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The best electric guitars for all styles and budgets
Buying an electric guitar can be a somewhat daunting task – there are countless options out there, and rarely a “bad” instrument to be had, even at the budget end of things. So we’ve helpfully split this list of the best electric guitars into discrete categories, including our best overall pick.
Why? Well, the best guitar for you might be an affordable workhorse, ready to be thrown around on stage or into the back of a van without a care in the world. Or it could be a beautiful, premium instrument – a guitar to be looked after for life. The best guitar for you might offer up a palette of subtle, dynamic sounds. Or, it might pummel an amp’s front end to raise sonic hellfire. So, as well as our best overall pick, all of the guitars in this list excel in a given category – with everything from traditional classics to modern masterpieces, and premium instruments to beginner-friendly budget models represented. Let’s dive in.
The best electric guitars, at a glance:
- Our Pick: Fender Player II Modified Stratocaster
- Best Les Paul: Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard
- Best Jazzmaster: Fender Player II Jazzmaster
- Best Stratocaster: Fender Vintera II ’50s Stratocaster
- Best affordable guitar: Epiphone Les Paul Special
- Best high-end guitar: Gibson Murphy Lab 1959 Les Paul Standard
- Most unique guitar: Rivolta Forma Series Sferata
- Best metal guitar: Jackson LM-87 Lee Malia
- Best beginner guitar: Squier Sonic Mustang HH
- Best headless guitar: Strandberg Boden Essential 6
- Best baritone: Rivolta Mondata Baritone VII
- Why you can trust Guitar.com
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Our Pick: Fender Player II Modified Stratocaster
Image: Adam Gasson
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The Player II range represents some of the finest guitars to come out of Fender’s Ensenada, Mexico factory to date, and their overall quality-to-affordability ratio made them great options for the odd pickup swap or hardware change. Fender itself has always been keenly aware of the Ship Of Theseus mindset its guitars encourage – and so here we have the pre-modded Player II Modified Stratocaster, replete with some excellent noiseless single-coils, locking tuners and extra switching options.
The result is an extremely versatile Strat – even for a Strat – with some very road-ready hardware, all for a great price. What more do you need?
Need more? Read our Fender Player II Modified Stratocaster review.
Best Les Paul: Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard
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If you want an awesome Les Paul that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, then this collaboration between Epiphone and the Gibson Custom Shop could be it. Thanks to premium electronics and Gibson-spec pickups, there’s a wide range of responsive tone-shaping options on tap. Construction is solid and mostly sticks to vintage specifications, too – perfect if you want to see why the 1959 Les Paul Standard has remained one of the most legendary guitars of all time. It’s also a smart purchase when you compare it to what’s available at the most accessible end of the Gibson USA catalogue.
Need more? Read our Epiphone 1959 Les Paul Standard review.
Best Jazzmaster: Fender Player II Jazzmaster
The Player II Jazzmaster
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The Player II series from Fender has updated its core designs to be more approachable than ever – and the oh-so-singular Jazzmaster is always a tricky needle to thread in that regard. Complete purists may bemoan the lack of the rhythm circuit, but that aside there’s a lot to like, including the subtle wobble you can get from that Jazzmaster vibrato, and the bright, articulate single-coil pickups.
But the star of the show is undeniably the neck – first off, rosewood is back, replacing the mildly controversial pau ferro and generally being a lot nicer to look at. And on the playing side the fretboard edges are now rolled, meaning an incredibly comfy playing experience.
Need more? Read our Fender Player II Jazzmaster review.
Best vintage-style Stratocaster: Fender Vintera II ’50s Stratocaster
Fender Vintera II ’50s Stratocaster. Image: Adam Gasson
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Fender’s Mexican-made Vintera II line is an excellent place to turn if you want maximum bang for your buck in terms of sound, playability and looks. That remains true here with the Vintera II 50s Stratocaster: while it’s not a slavishly accurate recreation like the American Vintage II line is, there’s still a lot to love if you love a good traditional Strat, including the narrow-tall frets and the 7.25-inch radius.
The neck finds itself on the accessible side of vintage, with a softer V that takes the edge off its thickness, meaning a more characterful feel than that of the Vintera I necks. The concessions to modernity, where they have been made, are welcome ones too: a the bridge-wired tone control and five-way switch might not be totally accurate, but they sure are useful. In all, it’s a great Strat experience for a great piece.
Need more? Read our Fender Vintera II ’50s Stratocaster review.
Best affordable guitar: Epiphone Les Paul Special
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Compared to the pricey Custom Shop collaborations Epiphone likes to shout about, the standard Les Paul special – first launched as part of the Inspired By Gibson range in 2020 – is an affordable workhorse that, unless you really, really hate the Epiphone headstock, has no discernible compromises. Although its neck profile is on the chunkier side, it’s very playable – and not quite as fat as some baseball-bat examples out there. Importantly, its pickups aren’t messing around, either, with all of the vocal midrange P90s are famous for.
Need more? Read our Epiphone Les Paul Special review.
Best high-end guitar: Gibson Murphy Lab 1959 Les Paul Standard
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From an affordable student-model Les Paul to, well, quite the opposite. The Gibson Murphy Lab 1959 Les Paul standard is the absolute pinnacle of Gibson’s modern production guitars, recreating the absolute pinnacle of its vintage instruments. While you may baulk at any level of ageing, the Murphy Lab’s various wearing-in processes – from light to heavy – serve to make the guitar feel like a truly authentic 1950s example, rather than a new guitar built to the same specs. For those of us without six figures to drop on a vintage example, it’ll be the closest we get to owning the real deal.
Need more? Read our Gibson Murphy Lab 1959 Les Paul Standard review.
Most unique guitar: Rivolta Forma Series Sferata
The Sferata. Image: Adam Gasson
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There’s nothing wrong with the classics – the kinds of instruments that make a guitar-savvy audience member go, “Oh hey, it’s that guitar.” But maybe you want them to “what it that!?” – if that’s the case, look no further than the Rivolta Forma series. These awesome guitars chuck Gibson and Fender elements into a blender – along with a splash of brutalism, and a healthy dose of the sort of curves normally reserved for experimental Cold War-era aircraft. The Sferata is a particularly cool design standout, landing somewhere between a melted Jaguar and a Les Paul Junior.
But it’s not all about looks. The Forma series also come loaded with some awesome electronics, particularly a dramatically-slanted neck pickup – which our reviewer found to have an awesome and unique voice, thanks to the varied timbre of each string. They’re not the most affordable instruments out there, but Rivolta has a proven track-record of excellent guitars for the money, and, well, where else are you going for a guitar that looks like this?
Need more? Read our Rivolta Forma Series Sferata review.
Best metal guitar: Jackson LM-87 Lee Malia
Jackson Lee Malia LM-87 guitar. Image: Press
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This offset from Jackson is one of the best-looking metal guitars released in recent years, and it follows up its cooler-than-cool aesthetics with great playability and some crushing sounds. But thanks to its versatile set up pickups – with that single-coil in the neck – there’s a lot of range here, too, so it doesn’t always have to be drop-A and tremolo-picking. But, of course, this has ultimately been made for Lee Malia – and so will handle pretty much whatever heaviness you want to throw at it!
Need more? Read our Jackson LM-87 Lee Malia review.
Best beginner guitar: Squier Sonic Mustang HH
Squier Sonic Mustang HH. Image: Adam Gasson
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The Squier Sonic Mustang HH could be a perfect starter guitar, for a good few reasons. It is, of course, very affordable, at less than $200 – but it’s also no slouch in the playability department. It has a short 24-inch scale length, meaning that those with smaller hands will have an easier time with it – and string tension is lower, meaning easier fretting no matter the size of your mitts. And while the pickups aren’t the most deft and articulate humbuckers out there – for getting someone hooked on the sheer joy of a power-chord, they’re perfect.
Need more? Read our Squier Sonic Mustang HH review.
Best headless guitar: Strandberg Boden Essential 6
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It’s undeniable that a headless guitar is not for everyone – but it’s equally undeniable that they’re playing a massive role in the modern guitar landscape, espcially in the proggier, mathier outlands of heavier music. For the uninitiated, the Strandberg Boden 6 offers an enticing invite into that world – it has a rather reasonable price of $999, as well as an approachable featureset.
Six strings and a non-fanned fretboard mean that there’s only so much you’ll need to get used to if you’re coming over from a more traditional electric. Our reviewer found some truly excellent and versatile sounds on board, and had an excellent time with the ergonomics of the instrument. If you’re a fan of a comfortable, light guitar, there are very few lighter or more comfortable instruments – the Boden Essential 6 offers all of the awesome ergonomic benefits of a modern headless, with none of the extended-range hurdles, and all at a very approachable price.
Need more? Read our Strandberg Boden Essential 6 review.
Best baritone: Rivolta Mondata Baritone VII
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The Rivolta Mondata Baritone VII is, as you can tell immediately, an absolute stunner. But it’s as sonically beautiful as it is aesthetically, with a versatile combination of a humbucker and a P90 for exploring all corners of the downtuned sound. Need to get even more old-school? A strangle switch lets you starve some low-end for some bright tic-tac basslines, but whack things back up to full and let the 28-inch scale length add clarity to your ultra-low riffage.
Need more? Read our Rivolta Mondata Baritone VII review.
Why You Can Trust Us
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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 to you in those guides is something that we’d be happy to have in our own rigs.
The post The best electric guitars for all styles and budgets appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Learn to Strum and Sing Fats Wallers’ Classic “Ain’t Misbehavin’”
Steve Morse reveals the guitarist with the best pre-show warm-up routine he’s ever seen
Most guitarists probably engage in some degree of a warm-up pre-show, but everyone has a different routine unique to them.
But few guitarists have a warm-up routine that rivals that of Dream Theater‘s John Petrucci, according to Steve Morse.
Deep Purple and Dream Theater have previously shared the stage, with the latter supporting the former on their Touring to Infinity shows in 1998.
“One thing I love seeing is how John Petrucci will just sit down and do a warm-up, no matter what, even if you’re talking to him, he’s going to keep on,” Morse tells The No Cover Charge podcast in a new interview.
“[He’s] got a metronome going. He’s going to build it up, build it up. And when he goes up on stage, it’s no problem… He keeps getting better with his musical ideas and everything, too.
“So he’s blown me away with the level that he’s been able to keep that alternate picking and even incorporating some hybrid things, just to serve the music. That’s as high of a level [as] I’ve seen of somebody preparing for a gig.”
Steve Morse’s appreciation for John Petrucci is certainly reciprocal, too. In a Guitar Player interview in 2022, Petrucci said that Morse’s playing was “The wildest, most incredible stuff I had ever heard.”
“There are moments that you can pinpoint and say they were truly life-changing, and for me, hearing Steve Morse play guitar was one of them.”
The post Steve Morse reveals the guitarist with the best pre-show warm-up routine he’s ever seen appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Yardbirds drummer explains why Eric Clapton was difficult to be in a band with: “He took the blues up as his personal crusade”
Drummers often hold the band together. And this can mean getting a good read on the personalities of other members of the band, and situations where clashes may arise.
In The Yardbirds this was Jim McCarty’s job, and observing from behind the drum kit gave him a stark perspective of the dynamic between Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck.
In a new interview with Guitar Player, McCarty reveals that working with these musical giants in their formative years was not always easy: “Going back to the time, they were all learning how to do it… We were all trying to play and having good fun playing that sort of music. And they were all very different. Very.”
Clapton was, as McCarty recalls, “a very moody sort of guy”. He explains: “We’d be travelling in a transit van, going to the shows, and he would sit in the corner and not talk to anybody.”
As McCarty explains, tensions arose over the band’s desperation to have a hit, versus Eric’s zealousness for the blues: “He’d be in a little world of his own, obviously quite unhappy with the way it was going.”
“Eric was coming from a difficult upbringing, because he wasn’t really brought up by his parents,” McCarty says. “He was brought up by his grandmother, who he thought was his mother. We met her, and she was a lovely woman, very chatty and very friendly. But that gave him a challenged outlook on things, and I think he took the blues up as his personal crusade.
“He was totally dedicated to the blues, and also seemingly very ambitious… Eric was obviously gonna go somewhere. You knew that yes, one day he’ll be a big star, ’cause he was driven to do that, and he was getting a reputation while he was playing with us. He used to copy blues solos – Matt ‘Guitar’ Murphy or Buddy Guy or somebody – and copy them note for note before he got his own thing going.”
Clapton ultimately left the Yardbirds shortly after the release of For Your Love in 1965. In his own words, Clapton said he left the Yardbirds for John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers because of their “earthier” blues sound, stating that he continued to play guitar in the same way but that the two bands’ interpretations of his music meant it came across differently.
The post Yardbirds drummer explains why Eric Clapton was difficult to be in a band with: “He took the blues up as his personal crusade” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Is a Back to the Future Marty McFly signature ES-345 about to become a reality?
Back in June, it was announced that Gibson and actor Michael J. Fox had launched a worldwide search for the missing iconic Cherry Red ES-345 which appears in Back to the Future.
Well, it turns out Gibson had hatched a plan behind the scenes, as the brand is now teasing what looks to be a production run version of the legendary guitar played by Marty McFly in the film’s famous school dance scene.
Famously historically inaccurate for the scene – guitar trivia nuts have long pointed out that the 1958 ES-345 played by Marty McFly had no place in a scene set in 1955…
But this criticism is generally the subject of debate for a very small cross section of the general population, who otherwise lapped up the iconic scene which sees the film’s protagonist perform Chuck Berry classic Johnny B. Goode at the Enchantment Under the Sea school dance.
While the teaser is very much just a teaser, it points to something being announced on 21 October. The social media post shows a Cherry Red ES-345 shrouded in smoke, propped up against the DeLorean DMC-12 which doubles as a time machine in the movie. “Time circuits set for 21 October, 2025,” the caption reads.
That’s the extent of the information we have at this time, but we’re confident in our assumption that a Marty McFly signature ES-345 might be on the way…
Gibson’s search for the original guitar launched earlier this year recruited not only Michael J. Fox, but his Back to the Future co-stars Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Harry Waters Jr. and Huey Lewis.
“Guitar has always been a big part of my life,” Fox noted. “When we talked about the ‘Enchantment Under The Sea’ scene in Back To The Future, I sat down with the cinematographer and choreographer and said I want to riff through all of my favourite guitarists, like doing Jimi Hendrix behind the head, Pete Townshend doing a windmill, and the Eddie [Van Halen] hammer thing, it was so cool that they were open to that, and we laid it all out there.
“I’m really happy with the scene because it was an expression of my love for guitar and all the great players. I didn’t realise the influence the scene had on people. John Mayer said, ‘I play guitar because of you,’ and Chris Martin said the same thing, and I am glad they took it further than I did, they went to the trouble of being really good players. I just love the guitar, and I love the movie.”
Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian added: “This is one of the most exciting moments at Gibson for me. Back To The Future is one of the most important and significant movies of my life, and the ‘Enchantment Under the Sea’ school dance scene marked me musically in a profound way.
“Working with Michael J. Fox, Bob Gale and the rest of the Back To The Future team is a dream come true. I hope we find Marty’s Gibson ES-345! To everyone out there who is as passionate as I am about this iconic film, please help us find it!”
If you need a refresher on that classic school dance scene, you can check that out below:
We’ll keep you updated with more info on this teaser as we have it…
The post Is a Back to the Future Marty McFly signature ES-345 about to become a reality? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Gamechanger Audio Auto Delay review – a dynamic delay that lets you wire it up how you want it
$329/£299/€272, gamechangeraudio.com
Don’t ever stop being weird, Gamechanger. Eight years after stealing the show at NAMM 2017 with the Plus Pedal, this Latvian company is still going all-out for radicalness. And in the case of the Auto Series, that means three stompboxes – a delay, a reverb and a chorus – that each have a patchbay and a set of cables for customising the circuit.
- READ MORE: Boss RT-2 Rotary Ensemble review – a compact Leslie sim that doesn’t compromise on features
This, then, is a stereo delay pedal that thinks it’s a synth module. So if you like the idea of creating unique sounds where different aspects of the effect are controlled by playing dynamics or pitch – or possibly both – then things are about to get interesting. And if you don’t? Well, it could still be fun. In parts.
Image: Press
Gamechanger Audio Auto Delay – is it easy to use?
Relax – it doesn’t have to be bamboozling. Ignore the left footswitch, focus on the four full-size knobs in the green section, and you can lower yourself gently into the world of the Auto Delay without fear of setting fire to your brain. Because, to start with at least, this is a straightforward stereo echo generator.
Those knobs control delay level, tone, time and repeats (feedback), while a three-way slider lets you set the stereo panning – none, 50 per cent or full ping-pong – and another flicks between tape, analogue and digital modes. Easy – but brace yourself, because that’s where the simple stuff ends.
With the ‘auto’ footswitch engaged, the idea is to use the cables to set up secondary settings (adjusted via the mini-knobs) that will kick in according to the level or pitch of your playing. For example, patch from ‘dynamics’ to ‘level’ and you can make the delay get louder when the input signal hits a certain threshold; or link ‘pitch’ to ‘repeats’ and you can send it into cascading feedback whenever you go up the neck.
There are two patch outputs from the dynamic section, and two from pitch, so you’re free to set up multiple parameter changes at the same time – and you can of course choose the levels at which these changes happen. Sound fiddly? It is, and the manual is too wordy to be much help, but it’s mostly quite intuitive once you’ve cracked the concept.
Image: Press
Gamechanger Audio Auto Delay – what does it sound like?
In theory, you could buy this pedal as a standard delay and use the patchbay as a place to keep your mid-gig Snickers. If you do this, you’re unlikely to have any complaints (apart from getting chocolate on your fretboard); it does the job well, in mono or stereo. It’s a pity there’s no DMM-style modulation option, though – this might have been more useful than the three-way mode switch, which largely duplicates what the tone control is doing.
But it’s the dynamic effects that have brought you this far – so are they any good? On the whole, yes. There are obvious use cases for some setups: having the repeats get quieter when you’re playing low notes could be a nice way to stop things getting mushy, while toning down the brightness on louder lead breaks might prevent an overload of percussive hits. More creatively, you can also use delay time changes to create wild pitch-sweeps as you cross the threshold.
Sometimes the results of a new patching arrangement turn out to be less musically appealing than you might expect, and I’ve a nagging feeling that, for some players, the fun won’t last very long beyond the initial exploration. But Gamechanger must be used to that by now – it’s the price you pay for being weird.
Image: Press
Gamechanger Audio Auto Delay – should I buy it?
The Auto Delay doesn’t catapult you into unknown sonic territory in the way that some of Gamechanger’s previous efforts do – the advanced effects take a bit of dialling in, and can be more subtle in practice than they might sound in theory. So this is possibly the company’s narrowest niche yet… but if you want to add dynamism to your delay sounds, and don’t mind a bit of hands-on tinkering, it’s a unique piece of kit.
Gamechanger Audio Auto Delay alternatives
The Rainger FX Echo-X (£229) packs some similarly ingenious functionality into a titchy format, with help from the included Igor foot controller. More straightforward multi-mode digital delays include the Walrus Audio Mako Series MkII D1 ($399.99/£379) and Boss DD-200 ($274.99/£249).
The post Gamechanger Audio Auto Delay review – a dynamic delay that lets you wire it up how you want it appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Pedalmania Round 2! Brothers AM + Knife Drop + Stinger Overdrive
Tom Butwin is back with round two of Pedalmania 2025!
First, he demos the versatile Chase Bliss Brothers AM, a collaboration with Analog Man that packs the beloved King of Tone sound into a compact powerhouse. Next, experience the unique and wild sounds of Eventide's Knife Drop, a collaboration with Third Man that delivers crushing distortion and synth tones. Finally, explore the simple but effective Rock N Roll Relics Stinger Overdrive, an old-school pedal with new old stock parts that offers a wide range of usable tones—from a clean boost to searing leads.
Eventide Knife Drop Suboctave Fuzz Synth Pedal
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Chase Bliss Brothers AM
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Rock 'N Roll Relics Stinger Overdrive
Heritage Guitars Launches The Standard II Collection
Continuing the company’s 40th anniversary celebrations, Heritage Guitars has introduced the Standard II Collection, a refinement of its original Standard Series, starting with the updated H-150 model.
With the Standard II Collection, Heritage Guitars reaffirms its commitment to continual improvement and refining every detail to deliver meaningful upgrades for today’s players, while staying true to its American-made legacy. The all-new H-150 under the Standard II Collection introduces several key enhancements in construction, tone, and versatility.
Key features include:
- Updated Headstock: A new headstock veneer featuring the ‘Heritage’ logo lends a more
- Weight Relief: The body is crafted from genuine mahogany with weight relief, offering greater playing comfort without compromising tonal integrity
- New Heritage Custom Shop 225 Standard Humbuckers: Designed and wound in-house, these pickups deliver a broad and expressive tonal range. Built with 42 AWG plain enamel wire (neck) or 43 AWG poly wire (bridge) on Butyrate unpotted bobbins, and 2.5” roughcast Alnico 5 magnets, they feature potted covers to minimize unwanted feedback at higher volumes
- Modern Wiring: Equipped with series/parallel switching via push/pull tone pots, this setup provides expanded tonal flexibility, capturing the brightness and clarity of a “single-coil” voice without the typical volume loss of traditional coil-splitting
- ’60s Neck Profile: A slim, comfortable profile that maintains ample grip for a familiar, vintage-inspired feel
- New Finishes: Offered in striking new colorways Wine Red, Bourbon Burst, and Chestnut Burst, alongside existing favorites Dirty Lemon Burst and Ebony
- Made in the USA: Crafted at 225 Parsons Street, Kalamazoo, Michigan
The Standard II H-150 launch marks another milestone in a landmark year for the brand, which also saw the debut of the critically acclaimed Custom Shop H-717 archtop and the Ascent Collection, a line of accessible instruments designed to bring Heritage’s renowned craftsmanship to a wider audience.
The Heritage Standard II H-150 is priced at $2,599 (US MAP). For more information, visit heritageguitars.com or contact select authorized Heritage dealers.
Heritage Guitars Launches The Standard II Collection
Continuing the company’s 40th anniversary celebrations, Heritage Guitars has introduced the Standard II Collection, a refinement of its original Standard Series, starting with the updated H-150 model.
With the Standard II Collection, Heritage Guitars reaffirms its commitment to continual improvement and refining every detail to deliver meaningful upgrades for today’s players, while staying true to its American-made legacy. The all-new H-150 under the Standard II Collection introduces several key enhancements in construction, tone, and versatility.
Key features include:
- Updated Headstock: A new headstock veneer featuring the ‘Heritage’ logo lends a more
- Weight Relief: The body is crafted from genuine mahogany with weight relief, offering greater playing comfort without compromising tonal integrity
- New Heritage Custom Shop 225 Standard Humbuckers: Designed and wound in-house, these pickups deliver a broad and expressive tonal range. Built with 42 AWG plain enamel wire (neck) or 43 AWG poly wire (bridge) on Butyrate unpotted bobbins, and 2.5” roughcast Alnico 5 magnets, they feature potted covers to minimize unwanted feedback at higher volumes
- Modern Wiring: Equipped with series/parallel switching via push/pull tone pots, this setup provides expanded tonal flexibility, capturing the brightness and clarity of a “single-coil” voice without the typical volume loss of traditional coil-splitting
- ’60s Neck Profile: A slim, comfortable profile that maintains ample grip for a familiar, vintage-inspired feel
- New Finishes: Offered in striking new colorways Wine Red, Bourbon Burst, and Chestnut Burst, alongside existing favorites Dirty Lemon Burst and Ebony
- Made in the USA: Crafted at 225 Parsons Street, Kalamazoo, Michigan
The Standard II H-150 launch marks another milestone in a landmark year for the brand, which also saw the debut of the critically acclaimed Custom Shop H-717 archtop and the Ascent Collection, a line of accessible instruments designed to bring Heritage’s renowned craftsmanship to a wider audience.
The Heritage Standard II H-150 is priced at $2,599 (US MAP). For more information, visit heritageguitars.com or contact select authorized Heritage dealers.
Tubesteader Releases Gainlord Preamp/Overdrive
Tubesteader releases the Gainlord™, a dual-channel preamp/overdrive inspired by British amps from the late ’60s through the ’80s, the amps that defined hard rock.
Built on real high-voltage tube circuitry, it delivers the same punch, harmonic richness, and touch-sensitive response as the original amps — all in a compact pedal format.
The low-gain channel is open and gritty, breaking up around 9 o’clock. Push it harder, and it develops a grainy crunch with sagging lows that add warmth and body. The high-gain channel is tighter and more aggressive, with defined notes and extra top-end bite, yet cleans up naturally when the guitar’s volume is rolled back. Both channels include a Bright switch for added presence; on the high-gain channel, it can also provide a subtle gain boost. A 3.5mm TRS jack allows remote control of channel switching and the high-gain Bright switch. The Tone Cut switch offers two modes: a full-output preamp for power amps or cab simulators, or a lower-level overdrive mode with scooped high-mids for front-of-amp use. Power is supplied via the included AC/DC adapter or any 12V DC, 500mA pedalboard supply.
The Gainlord can be used in front of an amp, into a power amp, or directly with a cab simulator. It comes with a wall-mount power supply and a country-specific plug. The Gainlord street price is $349 USD. Available at select retailers or directly from the Tubesteader online store www.tubesteader.com.
Strymon Introduces New Olivera Vintage Oil Can Echo
Strymon Engineering (www.strymon.net), theLos Angeles-based manufacturer of premium guitar, plugin and Eurorack products, todayannounced the arrival of their newest compact effects pedal, named Olivera. Based uponextensive research into what truly makes vintage oil can echo units tick, Olivera represents themost accurate reproduction of these devices ever offered in a compact form factor.
Oil can echoes like the classic Tel Rey® units actually used a motorized rotating can andlubricating oil to generate the murky repeats that they’re known for, creating a mountain oforganic variables that make recreating their behavior in software a major challenge. The resultof all of this research is a brand-new algorithm that has never before appeared in a Strymonproduct, capable of generating all of the organic chaos and vibe of the original units.All of the vintage flavor also comes with modern features like independent stereo processing of
the left and right inputs, full MIDI and expression control, stereo TRS ins and outs with multipleaudio routing modes and USB-C for firmware updates and computer control.
“This was a fun project to dig into and get right”, said Pete Celi, Strymon co-founder and DSPguru. “The sheer number of organic variations and interactions makes recreating the behaviorof a device like this pretty daunting, but that makes it even more rewarding when it all comestogether.”Celi continues, “I imagine that many folks would say that these units are simply filtered anddark, but it goes way beyond that. The way that these systems record and play back the signalresults in a really unique and magical ambience that doesn’t sound like anything else.”Olivera is available now directly from Strymon and from dealers worldwide for $259 US.For additional information visit https://www.strymon.net.
Fender Expands American Professional Series
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) today announces the launch of the American Professional Classic, the newest evolution in Fender’s modern classic American Professional series and the embodiment of the brand’s legacy as the definitive leader in electric guitars. “Tested. Trusted. Night After Night.” this series is built for players who demand reliability, versatility and performance at the highest level. From first gigs in garages to global festival stages, across every genre and generation, the American Professional Classic delivers timeless Fender tone, precision craftsmanship and modern refinements that make it a trusted instrument for musicians everywhere.
Rooted in Fender’s heritage of American innovation, the American Professional Classic combines durability, adaptability and uncompromising playability. Its enhanced neck profile, all-new Coastline pickups, and upgraded hardware make it as comfortable to play in the studio as it is on tour, while classic finishes and bold color options ensure it looks as good as it sounds. Whether for seasoned professionals, emerging artists, or players exploring new sounds, this guitar is engineered to support creative expression, inspire performance and deliver consistency on every stage.
“The American Professional Classic is all about delivering a great playing experience,” said Max Gutnik, Chief Product Officer at FMIC. “We focused on every detail: from the all-new Coastline pickups, which offer clear, punchy tone across every register, to the Modern-‘C’ neck with rolled fingerboard edges that feels comfortably broken-in from day one. We combined vintage-inspired finishes and hardware with thoughtful upgrades like staggered ClassicGear™ tuners, Mustang saddles on the offsets, and slotted Telecaster barrel saddles. The result is a guitar that’s easy to play, sounds incredible and adapts to any style or stage.”
Music today is experiencing a powerful guitar-driven resurgence, with a new generation of artists bringing raw, garage-band energy onto the world’s biggest stages. Turnstile is one of the bands leading the charge, packing arenas with their genre-blurring sound and DIY ethos, while emerging musicians like Fleshwater and Horsegirl, who are both part of the Fender Next roster, embody that same spirit of rawness and edge. At the same time, fellow Fender Next artists Balu Brigada and DARUMAS showcase the artistic highs that define Pop Music in 2025 - trading riffs, building songs together, and sharing the joy of collective creativity. Across genres and styles, these artists and their fans are fueling a cultural moment where the guitar is further cemented as the heartbeat of live music.
The American Pro Classic was built for this moment, offering the sonic versatility to meet the demands of today’s artists, with its fearless spirit embodied by Turnstile, the Baltimore hardcore band fronting the campaign. Known for their explosive live shows and genre-defying sound, Turnstile showcases how the guitar empowers musicians to create boldly and connect deeply with fans. Yet the American Pro Classic’s appeal extends far beyond one band or one genre; it reinforces Fender’s role as a unifying force in music, delivering inspiration for artists everywhere.
“When you're in a different place constantly, sometimes the most familiar thing is the guitar that you bring every single night,” said Pat McCrory from Turnstile. “We look for something that sounds the same every time, sounds exactly how you want it, but also has versatility because spaces change. Sometimes you play outside, sometimes it sounds different, sometimes you play inside or there's noise lighting. Having some durability but flexibility is very important.”
Key upgrades include:
- All-New Coastline Pickups – slightly overwound Pure Vintage recipes and are engineered for clarity, punch, and dynamic expression, delivering Fender’s signature warmth and bite across every register, from subtle nuances to soaring leads.
- Enhanced Neck Profile – a comfortable Modern-‘C’ shape with rolled fingerboard edges designed for speed, fluidity, and long-playing comfort, adapting seamlessly to any style or technique.
- Upgraded Hardware & Tuning Stability – premium components including upgraded vintage bridges and precision ClassicGear™ tuning machines, ensure rock-solid tuning on stage and studio reliability for recording sessions.
- Classic Finishes in Bold Colors – a curated selection of timeless Fender finishes reimagined for modern players, combining iconic aesthetic appeal with fresh, vibrant options for the next generation of guitarists.
American Professional Classic Stratocaster
($1,499.99 USD, £1,499 GBP, €1,799 EUR, $2,599 AUD, ¥242,000 JPY)
The perfect blend of vintage charm and modern performance – the American Professional Classic Stratocaster®. Under the hood, vintage-inspired Coastline™ ’57 Stratocaster® pickups deliver depth, punch and sparkle while the sleek Modern “C” neck provides exceptional comfort and playability. Fender Staggered ClassicGear™ tuners provide classic looks and precise tuning stability. Boasting custom-faded vintage and signature Fender® finishes, this professional-grade instrument looks as good as it sounds. From studio to stage, The American Professional Classic Stratocaster® All the soul of a golden-era Fender®, evolved for today’s player. Options include Rosewood Fingerboard in Faded Black, Faded Dakota Red, Faded Sherwood Green Metallic as well as Maple Fingerboard in Faded Firemist Gold, Faded Lake Placid Blue and 3-Color Sunburst.
American Professional Classic Stratocaster HSS
($1,549.99 USD, £1,549 GBP, €1,849.00 EUR, $2,699 AUD, ¥264,000 JPY)
The perfect blend of vintage charm and modern performance – the American Professional Classic Stratocaster® HSS. Under the hood, vintage-inspired Coastline™ ‘57 Stratocaster® pickups and Coastline™ humbucker deliver depth, punch and sparkle while the sleek Modern “C” neck provides exceptional comfort and playability. Fender Staggered ClassicGear™ tuners provide classic looks and precise tuning stability. Boasting custom-faded vintage and signature Fender® finishes, this professional-grade instrument looks as good as it sounds. From studio to stage, The American Professional Classic Stratocaster® HSS All the soul of a golden-era Fender®, evolved for today’s player.Options include Rosewood Fingerboard in Faded Sherwood Green Metallic as well as Maple Fingerboard in Faded Lake Placid Blue, Faded Black and 3-Color Sunburst.
American Professional Classic Telecaster
($1,499.99 USD, £1,499 GBP, €1,799 EUR, $2,599 AUD, ¥242,000 JPY)
The perfect blend of vintage charm and modern performance – the American Professional Classic Telecaster®. Under the hood, vintage-inspired Coastline™ ’63 Telecaster® pickups deliver depth, punch and sparkle while the sleek Modern “C” neck provides exceptional comfort and playability. Fender Staggered ClassicGear™ tuners provide classic looks and precise tuning stability. Boasting custom-faded vintage and signature Fender® finishes, this professional-grade instrument looks as good as it sounds. From studio to stage, The American Professional Classic Telecaster® All the soul of a golden-era Fender®, evolved for today’s player. Options include Rosewood Fingerboard 3-Color Sunburst, Faded Black, and Faded Dakota Red as well as Maple Fingerboard in Butterscotch Blonde,Faded Sherwood Green Metallic and Faded Lake Placid Blue.
American Professional Classic Hotshot Telecaster
($1,549.99 USD, £1,549 GBP, €1,849 EUR, $2,699 AUD, ¥264,000 JPY)
The perfect blend of vintage charm and modern performance – the American Professional Classic HotShot™ Telecaster®. Under the hood, vintage-inspired Coastline™ ’63 Telecaster® and ‘57 Stratocaster® pickups deliver depth, punch and sparkle while the sleek Modern “C” neck provides exceptional comfort and playability. Fender Staggered ClassicGear™ tuners provide classic looks and precise tuning stability. Boasting custom-faded vintage and signature Fender® finishes, this professional- grade instrument looks as good as it sounds. From studio to stage, The American Professional Classic Hotshot Telecaster® All the soul of a golden-era Fender®, evolved for today’s player. Options include Rosewood Fingerboard in Butterscotch Blonde and Faded Sherwood Green Metallic as well as Maple Fingerboard in 3-Color Sunburst and Faded Lake Placid Blue.
American Professional Classic Jazzmaster
($1,599.99 USD, £1,599 GBP, €1,899 EUR, $2,799 AUD, ¥264,000 JPY)
The perfect blend of vintage charm and modern performance – the American Professional Classic Jazzmaster®. Under the hood, vintage-inspired Coastline™ ’65 Jazzmaster® pickups deliver depth, punch and sparkle while the sleek Modern “C” neck provides exceptional comfort and playability. Fender Staggered ClassicGear™ tuners deliver classic looks and precise tuning stability. Boasting custom-faded vintage and signature Fender® finishes, this professional-grade instrument looks as good as it sounds. From studio to stage, The American Professional Classic Jazzmaster® All the soul of a golden-era Fender®, evolved for today’s player. Options include Rosewood Fingerboard in 3-Color Sunburst, Faded Firemist Gold, Faded Sherwood Green Metallic and Faded Dakota Red.
American Professional Classic Jaguar
($1,599.99 USD, £X GBP, €1,899 EUR, $2,799 AUD, ¥264,000 JPY)
The perfect blend of vintage charm and modern performance – the American Professional Classic Jaguar®. Under the hood, vintage-inspired Coastline™ ’65 Jaguar® pickups deliver depth, punch and sparkle while the sleek Modern “C” neck provides exceptional comfort and playability. Fender Staggered ClassicGear™ tuners deliver classic looks and precise tuning stability. Boasting custom-faded vintage and signature Fender® finishes, this professional-grade instrument looks as good as it sounds. From studio to stage, The American Professional Classic Jaguar® All the soul of a golden-era Fender®, evolved for today’s player. Options include Rosewood Fingerboard 3-Color Sunburst, Faded Sherwood Green Metallic and Faded Firemist Gold as well as Maple Fingerboard in Faded Lake Placid Blue.
American Professional Classic Precision Bass
($1,599.99 USD, £1,549 GBP, €1,849 EUR, $2,799 AUD, ¥264,000 JPY)
The perfect blend of vintage charm and modern performance – the American Professional Classic Precision Bass®. Under the hood, the vintage-inspired Coastline™ ’60 split-coil Precision Bass® pickup delivers depth, punch and articulation while the sleek Modern “C” neck provides exceptional comfort and playability. Fender ‘lollipop’ tuners deliver classic looks and precise tuning stability. Boasting custom-faded vintage and signature Fender® finishes, this professional-grade instrument looks as good as it sounds. From studio to stage, The American Professional Classic Precision Bass® All the soul of a golden-era Fender®, evolved for today’s player. Options include Rosewood Fingerboard in Faded Sherwood Green Metallic and 3-Color Sunburst as well as Maple Fingerboard in Faded Lake Placid Blue.
American Professional Classic Jazz Bass
($1,599.99 USD, £1,549 GBP, €1,849 EUR, $2,799 AUD, ¥264,000 JPY)
The perfect blend of vintage charm and modern performance – the American Professional Classic Jazz Bass®. Under the hood, vintage-inspired Coastline™ ’62 Jazz Bass® pickups deliver depth, punch and articulation while the sleek Modern “C” neck provides exceptional comfort and playability. Fender ‘lollipop’ tuners deliver classic looks and precise tuning stability. Boasting custom-faded vintage and signature Fender® finishes, this professional-grade instrument looks as good as it sounds. From studio to stage, The American Professional Classic Jazz Bass® All the soul of a golden-era Fender®, evolved for today’s player. Options include Rosewood Fingerboard in Faded Firemist Gold and 3-Color Sunburst as well as Maple Fingerboard in Faded Dakota Red.
American Professional Classic Mustang Bass
($1,599.99 USD, £1,499 GBP, €1,799 EUR, $2,799 AUD, ¥264,000 JPY)
The perfect blend of vintage charm and modern performance – the American Professional Classic Mustang® Bass. Under the hood, the vintage-inspired Coastline™ ‘70 Mustang® Bass split-coil pickup delivers depth, punch and articulation while the sleek Modern “C” neck provides exceptional comfort and playability. Fender ‘lollipop’ tuners deliver classic looks and precise tuning stability. Boasting custom-faded vintage and signature Fender® finishes, this professional-grade instrument looks as good as it sounds. From studio to stage, The American Professional Classic Mustang® Bass All the soul of a golden-era Fender®, evolved for today’s player. Options include Rosewood Fingerboard, 3-Color Sunburst and Faded Sherwood Green Metallic as well as Maple Fingerboard in Faded Dakota Red.
Stompboxtober 2025: PRS
Bring clarity and grit together! Enter today’s #Stompboxtober giveaway for your chance to WIN the PRS Horsemeat transparent overdrive — add harmonic midrange richness and overdrive without losing your highs. Dial it as a clean boost or up the gain — it’s all about preserving your tone. Come back tomorrow for another pedal shot!
Stompboxtober 2025 - Win Pedals All Month Long!
PRS Horsemeat
The PRS Horsemeat transparent overdrive pedal is designed to enhance your sound without coloring your tone. Horsemeat adds harmonic midrange richness and overdrives without cutting out your high notes – all while giving you more available headroom. It features a robust EQ section so you can dial in your tone and has a wide range of gain on tap. Depending on the setting, Horsemeat can be used as a clean boost, straight overdrive, or even enhance your amplifier’s distortion by slightly pushing the front end of the amplifier’s preamp section.
PRS pedals were created to be high-end pieces of audio gear.
PRS Horsemeat Transparent Overdrive Pedal
R&B legend and neo-soul pioneer D’Angelo dies at 51
Grammy-winning R&B legend D’Angelo – one of the pioneers of neo-soul – has died aged 51 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
In a statement shared with Variety, his family confirmed the singer and guitarist – real name Michael Eugene Archer – died on Tuesday morning (14 October) at his home in New York.
“The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life… After a prolonged and courageous battle with cancer, we are heartbroken to announce that Michael D’Angelo Archer, known to his fans around the world as D’Angelo, has been called home, departing this life today, October 14th, 2025,” the statement reads.
“We are saddened that he can only leave dear memories with his family, but we are eternally grateful for the legacy of extraordinarily moving music he leaves behind. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time but invite you all to join us in mourning his passing while also celebrating the gift of song that he has left for the world.”
Releasing three albums over the course of his career, D’Angelo was a pioneer of the neo-soul R&B subgenre, which blends classic soul with influences from the likes of jazz and hip-hop, often flavouring R&B with more live instrumentation.
Releasing Brown Sugar and Voodoo in 1995 and 2000, respectively, D’Angelo subsequently spent over a decade out of the public eye, before returning with the critically acclaimed Black Messiah in 2014, which featured hits like Really Love and Sugah Daddy.
D’Angelo earned Best R&B Album Grammy wins for both Voodoo and Black Messiah.
Born in Richmond, Virginia, 1974, the son of a Pentecostal minister, D’Angelo taught himself to play piano aged only three. Through his adolescent years, he performed in groups locally, and won an amateur talent competition at Harlem’s Apollo Theater for three consecutive weeks, drawing the attention of EMI executives, who quickly signed him to a publishing deal.
His debut album Brown Sugar was a commercial and critical success, and helped him go on to collaborate with legends including Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Q-Tip.
After over a decade out of the public eye after 2000’s Voodoo, D’Angelo returned to music in 2014 with Black Messiah, an album in the works for years, but finished after witnessing the national unrest spurred by protests over the deaths of unarmed Black men Michael Brown and Eric Garner.
This is a developing story.
The post R&B legend and neo-soul pioneer D’Angelo dies at 51 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Strings, Sweat, and Survival: An Insider Look at the World of a Guitar Tech
The life of a guitar tech is equal parts craft, chaos, and on-the-fly problem-solving. Though Ryan Chan, Luis Munoz, and Drew Foppe share this whirlwind existence, their unique paths—and the gigs those paths have led to—highlight just how varied and demanding it can be.
Chan’s journey began long before he was wrangling digital and hybrid rigs for bands like Loathe and Spiritbox. Growing up in Hong Kong, he dreamed of music production, though a move to the U.K. would quickly alter that goal. Munoz took a more deliberate path, landing in Hollywood and sharpening his skills as a luthier before finding himself in the middle of pop-rock’s great revival working for Olivia Rodrigo. Foppe, meanwhile, initially had no desire to work in music, but he still found himself pulled into a decades-long career with some of the biggest names in the business.
These three techs come from very different places, both professionally and geographically. Still, their stories converge in the relentless grind of touring life, full of long days, constant travel, and endless hours working behind the curtain to keep internationally-known guitarists playing and sounding their best. Here, they step out from behind that curtain to discuss the stories, rigs, and realities that shape a life lived just out of the spotlight.
Ryan Chan (Loathe, Spiritbox)
You were born in Hong Kong and literally moved halfway across the world to start your career. Tell me about that journey and how you became a guitar tech.
Ryan Chan: I wanted to be a producer, so I came to Leeds six years ago because of music university, where I joined the music production program. There was one guy in my course named Adam, who’s a good friend of mine, and he was a front-of-house engineer for Loathe. I think at one point they needed a tech, and he was like, “You like to mess with guitars. Come do it with me on the road.” And that’s how it all started.
You’re currently working with Loathe and planning a big North American tour. What’s a day in the life for you when you’re out with them?
Chan: We don’t load in until maybe 2 o’clock. From there, it’s just kind of getting everything set up. I get all the pedalboards laid out and everything else ready to be thrown on the stage. Then it’s soundcheck, show, and then pack down, and on to the next show. I usually restring the guitars maybe once every three to four days.
As of this next tour, they’re also having me more involved outside of just the touring stuff. Like, two days ago, I was at Loathe’s new space helping program some sets with the playback and MIDI stuff.
Loathe showcased some of their unique guitars and equipment on one of our Rig Rundowns. What are they taking out these days?
Chan: There are four guitars and four basses. Some of them are spares that get used depending on how they’re feeling that day. We don’t carry different guitars with different tunings. They use multiple tunings, but they’ll tune everything themselves. The main variation is, one’s a baritone and one’s a normal-scale guitar. And I’m the only backline tech, so I’m also the one who looks after all their MIDI keyboards and stuff, too.
Loathe still use tube amps, although a lot of bands have turned to digital modelers for touring. How has the rise in digital touring rigs affected your work?
Chan: I’m used to it. Digital’s reliable, and it’s predictable. You’re not rolling the dice every time you put the amp in the trailer. When I worked with Spiritbox, they’ve always been all digital.
But with Loathe, it’s actually an interesting hybrid of [Fractal] Axe-Fx and amps. Eric [Bickerstaffe] plays with a [Marshall] JCM800 and treats the Axe-Fx as a big front-end pedalboard. Faisal [El-Khazragi], the bass player, uses an Ampeg SVT. But I believe, for this next tour, we’re actually switching back to Axe-Fx for pure simplicity. I guess, maybe more so for bass, the trade-off is worth it.
You’re still in the early part of your career. Are there any lessons you’ve learned on the road that make you better at your job?
Chan: One thing I’ve had to learn is how to communicate and ask people for help, rather than waiting for someone higher up to do the asking for me. You’ve gotta be a bit more assertive, and be like, “All right, here’s an issue. I need to go find the people that will help me fix this issue.” Also, if I’m gonna say no to something, I’d better have a really good reason as to why we can’t do it.
Talk about the reality vs. the expectation of being a touring guitar tech.
Chan: I don’t want to undersell it, but it’s not as glamorous as people might want to make it out to be. It is very much a job. When you first get into it, it’s so fresh, and it’s so exciting. It’s so fun. Then suddenly that wears off, and you have to look at it as a responsibility. So learning to enjoy the road again has been a fun experience for me.
The three tools Ryan Chan can’t live without:
● Dunlop String Action Gauge
● Multi-bit screwdriver
● USB-powered soldering ironLuis Munoz (Olivia Rodrigo, Smashing Pumpkins, Bush, LP)
Your goal was always to be a guitar tech. But how did you get your foot in the door in such a competitive industry?
Luis Munoz: It’s a hard community to get into, but once you’re in, you’re in forever. So I remember thinking to myself, “I’m going to become undeniable and really good at what I do.” So, I went to Guitar Craft Academy in Hollywood and started working in shops around town. But I always wanted to go on tour. Then one of my clients and another buddy got me a gig, and I went on my first tour for an artist that goes by the name of LP. Just like that, I started getting call after call.
You’ve worked for some massive rock bands. But working in a huge pop production like Olivia Rodrigo’s has to be a lot different. What’s a typical day in that camp look like?
Munoz: My days would start with changing strings and doing all the stuff that I need to so that, when the stage is rolled into place, we can start plugging in, patching, and making sure everything works. We do a quick line check, and then the band would come out and run a song or two. Then you hurry up and wait until it’s your time to do a show.
Doing the show is, I feel, what’s different in the pop world versus the rock world. I was part of the show. I would hand [Olivia] the guitar way out at the end of the thrust. Then I’d have to run that whole thing back, and, when she’s literally about to hit the chord, I would hit the unmute button. Then, when she’s done, I’d mute it, go on stage, and she’d throw me the guitar. After every show, I’d be drenched in sweat, like I just worked out.
Olivia is featuring a ton of guitar in her shows these days, and you’re responsible for three players, including your wife, bassist Moa Munoz. What kind of gear does the production require?
Munoz: Olivia loves rock and wants to try different things. So, this last tour we went from having two guitars to seven. It’s another funny pop-world thing, but we had different guitars for different outfits.
And yeah, I would also take care of my wife, Moa, who had five basses, and Daisy [Spencer], the second guitar player. She was doing a lot of acoustic stuff, but said, “I want to play electric on this tour.” I thought the [Ernie Ball Music Man] St. Vincent might look cool, and she was like, “Fuck yes. That’s the one!”
Ariana [Powell, guitar] also had a whole guitar boat to herself. My buddy takes care of her on stage right.
With such a choreographed production, are you guys using digital amp modelers?
Munoz: Definitely, I don’t think people understand how many variables you have to deal with when using amps. Everything from if the power is different to amps going from a trailer to a sea container to a plane to a bus. So Daisy and Ari were on Kempers, and then Moa was on Helixes. It’s all MIDI-controlled, because even the band actually has choreography now.
Tell me about a humbling experience or a lesson you learned on the road that made you better at what you do.
Munoz: When I was still doing local repairs and things, [Bush guitarist] Chris Traynor’s tour manager called me and asked, “Have you ever been on tour as a tech?” And I was like, “You know what? No. But I can’t imagine it being hard.” I remember he was like, “Did you just say it was going to be easy? I don’t think this is gonna work out.” [Laughs.] I was trying to sound overly confident. But, funny enough, a year or two later, Chris hit me up again, and I actually tech’d with Bush.
For people wanting to get into your world, what’s a reality of the job they should prepare for?
Munoz: It’s different hats when you’re a luthier and when you’re a tech on the road. Being a tech has helped me to not be so precious. You know, “If you’ve got a stripped strap button, you can’t just shove toothpicks in there and super glue.” And it’s like, of course not—in a perfect situation. But sometimes you just need to get it fixed.
The three tools Luis Munoz can’t live without:
● DeWalt electric gyroscopic screwdriver
● Sonic Research Turbo Tuner
● Music City Bridge “Quick Flip” SaddledriverDrew Foppe (Shinedown, Slipknot, Deftones, Shakira, Fleetwood Mac)
You earned a soccer scholarship and degrees in mathematics and psychology. How did you end up as a guitar tech?
Drew Foppe: I never planned to really be involved in music, ever. I wanted to do social work. But guitar kind of took over, and I just started following it. I got into a band and did that for about a year and a half. About five days after I quit, my buddies said, “Hey, why don’t you tech for Opiate for the Masses?” I was like, “What’s a tech?” [Laughs.] So I became a guitar tech, and haven’t stopped in almost 25 years.
Now you’re on the road with Shinedown, one of the biggest rock bands of the past few decades. What does a typical day look like for you when you’re on tour?
Foppe: When I get in, I immediately go and set up the warm-up room. The next hour and a half or so, I’ll change strings. That takes about three hours to do all 20 guitars. After I get done, I’ll get all the gear in position and start running all the cables for the keyboards, pedalboards, and all that stuff. Then it takes about 20 minutes to change all the wireless packs to the correct frequencies. Shortly after that, we line-check the gear with a crew jam. Everything’s pretty dialed at this point.
When the show starts, every single song is a guitar change, and they have four stages. I do about 10 to 12 miles of steps during a show!
Zach Myers’ love for gear is well known in guitar circles. Tell me about the rig you handle for him every show?
Foppe: We’re getting eight channels from Zach. There are three electric wireless lines and one acoustic. The acoustic goes out to a Fishman DI. The electric goes to two pedalboards. I have one in my tech world and one on the stage. From the boards, it goes to the [Fractal] Axe-Fx III. And from the Axe-Fx, we’re using Synergy power amps that hit two 112 ISO cabinets. We also send the amps to UA OX Boxes with a modeled 112 open back cabinet. Then there’s the outs from the Axe-Fx.
Digital modelers are usually employed to simplify signal chains. You obviously use them very differently. Do you pick a side in the digital vs. analog debate?
Foppe: I was probably right in the heart of when analog and digital were fighting for commonplace in the industry. Digital just gave you more options. Transitioning between the two, I think they’re integrated so well now that I don’t think it matters. I’ve done both for the biggest artists in the world, and stadium artists use digital and stadium artists use analog. They just use what they like and what they’re comfortable with.
You’ve worked with some incredible artists across multiple genres. Is there a secret to getting called back for the next artist or tour?
Foppe: I truly believe that having a psychology degree has helped me navigate these waters. When you’re working with artists who know exactly what they want, you just gotta listen and take it all in instead of coming in like, “I can do whatever. I can’t do whatever.” I think if you just listen to what people are saying, that gives you a good head start. That’s what really helps you grow as a tech and get other jobs.
Surrounding yourself with music, gear, and travel sounds romantic, but what are some truths about teching that you’d like to share with people considering it as a career?
Foppe: The first thing you’ve got to do is learn the craft of guitar repair, amp repair, programming, signal flow, and troubleshooting. All that stuff comes before you actually get a job. But the work aspect is only maybe 40 percent of the job. Working well with people and being self-motivated is pretty much everything else.
It’s also long hours, being away from your family, and you start to almost change your friend groups. That’s why they call it your “tour family.” So learning guitar skills, working well with people, and being okay to work when you’re tired is ultimately the key to being a guitar tech.
The three tools Drew Foppe can’t live without:
● Peterson Strobe Tuner
● Music Nomad String Action Gauge
● EarplugsWe Could All Stand to Learn More From the Bass
One of the most significant innovations in modern music is undeniably the electric bass guitar. There are conflicting opinions about who invented the idea and when, but it is without a shred of doubt that Fender brought it to the masses. Looking at the state of the instrument from where we are today it’s hard to believe there was a time when it didn’t exist. That alone tells you how important Fender’s contribution is. Sure, there are low notes on pianos, organs, and synths, but the utility and portability of the bass guitar beats these rivals by a mile. Despite all of this, the bass has often been treated like an afterthought.
Part of the reason might be that it’s easy for any guitarist to just pick one up and play it. After all, they’re tuned exactly like the lowest four strings of a guitar. In most cases, bass parts generally don’t require you to play those pesky and intimidating chords, and bendy dweedle-dweedle acrobatics are usually out of the question. All you have to do is stay in your lane and play the root and some passing tones. Throw in some octave jumps and you’re golden. Aside from the tambourine, it’s the simplest way to get into music. Or is it?
I first started playing guitar in a band with three guitarists and no bassist. We were all around 13 years old and had a very limited knowledge of what we were doing. Once we realized that most bands had a bass player, we pressured one of the guys to trade in his guitar—an all-white SG Junior—and get a bass. It made an immediate difference for the better.
One day at our weekly rehearsal, the bassist didn’t show up. As the lower-ranking guitarist, I was elected to strap on his Gibson EB-2 and carry on. With some disappointment, I plugged the bass into the bright-blue-and-brushed-aluminum Baldwin bass amp and plucked a note. I was thunderstruck. We launched into our first number as I attempted to navigate a slightly different, yet familiar highway. As I gained confidence, my attitude became gleeful. So much power underneath my fingers! Pretty soon I began to hope our bassist wouldn’t ever show up. As it turned out, the next week I was relegated back to playing those pesky chords on my 6-string, but the brute force and glory of the bass stuck with me. For decades it was my main instrument.
“Suddenly, bass tones I’d attributed to just the bass guitar were revealed to be multiple instruments.”
As a newly minted bassist I started paying more attention to bass parts on recordings and in live performances. I began to become more aware of how the bass worked with drums to form the foundation of the music I loved. When I listened to music I was familiar with, I suddenly heard things I’d missed for years. I was paying more attention to the way a rhythm section locked together, but I also heard how certain tones were created by the blending of percussion—mostly kick drum and toms with the bass. Suddenly, bass tones I’d attributed to just the bass guitar were revealed to be multiple instruments. This, of course, is because the drummer and bassist are listening to each other and weaving in and out of each other’s parts. I’d suggest that every guitarist or bassist take a crack at learning to play drums. Even a basic understanding of percussion will make you a better musician, producer, or recording technician. Hell, work on some keyboard chops while you’re at it. The more you appreciate different disciplines the better you’ll be, and you’ll enjoy music more, too. For a young musician, this was a revelation that put me on a path to appreciating different styles of music. That mindset has also spilled over into my work as an instrument builder. When you step outside of your chosen lane and see what creates the whole, you understand more about what’s important about music and instruments. As a guitarist this gives me a more holistic approach, too.
The list of truly masterful bassists that switched from guitar proves that playing the bass is not the demotion that some guitarists might say it is. Understanding the whole picture is the key. As it turns out, I was just another one of many guitarists who picked up the bass in unforeseen circumstances. Some of the best known guitarists-turned-bassists include Noel Redding, Paul McCartney, Tal Wilkenfeld, Walter Becker, Geezer Butler, and even one of the most prolific bassists in recording history, Carol Kaye. In this company, I’m happy to have accidentally become a bass player. For me, bass is not an afterthought—I regard myself as a reformed guitarist.
Wolfgang Van Halen thinks it’s a “miracle” Van Halen’s final album was even made
In recent years, Van Halen’s final record, A Different Kind of Truth, has faced its fair share of controversy. Most points of contention come from former frontman David Lee Roth, who has publicly slammed the 2012 release and allegedly even got the album pulled from streaming services between 2022 and 2024.
However, the slew of controversies hasn’t soured how the record feels to Wolfgang Van Halen. In a new interview with Noise11, the musician notes that A Different Kind of Truth was a “miracle” record that came together despite the odds.
- READ MORE: Wolfgang Van Halen admits he finds it “bittersweet” to play his father’s iconic Frankenstein guitar
A mishmash of new tunes and “earlier demos recorded in 2009”, A Different Kind of Truth certainly wasn’t an easy record to piece together. “It took a long time…” Wolfgang admits. “A lot of [the tracks] were rooted in original demo ideas that were never completed. We thought it was a great way of getting the band back into that mindset of how they used to write music.”
“The fact that that record happened at all, I think, is kind of a miracle,” he notes. “But we pulled it off.”
Despite the difficulties, Wolfgang notes that the experience of using the old demos in the studio was like planting a “little seed” to then grow the record from. And it was one of the only chances Wolfgang would have to make a record with his father, Eddie Van Halen.
“I’m glad I got to at least do that once with Dad, have that making-an-album [experience],” he explains. “It was fun. It was a lot of work and it took a lot of time, but I’m very happy with how we got it done.”
Of course, David Lee Roth will probably never see the “fun” in the record. Last February, Roth posted a now infamous YouTube video entitled ‘Family Therapy..’ sharing his views on the 2012 release. In it, the singer labels the release as ‘dead on arrival’, ‘a complete faceplant’ and a sign of Van Halen being ‘kicked to the curb’.
The post Wolfgang Van Halen thinks it’s a “miracle” Van Halen’s final album was even made appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Fender launches the American Professional Classic series, the new entry point to its USA-made lineup
Fender has unveiled the all-new American Professional Classic series, shifting the hierarchy of its USA-made product lineup.
The new range replaces the American Performer range, entering above the Mexico-made Player II line and below the American Professional II series, which launched in 2020. Thus, the American Professional Classic series sits as the new entry point to the brand’s American-made instruments.
The American Professional Classic series – which comprises nine instruments (six guitars and three basses) – is pitched to offer “reliability, versatility and performance at the highest level”, with the tagline: “Tested. Trusted. Night After Night.”
The result is a line of guitars which is deeply rooted in the tried-and-tested Fender blueprints, but with spec sheets geared towards the modern player, including a number of forward-thinking appointments, not least all-new Coastline pickups.
These new pickups are ever-so-slightly overwound, and based on the firm’s Pure Vintage models, for enhanced clarity, punch and dynamic expression, and for “Fender’s signature warmth and bite across every register”. Essentially, it’s classic Fender tone, but hotter.
Other key appointments include enhanced neck profiles – Modern C-shaped with rolled fingerboard edges for speed and playing comfort – as well as upgraded hardware, including vintage bridges and precision ClassicGear tuning heads for “rock-solid” tuning stability.
The line also comes in a curated selection of classic fender finishes, reimagined for modern players with fresh and vibrant options.
Specifically, there’s a classic triple-single-coil-loaded Stratocaster, HSS Strat, Telecaster, Hotshot Telecaster – a successor to the triple-pickup Nashville Telecaster – as well as a Jazzmaster and Jaguar. In the bass department, there’s a Precision Bass, Jazz Bass and a Mustang Bass.
“The American Professional Classic is all about delivering a great playing experience,” says Max Gutnik, Chief Product Officer at FMIC.
“We focused on every detail: from the all-new Coastline pickups, which offer clear, punchy tone across every register, to the Modern-‘C’ neck with rolled fingerboard edges that feels comfortably broken-in from day one.
“We combined vintage-inspired finishes and hardware with thoughtful upgrades like staggered ClassicGear
tuners, Mustang saddles on the offsets, and slotted Telecaster barrel saddles. The result is a guitar that’s easy to play, sounds incredible and adapts to any style or stage.”
Fender have tapped Baltimore hardcore outfit Turnstile to front the campaign. Check out the guitars in action during Turnstile live shows in the video below:
“When you’re in a different place constantly, sometimes the most familiar thing is the guitar that you bring every single night,” says Turnstile’s Pat McCrory.
“We look for something that sounds the same every time, sounds exactly how you want it, but also has versatility because spaces change. Sometimes you play outside, sometimes it sounds different, sometimes you play inside or there’s noise lighting. Having some durability but flexibility is very important.”
Pricing for the American Professional Classic series is as follows:
- American Professional Classic Stratocaster – £1,499 / $1,499
- American Professional Classic Stratocaster HSS – £1,549 / $1,549
- American Professional Classic Telecaster – £1,499 / $1,499
- American Professional Classic Hotshot Telecaster – £1,549 / $1,549
- American Professional Classic Jazzmaster – £1,599 / $1,599
- American Professional Classic Jaguar – £1,599 / $1,599
- American Professional Classic Precision Bass – £1,549 / $1,599
- American Professional Classic Jazz Bass – £1,549 / $1,599
- American Professional Classic Mustang Bass – £1,499 / $1,599
Learn more about the American Professional Classic series at Fender.
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Frank Zappa’s prized “Baby Snakes” SG is headed to auction – and could fetch $500,000
Frank Zappa’s legendary “Baby Snakes” SG – a heavily modded Gibson SG copy used extensively by the prog hero both onstage and in the studio – is headed to auction, and could fetch up to $500,000, according to some estimates.
Zappa first acquired the guitar from 19-year-old luthiery student Bart Nagel in July 1974, backstage at a show in Phoenix, Arizona. Prior to the sale, Nagel had replaced its neck for a three-piece mahogany neck, topped with a 23-fret ebony fingerboard with custom inlays.
After purchasing the guitar, Zappa gave it to luthier Rex Bogue for a series of mods to its electronics, like a custom onboard preamp with an 18dB boost and phase switching for a wider array of available tones.
According to Heritage Auctions, the auctioneer in charge of the lot, the guitar was used both onstage and in the studio, with one notable appearance being Frank Zappa’s Mike Douglas Show performance in 1976.
Bidding for the guitar will start at $300,000 on 5 December, and auctioneers are expecting the six-string to sell for a whopping half a million dollars.
“Hitting the market for the very first time, the ‘Baby Snakes’ SG is a true artifact of musical genius,” says Aaron Piscopo, Heritage’s Director of Vintage Guitars & Musical Instruments. “This guitar embodies the boundless intelligence, innovation, and creativity that defined Zappa’s career.”
“Deeply modified to suit Zappa’s avant-garde sonic explorations, the ‘Baby Snakes’ guitar was more than an instrument – it was a vehicle for innovation, experimentation, and artistic rebellion,” adds Heritage Auctions.
“With its ornate aesthetics, 23-fret neck, onboard preamp, and signature tone-shaping electronics, this is the guitar that helped define Zappa’s post-Mothers live sound.”
Learn more about Frank Zappa’s “Baby Snakes” SG at Heritage Auctions.
The post Frank Zappa’s prized “Baby Snakes” SG is headed to auction – and could fetch $500,000 appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
“People have a hard time understanding how unsurprising Bohemian Rhapsody was to us”: Brian May recalls people’s reactions to hearing Queen’s magnum opus for the first time
Bohemian Rhapsody exists in a world of its own. The 1975 track is bursting with piano-led confessions of murder, operatic might and one of the most iconic guitar solos of all time – but, if you ask Queen, there’s nothing particularly ground-breaking about it.
In a new interview with Classic Rock, guitarist Brian May reveals that, in the studio, Bohemian Rhapsody was just another standard Queen cut. “People have such a hard time understanding how unsurprising Bohemian Rhapsody was to us,” May says. “If you look as the first album, you’ve got My Fairy King, which is very complex and goes all over the place.”
Fans and peers alike were stunned by the intricacies of Bohemian Rhapsody; apparently producer Roy Thomas Baker laughed in shock when the eccentric Freddie Mercury explained his plan to include an operatic break in the track. But, with a strong back catalogue of absurdities, May wasn’t shocked by Mercury’s ambition.
In May’s opinion, March Of The Black Queen, which dropped a year earlier than Bohemian Rhapsody in 1974, is “way more complicated” than their stand-out hit. “[It was] on the second album, and it is enormously complicated. “So, Bohemian Rhapsody wasn’t a surprise to us” he explains. “It was just: ‘we’ll do another one of these things.’”
Drummer Roger Taylor was equally as comfortable with Bohemian Rhapsody’s unconventional structuring. “As we were constructing the opera bit, we were getting more and more wild,” he recalls. “‘Stick a bit more on, stick another bit in, it’ll all be fine when it gets to the heavy section.’ And it was.”
Despite the operatic sections being written by Mercury, who “knew nothing about opera”, the track was just another way of exploring the band’s musical potential. “We were planting our flag in the ground: ‘This is really us – it’s a bit mad but it’s got everything in it,’” Taylor explains.
While the pair admit they don’t know exactly what the track is about, with May noting “we never really asked each other about our lyrics”, the track continues to be a fan favourite. For that reason, it continues to be a staple for live shows – despite the fact May struggles to play it.
“It’s the most unnatural riff to play you could possibly imagine,” he admitted last year in a chat with Total Guitar. “It’s not a riff that a guitarist would naturally play… and that’s a double-edged sword.”
“It’s difficult for the guitar to get a hold of it, but once you have got hold of it, it’s very unusual,” he continues. “And to be honest, I still don’t find it easy! I can play it at home okay, but in the heat of the battle, when we’re playing it live, and there’s huge adrenaline, it’s the climax of the show and that riff comes along, it’s not the easiest thing to play.”
The post “People have a hard time understanding how unsurprising Bohemian Rhapsody was to us”: Brian May recalls people’s reactions to hearing Queen’s magnum opus for the first time appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
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