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MYSTERIOUS: 2 - What They Never Told You

“I turned up at George Martin’s office with a diabolically bad demo – but he could see there was something there”: How Jeff Beck’s Blow by Blow triumphed against the odds to change instrumental guitar forever

50 years on, Blow by Blow remains an inspirational force – a turning point for Beck and guitar-led music in general

Guitar World

“The solo he takes on that is one of the most perfectly crafted guitar solos ever. He's one of those players you can recognize right away. It's that distinct”: Grace Bowers names her favorite guitar player of all time

Bowers praises this icon's smooth phrasing and tone, which have captured the imagination of many of his successors

Guitar World

“Guitar World was putting together this CD... I thought, ‘Guitar players are gonna try to play the most mind-blowing shredding’… So I did an acoustic piece in DADGAD”: The Cars' Elliot Easton considers this lost gem to be one of his best performances

Walk On Walden stood out in comparison to Easton's previous work with the Cars, and especially in the context of the compilation in question. Not that this was an accident

Guitar World

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“It was very simplistic compared to my later compositions”: It may have been inspired by the Kinks, but Al Di Meola's Race with Devil on Spanish Highway is one of the great virtuoso displays in guitar history. Watch the maestro play it with Steve Vai

This intimate rehearsal clip shows the fretwork of both guitar legends up-close

Guitar World

“When we were little kids our dad would say, ‘Get your guitars and play for our guests.’ Someone would always say, ‘Maybe someday you can make a record together’”: Jimmie Vaughan on the only album he and Stevie Ray Vaughan ever made together

In 1990, the Vaughan brothers linked up in the studio to record Family Style, which was released weeks after SRV died

Guitar World

“It was just the best amp that I’d ever had in my collection. And it was so roadworthy. It did all those Led Zeppelin tours, and all the recordings”: Jimmy Page reveals his favorite amp, which did “flippin’ everything” throughout his career

Page’s affinity for his modded Marshall head stood the test of time – so much so that his boutique Sundragon amps are inspired by its unique tone

Guitar World

“When Guitar Player made its debut in 1967, it marked a new era for guitar”: Guitar Player magazine to cease print publication

The world's oldest continuously published magazine devoted to guitarists, guitar gear, and instruction, Guitar Player was instrumental to the careers of Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, and Yngwie Malmsteen, to name just a few examples

Guitar World

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“Grunge? I don’t know too many things where people are praised for having less skill”: The blazing story of Shrapnel Records, the 80s label that gave shred to the world

How guitar shredders Yngwie Malmsteen, Racer X, Cacophony and Richie Kotzen turned Shrapnel Records into the fastest label of the 80s

Louder

“As a player, I like to get down on my knees, turn delay knobs and make a bunch of noise. That does not work for Guns N’ Roses”: Dave Navarro on the time he turned down joining Guns N’ Roses

After Jane's Addiction split in the early 1990s, Navarro's six-string services were on the market. At the same time, GNR were also looking for a replacement for the outgoing Izzy Stradlin

Guitar World

“Fingerpicking came from not having an amplifier. After dad forked out for the guitar, I didn't have the nerve to ask him for one”: Mark Knopfler says the lack of a guitar amp growing up helped him develop his now-iconic fingerpicking style

Sensitivity to his family’s finances – as well as an exchange involving his sister and a tennis racket – helped Knopfler on the way to crafting his legendary approach to the guitar

Guitar World

“There isn’t much guitar at all for the first three tracks. Nobody gave me the memo about what a record should sound like”: How Steve Vai revolutionized guitar with his debut album, Flex-Able

Flex-Able was the sound of a young Steve Vai following his musical obsessions. That it changed everything for guitar – and Vai's career – was just a happy accident

Guitar World

“That was the biggest regret. I booked the helicopter, and I stopped at Richie Friedman’s We Buy Guitars and sold it”: Ace Frehley sold his 1959 Gibson Les Paul to fund a gambling trip

The former Kiss guitarist bought the guitar for $4,000 and sold it for $18,000 – but in today's market, it's estimated to be worth $350,000

Guitar World

“Dickey was larger than life, and his loss will be felt worldwide”: Dickey Betts, legendary co-founding guitarist of the Allman Brothers Band, has died aged 80

Betts developed one of the most distinct and influential guitar styles in the history of rock

Guitar World

“If you’re okay with what’s going on, the audience is too; and if you’re not okay with it, then they’re not”: Julian Lage shares some essential advice for solo guitarists

Don't be afraid to take a beat and tune up if you've got to. Do remember to try and enjoy the show. In a recent interview, Lage reveals what he learned from playing with Leo Kottke

MusicRadar

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Guitar World

“I got made fun of because I walked in proud with an Ibanez Blazer and a solid-state Crate amp”: Gary Clark Jr. says he was mocked at early club gigs for using entry-level shred guitar gear

The guitar hero says he soon learned that shred players were not welcomed at Austin’s esteemed blues venues

Guitar World

Remembering the guitarists we lost in 2023

We had to say goodbye to a staggering number of guitar geniuses this year. We salute those players and their contributions to the instrument

Guitar World

Game-changers, taste-makers and trend-setters: here are 2023's guitarists of the year

We tip our hats to the players that made 2023 such a defining year in guitar history – and whose achievements we'll be talking about in years to come

MusicRadar

5 songs guitarists need to hear by... Johnny Marr

The former Smiths guitarist is a generational talent, the player Noel Gallagher calls the GOAT, but what songs should players check out to get a handle on his style?

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