General Interest

Today’s feature: the Revv G3 Anniversary Edition — a high‑gain ‘amp‑in‑a‑box’ based on Revv’s Purple Channel, redesigned with a refined circuit and custom black finish with purple knobs.

Stompboxtober 2025 - Win Pedals All Month Long!

G3 Anniversary Edition

The Revv G3 revolutionized high gain pedals in 2018 with its tube-like response & tight, clear high gain tones. Suddenly the same boutique tones used by metal artists & producers worldwide were available to anyone in a compact pedal. Now the G3 returns with a new V2 circuit revision that raises the bar again.

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Get ready to dive into the gear-head dream: we teamed up with our friends at East Side Music Supply and pedal-wizard Blair White to build a pedalboard inspired by Queens of the Stone Age. From fuzz to filter sweeps, octaves to tape echo, we traced the band’s signature sound and then assembled a stacked board you could win. Whether you’re chasing heavy riffs or sculpting atmosphere, this one’s for pedal lovers and riff monsters alike.

Full board and details below!

Enter here to win: https://www.premierguitar.com/win-stuff/pg-giveaways/ultimate-qotsa-pedalboard

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CIOKS DC7

The groundbreaking DC7 has a one-inch (25,4mm) profile and weighs 1.1 pound (500 grams) thanks to the pure 2-stage switch-mode technology inside. The profile may be low but the power ratings are certainly not – the DC7 puts out a maximum of 48W and allows the user to connect multiple high-current effects such as devices from Effectrode, Line 6 and Eventide without noise of any kind.

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Digitech Whammy Ricochet

The Whammy Ricochet lets you bounce your playing up or down in pitch in controlled or crazy shifts. A momentary switch and customizable independent rise and fall time ballistics, allow you to get the Whammy action you know and love without the use of a treadle. Just hold your foot on the footswitch and let the Ricochet do the rest. Seven pitch selections – 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, Octave, Double Octave, and Octave+Dry, as well as a toggle to select up or down for the selected pitch.

The Whammy Ricochet also has latching footswitch mode so you can rise or fall to pitch and stay there, and an LED ladder that shows your shift trajectory at all times.

All these controls combine to create classic Whammy pitch-shifting as well as new sounds never heard before.

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Empress ParaEQ MkII Deluxe

We've brought back the most sought after Parametric EQ pedal with groundbreaking updates.
We kept everything people loved about the original ParaEq and added more fidelity and control.

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Mr. Black Doubletracker Stereo

In late 2023, we had a cool idea for a compact pedal, based on a recording technique pioneered in the 1950's… This radical, yet deceptively simple technique elevated great recordings to downright incredible, enhancing the depth, character and tonality through a process called Double Tracking. This simple, yet elusive concept was initially executed by recording a track twice and overlaying the two [nearly] identical takes on top of each other.

Fast forward 70-some years and we can now create "double-tracked" sounds in real-time, delivering the full, rich and complex intensity that was once only possible by employing slick studio tricks during a session!

The 2023 compact DoubleTracker was an instant hit, and we received a ton of feedback and praise regarding the pedal, but there was a reoccurring theme within…

Make it STEREO!!

Well, it wasn’t easy, but we are VERY proud to say: we did it! And it sounds marvelous. (Literally marvelous, as in something one will marvel at/about.)

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D’Addario XPPB-02 Double Row Pedalboard

XPND is the pedalboard that adapts to you. With its patented telescoping technology, XPND lets you instantly change the size of your board and number of pedals – forever expanding your sonic potential. XPND also features a unique cable management system and comes fitted with loop Velcro, keeping everything neat, while making swapping pedals super easy. XPND 1 is built to accommodate one row of pedals and is expandable from 14" to 24" and XPND 2 is built to accommodate two rows of pedals and is expandable from 17"to 31".

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D'Addario Flat Patch Cables

D’Addario’s Custom Series Flat Patch Cables optimize pedalboard space by allowing you to place pedals closer together while accurately transferring all the subtle details of your playing. Utilizing the latest in high-quality instrument cable manufacturing technology, these cables feature an oxygen-free coaxial copper conductor with two layers of noise-rejecting shielding, formulated for extremely low capacitance and handling noise. The lower cable capacitance allows your instrument’s brilliance, presence and character to be transmitted with the utmost transparency. The Flat Patch Cable plugs feature the patented Geo-Tip™, ensuring a secure connection in any instrument, pedal, or amplifier. Additionally, encapsulated soldering points and molded strain relief combine to deliver the ultimate long lasting, high-performance patch cable.

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WAY HUGE® SMALLS™ GREEN RHINO™ OVERDRIVE MKV

This pedal packs the Green Rhino Overdrive's beloved stampede of gritty, gnarly overdrive tones into a super pedalboard-friendly housing.

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Strymon Ultraviolet

A warm grittiness to the warble, a rippling, wooshing, bubbling irregularity to the modulation and a dynamic response to your picking are all hallmarks of the true vibe experience.

Thicker and chewier than any chorus, earthier than any phaser and uniquely magical in front of a driven amp, the perfect vibe pedal moves you to dig in and play without inhibition.

This feeling has been difficult to find outside of large and expensive fully-analog boutique units, but the search for that elusive experience is now over.

Delivering vintage vibe tone that’s second to none with simple and powerful controls for instantly obtaining a rich variety of captivating sounds, UltraViolet is the vibe pedal you’ve been looking for.

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Peterson Tuners Strobostomp Mini

The StroboStomp Mini™ delivers the unmatched 0.1 cent tuning accuracy of all authentic Peterson Strobe Tuners in a mini pedal tuner format. We designed StroboStomp Mini around the most requested features from our customers: a mini form factor, and top mounted jacks.

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Boss RE-202 Space Echo

Introduced in 1974, the Roland RE-201 Space Echo stands among the most legendary and sought-after effect units ever produced. This tape-based classic remained in production for over 14 straight years, and its distinctive rhythmic echo sounds, warm character, and highly playable sonic quirks still inspire musicians, producers, and audio mixers over four decades on.

Backed by intensive R&D and our latest innovations, the RE-202 faithfully delivers the authentic sound and behavior of the Space Echo like never before. Built by the company that designed the original, this advanced pedal captures the RE-201’s magic in flawless detail, from the magnetic tape and motor properties to the vibrant spring reverb and colorful preamp circuit. And to take things even further, we’ve expanded the vintage Space Echo experience with lots of new features tuned for today’s music.

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Earthquaker Devices Dispatch Master

The Dispatch Master is a hi-fi digital Delay & Reverb Device that combines independent delay and reverb effects into one space-saving enclosure, so you can keep deep ambient echoes (or just a quick slapback) on speed-dial.

The best-selling EarthQuaker Devices pedal just got bester [sic] with new Flexi-Switch® Technology! Want to dip into ambient delay and reverb sounds for just one note? Press and hold the footswitch for as long as you use the effect, release it when you’re finished, and resume your regularly scheduled dry sound. To use the Dispatch Master as a normal effects pedal, press the switch once to activate and again to bypass.

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Yesterday Effects Private Military Auditor

The Private Military Auditor is a collaboration between Yesterday Effects and us, your favorite real life music store in the whole world, eastside music supply.

What we got here is a highly tuned, 2-in-1 fuzzstortion + filter. One knob a piece, with the optional expression port out to sweep the frequency of the filter if you should choose to do so!

Left side of the pedal is the fuzz, the knob controls the volume. That's all you need because this baby is DIALED. Harmonically rich, with great note definition and insane sustain. The volume cleanup is killer and reminiscent of how fuzz faces feel. Plays well with every pickup combo we've thrown at it. And gives a surprisingly large amount of tonal variation depending on your pickup/volume/tone situation. Just a really great fuzz/distortion on it's own.

Right side of the pedal is the filter, the knob controls the sweep of the frequency. Kick this baby on when you're ready for your leads to stand out, or just to give yourself that gnarly parked wah tone.

Ten Years Is A Decade

this is an analog preamp inspired by the Decade practice amp, which was the secret to the bassist of Stone Temple Pilot‘s tone. Get that on your board and secure the crunch for whatever you run through it! Works with 9v or 18v (for a more amp-like response).

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ZVex Fuzz Factory

Packed with knobs that let you control everything from tight, radically fuzzy sounds that gate off instantly when you stop playing, to intermodulating oscillations that fight for control of your guitar as your notes decay, to shortwave radio sounds, ripping velcro and octave-like fuzz. Includes an on/off LED and center-negative DC power jack.

.rbm-pick-card { --rbm-border: ; --rbm-accent: ; border: 2px solid var(--rbm-border, #e53e3e); border-radius: 10px; padding: 16px; background: #fff; font-family: inherit; position: relative; } .rbm-pick-badge { position: absolute; top: -10px; left: 12px; background: var(--rbm-accent, #e53e3e); color: #fff; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1; padding: 6px 10px; border-radius: 6px; font-weight: 700; } .rbm-pick-wrap { display: grid; grid-template-columns: 110px 1fr; gap: 16px; align-items: start; } .rbm-pick-img { aspect-ratio: 1 / 1; /* forces square crop */ overflow: hidden; border-radius: 6px; background: #f3f4f6; /* subtle placeholder */ } .rbm-pick-img img { width: 100%; height: 100%; object-fit: cover; /* crops without distortion */ display: block; } .rbm-pick-title { margin: 0 0 4px; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 800; color: #111; } .rbm-pick-sub { margin: 0 0 12px; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; color: #334155; } .rbm-pick-btns { display: grid; gap: 10px; max-width: 560px; } .rbm-pick-btns a { display: block; text-align: center; background: #000; color: #fff !important; text-decoration: none; padding: 12px 14px; border-radius: 8px; font-weight: 800; letter-spacing: .3px; } .rbm-pick-btns a span.price { text-transform: none; } .rbm-pick-btns a span.label { text-transform: uppercase; } /* Responsive */ @media (max-width: 560px) { .rbm-pick-wrap { grid-template-columns: 80px 1fr; } .rbm-pick-title { font-size: 18px; } }

Mythos Argonaut Octave Up

The Argonaut is a no frills pedal offers a clean-ish octave up sound. Using it alone offers you a gnarly, ring mod-esque sound that is pretty funky. The fun begins when you combine it with your favorite overdrive or fuzz pedals. Once combined all the iconic octave tones we know and love begin to jump out of your signal. It’s very touch responsive, weird, and fun all rolled into a small little package. The Argonaut uses a pair of Hand matched NOS Germanium Diodes, this gives the most prevalent octave up effect that is present all over your guitar neck. Unlike traditional octave pedals the octave effect can be heard up and down the guitar neck, so get ready to get weird once you add this bad boy to your setup.

We like the Argonaut after a fuzz pedal but before an overdrive. Like all things though, your mileage may vary and there is no right answer with guitar tones. Experiment and you’ll find what works best with your setup and hands.

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Echopark Echodriver

he Echodriver Limited-Edition Reissue has been the core distortion sound of Troy Van Leeuwen (Queens of the Stone Age), delivering a harmonically rich, mid-scooped voice with the clarity and power to cut through any mix over his last few years of touring.

The tone stack uses a notch-style filter, similar to classic fuzz circuits, offering a broad sweep of EQ flexibility. The Tone control scoops mids at center, rolls off low end when turned down, and rounds off highs when pushed up—letting you shape the pedal’s response to your guitar and amp with surgical precision.

Clipping is handled by a dynamic combination of MOSFET and NOS Germanium diodes, producing warm, touch-sensitive gain. A right-side toggle engages Silicon clipping for a more aggressive, compressed response. The left toggle bypasses the tone stack completely, delivering a full-range, unfiltered drive straight to your amp.

Win the ultimate Queens of the Stone Age–inspired pedalboard! Built by Premier Guitar and Eastside Music Supply, this custom rig packs fuzz, filter, octave, and echo tones worthy of the desert rock kings themselves. Enter now for your shot at owning this one-of-a-kind board.

Win This Queens of the Stone Age–Inspired Pedalboard!

See the board and full details here: 

By most accounts, the guitar collection of late Indianapolis Colts CEO and billionaire businessman is the greatest on Earth. No other collection features as many important instruments from the pages of guitar history.

Now, following Irsay’s death earlier this year at the age of 65, the entire monumental collection is headed to the auction block, with a series of auctions set to be hosted by Christie’s New York beginning March 2026.

• READ MORE: Gibson’s $20k Back to the Future ES-345 is being listed on Reverb for over $100k – as scalpers look to flip the highly sought-after guitars for mega profit

The billion-dollar guitar collection – valued as such when Irsay was once offered the insane 10-figure sum by a “Middle East element”, an offer he ultimately turned down – includes some of the most important instruments in guitar history, including items owned and played by John Lennon, Sir Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan, Kurt Cobain, Eddie Van Halen, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, Janis Joplin, David Gilmour, and dozens of others.

Highlights, in particular, include Kurt Cobain’s Smells Like Teen Spirit Mustang and David Gilmour’s Black Fender Stratocaster – two guitars which hold the #2 and #3 spots on the list of the most expensive guitars ever sold at auction – as well as Eric Clapton’s legendary Fool SG, which sold for $1.27 million in 2023, and John Lennon’s Gretsch 6120 Country Gentleman. And this is just a tiny handful in the massive collection.

Credit: Press

Free public exhibitions will accompany the auctions at Christie’s New York – located at 20 Rockefeller Plaza – and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to philanthropic causes championed by Irsay throughout his life.

“Christie’s is honoured to offer this magnificent collection, so lovingly compiled, maintained, and shared by legendary collector Jim Irsay over decades,” says Julien Pradels, president of the Christie’s Americans region. 

“These extraordinary objects will be made available to passionate collectors around the globe, who have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of history, and provide this exquisite collection its next chapter.”

More information on the forthcoming auctions will be available in the coming months. 

We’ll endeavour to keep you updated here at Guitar.com, but you can also stay tuned via christies.com/irsay.

Credit: Press

The post Jim Irsay’s entire $1 billion guitar collection – featuring Kurt Cobain, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix guitars – is headed to auction appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

D’Addario announces the John Lennon Art Series Signature Collection, a limited-edition lineup of instrument straps and picks, all honoring the imagination of a legend.

About the Series

The Collection includes two unique strap designs and two pick assortments, each featuring Lennon’s original animal illustrations, as well as drawings inspired by the life and love he shared with Yoko Ono. From playful sketches to bolder, more intimate designs, every item in this Collection honors Lennon’s vision while giving players unique, premium tools they can rely on, all backed by elite D’Addario craftsmanship. The Collection also includes the Imagine Animals small instrument strap, perfect for

kid-sized instruments or adult ukuleles and mandolins, with matching collectible picks.

Highlights

• Secure & Reliable Straps. Each strap features durable leather ends for long-lasting security. That means a comfortable and dependable fit for every player.
• Premium Picks for Superior Playability. Crafted from high-quality celluloid, these picks deliver a smooth feel and warm tone that’s perfect for players at any level.
• Exclusive Collectible Items. These limited-edition designs put Lennon’s visual artwork on a new canvas, making them not only perfect tools for players, but one-of-a-kind stocking stuffers for collectors and fans.
  

D’Addario Celebrates Lennon’s Legacy
“John Lennon’s art was as imaginative and honest as his music,” said Cassie Meloy, Accessories Product Manager. “This Collection celebrates Lennon’s creativity for players of all ages and introduces D'Addario’s first strap designed for kids, perfectly inspired by his playful Animals artwork.”

Availability & Pricing
The John Lennon Art Series is available now through daddario.com and authorized retailers. Pick packs are priced at $7.99, with straps starting at $16.99.

For more information, visit: ddar.io/johnlennon-pr

Chris Benson has been designing something cool with Tim Marcus from Milkman Sound. We present to you: Benson The Amp.

Using the same form factor as Milkman’s The Amp 100, Chris and Tim have combined a high voltage tube Chimera style preamp with a 100 watt class D solid state power amp. It is available from Milkman and Benson dealers today.

Benson The Amp’s feature set makes it versatile enough to handle live shows, silent stages, and direct recording situations with ease:

• High voltage Chimera style tube preamp
• Independent High and Low EQ controls
• Boost with dedicated footswitch (drives the preamp section)
• 100 Watts of class D power
• Built in digital Reverb (designed by Keeley Electronics)
• Direct out with bypass-able analog cab simulation and Room ambience control
• Headphone output

For more details and back story, check out this video from Milkman Sound.

Also, we’d be remiss if we didn’t inform you that our Oversized 1x12 cab with our Custom Ceramic speaker is the perfect companion to The Amp. In fact, it’s what the Benson The Amp’s cab simulation is modeled after (along with an AEA N22 ribbon mic). These two make a potent pairing that works for most any stage volume (we genuinely tried everything to make sure the Custom Ceramic speaker can handle Benson The Amp’s output without failing, and it performed like a champ).

To hear the OS 1x12 A/B’d with the cab sim, check out our latest episode of Bensayin…

For current ordering information on Benson The Amp, visit Milkman Sound here. The Oversized 1x12 cab is available directly from our online store (current build time is 8-10 weeks).

Last year, Tetrarch guitarist Diamond Rowe became Jackson’s first ever female signature artist, and the monster single-cut Monarkh guitar that came of that partnership quickly established itself as an unrelenting weapon of EMG-loaded brutality.

• READ MORE: Creeper on the best horror-themed albums

One thing that didn’t make it into her DR12 guitar however, was a tone knob. And in the latest episode of Guitar.com Originals Series My Guitars & Me, the queen of ‘freak tone’ explained why she has absolutely no need for such things – and never has.

“Honestly, the first adjustment I made when we were putting the specs together for this guitar was to get rid of the tone knobs,” she reveals. “It was like the very first thing I told them, because in all the years I’ve been playing since I was a child, I don’t remember ever adjusting a tone knob for literally anything. So, I’m like, you know what? Clearly, I’m not going to miss it. So, I just did two volume knobs.”

Diamond also had a word for the often-maligned EMG pickups, and poured cold water on those who think that active pickups can suck your tone.

“I gravitated towards playing what my favourite bands played because when I was 11, I didn’t know anything about, you know, different pickups, active, passive, string gauges, nothing like that,” she explains. “It was just like, oh, Kirk Hammet plays EMGs, you know, so that’s what I want to play. So my first guitars had them in there. And I feel like it just became a part of my sound.”

“Whenever I play EMGs, it just it’s that metal sound that everyone knows. And some people like that about them and some people don’t. They feel like it might take away some of like the, you know, uniqueness of their playing or like the, you know, whatever. I don’t. I love them. I plug and play EMGs and I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s what I need.'”

Check out the full episode of My Guitars & Me with Diamond below, and check out the band’s latest album, The Ugly Side Of Me here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXgZG_vfci0

The post Tetrarch’s Diamond Rowe explains why you don’t need tone knobs on your guitars appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

C. F. Martin & Co.® is proud to announce a new collaboration with multi-GRAMMY Award®-winning singer-songwriter Jason Isbell: two signature acoustic guitars and the launch of his first-ever signature set of strings, part of the all-new Martin Era™ line. The guitars, modeled after the 1940 0-17 that accompanied Jason through every track of Foxes in the Snow, bring his unmistakable sound within reach of players everywhere.

The Martin 0-17 Jason Isbell is a limited-edition model crafted to replicate the pre-war 0-17 at the heart of his latest album. Limited to just 50 instruments, it’s built entirely from solid sinker mahogany paired with Adirondack spruce Golden Era scalloped X-bracing for a warm, expressive voice. The sinker mahogany neck, inspired by Jason’s pre-war 0-17, combines with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and bridge for classic feel and playability. 17-style appointments and a vintage gloss finish complete its timeless look.

“This one replicates the 1940 0-17 that I used on Foxes in the Snow,” said Jason. “The Brazilian [rosewood] for the bridge and the fingerboard is a really special thing. The fact that Martin was able and willing to do that for these guitars makes me really, really happy… and the neck on this one is pretty identical in shape to the original guitar. It’s a very simple guitar to look at and to play, but certainly not simple to put together.”'

The Martin 0-10E Retro Jason Isbell brings that spirit to the Road Series in a stage-ready form. Featuring a satin-finished all-mahogany 0 14-fret body, scalloped spruce X-bracing, and Martin E1 electronics with a built-in tuner, it delivers warm, focused tone and plug-and-play performance. With East Indian rosewood accents, 17-style inlays, and nickel open-gear tuners, the guitar balances vintage-inspired looks with modern versatility.

“This guitar meets the artist’s criteria that the instrument can’t be the challenge,” Jason said. “They’re well made, they’re easy to play, they sound good, and they don’t scream, ‘Look at me.’ At this price point, a whole lot of people are gonna have access to it—and that’s great because it encourages beginner guitar players and singer-songwriters to have something that is quality. I could take this guitar and just make a living with it.”

In addition to the new guitars, Martin is launching an all-new line of strings: Martin Era™ Strings. Designed to set the standard for acoustic tone and playability, they combine the best of Martin’s string-making innovations into one premium offering. Era strings feature a patented Lifespan® treatment to protect against corrosion, Flexible Core construction to enhance comfort and fretability, and silk-wrapped ball ends to help protect your prized instrument. Together, these features establish a new benchmark for what phosphor bronze acoustic guitar strings can deliver.

Within the Era line is Jason’s first-ever signature set: Martin Era™ Jason Isbell Signature Strings. Developed with a traditional SP® core to match his distinctive sound, this Artist Light set is custom-voiced for strength, balance, and consistency. Finished with distinctive red silk-wrapped ball ends, they reflect his exact touring and studio-tested preferences, giving players direct access to the same feel and performance that inspire his music.

“I’ve used Martin phosphor bronze strings for a long time—12-54 on almost all of my acoustics,” said Jason. “I know how they’re going to react, how many shows I can get out of them, and they don’t take long to break in. You stretch them right when you put them on, they won’t go out of tune. This is a really big honor for me.”

Durability and reliability were essential to the design. “I don’t have to worry about being fragile, being gentle with the strings,” he added. “They sound good for a long time, I don’t have to change every show, which my tech loves, and I love also.”

To learn more about these signature guitars and strings, visit martinguitar.com/jason-isbell.

In addition to his strong business track record – with numerous C-suite roles, including his current position as CEO of Guitar Center – Gabe Dalporto is driven by his genuine love of guitars.

But of all the guitars in his collection, which are his favourite? In a new conversation with Guitar World, he reveals he has two…

While attending Guitar Center’s recent VIP event in New York City to mark its Guitar-A-Thon, Dalporto explained his deep, personal connection with his favourite guitars. “I’ve got two favourite guitars, and both of [which] I inherited from my father,” he explains.

• READ MORE: Gibson’s $20k Back to the Future ES-345 is being listed on Reverb for over $100k – as scalpers look to flip the highly sought-after guitars for mega profit
  

One of his two favourites is his beloved and reliable 1964 Fender Stratocaster – a common staple in many guitarists’ arsenals. “It’s white, and it’s got a rosewood fretboard,” he says. “I’ve played that my entire life and that’s been my go-to.”

The other guitar is a bit more unique; the guitar was a personal Gibson mod project carried out by his father. “When my dad passed away, I inherited his 1956 Les Paul,” he reveals. “He modded [it], took the P-90s out and put humbuckers in. It’s a Goldtop and it’s just beautiful. I love that thing.”

While he is able to narrow down these two guitars as his favourites, he struggles to choose an outright winner. “It’s like [asking] ‘Which kid do you love [more]?’” he jokes. “It’s really hard to say!”

Ever since taking over as Guitar Center’s CEO, Dalporto’s mission has been simple: he wants to improving the guitar landscape, chiefly by looking to create more “long-term” musicians. Back in May, he said he was set on encouraging the next generation of “serious musicians” to emerge.

“One of the biggest challenges we have as an industry is, if someone picks up a guitar for the first time, for every 10 people who start playing guitar, a year later, one person is playing, and nine are not,” he said at the time. “What can we do to change that ratio?”

“We [want to] connect with people early in their music career and really get them deeply embedded, so they’re going to be in it for the long term,” he concluded.

Guitar Center is currently hosting its pre-Black Friday sale, with up to 30% off some items. Browse the full range at Guitar Center.

The post Guitar Center CEO has two favourite guitars, but can’t choose an outright winner: “It’s like asking, ‘Which kid do you love more?’” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Dave Mustaine has hinted that a track on Megadeth’s final album is technically a cover song, but one he actually wrote.

Fans suspect the ‘cover’ in question is likely a Metallica song, and could potentially be Ride The Lightning from the band’s 1984 sophomore album of the same name. Megadeth’s final album before their retirement, which is self-titled, is due for release in 2026 and features 13 tracks.

• READ MORE: “Don’t be mad, don’t be sad – we changed the world”: Dave Mustaine makes emotional statement as Megadeth announce final album

Mustaine was famously fired from Metallica in 1983 before the release of their debut record, Kill ‘Em All. His parts were re-recorded by Kirk Hammett, but Mustaine still has writing credits on a number of tracks, including Ride The Lightning.

So far, 10 tracks have already been named and one has been released as a single – Tipping Point. However, in a new interview with Norwegian radio station Stjernepose, Mustaine says [via Loudwire], “We have 13 new songs for the new album… One of the songs is a cover song but I actually wrote it, so it’s kind of like a cover, of my song.”

The band also recently shared a track list graphic to their social media, and some fans spotted that just below number 10, there’s a faint hint of some writing which could potentially spell out Ride The Lightning.

There’s no return you’ve crossed the line. Two more tracks revealed tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/7yQ9GkuGSJ

— Megadeth (@Megadeth) October 28, 2025

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Loudwire (@loudwire)

The relationship between Mustaine and Metallica has been somewhat rocky over the decades, and earlier this year, Mustaine reflected on his exit. During an appearance on The Shawn Ryan Show, he argued that the band went on to use his music, despite him telling them not to.

Of his firing, he explained: “I said, ‘No warning? No second chance? You’re not gonna give me a warning? You’re just gonna kick me out?’ And I thought that was unfair. And it showed a grotesque lack of character. So that pissed me off and was a huge part of the fuel.”

“At the time, I was really mad and I didn’t wanna forgive them for what they did. I told them when I left, ‘Do not use my music. And of course they used it,” he said.

Mustaine highlighted Ride The Lightning as well as The Call Of Ktulu, Phantom Lord, Metal Militia, Jump In The Fire, and The Four Horsemen as tracks featuring his work.

“And I wrote a bunch of Leper Messiah [on Metallica’s third album, Master Of Puppets] too. They didn’t give me credit on that,” he said. “You listen to the riffs, you know they’re my riffs… I wrote a lot of their music that made them, and all the solos on that first record were mine – the best Kirk could try and copy them.”

To find out more about the final Megadeth album or view their current list of scheduled live dates, head over to the band’s official website.

The post Megadeth – Ride the Lightning? Here are the clues we’ve got that point to a Metallica cover on Megadeth’s final album appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Limited guitars with sky-high demand – perhaps it was predictable all along that Gibson’s Custom Back to the Future ES-345 and its cheaper Epiphone version would find themselves in the scopes of price scalpers.

The launch last week was hugely successful, with both guitars rapidly selling out. However, it now seems not all of those guitars went to hardcore Back to the Future fans, as some are already being listed on Reverb at vastly inflated prices.

The Epiphone model in particular is highly sought after, and is currently the top selling semi-hollow body guitar on the gear marketplace. The term ‘Back To The Future’ is also the site’s number one trending search.

• READ MORE: Online games have been doing it for years – are guitar brands cottoning on to the lucrative nature of crossover collaborations?

The Gibson Custom Back to the Future 1955 ES-345 Collector’s Edition was originally limited to just 88 models worldwide – a nod to the speed needed for time travel in the film – while the Epiphone model was also limited at 1,985 guitars globally, a nod to the year of Back to the Future‘s release.

The Gibson Custom version was priced at $19,999 and is now being listed in one case for over $100,000. The more affordable $999 Epiphone, on the other hand, is now selling for between $3,000 to $7,000.

Cyril Nigg, Reverb’s Senior Director of Analytics, tells Guitar World, “As a big fan of Back to the Future, there have been two items I’ve always wanted to own: a hoverboard and Marty McFly’s red ES-345 from the Enchantment Under the Sea performance.

“The original batch of guitars immediately sold out on Gibson’s site, leaving many unable to get the coveted guitar. Naturally, a lot of folks turned to Reverb to see if they could snag one on the secondary market,” he says.

“Less than an hour after the first Back to the Future guitars went up on Reverb, 10 had sold – and it hasn’t stopped there. Over the past week, ‘Back to the Future’ has been the number one trending search on Reverb.

“What we’re seeing is part of a larger, nostalgia-fuelled trend, as moments from the past continue to drive demand. In fact, the Epiphone edition is the top selling semi-hollow body guitar on all of Reverb at the moment, as buyer demand continues to outpace supply.”

Earlier this year, Gibson launched a worldwide search for the original Gibson Cherry Red ES-345 famously played by Michael J. Fox within the film’s famous ‘Enchantment Under the Sea’ dance scene. When filmmakers began work on the movie’s sequel, the original ES-345 had vanished. Gibson is currently pursuing a number of leads, but the guitar remains yet to be found.

To view the full Back to the Future collection, including accessories and apparel, head over to Gibson.

The post Gibson’s $20k Back to the Future ES-345 is being listed on Reverb for over $100k – as scalpers look to flip the highly sought-after guitars for mega profit appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Imagine being in a band with your best friends for over 40 years, and each night you step on stage you get to play one more show. That’s exactly what guitarist Trey Anastasio and his bandmates in Phish think about right before every sold-out arena or amphitheater show. “We're all hyper aware now, every night,” mentions Anastasio. “I mean, we just love it so much. It's like, I can't wait for the tour to start.” Anastasio’s energy and passion is infectious, even when he isn’t talking about music. Bring up hockey, 6L6-based amps, or even his generationally deep Iowa roots and watch as his eyebrows raise.

We had to do something special for the 100th episode of Wong Notes. We caught up with Trey while he was preparing for a November tour with his solo band. In part one, Cory Wong brings Anastasio in with some hockey talk before diving straight into his current full-circle journey with his rig, and he reveals a bit of an epiphany that all true gearheads know, but sometimes are afraid to admit. —Jason Shadrick

John Mayer Convinced Trey to Try a Dumble

Cory Wong: Your rig looks quite a bit different now. Tell me about the transition to using Dumble amps. When and why? When and why?!?

Trey Anastasio: I've only played three shows through a Dumble, which was a borrowed Dumble. A guy lent me one. I was doing the Dead 60 thing out there in San Francisco, and John was like, “You gotta try a Dumble.” We were backstage just talking and he's like, “Have you tried a Dumble yet?” I'm like, “No, no, I haven't.”

Wong: He did the same with me. He makes a pretty convincing case. Did he give you the whole like cost-per-gig spiel? What was his method of marketing to you?

Anastasio: He was just talking them up, you know, and I said, well, I would get one except that you own a third of them. [Laughs.] When he [Alexander Dumble] started making those Dumbles, he was trying to beat Randall [Smith] over at Mesa/Boogie. So, they're kind of in the same family. When I tried the Dumble on the last tour, I borrowed it from a very kind person for the Alabama and Hampton shows. And maybe I might have had it at SPAC too. I'm trying to remember, but anyway, it really worked. All the people who are like the arms-crossed, tone haters out there were like, “Okay, this works, because it sounds Fender-ish, but just sort of better.” The reason I've never tried one before is because I always thought that the price was just so obscene that I kind of rebelled against the whole concept of the thing.

But I think what flipped me around on that is that the last couple years I played with this four-piece string section that was at the Beacon Jams and stuff, we called it the Rescue Squad. And these string players who don't make a ton of money were explaining to me how it works in orchestras. One of the women had a Stradivarius from 1700, which is worth millions of dollars, right? Well, she doesn't have millions of dollars. And she said the way this works is that the orchestra you play with, if you get a seat, you know, there's investors and stuff. People think of themselves as curators of these instruments for a while. And then they give them to the next person. So if you get a seat in the Boston Symphony, you're probably going to end up with a better instrument one way or another, based on all the practicing and hard work that you did. One of the caveats is that you get to play a really beautiful instrument for a while. Yes, it's worth an insane amount of money, but you're really just taking care of it. I think that's kind of what's happening now that there's such a finite number of these Dumble amplifiers. John was like, “You should call my buddy at this music store in Seattle, Trevor,” and I called him, he's really nice. And he said they have an amp that maybe I should look at. I went to look at it, and it turns out that Keith Urban owned it previously. Keith and I have met at a couple of events, and I texted him and asked what he thought of this amp. He told me a few things about it. He's really nice. And so they get passed around.

Trey’s Early Influences

Wong: Where did it feel like the main source of your voice came from? And when did you feel like you had it?

Anastasio: I felt that way pretty early. It's interesting. I saw a live show from 1990 recently, and I was kind of surprised—looking backwards—how much of the bulk of this material, it was all originals we were playing. It was like, “It’s Ice,” “Maze,” “You Enjoy Myself,” and all these things that became who we are were already in place by the time I was 25. There was an enormous amount of material and I was writing obsessively by fifth or sixth grade. Still to this day, my favorite part of the whole thing is writing. Even when we were playing at Nectar's, I think I already had an individuality, but I kind of grew up listening to a strange mix of music that influenced me pretty strongly.

I was obsessed with the same things that all the kids my age were. I had every Led Zeppelin record and all that stuff—of course, I had the whole catalog memorized by 14. I think I mentioned earlier that my mother had moved to New York in the late ’40s, and she was lucky enough to go to all the golden age of Broadway shows. She gave me all those records when I was very young. These very lyrical, deeply written, composed pieces of music.

There's a place in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, called the Bucks County Playhouse that Oscar Hammerstein opened. It was a place where all those Broadway shows would come on Tuesday nights, and the original cast of the Broadway shows would do the show at an affordable price. Every week we would go see Gypsy or West Side Story. I was always interested in soaring melodies and also harmonically complex music.

My grandfather was a classical music nut. He and his brother had lifetime season tickets to the orchestra. When I went to his house, he would play me Brahms and Ravel and Rachmaninoff. He liked serious, heavy, melodic classical music.

When I was 15, I saw the Discipline Tour when King Crimson came through Alexander Hall [in Princeton, New Jersey]. There was just a lot of cool stuff going on in that era. I saw Zappa numerous times. I was a huge fan of his guitar playing much more than anything else he did. I was an absolute geek for Zappa's guitar playing and I was blessed to see him lots of times. He just ripped shit on that thing. I mean, it was just so cool. And I loved his rhythmic variation. And I love Fripp. I was obsessed with all of the early- and mid-’70s Eno albums. That was how I got into Talking Heads—through Eno. I kind of worshiped at the altar of Eno because I liked "Another Green World” and “I’ll Come Running” and “St. Elmo’s Fire.” That was one of the first solos I learned.

Thanks to some key years working at a celebrated music store, this band of brothers has the goods.

The Band Royale, the Chicago-based brotherly “yacht metal” outfit, know a thing or two about gear—guitarists Joel and Zach Bauman, plus bassist Marc Najjar, all worked at Chicago Music Exchange, one of the premier music shops in North America. PG’s Chris Kies traveled deep into the band’s bunker in Chicago for this Rig Rundown with Najjar and the Bauman brothers.

Brought to you by D’Addario.

Real One

This 1972 Gibson Les Paul Custom was Joel’s first “real” guitar, which he bought from CME. It’s all original except for the tailpiece, and weighs in at a whopping 11 pounds. Joel keeps it in open D6 tuning.

Mock Mockingbird

Someone brought this fake Mockingbird into CME one day, and Joel decided he had to have it. It boasts neckthrough construction with maple and mahogany, a Bill Lawrence dual blade pickup, brass nut, and heftier .012-gauge strings. The original builder must’ve liked the sticker he added to the body; it’s underneath the lacquer.

Warming Up

While Brian Carsten was still an amp tech at CME, Joel bought this Carstens Amplification Warm Machine off of him—the first he ever made. It’s designed around a master-volume, 50-watt Marshall head circuit, with a bit more warmth. Joel has had this one for over two decades now, and runs it through a Fender Bassman 2x12 cab with Celestion Creamback speakers.

He’s also been experimenting with a Quilter Overdrive 200 for a lighter solution, which he runs through a Bergantino 2x12 cabinet—Joel calls the cab and Quilter combo a “game-changer.”

Joel Bauman’s Pedalboard

The jewel of Joel’s board is a 1981 Ibanez Tube Screamer, gifted to him by Josh Klinghoffer. There’s also a Durham Electronics Sex Drive, EHX Micro POG, Xotic EP Booster, Friedman BE-OD, Boss CE-2W, Strymon El Capistan, and Strymon Flint, plus a Korg Pitchblack Advance tuner.

Holesome

Zach Bauman isn’t bothered by the gaping hole in his 1990 Gibson SG; it gives the guitar a whole lot of character. This guitar has a Gibson T-Top Burstbucker in the bridge, and has been modded to have just two pots for master tone and volume. Zach strings it with .011–.052s.

Painted Paul

Zach snagged this 1979 Les Paul while working at CME, and scraped off a nasty previous paintjob with a card before getting to work making it his own. A friend painted the headstock, and another made him this custom pickguard. It’s also got T-Tops in the neck and bridge.

Mig Buff

Zach loves his Sovtek Mig 60 head, which he plays through a cab he built himself at a pipe-organ shop in Denver. Every glue joint is lined with thin leather for maximum air tightness, and it’s stocked with Celestion G12M Greenback speakers.

Zach Bauman’s Pedalboard

On Zach’s board, we find a Klon clone, Ibanez Tube Screamer, Boss VB-2W, Ibanez Mini Chorus, Strymon Flint, and Strymon El Capistan, along with a Dunlop Volume (X) pedal and a TC Electronic PolyTune.

Bergantino’s Best

Najjar has deep love for Holly and Jim Bergantino and their Bergantino Audio Systems products. He plays with both a Forte and Forte HP Ultra—a 2000-watt prototype—through a Bergantino HDN112 cab and special 3x10 cab.

Bass for Babies

Najjar’s Sandberg Forty Eight finished in shoreline gold, nicknamed the “golden baby,” was the first of its kind.

Going to California

This Sandberg California TT4 has ’70s-style J-bass pickups and a 34” scale. Najjar gets a “Geddy Lee-style” vibe from it.

Marc Najjar’s Pedalboard

Najjar’s tone temple is topped off with a Bergantino Super Pre brass preamp into his Neural Quad Cortex.

MXR Bass Synth

Neural DSP Quad Cortex

Quilter Overdrive 200

TC Electronic PolyTune

Boss VB-2w

Dunlop Volume Pedal

Ibanez Chorus Mini

Strymon Flint

Strymon El Capistan

Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus

Ibanez Tube Screamer

Xotic EP Booster Mini Boost Pedal

Ibanez Tube Screamer

EHX Micro POG

Friedman BE-OD

Boss CE-2w

Gibson Les Paul

Gibson SG

[Editor’s Note: Meng Ru Kuok, Founder & CEO of Caldecott Music Group is a part owner of Manson Guitar Works. Guitar.com is part of Caldecott Music Group]

Manson Guitar Works and its majority shareholder Matt Bellamy have dived into the Muse nomenclature to celebrate the launch of the brand’s first-ever compact effects pedal, the Supermassive Black Fuzz.

Named, of course, after Muse’s megahit Supermassive Black Hole, the pedal offers guitarists the same “lush, thick tones” heard on the 2006 track, and comes as the result of “several years” of fine-tuning by Bellamy and Manson. It was also conceived with help from legendary pedal maker Adrian Thorpe, the mastermind behind ThorpyFX.

“Adrian’s skills have meshed perfectly with our first pedal design, resulting in the sonic nirvana that fans of innovative music will be looking for,” Manson says.

• READ MORE: Manson Guitar Works launches the Verona MB, an exact recreation of Matt Bellamy’s stage-used Will Of The People guitar
  

Promising “astonishing results”, the UK-built Supermassive Black Fuzz is housed in a durable black anodised ergonomic chassis with striking cosmology-inspired visual appointments, with a layout comprising four rotary controls – Magnitude, Warp, Dimension and Gravity – as well as an EQ selector switch and two footswitches.

“Adhering to a long-standing Manson Guitar Works tradition, the control knobs themselves are as impressive as the tonal dimensions beneath them,” says Manson. “There are no loose-fitting, plastic push-on knobs to be found here.”

The Supermassive Black Fuzz sports UK-produced controls crafted from 6082T6 aluminium – “a substance so strong bridges are made with it” – and securely held via stainless steel grub screws. Elsewhere, LEDs identify the pedal’s power and Peak filter status.

But the Supermassive Black Fuzz hasn’t just been tested with traditional guitar setups; during development, Matt Bellamy noted that the pedal should be usable directly through a recording console, and so fine-tuned every parameter during sessions at various studios around the world, including the world famous Abbey Road.

There’s two versions of the Supermassive Black Fuzz up for grabs: the Standard Edition (£259), and Gold Edition (£359). 

The latter is limited to just 100 units, with each hand-signed by Matt Bellamy, and coming with an exclusive pick tin with the Supermassive Black Fuzz artwork engraved on the lid, a gold logo limited edition box, six signature plectrums and a Manson polishing cloth.

Credit: Manson Guitar Works

The Supermassive Black Fuzz will be available from official Manson Guitar Works dealers from 2pm GMT 30 October, and directly via Manson Guitar Works online from 2:30pm GMT.

You can learn more at Manson Guitar Works.

The post Harness Matt Bellamy’s legendary Supermassive Black Hole guitar tone with Manson’s first-ever effects pedal, the Supermassive Black Fuzz appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

When you’re the son of Eddie Van Halen, you’ve got a lot to live up to. Wolfgang Van Halen has certainly risen to the challenge; while he has admitted that living under the ‘shadow’ of his father feels like walking ‘a tightrope’, his solo project Mammoth has asserted him as a musical force in his own right.

In a new interview with Metal Hammer, though, Wolfgang notes how “unfair” it is to be considered by some to be a Van Halen “nepo baby”, as that attitude implies he hasn’t grafted to fine-tune his craft. “I’m one to talk, but I think the term ‘nepo baby’ is a bit unfair,” he explains. “I think it takes the individuality of the person away.”

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

He points to actor Jack Quaid, who has stars in the darkly satirical superhero TV series The Boys. While Quaid is the son of actors Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, Wolfgang notes that he is often referred to as “one of the ‘good ones’” when discussion of ‘nepo babies’ arises. “Who decides that?” Wolfgang asks.

Of course, Wolfgang is aware that nepotism has allowed certain acts to rise up through the industry without ‘merit’. However, he believes that labelling absolutely anyone with prior connections to the industry as a ‘nepo baby’ discredits the individual’s talent.

“I’m not going to name names, but in some cases, it does apply: the idea of people getting a leg up when they have no artistic merit or talent,” he admits. “All I’m trying to do is be myself and have my own artistic integrity and my own voice. I hope that people can see that.”

While Wolfgang’s days of performing with Van Halen certainly gave him a ‘leg up’, it’s not been the easiest of rides. Touring with his father at 16 lead to an influx of outside opinions, whether than be from Van Halen fans or his own peers. “When it comes to high school, I was almost a loser,” the rocker says. “I had a tutor when I took off for the first Van Halen tour in 11th grade, and when I came back for senior year, it was almost a dig.”

“People would be like [mockingly], ‘Oh, look! It’s the bass player for Van Halen!’” he recalls.

Since his Van Halen days, Wolfgang has made a point of carving out his own artistic identity. “I’m certainly trying to forge my own legacy,” he explains. “That’s my goal every day.”

He reveals that his ultimate goal is to live up to his father’s legacy, in his own right. “I’d be like, ‘You know what? We made it’ if we’re able to sell out a show at the Hollywood Bowl, because that was the last place I ever played with my dad,” he says. “If Mammoth are ever able to sell out a show at the Hollywood Bowl, I could die the next day and be like, ‘Job well done!’”

And he’s making sure it’s all earned through his own skill – that’s why he very rarely plays Van Halen songs anymore. To date, he’s performed Van Halen songs twice without his father, with the last time being in 2022 for the Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert. Even then, he only agreed because wanted to honour Hawkins’ legacy.

He tells Metal Hammer that he would never have “been able to live if down” if he publicly messed up any of his father’s songs. “Many people who hate me say, ‘You’ll never be good enough and you have to play Van Halen to be relevant,’” he says. “If the one time I played Van Halen on my own, I ruined it and messed up… In my mind, it would have ruined my life. I took it very seriously.”

In an interview with Drumeo back in June, he also emphasised his aversion to playing Van Halen music since his father’s death. “I’m really just not interested in playing it any more without Dad.,” he said. “And I know [Alex Van Halen] feels the exact same way…. it’s really a tough thing for me.”

Mammoth’s third studio album, The End, dropped just last week.

The post Wolfgang Van Halen thinks it would be “unfair” to call him a “nepo baby” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

This special edition of the Jerry Cantrell Cry Baby Wah channels the raw intensity of the prolific artist’s latest solo record, I Want Blood. Finished in bold black and red, it features a killer custom-molded tread inspired by the album’s striking cover art, and its bottom plate features the no-holds-barred title track’s full lyrics.

Sonically, the Jerry Cantrell I Want Blood Cry Baby captures his fierce sound with a tight, punchy heel-down tone and a rugged side-control knob for fine-tuning the toe-down frequency. Go for blood, and get yours now.

Get the full story here:

https://www.jimdunlop.com/jerry-cantrell-i-want-blood-cry-baby-wah/

Jerry Cantrell I Want Blood Cry Baby Wah highlights:

• Special edition makeover inspired by Jerry Cantrell’s solo record, I Want Blood
• Bold black-and-red finish with custom-molded tread inspired by the album’s striking cover art
• Bottom plate features full "I Want Blood" track lyrics
• Custom-voiced for a tight, punchy heel-down tone
• Rugged side-control knob for fine-tuning the toe-down frequency
• Perfect for nailing Jerry’s famous wah tone

Availability

The Jerry Cantrell I Want Blood Cry Baby Wah is available now at $249.99 street/$357.13 MSRP from your favorite retailer.

Back in October of 1971, I bought my first guitar. It was the day after I had attended a concert by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band. Elliot Ingber (aka Winged Eel Fingerling) had improvised a life-changing (for me) guitar solo at that show, which sent me to a guitar store to purchase a black Fender Telecaster. While there, I saw a book on the counter next to the cash register: Improvising Blues Guitar, by the staff of Green Note Publications. It contained tab transcriptions of electric solos by many of my favorite guitarists at the time: B.B. King, Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, etc. I took the book and guitar back to my college dorm room.

The first thing I did was put a slide on my left hand and play along, making uneducated and non-technical sounds, with several albums that were favorites of mine. Those albums were from artists including the Grateful Dead, Captain Beefheart, Derek Bailey, and Sonny Sharrock, as well as a 1964 album of valiha music from Madagascar. Over the decades that followed, I came to meet and play and record with all of the artists that I played

along with that day. When David Lindley and I traveled to Madagascar in 1991 to record our A World Out of Time albums, we recorded with Sylvestre Randafison, my favorite of the valiha players on that 1964 album. How could this possibly have happened? I believe that I have guitar tablature to thank!

Like many self-taught guitarists today, tab was my primary mode of instruction for learning how to get around the fretboard. Tab was the way that I mastered the guitar solos of my guitar heroes—and, more importantly, their musical concepts and ways of expressing their ideas and feelings. In 2025, I’ve thought back about this, wondering how long tab has been in existence, and how it became a dominant feature of guitar instruction.

After a bit of online research, I decided to speak with many of the musical educators and artists who, 50–60 years ago, were involved with the published beginnings of tab in the U.S. Long before that, though, tablature likely originated with the Chinese guqin more than 1,500 years ago. Written guqin music did not directly tell what notes were played. Instead, it was written in a

tablature detailing tuning, finger positions, and picking techniques, comprising a step-by-step method and description of how to play a piece—just like the Improvising Blues Guitar book I purchased with my first guitar. Although that book did have conventional Western music notation printed above the tab.

“Like many self-taught guitarists today, tab was my primary mode of instruction for learning my way around the fretboard.”

As far back as the 15th century, Europeans had created lute tablature that closely resembled modern guitar tab. Yet it wasn’t until the 20th century that the system made its way to the guitar. The first appearance of published tab in America was in Pete Seeger’s 1948 book, How to Play the 5-String Banjo, in which he seemed to reinvent tab methodology. Tab then jumped to guitar in Pete Seeger’s The Folksinger’s Guitar Guide, in 1955. These books inspired guitar teachers to begin creating their own tab. The earliest example I’ve found on the West Coast is Jerry Garcia, who in 1964 was teaching at Dana Morgan Music in Palo Alto and drawing on the Seeger banjo book for his tab approach. On the East Coast, around the same time, Stefan Grossman was creating his own tab transcriptions of country blues 78s and tunes that he personally learned from Reverend Gary Davis. Stefan’s early books from Oak Publications are likely the first post-Seeger published guitar tab.

The first electric guitar tab likely showed up in a few Green Note Publications books, like that 1970 one I bought with my first guitar. Rather than notating simple melodies, they decoded the

intricacies of famous blues and rock players’ techniques. Tab eventually began to illustrate ornamentation and string-bending. Soon, it was appearing in guitar magazines and hundreds of books. Instructional audio and video tapes quickly followed. And thus, tab became an expected necessity of guitar education in America.

Tab has had its celebrators and its enemies. I’ll note that Stefan Grossman originally did not want Oak Publications to print misleading western music notation with his tab, as he felt that the rhythmically divisional form of notation could not represent the actual rhythms of Afro-American country blues artists. To Grossman, you had to hear the music along with the tab to understand that. As for me, I finally felt that I was a real guitarist when Steve Vai transcribed my solo on the Golden Palaminos’ Omaha in DownBeat magazine. Thank you, tab!

Sure, you can try to describe a guitar solo technically using music theory, pointing to its note selection, phrasing and so on. But the best guitar solos hold a magic within that can’t be explained. But these magic takes aren’t always kept…

As David Gilmour recalls in a new conversation on the Broken Record Podcast, there’s one particular Pink Floyd solo which he tried to recreate after the perfect take was erased. But despite re-recording the solo note-for-note, it never landed in quite the same way as the original take.

• READ MORE: Scotland’s Kenny’s Music becomes the latest musical instrument retailer to close its doors, “despite our strongest sales ever in recent years”

The solo he’s referring to was on Dogs, from Pink Floyd’s 1977 album, Animals.

“If it’s perfect, don’t mess with it,” Gilmour advises recording guitarists. “You’ve got to stick with when something is right. And if there’s something not perfect about the sound, that’s kind of secondary… You’d always think, something about the phrasing or the way the tremolo was working and the way this and that, was not quite perfect.”

He continues: “I did it once on the Animals albums years and years ago on Dogs, where I did a solo, and for some reason it got erased.

“But I had a stereo mix that I’d taken home because I thought that was nice. So I could learn it off that and then [redo it]. But I never thought that I got it quite as good again. Even though it’s sort of note-for-note perfect, how can you describe that difference between note-for-note perfect and original note-for-note perfect?”

Should guitarists be trying to recreate solos note-for-note anyway – especially when they’re ultimately performed in a live setting?

Gilmour recently explained why he “never learned” the legendary solo of Comfortably Numb. “To me it’s just different every time,” he told Rick Beato. 

“Why would I want to do it the same? Would it be more popular with the people listening if I did it exactly like the record? Or do they prefer that I just wander off into whatever feels like the right thing at the time? I don’t know. I suspect they prefer it to be real, and to be happening, you know?”

The post “I never thought I got it quite as good again”: David Gilmour reveals a lost solo on this classic Pink Floyd song was better than what ended up on the record appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

In this feature, we’ll trace the history of the acoustic archtop guitar—from its 19th-century origins and golden-era prominence to its postwar decline and modern-day revival.

Scottish musical instrument retailer Kenny’s Music has ceased trading, the firm confirms in a new communication with its supplier partners, seen by Guitar.com.

The company – which ran an online store, as well as brick-and-mortar stores in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dunfermline and formerly Dundee – reveals its intention to move into Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation (CVL), “despite our strongest sales ever in recent years”.

“The rapidly rising cost base across both stores and e-commerce, combined with continued pressure on margins, has made it impossible for us to operate sustainably within the traditional music retail model,” writes Alex Marten, Managing Director at Kenny’s Music. “Continuing to trade would not have been responsible.

“Although this chapter is ending, I remain committed to the MI industry and hope to contribute again in future in a way that better reflects the changing needs of musicians and suppliers alike. In the meantime, I will do everything I reasonably can to assist you and the proposed liquidator through this process.”

At the time of writing, the Kenny’s Music online store is offline, with a short message which reads: “Our online store is currently unavailable.”

Kenny’s Music is just the latest in a string of musical instrument retailer closures in recent years.

In the last five years alone, we’ve witnessed Guitar Center enter and exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection – which allows a struggling business a chance to reorganise their finances while continuing to operate – and legendary US music chain Sam Ash file for bankruptcy and close all its stores.

The picture in the UK hasn’t been pretty either: now Kenny’s Music, but this year also saw the closure of iconic Brighton-based retailer GAK, and the collapse of large UK chain PMT in summer.

Elsewhere, Bax Music – one of Europe’s largest online music retailers, with six physical stores across the Netherlands and Belgium – was declared bankrupt earlier this year after struggling with financial woes exacerbated by the Covid pandemic, and subsequently by a fire in 2023 which damaged a number of instruments at a facility in Goes in the southwestern Netherlands.

The industry doesn’t look healthy right now, especially looking only at these high-profile closures. But it’s not been all bad news.

Following the rapid spate of closures and the understandable crisis of confidence in customers, Andertons Music Co main man Lee Anderton reached out to us in June to offer his thoughts on the changing nature of the industry and how retailers can continue to thrive in a rapidly changing economic environment.

“We’ve been getting all sorts of comments coming through with orders saying, ‘Please confirm that you’ve definitely sent this today, because I’m a bit nervous that you’re gonna go bust tomorrow as well’,” Anderton revealed.

“So it’s really important, I think, that we put some balance back into the debate. Because the underlying guitar business is actually pretty resilient… you don’t have to worry about the good retailers.”

Anderton also touched on the devastating impact of the Covid pandemic on music retailers: “You just couldn’t have thrown a worse curveball, to a business with a large number of retail stores.

“And then I think, honestly, it’s never recovered. I think Covid accelerated customers’ propensity to shop online, and probably accelerated what was going to happen anyway over a 10- or 15-year period, into a two-year period.”

Anderton did acknowledge the difficulty brick-and-mortar stores have in competing with online retail: “If I add up the number of guitar amp and pedal products that you could order today on the Andertons website – I’m not even counting strings and cables, just guitars, amps and pedals – there are 14,000 different products. And 10,000 of them are in stock! How on earth is your average bricks and mortar store gonna get close to that? It’s financially not possible to have that kind of operation in every major city.”

Image: Press

But he said where physical stores will always have the edge over online retail is in providing a top-tier experience for in-person customers.

“I do still think that the greatest experience that you can have in retail is in an amazing bricks and mortar store,” he said. “Doesn’t matter what you want to buy, a really amazing store with amazing demonstration facilities, and a vibe, and a great sales person and great after-sales service… if that can happen, it’s amazing.

“But when in reality did you last experience that? It’s so hard to consistently achieve that experience. I certainly think that part of the reason Andertons has never opened a second store is that it’s hard enough trying to do it most of the time in one store, yeah, trying to do it most of the time let you know, let alone all the time in 15 stores.”

Andertons isn’t the only European music retailer continuing to thrive. Last year, we took a trip to Treppendorf, Germany to get an inside look at Thomann’s monumental operation.

The brand’s headquarters sits in a town populated by only a couple hundred people, but serves hundreds of thousands of customers daily; it operates out of Europe’s largest warehouse, with 120,000 square metres of floor space, and shipping over 100,000 items every single day.

So it’s safe to say there’s still a strong demand for musical instruments and gear. Perhaps what we’re seeing amid shifting customer habits and changes in economic conditions is a metaphorical shifting of MI retail’s tectonic plates, and far from an end of the MI retail world that some have feared.

The post Scotland’s Kenny’s Music becomes the latest musical instrument retailer to close its doors, “despite our strongest sales ever in recent years” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.