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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.”

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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 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.

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.

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
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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.

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.

If you’ve ever wished your phone could look as cool as your guitar, a Japanese luthier has made that dream a reality.

T. Sato of Moonshine Craft & Custom is handcrafting smartphone cases that mimic the bodies of iconic vintage guitars with astonishing realism – and the internet is losing it over them.

• READ MORE: Legendary Leo Fender-founded guitar brand G&L reportedly shutting down – with Fender acquiring its intellectual property

Moonshine Craft & Custom’s cases aren’t just prints slapped on plastic. Each one is inspired by a real guitar, from relic’d Stratocasters and Telecasters to Gibson SGs and Les Pauls.

There are sunburst finishes, pickguard edges, and even a faded TV Yellow model that’s straight-up retro vibes. Some even come complete with rusted screws and flaking paint, giving the illusion of a well-loved instrument in miniature.

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Sato, a one-man workshop handling guitar repairs and custom builds, stumbled onto the idea after his own phone case fell apart. He crafted a replacement and shared it on Instagram, where the response was immediate and overwhelming.

“I’m truly delighted to have received such an overwhelming response through news sites and elsewhere for these smartphone cases crafted by a guitar maker,” he writes. “I handle guitar making, repairs, and custom work all by myself. In my spare time, I strive to create smartphone cases with the same care and dedication, hoping to share the joy with everyone.”

The cases, compatible with both iPhones and Androids, cost around £50 ($67) each. And with each case handcrafted, demand has far outstripped supply, with every listing on Sato’s Mercari store currently sold out and a 2-3 month wait for new orders. Guitars Japan has even been drafted in to help fulfill requests.

Moonshine Craft & Custom continues to take orders, so if you want a phone that’s as striking as a vintage guitar, now’s the time to act.

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The post Japanese luthier creates phone cases that look like miniature Strats, Les Pauls, and Teles – and the internet can’t get enough appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Few guitarists have left a mark quite like Jeff Beck. The late Yardbirds icon was the kind of player other legends looked up to – your guitar hero’s guitar hero. Even now, his influence looms large, and the staggering $1.33 million sale of his 1954 “Oxblood” Les Paul earlier this year is proof of just how deep that legacy runs.

But according to Ritchie Blackmore, Beck didn’t always see himself that way. In fact, the Deep Purple legend says the late guitarist was often blind to his own brilliance.

• READ MORE: “I said to him, ‘Why don’t you use a pick?’”: The hilarious real reason Jeff Beck didn’t use a pick, according to Hans Zimmer

Speaking in a new interview with Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern, Blackmore opens up about his longtime friend and their shared history, recalling both Beck’s brilliance and his quiet struggle with imposter syndrome.

“Jeff was a great guitar player. That was a big blow – him going,” he says. “I mean, he’s vegetarian and he didn’t take drugs particularly or anything. I was very shocked to hear about him dying that way. That was terrible.”

The pair first crossed paths back in the mid-’60s when they were both working as session players, even appearing together on a track produced by Jimmy Page, who’d soon go on to form Led Zeppelin. Blackmore says he always made a point of catching Beck live whenever he could.

“He had a very special way of playing. It was so different from anybody. I always used to go and see him play, because I found him very refreshing.”

Still, for all the admiration Beck inspired, Blackmore says the guitarist was rarely satisfied with his own work.

“He would always put himself down,” Blackmore recalls. “I’d say, ‘How is your latest record, Jeff?’ And he’d go, ‘Oh, it’s a lot of rubbish.’ He would always say that about anything he put out. He was always reaching for something he couldn’t find.”

Jeff Beck passed away in January 2023 at 78 from a sudden case of bacterial meningitis, leaving behind a storied career that continues to inspire guitarists worldwide. And earlier this year, his personal archive – including 130 guitars, amps, and other gear – went under the hammer at Christie’s, fetching nearly £9 million.

The post Ritchie Blackmore on how Jeff Beck would wrestle with self-doubt: “He was always reaching for something he couldn’t find” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Marshall has joined forces with Music Venue Trust (MVT) to support the UK’s grassroots scene with a new nationwide gig series.

Together, the pair are set to deliver more than 20 gigs across the UK, each shining a spotlight on emerging talent and the local communities that support them.

• READ MORE: Why the crisis in grassroots venues and small festivals is impacting guitar bands

Dubbed Marshall Nights, the series will feature over 60 breakthrough artists performing across the UK’s most dedicated grassroots venues, starting with Brighton’s Green Door Store, Cardiff’s Fuel, Glasgow’s The Rum Shack, and Sheffield’s Yellow Arch.

The campaign builds on Marshall’s longstanding support for grassroots music. In 2024, Marshall co-founder Terry Marshall and his wife Leslie made a personal donation of £100,000 to MVT’s ‘Own Our Venues’ campaign – a project that has already raised £2.88 million to secure five grassroots music venues by placing them into community ownership. That same year, Marshall also supplied backline equipment to more than 20 grassroots spaces.

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“Grassroots Music Venues are the lifeblood of the UK’s music ecosystem, they are where artists take their first steps, and where fans fall in love with live music,” says Denzil Thomas, partnerships manager at MVT. “We’re proud to partner with Marshall, a brand that embodies the sound and spirit of live performance, to keep these vital spaces alive.”

Kevin Penney, Marketing Director at Marshall EMEA adds, “Marshall was born from the live stage, and that’s where we belong. Grassroots venues are where every great band starts, and we’re proud to help keep those stages alive for the next generation of artists and fans. This isn’t just about sound, it’s about community, creativity, and giving back to the music that made us.”

Beyond the live shows, Marshall and MVT will also collaborate on a series of live sessions, interviews, and behind-the-scenes content, spotlighting the artists, venues, and communities that make up the beating heart of UK music communities.

The partnership arrives at a critical time. According to MVT, 2023 was the worst year on record for UK grassroots venue closures, with 125 shutting their doors within just 12 months – a stark reminder of why initiatives like Marshall Nights matter more than ever.

The post From Brighton to Glasgow: Marshall and Music Venue Trust team up on new gig series championing 60+ local artists in UK grassroots venues appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

First impressions aren’t everything, but they’re definitely something. When our Zoom call whirrs into life, Drain guitarist Cody Chavez opens with a peppy, ‘What’s up, man?’, his long hair pulled back beneath a baseball cap. The frame just catches the sharp edges of the Metallica logo splattered across his sleeveless tee. Chavez has a rep as the metal guy in one of hardcore’s most exciting bands and here he is: the metal guy in one of hardcore’s most exciting bands. “Usually people start out as metalhead and they turn into a straight up hardcore kid, or maybe they’re a hardcore kid and they go straight up metalhead,” he says. “Why can’t you be both?”

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

“A lot of my favorite guitarists, like Michael [Gibbons] from Leeway or Sob from Merauder, were metal-hardcore guys,” he continues. “They had long hair but they were playing in hardcore bands. So I figured, ‘Well, they could do it, why can’t I?’ From hardcore, I love all my groove parts and breakdowns. And then, of course, I love throwing in my little thrash licks and my glam metal influence, a lot of melodic stuff. I have always looked at music and guitars as: why not throw your whole personality into it?”

On Drain’s forthcoming third LP …Is Your Friend, Chavez pulls that off with gnarly brio, studding straight-up ragers such as Living In A Memory with pinch harmonics while threading galloping, hooky leads between vocalist Sammy Ciaramitaro’s gobby screams.

It feels like the most fully-realised version of himself as a guitarist that he’s managed to put to tape, amping up the complexity of his playing without losing the windmilling energy of the San Jose-Santa Cruz hardcore scene the band have helped to bring to international prominence since their 2020 record California Cursed became a pandemic breakout.

Image: Atiba Jefferson

“We’re a bunch of friends having fun,” Chavez says. “The same way that we would jam in a practice spot is the same way that we would jam to 2,000 people, you know what I mean? There’s not really much science behind it.”

What is behind it is hundreds and hundreds of shows. Since touring became a thing again, that’s pretty much all Drain have done, with venues increasing in size each time they crisscross the US. When we talk, they have just pulled up in Atlanta, having made the overnight drive from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The show there popped off, Chavez says. So too did their set at Furnace Fest in Birmingham, Alabama, where Ciaramitaro whipped up an enormous circle pit during Army of One with a cry of, “No weak shit!” There’s a great dynamic between the singer and his bandmates, with his pogoing energy keeping things punk while they thrash and whirl, drummer Tim Flegal pushing the pace. “Sammy is going crazy,” Chavez says. “He’s diving into the crowd. Tim’s going crazy. I’m doing my thing, ripping some solos, ripping some riffs.”

…Is Your Friend does a great job of capturing this energy. It is pit-primed mayhem from buzzer to buzzer. Drain don’t assemble new stuff on the road, preferring to pool ideas as a trio in their rehearsal space as they always have done, but there’s clearly a lot of muscle memory at work. With a rotating cast of live bassists joining them — the latest is Greg Cerwonka of Chula Vista crossover-thrashers Take Offense, formerly Turnstile’s touring guitarist — it’s down to Ciaramitaro to handle that during writing and, for the first time here, on record. “He really killed it, man,” Chavez says. “He wrote some basslines, I threw my sauce on there. He really came through.”

Image: Atiba Jefferson

When it came time to capture the songs in the studio, Drain turned to Jon Markson, who mixed 2023’s Living Proof. Over the past decade, the New Jersey-based producer, engineer and Such Gold bassist has distinguished himself as someone who can make punk bands sound colossal without sanding down their rough edges, giving genuine heft to records by Drug Church and One Step Closer. In tandem with Chavez, here he has cooked up some filthy, febrile sounds that also feel detailed and organic. “I was looking to take an ‘80s metal guitar tone and modernise it,” Chavez says. “I didn’t know exactly how to execute it, but he was like, ‘I got you.’ We used a Peavey Butcher, a Diezel Herbert 3, and then in front of it to get the bright texture we used a Jazz Chorus. That was a really cool thing that I didn’t expect him to pull out.”

Guitar-wise, Chavez is a Jackson head, using his Dinky for most of the leads while turning to his Virtuoso for any down-picking parts. “Anytime I have something chugging, like Hetfield, I use that,” he says. On the road, meanwhile, he’s been playing around with an MXR Rockman X100, a pedal modelled after the headphone amp created by Tom Scholz that he’d initially wanted to take into the studio as he chased something glittery. “They were all sold out at the time,” he says. “But I ended up getting one right before this tour at a Guitar Center near me. I just have a digital delay and chorus, very simple, but Greg helped me pair it with all that stuff. Straight up, all my leads now sound like Boston. It sounds unique — even though you recognise it as the Boston sound, I can’t name any bands in our scene who are using it like that.”

When Scholz dreamed up the Rockman way back when, he probably didn’t envisage its honeyed voice running headlong into breakdowns like the ones that lurch into view during …Is Your Friend highlights Until Next Time or Stealing Happiness From Tomorrow, but life is funny. When you give Drain a chance to do something nuts, they’re going to take it. To understand where that impulse comes from a little better, here are five mosh parts that make Chavez want to cause some damage. In observance of proper protocol, they were generally expressed in terms of DA-NA-DA-NA-JUN-JUN-JUN before further analysis.

Leeway – Unexpected (Born to Expire, 1989)

“I really love Leeway for how good their songwriting is and having that metal sound to them while still being a hardcore band. I relate to that a lot because of what we do in Drain. What they did in the ‘80s is similar to what we’re doing now in our own way. In terms of that song, I love how you think it’s gonna go somewhere else. It starts off with a melodic, kind of glammy, heavy metal riff, then it just goes into straight thrash for a long time. It stops, and then you hear that hi-hat. It’s such a perfect song — cool riffs, fast part going into a mosh part. I don’t care who you are, that pit part — I think it’s just 3-2-1-open — how could you not start moshing to that?”

Dark Angel – Psychosexuality (Time Does Not Heal, 1991)

“Some people consider them a straight thrash band. Other people consider them early death-thrash because it’s more extreme, a lot faster and with heavier parts. Sammy is a big fan of that record, too. I feel like we were listening to it a lot for California Cursed and that influenced tracks on there. It still does, man. Psychosexuality goes into the breakdown and you’re like, ‘Holy shit!’ It goes from that to the riff and the same kind of beat. It’s awesome, dude. It’s an incredible metal track with a pit part.”

No Warning – Over My Shoulder (Ill Blood, 2002)

“The pit part at the end is incredible. I played drums for this band Gardens, and we covered that a couple times. Half of it would probably be nostalgia, thinking of when I was younger, listening to Ill Blood, having a good time with my friends, in a car, going to a show. It’s just: fast part, boom, straight into a mosh part. It’s such a simple riff, but it’s so effective and hard-hitting. I gotta give a shout out to Jordan [Posner], who’s a guitarist I look up to. He’s a good friend of mine. He plays in Terror as well, and we’ve toured with them a bunch. But he is also one of the masterminds behind No Warning. It’s an honour to know him and know that he did all that shit on those records.”

Kreator – Betrayer (Extreme Aggression, 1989)

“Kreator is not a band you would hardcore dance to at all, but the breakdown in that song sounds like it could be in a hardcore song. It is fucking dope. The riffs are fucking amazing. As a kid discovering hardcore, already knowing metal, I’d listen to thrash bands and be like, ‘I could see this in a hardcore context.’ Sepultura’s Dead Embryonic Cells, you know? There are pit parts all over that record [Arise]. When I joined Drain and started writing some of the newer music, I was like, ‘Fuck, I want to do that on my own.’ That type of stuff influenced me greatly.”

Ceremony – Eraser Making Its Way Its Only Job (Still Nothing Moves You, 2008)

“It’s just so primitive. It gets me every time. What sets Ceremony pit parts apart from other hardcore bands is that there’s a lot of emotion in it. Sometimes it’s the melody. It’s just a different experience from a heavy hardcore band, or something more straightforward. For lack of a better term, there’s a lot of feeling. Ceremony will always be my favourite hardcore band. They really shaped how I view a lot of things. I discovered them when I was 17-18, when I was playing in my old band. They’re just incredible, man. I love that band to death. I gotta throw this in as a bonus — my favourite ‘80s hardcore/crossover band is Crumbsuckers. Jimmie’s Dream, off the second album Beast on My Back, the riffs and the pit part in that are incredible.”

Drain’s ‘…Is Your Friend’ is out on November 7 through Epitaph.

The post These are the five greatest hardcore and metal breakdowns according to Drain guitarist Cody Chavez appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

We’ve seen a slew of new signature guitar launches in the past couple of weeks, including a newly finished Fender Telecaster Deluxe for blues maestro Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, new Martins for Jason Isbell, as well as Gibson and Epiphone signatures for Noel Gallagher, Bonehead and Gem Archer of Oasis.

And now, YouTuber and metal hero Rabea Massaad has been invited to the party with his first-ever Sterling By Music Man signature, the Rabea Artist Series Sabre. Designed to deliver the custom feel and roaring tones of Massaad’s premium Ernie Ball Music Man guitars at a more attainable price point, this new signature model clocks in just shy of $1,000.

• READ MORE: What a day to be an Oasis fan, as Gibson launches wider-release Noel Gallagher Les Paul Standard – and Epiphone Bonehead and Gem Archer signature guitars

Built for technical precision and comfort, the Sterling Sabre retains many of the elements players love from the original. It sports a custom-tapered roasted maple neck, a recessed heel, and a lower-horn spoon carve, providing unrestricted access to all 22 frets. The guitar’s nyatoh body with flame maple veneer keeps it resonant yet lightweight, while locking tuners paired with a modern tremolo ensure tuning stability even under aggressive playing.

Unlike the Ernie Ball version though, this model swaps out Rabea’s signature Bare Knuckle “Silo” pickups and the custom Ernie Ball Music Man tremolo, for a pair of custom-voiced Alnico V humbuckers instead and Modern Tremolo bridge instead. Additional appointments include an ebony fretboard with specialty white ring inlays, glow-in-the-dark side dots, along with a five-way pickup selector, master volume pot, and a push/pull coil-splitting tone control.

The guitar also ships with Ernie Ball 2215 Skinny Top / Heavy Bottom strings, tuned to E♭ Standard, making it ready to rip straight out of the box.

“One of the most important things to me when making these guitars was to make sure we brought all the main design elements over from the Ernie Ball Music Man version,” says Massaad. “These guitars have all the same comfort and playability as their American counterparts, and the pickups are incredibly expressive with plenty to offer in their tonal palette. We made sure the ergonomics and feel were just right – every detail was considered, from pickup voicing to neck feel. It’s simply an enjoyable guitar to play. I couldn’t be happier, and I hope everyone enjoys playing them as much as I do.”

Reflecting Massaad’s love of gaming, the Sterling Rabea Sabre comes in two exclusive finishes: Ashen Burst – a dark, moody shade inspired by Dark Souls and Blood Flame Burst – a fiery red tone drawing inspiration from Elden Ring.

Watch Rabea demo the new Sterling Sabre below.

Learn more at Sterling by Music Man.

The post Dark Souls/Elden Ring finishes: Rabea Massaad’s new Sterling By Music Man signature comes in two colourways inspired by his favourite video games appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Over the past few weeks, reports have surfaced suggesting that G&L – the guitar company Leo Fender co-founded in 1979 and championed by the likes of Jerry Cantrell and Carl Perkins – may be in the middle of a quiet but complete shutdown.

An Instagram post from the account guitarcheology, which has been documenting the brand’s situation in real time, outlines what appears to be the final days of G&L’s Fullerton, California operations.

According to the post, BBE Sound, G&L’s longtime parent company under president Dave McLaren, was ‘legally dissolved’ on 28 October – a move that effectively ends the entity Leo’s last company has operated under since the early ’90s.

• READ MORE: Why the sale of Jim Irsay’s Greatest Guitar Collection On Earth is a sad moment in guitar history

The post also claims that Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) did not purchase G&L outright, despite widespread speculation online. Instead, Fender is said to have bought only G&L’s intellectual property, including trademarks – and not the remaining tools or inventory.

Public filings from the US Patent and Trademark Office show that Fender submitted a trademark application for “Leo Fender” on 6 October. By 30 October, his name appeared on Fender’s official website, suggesting that whatever deal took place likely centred on Leo’s legacy rather than G&L’s production assets.

In the meantime, G&L’s Fullerton facility is reportedly being liquidated. Over the past month, McLaren and his team are said to have sold off a CNC machine and a Plek system, with other tooling simply being scrapped.

“They have a deadline to be out, the building ready for the next tenant by December 1. This week has been the mad dash to clear out what hasn’t sold. They are opting to simply scrap it,” the post states.

According to the same source, the remaining US-made guitars has since been sold to used-guitar wholesaler MIRC in Tennessee for resale, while the fate of the Tribute import line remains unclear: “MIRC dealers online will likely start putting this stuff on eBay,” the post adds. “I wouldn’t expect bargain basement prices.”

There’s also no word on what’s happened to prototypes, templates, or the surviving contents of Leo Fender’s lab – though recent photos show what appears to be Leo’s original filing cabinet discarded in a dumpster behind the G&L facility, alongside other pieces of his old office furniture.

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A post shared by James Shine (@guitarcheology)

The post notes that there are still “lots of info gaps,” and that “we have to be open to the possibility FMIC only bought the IP.”

For now, no official statements have been released by G&L, BBE, or Fender. But reports of employee layoffs and liquidation activity suggest that G&L’s operations in Fullerton are winding down, marking the end of Leo Fender’s final guitar company.

Read the full post below.

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A post shared by James Shine (@guitarcheology)

The post Legendary Leo Fender-founded guitar brand G&L reportedly shutting down – with Fender acquiring its intellectual property appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Remember that silver Gibson SG Kirk Hammett mysteriously pulled out during Black Sabbath’s farewell show earlier this year? The one that had Metallica fans scouring forums trying to identify it? That very guitar – built by Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian himself – is officially heading to auction, and it’s bringing more than 150 of Hammett’s personal guitars and memorabilia along for the ride.

• READ MORE: Jim Irsay’s entire $1 billion guitar collection – featuring Kurt Cobain, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix guitars – is headed to auction

Hammett, who famously rotates through an enviable lineup of electrics, surprised fans during Back to the Beginning when he appeared onstage wielding an unfamiliar silver SG. He used it for one of Metallica’s two Sabbath covers that night – Hole in the Sky from 1975’s Sabotage.

The mystery was soon solved: the guitar was CEO4, a one-of-a-kind instrument crafted by Gueikian as part of his ‘CEO series’ of personal builds. At the time, Gueikian revealed that the SG would be auctioned in support of Gibson Gives, Gibson’s charitable foundation.

Credit: Julien’s Auctions

Now, that promise is being fulfilled. CEO4 will go under the hammer as part of Julien’s Auctions’ Played, Worn & Torn event on 20–21 November, joining more than 150 guitars, awards, and stage-played instruments from Hammett’s own collection.

Credit: Julien’s Auctions

While CEO4 – and its connection to Ozzy Osbourne’s last show – will likely seal the spotlight, the sale is stacked with deep cuts for serious collectors as well. Highlights include the Lux Æterna Black Metal guitar (seen in the song’s music video, complete with Hammett’s hand-carved “X”), a 1985 Gibson Custom Shop Michael Schenker Flying V owned and played live by the guitarist in the late 2000s, and a liquid-filled, clear Lucite 1996 ESP Wavecaster from Metallica’s Load and Reload tours. Also going under the hammer is Hammett’s 2006 Washburn Custom Shop X Series guitar, decked out with The Bride of Frankenstein artwork.

Credit: Julien’s Auctions

Other artists contributing to the sale include Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee and Adam Clayton of U2, with proceeds benefiting charities like MusiCares, Teenage Cancer America, Gibson Gives, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Check out the full collection at Julien’s Auctions.

Elsewhere, Kirk Hammett recently partnered with Gibson to release the Raven, something of an evil-looking take on Gibson’s classic Hummingbird design.

The post Kirk Hammett is auctioning his silver Gibson CEO4 SG from Black Sabbath’s farewell show – plus more than 150 guitars from his collection appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

You might never stumble upon the Holy Grail, but you can try your luck with the next best thing – an original, gold-finish Klon Centaur, straight from Bill Finnegan himself.

The listing went live on 2 November via Finnegan’s official eBay account, klondirectsales, with bids already climbing past the $2,000 mark — and they’re showing no signs of slowing.

“Hi everyone – this Sunday, 11/02/2025, an eBay auction will begin (at 7 pm PST) for a newly-built, previously-unused gold-finish Centaur unit, the eBay account name being klondirectsales,” mythical overdrive’s creator’s announced on Instagram. “Thanks for all of your interest and support over the years.”

• READ MORE: Harness Matt Bellamy’s legendary Supermassive Black Hole guitar tone with Manson’s first-ever effects pedal, the Supermassive Black Fuzz

The listing itself provides some extra context for collectors. This particular unit carries the serial number RG 022, where “RG” stands for Reissue Gold. And according to Finnegan, “the unit has been hand-built by me, in exactly the same way as I have been hand-building Centaur units for something like thirty years now, and with the exact same components (including, specifically, the exact same NOS clipping diodes) that I have always used.”

For guitarists and collectors, a Finnegan-built Klon is the stuff of legend. The original Centaur – hand-wired and sold directly by Finnegan throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s – redefined transparent overdrive, and quickly became one of the most sought after pedals on the planet. When production stopped, used prices skyrocketed into the stratosphere, and myths surrounding the circuit only deepened.

This latest auction follows a rather turbulent year for the Centaur’s legacy. Finnegan recently found himself in a legal battle with Behringer, after the latter’s $69 Centaur Overdrive pedal hit the market in 2024. Finnegan sued Behringer’s parent company, Music Tribe, calling the unit a “blatant counterfeit” and citing “extensive actual confusion” among players who believed it was officially licensed.

The controversy only added fuel to the Klon’s mythology – second-hand listings of Behringer’s pedal even shot up to $2,000 overnight, as collectors speculated it might be pulled. The company eventually changed the pedal’s name to Centara, and later Zentara, with court documents confirming that the case has since been dismissed, with no costs incurred to either party.

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A post shared by Bill Finnegan (@klonllc)

Check out the listing at eBay.

The post Bill Finnegan is auctioning another newly-built gold Klon Centaur – and the current bid’s already over $2,000 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$1,799/£1,699, strandbergguitars.com

Headless guitars – is there a more polarising concept in the world of musical instruments? People tend to have very strong opinions about them one way or another, and yet often the people who are the most passionately opposed to the concept are those who’ve never actually sat down and played one.

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

Spend a bit of time with a headless electric guitar and you tend to become something of a convert. That was certainly the case with me – I’ve ended up owning several headless guitars and basses over the years, but I’ve rarely had my head (ahem) turned as much as I did by Strandberg’s Boden Essential 6 last year.

All of which has me on tenterhooks at the Swedish guitar brand’s latest innovation – the Boden N2.

Image: Press

Strandberg Boden Standard N2 – what is it?

A few months ago, I had a Zoom call with Strandberg’s founder, Ola Strandberg, to discuss his vision for the N2, and he summed it up succinctly: “It’s about making the Standard an even more inspiring and dependable instrument for demanding players.”

There was absolutely nothing wrong with the existing Standard – but the N2 takes that fundamental recipe and – in theory – simply makes it even better.

The biggest part of this is the new arched body. The original Boden was already a marvel of ergonomic guitar design – but this takes things up a gear. The slight curve of the body is designed to wrap around the player to make you feel even more connected to the instrument.

Elsewhere you’ll find Strandberg’s titanium-reinforced EndurNeck, and the all-important EGS Arc hardware that enables that lack of headstock. While the more expensive N2 Original ($2,499) sports a pair of Fishman-designed POWR:D pickups, the more affordable Standard uses the well-considered Seymour Duncan pairing of Sentient and Pegasus humbuckers.

You get 24 fanned stainless steel frets on that roasted maple fingerboard, and your finish options are limited to metallic black or this rather handsome Transformative Teal Metallic. As you’d expect for a guitar this uniquely shaped, a gigbag comes as standard.

The Strandberg Boden Standard N2 in Transformative Teal Metallic. Image: Press

Strandberg Boden Standard N2 – playability and build

The Boden range is built by Cortek in Indonesia, and its reputation for excellence in build and finish is well earned. Straight out of its case this feels every inch a well-sorted premium guitar.

The fretwork is immaculate and the general build quality feels top drawer – everything is supremely well fitted together, with the hardware and components giving an extra dose of rugged reassurance – especially the substantial and imposing EGS Arc Hardtail.

As with any headless locking situation, this isn’t the most instantaneously gratifying unit with which to change a string – you’ll need a couple of hex keys – but it’s very rapid to do so when you have the tools you need, and the overall tuning stability once you have it locked in is superb.

Strapping it on, and that new body curve really does contribute to the whole dynamic in terms of playability. It curves away from the body, letting your arm rest more easily, while the bevelled basswood body is narrower at the top, and the back belly carve deeper, really getting you up close with your instrument – it’s vanishingly light too, further improving the overall playing experience.

The trapezoid-shaped EndurNeck is the sort of thing that puts people off from a distance – an angular neck just looks… wrong! But there’s method here – not least the way the angled central plane effectively guides your thumb into the optimum position as you move up the neck. It sounds weird – and it is! – but the proof is in the playing and once again it’s a remarkably comfortable and fast player.

If you’ve never played a fanned fret instrument before, this is my strong recommendation – do so at your own risk because you may never want to go back. A fanned frets are extra useful here because of that neck – the two combining to put your fingers in a more natural and comfortable position at all times.

It meant I didn’t have to think about my thumb and hand position as I was traversing the fretboard – it just ended up where it needed to be, and made me feel like I was a better guitar player than I am. And that’s what we all want from a new guitar, right?

Seymour Duncan humbuckers on the Boden Standard N2. Image: Press

Strandberg Boden Standard N2 – playability and build

The presence of the new Seymour Duncan pickups really does bring the whole N2 package together in wonderful style. As you’d expect with an ergonomically designed guitar, the Sentient and Pegasus shine with the application of distortion and fuzz.

Conjuring up vintage and modern metal tones was easy and gratifying, especially in the neck and middle position on the 5-way selector. Dialling things back, I found positions two and four really work for blues and more straight-ahead rock, while the bridge pickup on its own was a blast for country.

This is a remarkably versatile and usable guitar that, provided you don’t mind getting some strange looks, would work for almost any musical situation.

Image: Press

Strandberg Boden Standard N2 – should I buy one?

The biggest compliment that I can give the Standard N6 is that I’ve had to put it down to write this review and the whole time I’ve been glancing over to it, itching to get over there and start playing it again.

Forget about whether you should buy one – I’m asking myself which guitars in my collection I need to sell so that I can buy one. I’m half wondering if my editor doesn’t keep giving me Strandberg guitars to review on purpose so I have to keep writing for him to afford them!

The good news is that I don’t have to sell any organs to buy one of these – at $1,799 it’s competitively priced, and comes in under similarly oddball guitars like the Abasi Concepts ēmi. The fanned frets might not be for everyone, but I say again – just try it. Like me, you might very well become a convert.

Strandberg Boden Standard N2 – alternatives

There are an increasing number of accessible ergonomically designed guitars out there now, and one of the best value options is the Ibanez QX54QM ($1,199/£1,109), which also sports fanned frets. The aforementioned Abasi Concepts ēmi 6 Legion ($1,999) is the most affordable iteration of Tosin Abasi’s impressively shred-ready designs, and if you want something Abasi designed but even more affordable, the Sterling by Music Man Kaizen ($849/£1,099) is a lot of fun.

The post Strandberg Boden Standard N2 review: “a remarkably versatile and usable guitar” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

If you’ve kept up with the rocky relationship between Metallica and Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine over the years, what you’re about to read may have your jaw on the floor: Megadeth have re-recorded Ride The Lightning out of “respect” for their thrash metal contemporaries, and namely James Hetfield’s guitar prowess.

After his sour exit from the band, it seems Mustaine wants to make it clear that he actually respects Metallica, and patch up any old wounds. Though he was fired before their 1983 debut Kill ‘Em All was released he still received a writing credit on a number of Metallica tracks, including Ride The Lightning from their second record of the same name.

• READ MORE: David Ellefson says Megadeth’s music is the “most timeless” of all the big thrash bands

The track is due to feature on Megadeth’s final album before they retire, which lands in January 2026, and was originally teased by the band online through an intentionally illegible graphic. Some believed the cover was a final ‘up yours’ to the band, but it truly is the opposite.

Speaking to Rolling Stone in a new interview, Mustaine explains, “It wasn’t really that I wanted to do my version, I think that we all wanted it to turn out a certain way, and for me, this was about something so much more than how a song turns out. It was about respect.”

Mustaine goes on to refer to Hetfield as a “fucking powerhouse” when it comes to guitar, and says he’s “always respected him” as a player. He further adds, “I wanted to do something to close the circle on my career right now, since it started off with [Mustaine’s band before Metallica] Panic and several of the songs that ended up in the Metallica repertoire, I wanted to do something that I felt would be a good song.

“Our intentions were pure,” he states. “I didn’t have any reason I was going to say, ‘Oh, hey man, this thing that we’ve had for 40 years where you guys will never tour with me, me doing the song is going to change things.’ That wasn’t it at all. It was more about: This is my life going forward. I want to do things that are respectable… I mean, I hate to say this, because it’s just so fucking arrogant, but the guitar playing in Metallica changed the world.”

Mustaine also says Megadeth didn’t reach out to Metallica about the re-recording’s existence ahead of time, but “it was not for lack of having the thought”. He shares, “I know the last time James and I talked, we were talking about some business stuff and I haven’t spoken to him since. I’ll be more than happy to talk to him when I get the opportunity, but I don’t have his number anymore.

“I think the whole purpose of this was not to try and rekindle relationships or anything. It was about showing respect to a man that… I don’t believe he thinks I respect him and I wanted to make that clear,” he states.

Megadeth’s self-titled final album will be released on 23 January. You can find out more or pre-order the record via their official website.

The post “This was about showing respect to a man that I don’t believe thinks I respect him”: Dave Mustaine on James Hetfield and why he’s re-recorded Ride The Lightning appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

London-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Maya Delilah has announced a deluxe edition of her debut album The Long Way Round, which will arrive 9 January bringing four new songs.

And if you just can’t wait until January, one of the four fresh cuts, the dreamy folk-pop number California out now. You can check out the official visualiser below, and also watch Delilah perform the track live in London.

It’s hard to pin The Long Way Round down to one genre only, but that’s the point, explains Delilah. An alternative/indie record with strong streaks of soul-pop, injections of country and blues and even touches of choral and gospel music, it was from this vast array of influences that the album’s title was born.

“This album is a combination of so many parts of me,” says Maya. “I get so influenced by different genres, people, places, and experiences that it’s always felt hard for me to fit my music into a consistent sound or mood. It took me a long time (hence The Long Way Round) to realise that it’s a beautiful thing to have a body of work that explores so many different influences.”

Personnel on the album includes producers Peter Miles, Josh Grant, Doug Schadt, Seth Tackaberry, and Aquilo’s Ben Fletcher and Tom Higham, alongside collaborators Samm Henshaw, Grace Lightman, members of FIZZ, organist Cory Henry, and drummer Aaron Sterling (John Mayer, Taylor Swift).

Since The Long Way Round landed in March this year, Maya Delilah has earned well-deserved praise from many corners of the music industry, with mentions from CLASH, The Sun, Daily Mirror, Guitar World, The Evening Standard and others. 

A graduate of the BRIT School, she was also part of the Fender Next Class of 2024, and has even caught the eye of guitar superstar John Mayer, who also happens to be one of her biggest inspirations. She’s also been tipped by Spotify as an ‘Artist to Watch’ for 2025.

The Long Way Round is garnering Maya Delilah some very well-deserved recognition, and so she’s continuing to promote it with an ongoing European tour, with upcoming dates in Switzerland, Iceland, the Netherlands, France and the UK.

You can view a full list of Maya Delilah’s upcoming tour dates below:

• Oct 29 – Villanos Del Jazz – Madrid, Spain
• Oct 30 – La Piñata Festival – Barcelona, Spain
• Oct 31 – JAZZNOJAZZ Festival – Zurich, Switzerland
• Nov 6 – Iceland Airwaves Festival – Reykjavik, Iceland
• Nov 8 – Rockit Festival – Groningen, Netherlands
• Nov 9 – Bitterzoet – Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Nov 16 – Bataclan – Paris, France **with Lawrence**
• Nov 19 – Bristol Beacon – Bristol, UK **with Lawrence**
• Nov 20 – Academy 1 – Manchester, UK **with Lawrence**
• Nov 21 – Beckett Students’ Union – Leeds, UK **with Lawrence**
• Nov 22 – NX Newcastle – Newcastle, UK **with Lawrence**
• Nov 24 – O2 Academy Brixton – London, UK **with Lawrence**

And you’ll probably want to pre-save the album, too. To do that, head to Maya Delilah’s website.

The post Singer-songwriter Maya Delilah announces deluxe edition of her breakout debut album, The Long Way Round appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Martin Guitar has launched two Jason Isbell signature models, both of which take after his beloved pre-war 0-17 guitar heard across the entirety of his latest record, Foxes In The Snow.

The launch includes a super-limited model, with just 50 guitars available, and a slightly more accessible option that still offers plenty of vintage character. The new signature acoustics are accompanied by the release of Isbell’s first-ever signature set of strings, part of an all-new line known as Martin Era.

• READ MORE: Martin Road Series SC-10E review: “I’ve played every iteration of the SC platform that Martin has produced and this one is my favourite”

The limited-edition model, the Martin 0-17 Jason Isbell, is built entirely from solid sinker mahogany, and is paired with Adirondack spruce Golden Era scalloped X-bracing for a warm, expressive voice.

A sinker mahogany neck is accompanied by a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and bridge, which taps into that classic feel and playability. It also features 17-style inlays, Waverly nickel open-gear tuners, and has a vintage gloss finish. This model includes a signed label and a hardshell case.

“This one replicates the 1940 0-17 that I used on Foxes In The Snow,” says Isbell. “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 shares a handful of similar features with its limited sibling. Joining Martin’s Road Series, this guitar features a satin-finished all-mahogany 0 14-fret body, scalloped spruce X-bracing, and Martin E1 electronics with a built-in tuner for plug-and-play performance.

With East Indian rosewood accents, 17-style inlays, and nickel open-gear tuners, it “balances vintage-inspired looks with modern versatility”. This one comes with a soft case.

“This guitar meets the artist’s criteria that the instrument can’t be the challenge,” adds Isbell. “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.”

The limited Martin 0-17 Jason Isbell is priced at $4,999.00, while the 0-10E Retro version comes in at $1,049.00. Both are available from Martin Guitar in a left or right handed format.

The post Jason Isbell’s new signature Martins are modelled after his treasured pre-war 0-17: “They’re well made, they’re easy to play, and they don’t scream, ‘Look at me.’” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.