Guitarist Magazine

21/08/2026

The Smiths held their label to ransom until Johnny Marr got this guitar: “As soon as I got that back to the hotel, I wrote Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now in about 10 minutes”

Marr will be auctioning off his four-decade guitar collection next month, including a Gibson ES-355 that played a pivotal role in The Smiths’ repertoire

20/08/2026

Best tube amps 2026: unlock incredible tone with my pick of valve amplifiers for stage, studio or home

Plug into legendary dynamic response and organic warmth with my top-rated valve amplifiers for every budget and playing style

20/08/2026

See some of the world’s most historic guitars – including famous ’Bursts and T-Bone Walker’s 1949 ES-5N – at Denmark Street in London, played live and loud by some of Britain’s top guitarists, in an exclusive event from Guitarist.

On Wednesday 16 September, Chris Buck of Cardinal Black will be joined on stage at The Lower Third venue by Chris Turpin of Mirador, the hard-hitting rock band he co-fronts with Jake Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet.

Together, they will play a bevy of Holy Grail vintage guitars – many of which made rock history in the hands of players such as the Stones’ Mick Taylor.

There will also be a special presentation of vintage Rickenbackers by guitar historian Martin Kelly, the author of Rickenbacker Guitars: Out of the Frying Pan Into The Fireglo, and Richard Barrett, Guitarist’s resident virtuoso.

For tickets & more info, see link in comments.

18/08/2026

Chris Buck and Mirador guitarist Chris Turpin team up to showcase some of the world’s most historic guitars at exclusive London event

Famous ’Bursts and T-Bone Walker’s 1949 ES-5N – the guitar that gave birth to electric blues – are among the legendary instruments set to feature

16/08/2026

“They’re so scarce. Fender only made 200 and the majority of them have been monkeyed with”: The Stratocaster was in constant flux during its first year of production – and these two 1954 models prove it

We take a closer look at a pair of Strats that might share a birthday but have quite different sounds and specs, as Fender was evolving the design in real-time when it launched in ’54

16/08/2026

“A very versatile wah pedal that has you covered for whatever style of music you play”: Dunlop Cry Baby BB535 Reissue review

First seen in 1994, updated in 1999 and reissued in 2026, Dunlop’s Cry Baby now comes with even more versatility

15/08/2026

“One of the most impressive designs we’ve encountered in quite a while”: Valiant Mercury Distressed review

A guitar built in Ukraine that nods to the familiar yet brims with ideas to set it apart from the mundane

15/08/2026

How rhythm and lead techniques can combine for the ultimate blues solo – especially in a trio

This lesson presents an improvised blues solo as a launchpad for your own improv

11/08/2026

“Scratches the Dumble itch without a rockstar’s budget”: VHT D-20 Tube Amplifier Head review

VHT attempts to emulate the much-vaunted Dumble sound with this moderately priced all-tube amp

11/08/2026

“Every artist that has played it goes crazy about it – it has been owned by two legends for a reason”: Up close with the Les Paul Custom that both Paul Kossoff and Eric Clapton owned

Dubbed the ‘Fretless Wonder’, the Les Paul Custom waltzed onto the scene in 1954. This particular mid-’50s model found its way into the hands of two guitar heroes