at least you have a wide range of intervals to play with – and here’s where the second footswitch really excels, letting you turn the weirdness on and off at will. It’s also worth trying this switch set to its ‘2x’ function, so you can tap or hold to enjoy a momentary octave leap as the tempo doubles.

Image: Press

Beetronics BeeBeeDee – should I buy it?

When it comes to true analogue delays that build on the Memory Man formula, the BeeBeeDee is actually one of the more affordable options out there – and as well as nailing the sweet tones of the original, it adds something genuinely worthwhile in terms of both sound and functionality. And yes, looks-wise it is a total snack.

Beetronics BeeBeeDee alternatives

If you just want analogue delay with controllable modulation, you might as well get a DMM – specifically the Electro-Harmonix Nano Deluxe Memory Man ($213/£180), which is bang tidy. Beyond that, your options range from the Jam Pedals Delay Llama Xtreme (€349/£349) – the BeeBeeDee’s closest rival in terms of features – to the eminently tweakable Asheville Music Tools ADG-1 ($397/£419).

The post Beetronics BeeBeeDee review – analogue delay pedals aren’t supposed to be this much fun appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.