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Calling all Iron Maiden fans – you can now get your hands on the signature Iron Maiden x Dunlop Cry Baby wah pedal that launched earlier this year at The NAMM Show for less.

Now reduced to £169 at Thomann as part of its Guitar Day deals for a limited time only, fans and collectors alike can own the crucial wah tone used across the band’s landmark Killers album from 1981, which is certified Gold in both the US and UK.

• READ MORE: The best picks for electric guitar and acoustic guitar, from Jim Dunlop, Fender, Ibanez and more

The pedal has a rather cool design on its face, featuring none other than the band’s skeletal mascot, Eddie, taken right from the Killers album artwork. It also features the Killers title in the same font it appears in on the album’s cover, while the band’s logo runs along the side of the unit.

At the time of its release earlier this year, Metallica’s Kirk Hammett was one of the first artists to get his hands on the pedal. He shared a video to Instagram opening the pedal, in which you can also get a glimpse of its packaging – also worthy of display.

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Beneath its Iron Maiden design and fittingly metal exterior, the pedal itself is essentially the classic GCB95 Cry Baby Standard Wah. Find out more and get a better look in the short video below:

Iron Maiden were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, five whole decades after their debut. But interestingly, the band haven’t felt like making much of a fuss about it.

Speaking to Metal Hammer in June, bassist Steve Harris and frontman Bruce Dickinson made it clear that while they’re grateful for the recognition, it’s never been something they’ve spent much time thinking about.

Harris said, “It’s never really bothered me one way or the other, because awards aren’t what we do this for. But in a weird way I’m glad it’s happened so the Americans will stop banging on about it. To me, if you get offered something, you say, ‘Thank you very much.’ But did I lose sleep over getting it or not getting it? No.”

Shop the Iron Maiden CryBaby pedal at Thomann now.

The post Unlock the crucial wah tone of Iron Maiden’s Killers album with this discounted signature Cry Baby pedal appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

It’s the stuff dreams are made of. Just months ago, 16-year-old Rattikarn Amloy was a relatively unknown guitar player. But following an audition on the 2026 season of America’s Got Talent – during which she performed a blistering cover of Cranberries classic Zombie – her life changed forever.

Performing as Nene Royal, the guitar sensation – who originally hails from Phuket, Thailand – stormed her way through the competition, dazzling audiences and the nation with covers of Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun, The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army and Muse’s Hysteria, and even joining Linkin Park themselves for a performance of their track The Emptiness Machine, before going on to win the entire show last week.

Yep, Amloy is just 16 years of age and she’s already achieved success most musicians only dream of. But she’s just getting started. In fact, her whirlwind story continues, as she’s been invited to open for one of metal’s biggest bands, Avenged Sevenfold, for their upcoming Singapore show on 13 October.

• READ MORE: Guitar legend John Mayer is playing six nights at the Las Vegas Sphere – here’s everything you need to know

In the past few months, she’s gained considerable experience performing to large audiences – not to mention millions viewing from home. But opening for A7X, one of her favourite bands? The pressure’s on…

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Speaking to Metal Hammer in a new interview, the guitarist explains how she landed the gig to open for Avenged. “The managers in Singapore text me: ‘Oh, I hear you wanna play with Avenged Sevenfold?’” she recalls.

“I was like, ‘Yeah!’ They said, ‘Well, Avenged Sevenfold want you to support them.’ They asked for me, ‘Do you wanna do it?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah!’”

As for her feelings in the runup to the show, she confesses she’s both excited and scared in equal measure.

“It’s my first time playing support to Avenged Sevenfold, so I was like, ‘I’m scared!’ And I’m going to play in front of how many? 40,000!”

Elsewhere in the interview, the Royal reveals she had no idea she was going to perform with Linkin Park before doing so during the AGT final. “I was practising on my own. I thought I was going to play alone,” she says. “But when I practised, a cameraman just came in, and then Linkin Park came in. I was like, ‘What’s going on?!’ I don’t know if Linkin Park are just gonna come and take a video, some shot, that’s all. But actually, [they] say, ‘We’re gonna join together onstage,’ and I was like, ‘There’s no way!’ My dream’s come true.”

You can catch Nene Royal opening for Avenged Sevenfold on 13 October at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets are available via the Avenged Sevenfold website.

The post “I’m going to play in front of how many? 40,000?!”: America’s Got Talent winner Nene Royal on being invited to open for Avenged Sevenfold appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

One of the coolest guitar releases of the year so far – hell, in recent memory – was the spate of limited-edition PRS Silver Skys outfitted in classic Land Rover Defender colourways launched last earlier this month.

It marked the announcement of an unexpected partnership between the guitar maker and Jaguar Land Rover, driven chiefly by the Silver Sky’s namesake John Mayer’s love of the legendary SUV. 

The collab consists of eight Silver Sky models boasting Defender finishes: four USA-made ones sporting classic Defender colourways like Arles Blue and Sandglow Yellow, and four SE models wearing some more contemporary finishes, like Petra Copper and Woolstone Green.

Credit: PRS

And a big part of the collaboration for Mayer was ensuring those with more SE-adjacent budgets weren’t being shortchanged in terms of the look of the guitars in comparison to the more expensive USA-made models.

• READ MORE: Guitar legend John Mayer is playing six nights at the Las Vegas Sphere – here’s everything you need to know

In a new interview with Guitar World following the launch, the guitar maestro – who has also just announced a huge six-night residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, his second stint at the venue after a lengthy residency with Dead & Company in 2024 and 2025 – explains why it was important to make sure the more budget-friendly Silver Sky Defenders also looked the part.

Notably, the SE models – which despite their limited run are priced at a reasonable £799 apiece – are the first Silver Skys to feature a highly requested black pickguard.

“It’s almost like the first appearance of Wolverine. Everyone’s waiting for it,” Mayer says. “I think it’s interesting that it makes its appearance on the SE line as opposed to just having it trickle down from the Core line.”

“I thought it was nice to give something to the SE,” he continues. “When I was growing up, the more accessible guitar got punished for being more accessible. I learned a lot from the SE.

Credit: PRS

“I originally had the idea like, ‘Oh, you tier it.’ Then guitar lovers of the world spoke to me. I learned that some people are going to have an SE forever. It doesn’t have to be a consolation and someday you’ll work your way up. That’s when I thought, ‘There should be a little bit to separate the lines.’”

It is, indeed, common for guitar companies to separate colourway options for their differently priced guitar lines, and some argue that the more aesthetically pleasing colours tend to be available on more expensive models. But that was the opposite of Mayer’s approach to the Defender collaboration.

“Teaming up with Defender to offer the Silver Sky guitar in their legendary 4×4 colors is a dream come true,” said Mayer, a keen Defender enthusiast, when the collab was announced. 

“I’ve always chosen colourways based on objects and materials that inspire me in the world, and as a collector and lover of Defenders, this collaboration is the perfect crossover between two great passions of mine.”

Learn more about the new limited-edition Silver Sky Defender guitars at PRS.

The post John Mayer thinks big guitar makers have “punished” affordable guitars by making them look worse than expensive ones appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

[Editor’s note: Guitar Center caters to US customers. If you’re reading from elsewhere, you’ll be shown similar deals.]

Guitar Center is currently offering up to 30 percent off a range of popular gear across its website, all thanks to its big Guitar-A-Thon event.

Running right now all the way through 7 October 2026, you can save on guitars from Fender, Epiphone, Squier, and even on a range of popular pedals too. 

• READ MORE: Want to test the prototype from Guitar Center’s new in-house guitar brand? Here’s how you can

If you’re new to guitar, or perhaps you’re looking to upgrade your rig, then we’ve found some great deals to help you out. We’ve rounded up some of the best highlights for players of all tastes and abilities below.

Fender Player II

Get up to 30 percent off on a range of Fender Player II models, including GC exclusive models such as the Fender Player II Telecaster in British Racing Green (now $679.99), Fender Player II Stratocaster HSS Plus Top in Blue Burst (now $650.99), and the Fender Player II Stratocaster HSS in Ocean Turquoise (now $622.99) – just to name a few.

Epiphone Les Pauls 

Epiphone offers a range of Les Paul models for a more accessible price point than your typical Gibson models, but with even more savings on top, you can really grab a bargain. Most of these discounted models are also GC exclusives, with some particularly spectacular finishes. Get a Les Paul Modern Pro model in Wine Red for $499 or a Les Paul Custom Quilt model in Cobra Burst for $649.

Credit: Guitar Center

Squier starter kits

Perfect for beginner players of all ages, Squier guitars make for a great starting point, and these discounted packs come with everything you need to get learning. For just under $300, you can get a Stratocaster in either Arctic White or Sonic Blue, with a compact Squier Frontman 10G amplifier, a gig bag, instrument cable, plus a strap and picks.

Save on big-brands across pedals 

In need of a new distortion pedal? Obsessing on the idea of an overdrive? Grab a colourful BOSS Super Overdrive or Distortion pedal with a matching colour-coordinated cable included, now for $69.99 each, discounted from $99.99.

You can also save on further pedals such as an MXR EVH 5150 Bumblebee Overdrive, now down to $199.99, the ProCo RAT2 for $88, and many more, as well as deals on pedalboards and accompanying cases.

Credit: Guitar Center

To view all Guitar-A-Thon deals, head over to the Guitar Center website.

The post Need a new guitar? Pining for a pedal? Get 30% off loads of gear goodies with Guitar Center’s Guitar-A-Thon appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$999/£999, martinguitar.com

The world of bluegrass flat-picking acoustic guitar is in rude health at the moment, as a new generation is elevating and propagating the form to new audiences and new levels – from Billy Strings and Trey Hensley, to Chris Eldridge and Cody Kilby, and many others.

• READ MORE: Martin Road Series DC-13E Modern review: a stunning cutaway Dreadnought aimed at contemporary players

And then there’s Molly Tuttle. The 33-year-old Californian is a two-time IBMA guitar player of the year and back-to-back winner of the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album, and was even nominated in its hugely prestigious Best New Artist category in 2023. That’s an honour shared in recent years by everyone from Noah Kahan and Gracie Abrams, to Ice Spice and Chappell Roan.

All of which to say is that Tuttle is not just a flatpicking guitarist of rare talent, but one whose artistry is crossing the floor to bring a whole new audience into the realm of bluegrass and Americana.

As is usually the case with flatpickers, Tuttle has been a great exponent of the Martin dreadnought throughout her career, and so it makes all the sense in the world that Martin would honour her not just with one signature model, but two. There’s a fancy Nazareth-made D-18 for the well-heeled ($4,199.99), but interestingly also a more affordable Mexico-made version, we’re looking at the latter.

What is it?

The DX-2E Molly Tuttle is, like its US-made sibling, inspired by Tuttle’s most beloved and cherished Martin: a 1943 D-18. The most notable thing that sets it apart from a regular X Series dreadnought is the neck profile, which is a fast, comfortable 1940s carve with the same 1 11/16″ nut width. This 1941 carve has a soft V to it, and unlike most of the X Series guitars, it has a standard taper, so it doesn’t get narrower as you move up the neck.

The other striking differences are mainly cosmetic – the spruce top is finished with a lovely vintage sunburst, while the satin-finished HPL back and sides have a vintage mahogany pattern. The ebony fingerboard features a faux abalone and pearl custom Moon Phase pattern on it, and you also get a silver logo on the headstock, plus a set of open-gear tuners with custom oval buttons.

Otherwise, it’s pretty much the same as a standard Martin DX-2E – with a solid top, HPL back and sides, a select hardwood neck, and Martin E-1 electronics. You also get a plush Martin-branded gig bag.

Image: Press

Build and playability

Upon pulling the guitar out of the aforementioned gig bag, the aesthetics of Tuttle’s DX-2E really grabbed my attention. The satin-finished top with its vintage sunburst gives a very ‘old’ vibe, and sat on a guitar stand across from my desk, it really does look like a pre-war Martin, at first glance at least. The more rounded shape of the headstock compared to a modern Martin, combined with those open-gear tuners, really does change the vibe of the guitar and make it seem more classic and worn in – a nice touch.

Picking it up, and on close inspection I’m less taken with the lack of binding – a feature common to all X Series but one that really does make the guitar feel less premium. I understand that there are likely cost and range-differentiation reasons behind this (the Road Series exists after all!) but on a signature model like this, especially one that costs $200 more than a regular DX-2E, it’s a shame to have the illusion broken so easily.

Because when you play the thing, it’s very easy to forget that you are in fact playing an X Series, because this satin-finished 1941 neck is an absolute superstar. I’ve played a few pre-war Martins, and you can tell the care and attention that’s gone into getting this profile and feel just right. When I closed my eyes, I really could tell myself I was playing a 1940s guitar.

What’s more, in contrast to say, the slimmer nut of the Billy Strings model that seemed more readily designed for bluegrass picking at speed, the fingerboard here feels like a nice, accommodating middle ground that will suit any playing style. It’s something that the original 40s Martin dreadnoughts did so well, and it’s very impressive that the company has recreated it here.

Image: Press

Sounds

It might be damning the DX-2E with faint praise to say that it sounds like a standard Martin dreadnought, but in truth that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be. It’s absolutely not going to trick my ears into thinking that it’s a 1940s guitar in the way it fooled my eyes and hands, but this is a sub-$1,000 guitar we’re dealing with here, c’mon!

What it offers is a powerful, strident voice that’s warm and subtle, and I do notice a bit more treble and mid-frequency bite than a typical Martin dread, which is all rather pleasant.

Plugged into an amplifier, I found the E-1 system to be very usable and effective – it does a nice job of replicating the unplugged sound. The subtle soundhole controls are really handy in the heat of battle, as is the onboard tuner, which looks up at you from inside the bottom of the soundhole. Some may not love what it does to the aesthetics of the guitar, but I like how the E-1 system’s battery is stowed behind a flip-up plastic cover around the strap button – it’s a lot easier than fishing around the guitar for a velcro’d battery inside!

Image: Press

Should I buy one?

This is another really impressive Mexico-made signature model from Martin – the Navojoa team is doing some really fantastic work right now, and we’re seeing the best of it in how they’re being entrusted with artist guitars like these.

The great thing about this guitar in particular is how much of a great all-rounder it is – that neck is one of the finest Martin carves I’ve felt outside of the Nazareth factory, and you can tell it’s put a lot of time and effort into nailing the playability and feel of Tuttle’s guitar.

It’s a shame that the aesthetic appointments let things down somewhat, but the thing about looks is that they’re subjective – and the rest of the package far outstrips its price tag.

Alternatives

The regular D-X2E ($/£749) doesn’t have the wonderful neck of the Tuttle version, but it’s still a fine guitar for a lot less money. The other signature guitar in the X Series is the D-X2E Billy Strings ($949) and is another fine guitar that’s more ready to shred. Taylor’s Academy 10E ($799) is another quality Mexico-made dreadnought for not a lot of money.

The post Martin D-X2E Molly Tuttle review: “if I closed my eyes, I really could tell myself I was playing a 1940s guitar” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Over the years, guitars played by Eric Clapton have commanded some eye-watering price tags at the auction block. Just last year, among the vast guitar collection of late billionaire and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay lay Clapton’s SG, the Fool, which ended up fetching just over $3 million at auction.

Indeed, Clapton’s guitars have a long history of earning vast sums of money; in a 2004 auction at Christie’s in New York, the guitarist’s Cherry Red 1964 Gibson ES-335 – which he played during Cream’s last show at the Royal Albert Hall in 1968, and was recently remade as an Epiphone Inspired by Gibson model – sold for $847,500 (just over $1.5 million in today’s money, per usinflationcalculator.com).

• READ MORE: Buddy Guy’s 90th birthday concert – featuring Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Joe Bonamassa among a stacked contingent of blues elite – will be livestreamed on pay-per-view
  

The star of that 2004 auction, though, was Clapton’s black Fender Stratocaster, nicknamed “Blackie”. That one sold to Guitar Center for $959,500 (approximately $1.7 million in today’s money). It was the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction at the time. That figure was eclipsed quite significantly last year, though, by another black Strat belonging to David Gilmour, which fetched a staggering world-record $14,550,000.

The guitars at Clapton’s 2004 Christie’s auction were sold off to support his Crossroads Centre in Antigua, a substance-abuse rehabilitation centre which supports recovery from alcohol and drug addiction.

Clapton – a former alcoholic and drug addict himself – continues to champion the importance of his Crossroads organisation, and recently held the 2026 Crossroads Guitar Festival with proceeds benefitting the Crossroads Centre.

Though he admits it was ultimately the right decision to sell off some of his most prized instruments for a good cause, he jokes in a new interview with Guitar Center that it was a “big, big mistake” letting go of Blackie and his Cream-era 335.

“When the auction was going on, I had to constantly keep [reminding] myself: ‘This is your purpose. You are an alcoholic and if you don’t stay sober, you won’t be able to help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. So this is all for that purpose. Crossroads is for that purpose. So I’m out [disproportionately] obsessed with the survival of that place.”

“So these things, as sacred as they are, they have to be given away – sacrificed. That’s my thing – I really need to keep Crossroads alive, if I can.” 

He continues: “My primary purpose is to stay sober, and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. That’s above me being a musician or a husband or a father. It’s the number one thing.”

Elsewhere, Clapton speaks on the transformative power of musical instruments. “It’s the most reliable source of inspiration, salvation, if you like,” he says.

“If you’re in a bad place, and you pick up a guitar, there’s a strong chance you’ll get out of that. You’ll transcend whatever the problem is… They’re very sacred things to me, these guitars.”

Watch the full clip below:

The post Eric Clapton says he made a “big, big mistake” auctioning off his legendary “Blackie” Stratocaster appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

After partnering with Taylor last year to launch two new signature five-string acoustic guitars, musical mastermind Jacob Collier has now teamed up with D’Addario on a new set of strings “engineered specifically” to support the symmetrical D-A-E-A-D tuning used on the guitars.

A musician who’s anything but ordinary, Jacob Collier found his voice in a five-string guitar 10 years ago. “In 2016, I figured out a way for the guitar to make sense to me – it was by ripping one of the strings off a six-string guitar and leaving only five,” he told Guitar.com 2024.

“And I tuned it in a very unusual way. I did this for the first time on the day of a gig, and then I played it on the gig, which was a very funny experience.”

• READ MORE: “My job is to imagine things worth existing, and then making them real as an artist”: Jacob Collier is championing a new way to play guitar
  

That love of five-strings reached a high point in 2025 when Collier launched, alongside Taylor Guitars, an Academy 22e and GS Mini.

Hand-picked by Taylor CEO Andy Powers, Collier’s new Specialty XS Phosphor Bronze String Set is designed for these signature guitars, with a custom .012-.053 gauge range optimised for D-A-E-A-D tuning. The wound strings in the set feature an ultra-thing XS film coating, while the plain steel strings feature a unique polymer treatment for “maximum corrosion resistance and extended tone life”.

And if that wasn’t enough, the strings are launching alongside a new D’addario Jacob Collier Signature Vegan Guitar Strap, which features colourful custom artwork reflecting Collier’s vibrant aesthetic.

“An artist’s voice isn’t something you find; it’s already there, like the Michelangelo quote: ‘Remove what’s not the sculpture, and the sculpture was there all along,’” says Collier.

“Trying to find my voice led me to fall in love with the five-string guitar. For me, it’s important that a string has a lot of life to it. D’Addario strings embody that – they are made with incredible care and attention to detail.”

He continues: “There is a miraculous tone and sublime feel to these D’Addario strings. This set was handpicked by Taylor’s own Andy Powers to balance the tension, feel, and pitch accuracy of this symmetric five-string tuning that forms the backbone of my custom Taylor guitar models.”

The 12-53 Jacob Collier Taylor 5-String Set and Signature Vegan Strap are both available now via D’Addario.com.

The post D’Addario launches five-string set designed for the Jacob Collier’s signature five-string Taylor guitars appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Guitar.com Magazine is back this week – here’s how you can get the September/October 2026 issue, which comes as part of a bundle with NME Magazine.

So far, the relaunched print edition of Guitar.com Magazine has had Mateus Asato, Yvette Young, Jacob Collier and Grace Bowers grace the cover. This Thursday, the fifth Guitar.com Magazine will launch. Mark your calendars for October 1 at 2pm BST – that’s when the cover star will be revealed and when this issue will go on sale exclusively via retailer Dawsons. If you’d like a sneak peek at the issue, solve the mini crossword in the waiting room, which is open now.

Subscribe here for more information about the Guitar.com Magazine and for the chance to receive an exclusive queue jump opportunity, where readers can get their hands on a copy before anyone else. Guitar.com will be sending out queue jump tickets shortly before the magazine goes on sale to randomly chosen subscribers.

The post Here’s how you can get the Guitar.com September/October 2026 issue appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

“It’s actually annoying how long we’ve been working on this music for,” Joe Langridge-Brown quips from the other side of a Zoom call, the heads of a couple Fender and Gibson guitars poking out from behind his head. The Nothing But Thieves guitarist is talking from his London home about the band’s fifth studio album Stray Dogs, out 25 September, before bandmate and fellow guitarist Dom Craik pops up on screen too.

• READ MORE: How Fairlane Guitars built a brand beloved by some of the coolest artists on the planet

“This record was built for live,” continues Langridge-Brown, “which we’ve never really done before. We started [lead single] Evolution in March, I think, and we’ve been keeping an eye on how we want to tour it from the beginning, which has taken a long time. But I’m looking forward to it.”

“It’s a long time living with music, but it’s time for the world to have it,” adds Craik.

Ten years after debuting with a critically-acclaimed self-titled album, Nothing But Thieves found themselves back where it started in Angelic Studios. Three other albums had passed since the rock quintet returned to record Stray Dogs, but this record won’t try anything experimental. The writing process was based on what the band sounds like live – allowing the five-piece to dissect footage of themselves to compose new material that feels… bespoke. Like a tailored suit. For an album themed around familiarity, community and togetherness, they’ve quite literally stuck to what they know.

“To be totally honest, Angelic is an amazing studio,” says Langridge-Brown. “It’s for residency so you go and stay there for a few weeks, and there aren’t many of those in the UK, so we love it there. But it also just made sense. We’re referencing something that harnesses how we sound, and there’s also the subject matter being about our lives and community, so it felt right to go back somewhere we were familiar with.”

Image: Steve Gullick

True Path

For a seasoned outfit like Nothing But Thieves, every album is a stylised foothold on the journey to their true identity. 2023’s Dead Club City turned tables with a riskier route down a pop-tinted road, for example, with experimentally layered tracks and a lot more groove than fans were used to. But 2020’s Moral Panic leaned into girthy guitar and streaky choruses which, judging by the album’s angst and self-assuredness, felt like the band’s ultimate comfort zone.

“I do think the Foo Fighters stuff is in our DNA,” says Langridge-Brown, coming from his own perspective when a comparison is made between Stray Dogs and the shredded gnarliness of Dave Grohl’s rock megastars. “I listened to Wasting Light in the car for about two years every single day, and I don’t think that’ll ever leave. But in terms of other references in the guitar tones, either consciously or subconsciously, there’s probably a bit of Smashing Pumpkins and early nineties stuff in there. Pearl Jam too, which is kind of grunge, but with incredible guitars and some progressive stuff as well.”

“It’s quite interesting because it’s not like we sit down at the start and go, ‘Well, what’s the palette of the guitar tones?’”, says Craik. “Often the song comes first, and we try to shape the guitar tones around Connor [Mason’s] voice. Sometimes the heavier the guitar tones, the more challenging it can be. We’re almost steered by trying to accommodate Connor’s vocal and the song best.But there were those touch points like Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, the rawer nineties and the grunge stuff.

“There are always guitar tones that we take inspiration from, like Radiohead, as I’m sure a lot of bands do,” he continues, “just because of the variety and level of experimentation that they always do. There’s an endless pool of sonics to dive into there, so that’s something that we try and incorporate. But when we were writing this record, it was quite fun because we hadn’t really experimented with this wall of fuzz guitar sound before, and that gave Joe and I an opportunity to dig out some pedals, old and new, and plug those in to see how we could make it work with our sound.”

The Fast Lane

Talking of old and new, there were a few other changes this time round for Craik and Langridge-Brown, most notably their introduction to South London boutique builder Fairlane Guitars. The pair were approached by Fairlane – who you can read all about in their recent Guitar.com cover story – before they started using the brand’s flagship Zephyr.

“Reuben just approached me and said, ‘Look, I’ve got some guitars; would you like to try one?’”, chuckles Craik at the memory. “And I couldn’t believe this thing, it was unbelievable. It’s like an inverted Firebird body with a mastery bridge and a Fender scale length. It’s not anything too crazy, but the build quality is unreal, and they have these Monty’s handwound pickups which are just, again, unbelievable.”

The quirky Zephyr was so mesmerising that it became a feature on almost every Stray Dogs track. And it’ll likely feature pretty heavily on tour, too. “I remember when we started writing, we’d play just one chord and the boys were like meerkats at the back of the room,” Craik continues, grinning wide. “Their ears pricked up. And it’s one of those guitars that sounds like something new, so it was hard not to put it on everything. I think it might be on every song in one way or another. It’s just a beast of a guitar.”

The band’s something old, if you like, had to be all the other gear; the amps and pedals and speakers they’ve used for decades gone by whilst getting to grips with their identity. Stray Dogs might be decorated by a few shiny ornaments like the Fairlane Zephyr, but it’s those same sturdy foundations that give it a touching thrill of familiarity.

“This album was asking us to delve into all the gear that we’ve collected over the last decade and the new bits that we’ve been acquiring and not only learn them, but try and find new applications for them,” says Craik. “We were using a lot of sixties Fender Bassmans – we had a black and a silver one, which were both amazing. But I was also slowly getting to grips with the sound of different speakers: the difference between a 10-, 12-, and even a 15-inch speaker, which I know is quite unusual. But by the end of the process, I was able to dial in amp tones pretty quickly. It was definitely like going to the gym, though; it took a while to warm up.”

Image: Steve Gullick

Playground Games

With the right gear, the writing process in the studio becomes a playground for inspiration. “That’s what’s so exciting as a guitarist,” says Langridge-Brown. “When you pick up a guitar and it makes you play something that you’ve not played before, or you put a pedal in the chain and it comes out as something completely new. When we were travelling in the US, I picked up this 12-string Strat and that made me think in a different way. There’s a song called Number Five on the record which has this chorus-y 12-string sound on it and I think that was a change in the arrangement that we didn’t initially have. So, it’s always fun as a guitarist to pick up a piece of gear and be like, ‘What can I make of this?’”

But there’s trouble with a project harnessing too much familiarity; it gets too comfortable, even a little stale. A few fresh perspectives on gear and a couple different tricks up sleeves might not be enough to salvage it. But Stray Dogs is crisp. It’s a record evolved from the past – for sure – but it’s emboldened and vitalised by nuanced songwriting and pulsing vigour that’s, to be honest, pretty palpable. It’s fresh because Nothing But Thieves have themselves as their muse. There are sly winks of Foo Fighters and Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam if you claw back the thick, wiry layers of raw guitar power, but those guys aren’t the blueprint.

“It’s a weird balance where you’re trying to make a guitar-based record that isn’t cliche,” agrees Langridge-Brown. “It’s nineties-influenced, but you don’t want to come out with a record that feels like it belongs in the nineties. It’s got to have another added part of the conversation.

“You could look at our pedal boards now,” he continues. “I’m using this Chase Bliss Preamp MKII, which is a really posh distortion preamp, but with a RAT pedal. Those things together – even the order you put those pedals in – creates something completely new. And that’s one of the fun parts of the job, playing around with the sound and getting to call it a living.”

Reference Points

In truth, we’re moving through a period of reference culture where every art form has a standard of success. We’ve seen the best of what’s come before us, and it still stands up today – so how do you recreate the same effect without copying the past? “There’s a David Mitchell quote which is about culture eating and re-eating itself,” says Craik. “It’s about regurgitating anything that was good in the first place. It’s funny, because there’s definitely a bit of an eighties resurgence and the nineties has definitely been the ‘in’ thing. Whether we fell into that was definitely by accident, but we’ve always been inspired by the nineties, and it’s no bad thing for guitar music, especially in the UK, to be having a real moment. But it never goes anywhere.”

As Craik speaks, Langridge-Brown is in his own world of contemplation. “I think the David Mitchell quote Dom’s talking about is the human centipede of music,” he begins. “I think that’s where the magic is. There’s a song called Baby Kool on this record and a reason why it’s one of my favourites is because you have two worlds that are really the antithesis of each other. There’s a glam verse, and then there’s this nineties grungy chorus. If you just made a record that’s derivative of the nineties, that’s less appealing.”

Craik nods, adding: “Taking the best bits of multiple facets of genres – that’s the sweet spot. It’s hard to do, but when we land on it, something magical happens.”

Now that the album’s finally out, the biggest thing left to do – and perhaps the most important thing all along – is tour. And it’s the largest headline tour Nothing But Thieves have ever done, so it’s going to be huge.

“We’ve been doing a bunch of rehearsals, making sure the tone is bang on and making everything feel as powerful as possible, translated best from the record,” says Craik.

“At the heart of the record,” adds Langridge-Brown, “it’s us playing in a room with that simplicity of what makes a band good – without the bells and whistles. We’ve just got to give it the best version of itself live.”

Stray Dogs is out now.

The post “The Foo Fighters stuff is in our DNA”: Nothing But Thieves on reference culture, musing on their past and falling in love with Fairlane Guitars appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Hold on to your hats, as guitar maestro and all-round six-string heartthrob John Mayer has just announced a six-night residency at the Las Vegas Sphere for 2027.

Mayer will take to the stage at the much-talked-about spherical venue on 8, 10, 11, 15, 17 and 18 April 2027, with each night split into three distinct sections: a solo set, a section where Mayer performs alongside his full backing band, and finally a segment with the John Mayer Trio, which also features bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan. The residency also marks the John Mayer Trio’s first live shows since 2017.

Of course, it won’t be the first time John Mayer takes to the stage inside the Sphere, after a hugely successful and lengthy residency with Dead & Company in 2024 and 2025.

• READ MORE: PRS Silver Sky x Land Rover Defender: an unlikely collaboration that goes kinda hard

And Mayer’s long shown his praise of the Sphere as a venue and how it facilitates “big league” bands putting on their best show.

“I think what we all love is that there’s finally once again a live-music space race,” he said in 2024. “There’s the social-media space race, the podcast space race, the AI space race. But live music pretty much stayed the same for such a long time.”

“I think this is the first time in a long time where we feel kind of honoured to be a part of something that’s so culturally right up in everyone’s view,” he added. “We’re all sort of like, how cool is this?”

So while his Sphere experience to date has been limited to Dead & Company shows, expect to hear Mayer’s biggest hits like Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, Gravity and Your Body Is a Wonderland when he returns to the venue next year.

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The announcement comes on the heels of a new collaboration between John Mayer and Jaguar Land Rover, which saw a limited drop of both his signature SE and USA-made Silver Skys outfitted in classic colourways seen on the car maker’s legendary Defender SUV. Will he take a couple for a spin during his Sphere shows? We’d put money on it…

John Mayer marks the latest high-profile artist to play a residency at the Las Vegas Sphere. So far, the venue has seen residencies from the likes of Eagles, Dead & Company, U2 and electronic artist Anyma, while Metallica are scheduled to begin their Life Burns Faster residency from 1 October.

John Mayer at the Sphere – how to get tickets

Tickets for John Mayer’s Sphere residency start at $129, with Artist Presale beginning on Wednesday, 7 October at 10AM PT. A SiriusXM presale will also begin on 8 October, followed by general public on sale from 9 October at 10AM PT. Limited VIP packages will also be available from 30 September.

Learn more at johnmayer.com.

The post Guitar legend John Mayer is playing six nights at the Las Vegas Sphere – here’s everything you need to know appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

As a guitarist, have you ever felt not particularly motivated to practice? You’re not alone – in fact, you’re in the company of Radiohead lead guitarist and all-round six-string legend Jonny Greenwood, who confesses in a new interview that he hasn’t always been totally disciplined when it comes to guitar practice.

Greenwood – who also plays guitar in The Smile, a three-piece also featuring his Radiohead bandmate Thom Yorke – tells The Independent [via NME] that while he’s now “hooked” on guitar practice, that wasn’t always the case in the early days of Radiohead.

• READ MORE: How Jackson and Charvel broke new ground for Sleep Token’s double signature models: and created 2026’s biggest artist launch

“I will sit and play guitar every day now,” he explains. “It’s funny. It’s something I kind of never wanted to do. I used to distrust any sort of fluidity and think that was somehow part of that thing of technical playing. But now I just feel different about it. And it feels lucky that my fingers do these things.

“I’ve got a certain facility with it, so I’ve decided to accept it, and have realised that I really love playing the guitar.”

Despite helping pen some of British rock music’s most enduring hits alongside Radiohead, Greenwood admits he “always felt like a clumsy guitar player” who was “always lazy”.

“Now, just through repetition, I’ve got hooked,” he adds. “I’ve just got addicted and want to play all the time.”

Radiohead reunited last year to embark on a tour of the UK and Europe, their first shows since 2018. While the reunion led some fans to speculate about new material from the Oxfordshire five-piece, we’ve not heard anything to suggest new music is planned or on the way.

Speaking to The Times in February, Jonny Greenwood reflected that “it was great to revisit songs” on tour, but that he “found it strange not to be doing anything new”.

“I guess we are all doing new music elsewhere now so that’s where our creative energies are going.”

Asked about the possibility of a new album from the band, he replied, “I’ve no idea. I mean, I’m surprised that the tour actually happened and that we all enjoyed it so much. But venues get booked so far in advance. To do another we would have to decide now, and even then it wouldn’t happen for 18 months.”

Well, they’ve agreed to continue performing shows, and are scheduled to play 21 shows in 2027 across Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, Australia and Saitama, Japan.

Learn more at Radiohead.com.

The post “It’s something I never wanted to do”: Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood admits he was a “lazy” guitar player in the band’s early days appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Mudvayne frontman Chad Gray has taken aim at bands who lean on backing and click tracks on stage, arguing that pre-recorded guitars and vocals drain the spontaneity from a live show.

In an interview with Metal Hammer, Gray says Mudvayne have never played to a click, and while he doesn’t call out any specific bands, he does singles out stacked guitars and layered backing vocals as his main gripes.

• READ MORE: “If you can’t play your s**t, then why the f**k are you onstage?”: Mudvayne frontman Chad Gray voices opposition to live backing tracks
  

He says bands that sound exactly like their studio records because of backing tracks need to “keep it f**king real a little bit”.

His argument centres first on tempo. Without a click, he explains, a band drifts naturally, giving live music a sense of movement and life not achievable if using a click or backing tracks on a rigid musical grid.

“When you’re live, there’s an actual push and a pull that happens,” Gray says. “Say you’re playing a mellow verse and a heavy chorus is coming – by the third or fourth measure of that verse, the tempo naturally starts to speed up right before the chorus hits.

“It slowly slides into what’s coming. That builds anticipation and excitement for the crowd because they know what’s coming, and then bam! that shit hits.

“When you’ve got a click, you can’t create momentum because you’ve got a bunch of backing tracks running along with you.”

Gray isn’t calling for a blanket ban on backing tracks, though. He doesn’t expect a band with an orchestral bridge to tour with a full orchestra. His issue is with stacked guitars and backing vocals, elements which a band could already play or sing themselves.

This orchestral exception echoes a line drawn by Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor, who admitted to using orchestral tracks while performing some tracks from Stone Sour’s 2012/2013 double album House of Gold & Bones. He wasn’t a fan of the experience, though.

“Obviously, all the guitars were real, the drums were real, vocals were real, bass was real, but we used track for some of the orchestral stuff and some of the connector pieces,” he said. “‘Cause we were playing some of the stuff that would connect. And being a slave to that felt so stifling that I was like losing my… I was, like, ‘We’ve gotta get off this fucking shit.’”

Wolfgang Van Halen took a comparable stance that year, arguing that backing tracks should be kept to a minimum live and that he never does anything in the studio that he can’t do live.

The post “Tripled and quadrupled guitars? Let’s keep it f**king real a little bit”: Mudvayne frontman slams bands who use backing tracks live appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

The biggest signature guitar launch of 2026 was for two musicians who have never said a word publicly, have never given an interview, and whose faces have never been seen. And yet within days of their Charvel and Jackson instruments being revealed to the world, they had completely sold out – despite the four figure price tag. Strange? Well…

Sleep Token signatures on the Guitar.com Cover. Image: Joseph Bishop for Guitar.com

And in truth, nobody was really surprised. The masked collective known as Sleep Token are, to put it mildly, a phenomenon – their huge, ever-growing presence has seen them bring death growls and djent-inflected riffs to staggering arena-sized shows, and become one of the newest bands to headline Download festival.

As well as a formidable listenership they’ve also crafted a whole universe of intricate mythology from behind their masks and bodypaint that has built a remarkably devoted and passionate following. This was never going to be a normal set of signature instruments, or a normal launch.

For starters, it was the first ever joint launch for Jackson and Charvel – with guitarist IV opting for a signature Jackson, and bassist III creating his own Charvel bass. The two brands have been under the wider Fender Musical Instrument Corporation brand for a long time now, but they’d never collabed like this before. But here’s where it gets really tricky…

Image: Joseph Bishop for Guitar.com

Within their music, Sleep Token offer up cryptic storytelling, hinting at but never overstating a deeply-imagined lore. But, remarkably for a band of their size, everything else is a mystery. Outside of their songs and their other “offerings”, the band maintain an anonymous, enigmatic presence – an approach that’s hardly forthcoming to the usual cycle of interviews and demos that would usually accompany a launch like this.

The total number of words said by bandleader Vessel in his extremely rare interviews could fit on about six post-it notes, and even then he presents the project pretty cryptically. Drummer II did a video with Drumeo in 2023. But for III and IV? Nothing – no rig rundowns, no tour diaries, no get-ready-with-me TikToks. The band members don’t even appear in music videos anymore.

So how do you go about launching not one but two signature instruments for Sleep Token, when the band’s non-music communication mostly consists of mysterious lore and runic symbolism? Tim Hillier-Brook is the artist marketing manager for Fender’s specialty brands, and helmed the collaboration between Sleep Token, Jackson and Charvel – and it was up to him and his team to find out.

“Guitar is one of the most exciting places it’s been in for a long time, Sleep Token are a really important part of that”

Old friends, new connections

Since he started in his role, a Sleep Token collaboration was always a goal for Hillier-Brook. Then a few years ago, the former Architects guitarist crossed paths with an old friend.

“By complete coincidence, their guitar tech is an old mate of mine from back when I played in bands,” he says. “He reached out to us, saying, ‘Hey, Sleep Token is growing, and we’re looking to get some more instruments’. I was delighted to hear that, particularly as it came through a friend – there’s a level of trust there.”

Image: Joseph Bishop for Guitar.com

“It quickly became all about getting them the perfect guitars for what they do,” Hillier-Brook adds. Things started with existing production models, such as Gretsch Baritones, but after around a year of discussions, it was time for some custom instruments. “We made an eight-string for IV, and there’s a four-string non-multi-scale for III – those let us troubleshoot some things, and find what was going to be the main instrument for both of them.”

Given how broad the Sleep Token sound is – going from expansive, cinematic pop to pummelling, brutal metal – it was going to be impossible for the signatures alone to cover everything III and IV needed. But the team took aim at the instrument that could work for the bulk of a given set. “It was about looking for something that would be what they needed for the most amount of time. So we landed on the specs from a lot of trial and error. III and IV are both exceptionally knowledgeable about gear and what sounds they need – they were very much like this is how it has to sound’, and it was always in a very positive, creative way.”

“Artists are not only being more creative with blending genres, they’re also being more creative with signature guitars”

A double offering

The collaboration has netted some truly singular guitars. “They’re both extremely bespoke to the music that the band makes and performs live,” Hillier-Brook says. “IV’s guitar is a 30-inch baritone, fitted with an EverTune and custom tension modules – tuned E-E an octave down, all wound strings. Essentially it’s a Bass VI designed for metal, and pretty much the first-ever production 30” baritone with those specs. There are other 30” guitars out there that players like to mod for metal, but this one is unique.”

III’s bass marks some firsts too – “it’s the first ever production reverse headstock Charvel has done, and it’s the only multi-scale Charvel bass, too – including custom. The prototype was literally the first time we’d done that. from has ever done,” Hillier-Brook says. “It’s a more gradual multi-scale, too – Sleep Token use a load of different tunings, and both of these instruments reflect the ability to switch between them. The way we’ve done the multi-scale helps with that.”

Those tunings are, as a rule, extremely low, and obviously a 30” scale helps keep things tight and percussive on the guitar side, particularly when tuning more than an octave lower than E standard. But it’s about more than sheer string length:

“For both of them, I think the main word is clarity,” Hillier-Brook says. “It’s obviously very easy when tuning that low for it to be an inaudible mess. So with the bass, it’s got the multi-scale, and the active Fishman pickups in it with multiple voicings which help things stay controlled.”

Image: Joseph Bishop for Guitar.com

“And for the guitar, it’s got a mahogany body, but with a maple cap on top alongside its quilted veneer. That’s a tonal choice to add a bit of that snappiness and brightness to things. It’s all about how those notes are going to cut through live. If you’re playing a big arena in those kinds of tunings, with those impactful and dynamic moments in the music, you need to hear every note.”

And despite those arena-ready sounds and specs, the guitars don’t sport custom-shop price tags. “That was really important to me, and the wider team, and to Sleep Token too,” Tim says.

“It can be a difficult thing when developing a signature model with an artist, to hit the specs where it’s something they will genuinely use live, especially in venues of that size, but still to make it attainable. That was definitely top of mind – getting the right specs while staying at a price-point where they’re obviously not cheap guitars, but they’re not an impossible thing for a fan to purchase.”

“III and IV are exceptionally knowledgeable about gear and what sounds they need”

Unmasking the signatures

“Anonymous” and “signature” may seem like antonyms, but that tension was something that ended up helping the designs have, weirdly, more personality. There are some literal signatures on the guitars, with a IV on the guitar’s headstock, a III on the bass’ fretboard – but for Hillier-Brook, the identity present within them comes from Sleep Token having “complete creative control” – something masked personas don’t really get in the way of.

So you don’t need to peruse their wild spec-sheets to have them stand out – these guitars will remain pretty recognisable even through a haze of fog and stage lights. “Obviously we do the Monarkh, and we do the San Dimas bass but there are little details about these that make them so unique,” Hillier-Brook adds.

“It’s not quite the same as doing a Soloist with a signature on the back of the headstock. That can be really cool, but these are something else. No matter where you see them, you’ll know exactly whose signatures they are straight away, without needing a big name on the headstock. And that all came from III and IV – they were really smart about the aesthetics as well as the specs.”

Image: Joseph Bishop for Guitar.com

A unique moment

The fact that the Sleep Token collection of guitars are so singular for Hillier-Brook reflects on where the wider world of guitars is at right now. “It’s in one of the most exciting places it’s been in for a long time,” he says, “and because of that, people are trying new things. One of the benefits of streaming is that every genre ever is in everyone’s phone – which has made people approach guitar very differently. Sleep Token are a really important part of that, where players are doing things sonically and stylistically that haven’t really been done before.”

When it comes to guitar themselves, we can see that approach reflected in other recent releases. Jack Antonoff and Lee Malia’s recent signatures, for instance, certainly garnered attention from beyond their respective fanbases thanks to their cool, genre-agnostic mashup vibes.

Image: Joseph Bishop for Guitar.com

“The name is the stamp of approval,” Hillier-Brook notes. “But it isn’t the thing about it. Lee [Malia]’s guitar doesn’t have ‘Bring Me the Horizon’ across the fretboard, and these don’t say ‘Sleep Token’ across theirs – and I think it’s linked to that trend. Artists are not only being more creative with how they’re blending genres, they’re also being more creative with guitars when the opportunity of a signature arises.”

Cynicism about signatures as a whole has also declined. “Some people used to be like, ‘I don’t want to play a guitar with someone else’s name on it’,” Hillier-Brook says. “I had it myself, years ago, when I played a Jim Root Tele in Architects! Like, ‘Oh, that’s someone else’s guitar, why are you playing it?’ – but I love Telecasters, and they’re designed for metal. Why wouldn’t I? – but there’s less of that.”

More players – particularly within the heavy world, seem keen to embrace the unique potential within the world of other artists’ signatures. “And I think we’ll see so much of that with these instruments,” Hillier-Brook notes. “Just because they do such a unique thing, and again that attitude of, ‘I’m not playing so-and-so’s guitar’ is less common. Some people might get annoyed about it, but if you are… don’t buy one. That’s fine too!”

“A lot of the positive response isn’t from Sleep Token fans – people are just excited about the guitars!”

Ready for launch

From the start it was pretty clear to the whole team that these guitars would land with a splash, no matter what happened. “Working on the whole campaign was very exciting, just because of all of the firsts,” Hillier-Brook notes, “so we had to work out how to make this the biggest thing. The run would have sold out anyway, really, because the guitars are incredible and Sleep Token are who they are, but it was so important for us to really amp it up to 11.”

The fan response to the guitars speaks for itself, and, yes, as predicted, the first wave of guitars sold out extremely quickly. But the impact went beyond units sold, particularly thanks to the fact that for the launch III and IV had finally appeared in a music video of sorts, performing a never-before heard instrumental version of Vore. For a band in such clear control of their audiovisual presence across, getting to contribute to a bonafide capital-O Offering is a pretty big deal.

Tim points towards the flipside of this, too. “A lot of the positive response isn’t just from Sleep Token fans – a lot of people are just excited about the guitars! Really, I’ve just been embarrassingly glued to my phone since the launch. The response has been unbelievable, more so than you might expect – and that’s extremely validating for us as a company, and for them as musicians.”

Image: Joseph Bishop for Guitar.com

Building worlds

In talking about these two instruments it’s easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of specs – but it’s good to remember that their uniqueness doesn’t just come from ultra-low tunings or any given set of pickups. It’s a reflection of the totally singular approach that’s made Sleep Token the band they are.

“In terms of artists that build worlds, whether you like them or not, they’re the best at it,” Hillier-Brook says. “And these guitars are just a symptom of them being so at the top of the game in terms of everything they do, from that world they’ve created, their aesthetic, down to every last tiny little detail of spec of these guitars.”

And for Hillier-Brook there’s one main takeaway from the craziness of the launch. “The way they’ve been received, the reaction from fans, artists and influencers to all of the things we tried to do with them – to see that come to fruition, as, really, just a positive thing for the whole guitar community? That’s the biggest success of these.”

Words: Cillian Breathnach
Photography: Joseph Bishop

The post How Jackson and Charvel broke new ground for Sleep Token’s double signature models: and created 2026’s biggest artist launch appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Though one of the most influential rock bands of all time, the Van Halen camp hasn’t been without its conflict through the years. Following the death of guitarist Eddie Van Halen in 2020, much talk was made about a potential Van Halen tribute tour. But in 2024, drummer Alex Van Halen claimed plans fell apart after David Lee Roth objected to an overt acknowledgement of Eddie during the shows. “The moment I said we gotta acknowledge Ed, Dave fuckin’ popped a fuse…” he said.

But tensions seem to have settled as of late, with both Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth putting aside their differences to sit down for a conversation thanks to TEDxFargo. The conversation itself actually took place on 30 July this year in Fargo, North Dakota, but has just been uploaded to YouTube.

• READ MORE: Joe Satriani recalls David Lee Roth’s “crazy” attempt to recruit him for a Van Halen cover band in the ‘90s: “I said, ‘But Dave, Ed’s still alive!’”

As David Lee Roth explains, during the Van Halen years, what seemed like a harmonious performance onstage would often mean chaos backstage.

“We never showed behind the kitchen,” Roth says. “These are the first times Al and I are discussing Hell’s Kitchen in the back…”

He continues, elaborating on the times he and Alex have come to blows behind the scenes: “There should be a star in front of three different clubs in Hollywood where we practiced Brazilian Jiu Jitsu over the setlist!”

Elsewhere, Sammy Hagar, who took over from David Lee Roth as Van Halen frontman in 1985, recently spoke of his desire to stop “being the Van Halen guy”, after years of touring his Best of All Worlds tour alongside Joe Satriani and Michael Anthony.

“I’m kinda done with being the Van Halen guy,” he said. While he vowed to “always keep some [Van Halen tracks]” in his show, he reflected on how the Best of All Worlds trek evolved into a bigger thing than he had originally planned.

“Originally, the Best of All Worlds tour with Joe Satriani was supposed to only be once in 2024,” he said.

Watch the full TEDxFargo conversation between Alex Van Halen and David Lee Roth below:

The post “There should be a star in front of three clubs in Hollywood where we practiced Brazilian jiu-jitsu over the set list!”: David Lee Roth jokes about his tumultuous relationship with Alex Van Halen appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

$299/£249/€299/, t-rex-effects.com

Nobody really needs a reverb pedal – for authentic ambience, simply do all your guitar playing in an empty swimming pool or disused cathedral. There is, however, an obvious advantage to harnessing the power of digital processing to make reverb more practical, and one of the first pedals to do that successfully was the T-Rex Room-Mate.

• READ MORE: T-Rex TwinBlaze review – one tube-driven pedal to cover all your rocking needs?

This tube-driven unit first came out around 20 years ago, but it’s been out of production for a while. Is that because it was struggling to keep up with rivals that came along later offering more modes, more controls and more dreamy epicness? Quite possibly… and so here, on a mission to fix those shortcomings (and remove a hyphen), comes the RoomMate D’Luxe.

What is it?

The hyphen has gone and the enclosure has changed from white to blue, but in some ways the D’Luxe model picks up right where the second version of the original Room-Mate left off. It’s still a fairly compact reverb pedal with stereo output and a full-size preamp valve at its heart. But the main difference is a significant one: a doubling of effect modes, from four to eight.

So you’re getting long and short springs, a plate, two rooms, two halls and – replacing the old ‘reverb plus chorus’ sound – a hall with octave-up shimmer. You’re also getting a new knob, marked ‘optional’, that does different things in different modes: it controls low-end damping for the two spring effects, adds a pre-delay in the next five, and sets the level of the octave in shimmer mode – something that can also be controlled using an expression pedal.

The other knobs are standard fare – decay time, reverb level, master volume and tone – plus input gain, for making sure you don’t overload the unit when it’s plugged in at the end of a mile-long chain of overdrives, fuzzes and boosters. Mind you, since when was overloading a tube something to be avoided?

Oh, one more point to note before we enter the virtual cathedral: while most T-Rex pedals these days are manufactured in China, this one – like newcomer the TwinBlaze that I’ve already reviewed and the FuzzTopia – is made in the company’s home country of Denmark. That doesn’t necessarily make it a better product, but it’s good news for the purists and anyone who’s not keen on outsourcing in principle.

Image: Adam Gasson

Usability and build quality

When a pedal has eight modes and six control knobs, the first thing you might be looking for is some sort of preset switch. With the RoomMate D’Luxe, you might as well look for a bottle opener, because this thing is strictly manual. Personally, I don’t think that’s a bad thing, as it’s a simple device at heart – and how many different reverb sounds does the average guitarist need to have at hand?

The control markers glow yellow when the unit is engaged, which will be easy to spot even on the darkest of stages, and the one above input gain turns orange when it’s overloaded. There’s also a warm glow from the JJ ECC83S valve, even in bypass, but this is actually coming from an LED at its base. Now, that might make you think it’s only there for show – not least as T-Rex doesn’t quote an operating voltage – but the pedal runs on a 12v power supply (included) and draws over 600mA of current according to the manual, so my guess is it’s cooking at the same 250v as the original.

Image: Adam Gasson

Sounds

Here’s a sizzlingly hot take for you: lots of people like to play guitar in stereo, but nobody likes to listen to guitar in stereo. I don’t know if there’s a solution to that paradox, but I am glad the RoomMate D’Luxe is stereo if only for the self-indulgent joy of plugging into two amps and basking in the gigantic space between them. And besides, it also has stereo inputs so it’s not limited to us guitarists and our silly little monophonic plink-sticks.

So let’s just get this out of the way: it sounds great in stereo, but I’ll be doing most of my testing in a one-amp setup because that’s how most people are likely to end up using the pedal. And luckily, it also sounds great in mono.

The spring algorithms are up first, and they’re both totally convincing. At matched settings there’s actually no obvious difference in decay time between the two, but the ‘long’ version is a little smoother and mellower. The plate is smoother still, as you’d expect, and this might be your first port of call if you’re not actively seeking the wobbliness of a spring: it’s just a really nice reverb, nuff said.

I’ve never really seen the appeal of room reverbs – who wants to emulate bad acoustics? – but the two here are certainly realistic. It’s in the three hall modes, though, that the fun really begins – and where you might well want to wheel out that second amp for stereo immersion. There’s no audible modulation on offer, so it never goes as richly celestial as something like the OBNE Dark Star Stereo or Strymon NightSky, but for pure hugeness this is all the reverb you’ll ever need.

The shimmer effect is on the assertive side, and can get shrill at times, but that’s easily fixed by dialling down the mix and/or the tone… and that brings us to the real strength of this pedal: its tweakability. T-Rex has put that high knob count to smart use, bringing total control over every aspect of the effect so you can get it sitting exactly where you want it in every mode.

That’s most strikingly true of the input gain. Keep this down around 11 o’clock for textbook clean effects, but if you slam it towards maximum the reverbs take on a pushy intensity that makes everything feel that much more exciting. And no, I never did get it to distort – but you can use the output volume for a nice boost on the way out.

Image: Adam Gasson

Should I buy one?

T-Rex has done what it needed to do to bring the RoomMate up to date with the 2026 reverb market. The result is a strong contender that covers all the key varieties while offering excellent audio quality and, above all, supreme tonal versatility.

This is not a dedicated ambient soundscaping tool – its heart lies somewhere more traditional than that – but it is a fine all-rounder, at a good price for something that’s been made in Europe by a company with real pedigree. If T-Rex really is going back to boutique, this is a very encouraging sign of what’s to come.

Alternatives

At the top of this review I mentioned rival reverb pedals with “more modes, more controls and more ethereal epicness” than the old Room-Mate. Well, let’s run through some of them. Among your most obvious options are the Boss RV-6 ($153.99/£169), Neunaber Immerse ($269/£269) and Strymon BlueSky V2 ($379/£359), while a relatively newer contender offering pristine audio quality is the UAFX Golden Reverberator ($399/£379).

The post T-Rex RoomMate D’Luxe review – a trusty all-round reverb pedal is reborn for the modern era appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Alex Lifeson is now fully in the swing of Rush’s Fifty Something reunion tour, having played a string of shows across the US and Canada since June alongside his longtime bandmate, bassist Geddy Lee, with drummer Anika Nilles in tow.

But that’s not to say he didn’t have his reservations about reviving Rush and heading back out on tour at first.

The trek – which is scheduled to continue through April 2027 – marks the first time Rush have toured since the tragic passing of longtime drummer Neil Peart in 2020. Lifeson and Lee voiced concerns over performing without Peart before the tour was finalised, with Lee saying last year: “It took time for us to even contemplate.” 

“This is a relatively recent decision, and I would say it was kind of out of the question for the longest time because of those circumstances – and how do you replace someone who’s irreplaceable?” he continued.

But further trepidation came in the form of concerns over their physical ability to perform.

“I think all the fears that I had starting out, whether physically I would be up to it, whether my hands would work as well as I expected,” Lifeson says in a new interview with Q’s Tom Power [via Blabbermouth].

“Once we started playing and I felt confident and good about my physical condition, I really fell in love with it. I love the songs, I love playing with Anika. Anika’s a brilliant musician, and she’s a wonderful person. She has a great sense of humour. We’ve become really quite close in the two years that we’ve been working with her, ‘cause it’s been a while. So I’m really, really excited.

“I have to admit that maybe I wasn’t quite so excited when it was just a concept. I had reservations about it, mostly health-related reservations. But I got my health in order, relatively. And the key was to be able to play the way I felt I needed to play. So, I’ve just fallen totally in love with it. And now I’m the guy who wants to do more gigs.”

Geddy Lee adds: “It was a very unlikely thing that we would be back to play together, and of course, at the age that we are which I will not say out loud [73, sorry Geddy], there’s a lot of fear.”

“It’s the fear that you’re not going to be as good as you were, the fear that you’re gonna let people down. And that is not how you honour your fallen comrade by letting people down. So there was a lot of pressure on our shoulders to be as good as, if not better than, we have ever been, and put a show together that would do his tribute justice.”

He continues: “Neil’s presence is always there… We pay tribute to him during the show, of course, and I try to tell stories about him and try to give people a look behind the songs as to how they came together and what we feel about each other and him.”

Rush’s Fifty Something reunion tour continues. Head to the band’s official website for tickets.

The post “Now I’m the guy who wants to do more gigs!”: How Rush’s Alex Lifeson has “fallen totally in love” with touring again appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

“There’s no better utility pedal.” That’s how effects giant BOSS is describing its latest multi-effects pedal, the EX-4 Effects Expander.

Offering a massive library of 120 effects in a compact design – spanning everything you’ll need from overdrive and distortion to delay, reverb and modulation, as well as bass-tuned effects and other BOSS classics like the Slow Gear and Slicer – the EX-4 is described as an “essential toolbox” for guitarists looking to “build professional sounds on the fly”.

And players can choose to deploy up to four of the 120 onboard effects simultaneously, with dedicated utility blocks also available including foot volume, two noise suppressors, a send/return, a divider/mixer and even a global EQ for overall tone shaping.

• READ MORE: The 10 best pedal compressors for guitarists in 2026

A huge part of the fun of guitar pedals is dialling in your own tones from scratch. But sometimes you just want to plug in and play. The EX-4 caters to this desire, too, with a Gear Suite offering multiple “professionally tuned” presets for each effect. Players can also edit parameters and save their own presets.

In terms of user interface, the EX-4 sports a full-colour 2.4-inch display, where guitarists will see their full effects chain, individual effect blocks, editing options, menus and more. Meanwhile, four dedicated FX buttons allow users to switch off effect blocks with a single press, while accessing editing parameters with a long press. In a new UX touch, the FX button colours match each effect’s display colours for easy identification.

Credit: BOSS

Elsewhere, the unit features dual-function footswitches that are as rugged as BOSS users have come to expect. These can be custom configured system-wide or per memory, with assignments that include block on/off, memory up/down, master bypass, tap tempo and more.

Regarding I/O, you’ve also got four audio jacks offering both mono and stereo connectivity, with the added option of using two jacks as an effects loop to position external pedals anywhere within the EX-4’s effects chain. Meanwhile, two footswitches or an expression pedal can be hooked up for additional real-time control, while there’s also TRS MIDI I/O, too, for integration with external MIDI pedals and switching systems.

Credit: BOSS

Price-wise the EX-4 will be available from October 2026 for $299.99.

Learn more at BOSS.

Credit: BOSS

The post “There’s no better utility pedal”: BOSS reveals the EX-4 Effects Expander, a powerful multi-effects unit that might just make you radically rearrange your pedalboard appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Chances are if you’ve bought a new guitar over the last few years, you might have read something about a “PLEK” machine and how (usually for a small fee) your shiny new instrument can be run through this process.

• READ MORE: Does tonewood really matter? This is how the wood your guitar’s made of affects the sound

But what actually is it? Often, I see people who just ticked ‘yes’ without really understanding what it was – no harm in that of course, but it’s always worth knowing what something is before you entrust your new guitar to it!

In simple terms PLEK is a computer-controlled fret-processing system that scans a guitar neck, builds a detailed digital model of its geometry, and machines the frets to a target setup specified by the operator. In this article we’ll discuss what a PLEK actually does and whether it’s worth the money.

Image: Press

So what does a PLEK machine do anyway?

The PLEK was developed in Germany in the 1980s. The machines are built by A+D Gitarrentechnologie in Berlin, and the technology traces back to musician Gerd Anke and his partner Michael Dubach, according to Gibson’s own writeup of the process.

At its core it’s a CNC system (similar to the machines that often do a lot of the cutting work in modern guitar factories) bolted to a very smart scanner. The scanner maps the geometry of the neck and frets in microscopic detail, then uses a rotary cutter to remove only the material needed to hit the exact fret profile the operator has dialed in.

It scans under string tension, real or simulated, so it reads the neck the way it behaves when you’re actually playing rather than the way it sits flat on a bench with the strings off. That’s straight from PLEK’s product documentation.

Martin Guitars drops the finished guitar into a string tension simulator that makes the neck and truss rod react as if it’s strung to pitch before the scan even begins. This is in contrast to how I do it in my shop, which is to, essentially, take the strings off, get the fret leveler out and, guestimate.

The machine scans first, registering thousands of points to build a digital picture of fret heights, neck relief, and the surface of the fingerboard under each string. The software then runs what PLEK calls a Virtual Fret Dress, a simulation that shows which frets are high, which are low, how much material has to come off to kill any buzz, and what the neck will look like once the work is done.

A properly equipped machine will level and crown frets, plane a fingerboard, cut nut slots to precise depths, and handle saddle and bridge slotting on top of that. I visited the Gibson factory a few years ago and their version flags whether the truss rod needs a tweak before the process starts, then factors in string gauge, scale length, and neck curve when it cuts the nut.

Can a PLEK machine replace a guitar tech?

There’s a popular assumption that this replaces a luthier or tech – it doesn’t. It doesn’t decide anything about how your guitar should feel. A person sets the target action, the relief, the nut height, the fall-away on the upper frets, and whether the frets even need touching in the first place.

PLEK says as much in their own marketing – the machine can’t stand in for the judgment and hands of the person running it. Gibson, which runs all of its USA and Custom Shop lines through one along their journey to quality control, admits the cutter leaves machining marks that still need hand finishing to reach their standard. In short, a PLEK is a tool, and just like any other tool, it’s only as good as the person running it.

Image: Press

What can a PLEK machine do and not do?

The PLEK handles uneven frets, buzz from high or low spots, worn frets that still have enough meat left to level, sloppy factory fretwork, and precision refrets well. That’s the lane it lives in. But if the neck is badly warped or twisted, the frets are worn down too far, the truss rod is dead, the frets are loose in their slots, or the scale length is off, the machine can’t rescue any of that.

A factory-PLEK’d guitar isn’t automatically dialed in, either. Gibson, Martin, Taylor, and plenty of boutique builders run PLEK on the line, and it does raise the floor on consistency. But a factory sets a guitar up to a general spec, and that spec has no idea about your string guage, tuning, playing style, or how you prefer your guitar to be set up. The idea that a factory PLEK means you’ll never need another setup is simply wrong.

How much does a PLEK cost, and is it worth it?

A PLEK fret level and setup usually runs a couple hundred bucks, with most US shops landing in the $250 to $350 range. In Europe, it tends to be slightly cheaper there, depending on the shop – Thomann charges about £190 for a basic level and setup.

A fret level, crown, and polish from a tech typically costs between $100 and $250, depending on your location, instrument, and the tech. A tech can also do spot leveling if you only have a fret or two that’s bad and that’s usually only $25 a fret or so. In any case, stainless steel frets usually result in an upcharge of some sort because it’s a harder material to work with.

My advice to any customer is to spend the money if the guitar needs fret leveling anyway, if they’re already paying for a refret, if it’s an expensive instrument, or if they want unusually low action without buzz.

I’d tell them to skip it if the guitar just needs a standard setup, the frets are already level, or it’s a cheap beater where the service costs more than the guitar is worth. The rougher the fretwork going in, the bigger the improvement coming out.

The biggest misconception is that a PLEK somehow transforms an average guitar into a miracle instrument. It doesn’t. A great PLEK job simply removes mechanical limitations that were already there – so be aware and you know what you’re getting into!

The post What is a PLEK machine anyway? And can it really make your guitar play and feel better? appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Fender says it’s come with a solution to single-coil hum with its latest innovation, the Silent System. The brand’s much-loved Noiseless pickups – fitted across many of its contemporary guitar lines – do offer a hum-free experience, but one that some players say comes at the expense of a small sacrifice in dynamic chime.

But its new Silent System is designed to fit in a cavity under the pickguard away from your pickups altogether, with a passive battery-free design that promises to remove single-coil hum without any sacrifice in tone. And the solution is being unleashed via a new pair of limited-edition Stratocaster and Telecaster models.

• READ MORE: Tesla owner enjoys an afternoon of guitar practice – while allegedly driving 60mph on the motorway

The new guitars join Fender’s USA-made American Professional Classic series, and offer players “even more creative control and flexibility over their guitar, sound, and signal”, the company says.

Credit: Fender

First up, the Limited Edition American Professional Classic Stratocaster comes fitted with Fender’s Silent System, along with all of its vintage injections and modern tech. The model comes equipped with Coastline ‘57 Strat pickups, providing an old-school sound with plenty of depth and punch when you’re dancing your fingers along the guitar’s comfortable C-shaped neck and rosewood fingerboard.

Staggered ClassicGear tuners also add to the guitar’s vintage feel, as well as the guitar’s overall custom-faded finish. And this limited edition Strat is available in four different colours: Three-Colour Sunburst or Daphne Blue with a rosewood fingerboard, and Olympic White or Candy Apple Red with a maple fingerboard. Price-wise, this clocks in at £1,599.

Credit: Fender

If you’re more inclined to pick up a Tele, the Silent System-equipped Limited Edition American Professional Classic Telecaster is also £1,599. There has also been equal levels of effort in achieving a vintage feel on this model, with its Coastline ‘63 Telecaster pickups and Staggered ClassicGear tuners to match the Strat.

Again, custom-faded finished are also customary across this Telecaster line to amplify that heritage feel. And the Tele is available in Candy Apple Red or Sonic Blue with a rosewood fingerboard, and Three-Colour Sunburst or Vintage Blonde with a maple fingerboard.
“The all-new offering brings the guitar community a game-changing answer to unwanted electrical hum without the need for compromise on tone, style, or even choice of pickup,” says Fender. “This innovative tech refresh is set to fundamentally change the playing experience.”
Both models are available now for £1,599. For more information, head to Fender.

Credit: Fender

The post Fender says it’s cancelled pickup hum forever with its potentially game-changing new Silent System appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.

Coldplay’s Chris Martin has a real a knack for surprising the general public, it seems. In 2025, the frontman shocked two canoodling colleagues and outed their affair by showing them on the Coldplay Kiss Cam, and he also astonished West Yorkshire locals with an impromptu gig in a tiny pub. But the surprises are continuing into this year, too; just a few days ago, he popped up in London’s Trafalgar Square and performed with an oblivious busker.

Clips circulating online show South-Korean busker Hanny Junee performing Coldplay’s Viva La Vida on his guitar as Martin croons along by his side, sharing his microphone. The small crowd is delighted to see the Coldplay frontman, phones whipped out to capture the special moment… but Junee apparently had no clue who it was.

• READ MORE: Tesla owner enjoys an afternoon of guitar practice – while allegedly driving 60mph on the motorway

You might be thinking – how the hell would you not realise Chris Martin is stood right next to you? Well, the BBC reached out to Junee, and he explains that he had simply thought the man had perfected a top-notch Chris Martin impression. “I thought: ‘This guy has amazing energy, nice vibe and a really good voice,’” he says. “I thought: ‘He sounds really similar to Chris Martin!’”

“But then I thought: ‘Come on, Hanny, don’t be ridiculous, of course it’s not him! Chris Martin doesn’t roam the streets of London,’” he laughs.

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Of course, let’s be realistic here. What are the chances of the actual artist appearing out of thin air at the exact moment you’re performing their song – and then they also decide to join you? While it was a case of serendipitous timing, we can’t blame him for not realising his luck. In fact, it meant that he was able to commit to guitar playing and ensure Martin had a solid tune to sing along to.

Considering Martin’s affiliation with busking, it’s no surprise he was tempted to join in. And, as quickly as Martin had hopped on the mic and sprinkled his vocal magic, he was off again. “He finished a verse, and the next thing I know, he’s gone,” Junee explains. “It was magical… it was like we connected purely through music, not fame.”

Junee also admits that he has his audience to thank to; as the BBC explains, he’d given his small audience a choice between two tracks, with the other option being a song by The Script. Thankfully, the stars aligned, with a majority of the audience voting for Coldplay.

In a personal Instagram post, Junee shares his excitement over the very magical experience: “I was playing Viva La Vida as my last song at Trafalgar Square, and Chris Martin literally walked up and sang with me?! Still can‘t believe this happened. Thank you Chris for the most unforgettable moment of my life!”

The post WATCH: Busker duets with Chris Martin – despite having no idea it’s really the Coldplay frontman appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.