Latest articles by Jackson Maxwell
How Steve Vai consoled Pete Thorn after Chris Cornell's death
“Here, I'd lost a close friend and collaborator; and a hero of mine, from the time I was 11 years old or so, took the time to console me,” the newly appointed SatchVai Band guitarist tells GW
Dweezil Zappa showcases the Kramer Eddie Van Halen gifted him when he was 12 years old
Zappa was set to perform Runnin’ With the Devil at his middle school talent show, and was struggling with his guitar. Then, somehow, Eddie Van Halen showed up at his band's soundcheck...
12-string Teles, baritone offsets, and diamond-laced Strats headline the Fender Custom Shop's 2025 Prestige Collection
Featuring half-a-dozen Strats, a pair of Teles, a Meteora, and a rare Performer model, all handcrafted, the Prestige Collection aims to represent the best of the best from the vaunted Fender Custom Shop
Taylor unveils the Gold Label Collection, a vintage-inspired line with an entirely new body shape
The '30s and '40s-inspired Super Auditorium design is said to build on the company's Grand Auditorium shape, with a couple of key differences
John Mayer has developed a new acoustic string set with Ernie Ball, and it's designed to be ideal for solo performers
The new Earthwood Bell Bronze strings are said to have been inspired by alloys traditionally used for bells and cymbals, with the result being strings with better sustain, projection, and resonance
Blackstar collaborates with Doug Aldrich for the DA100, a fire-breathing amp with a nifty secret weapon
A 100-watt head, the DA100 packs some serious heat, but also boasts the sort of practical applications that typically feature on the wishlists of 21st century players
NAMM 2025: rumors, predictions and breaking news from the world’s biggest gear show
With the likes of Fender, Gibson and Marshall returning to Anaheim at long last, this year’s event is set to be the biggest in five years – with secrets and surprises to match
Gibson's new 1955 NAMM Show Les Paul celebrates the 70th anniversary of a historic, ultra-rare Les Paul collection
The Les Paul Standards displayed at the 1955 NAMM Show were the first to ever be fitted with no-wire ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridges and Stop Bar tailpieces, and were graced with unique custom finishes
Warren Haynes has teamed up with Gibson for a new signature Les Paul, and it's loaded with his new favorite pickups
With a 60s Cherry finish and chunky mahogany neck, the guitar takes after the Gov't Mule man's favorite Les Pauls, and his beloved 1961 ES-335
EVH brings Wolfgang Van Halen’s signature to a more affordable price point with the SA-126 Standard
EVH kicked off the SA-126 line last year in the mid-price range, but its Indonesian-built counterpart keeps more of its big brother's kit than one might expect
Steve Vai followed John Sykes in Whitesnake – and he quickly decided what not to do when playing his parts
Of course, it wasn't a chops issue so much as it was the late guitarist's unique six-string footprint
Joe Satriani and Steve Vai detail the full SatchVai Band lineup, including Pete Thorn on rhythm guitar
The six-string dream team will also be rounded out by an equally formidable rhythm section
Tributes pour in for Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Tygers of Pan Tang guitarist John Sykes
The hard rock guitar great passed away earlier this week after a battle with cancer
John Sykes, Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Tygers of Pan Tang guitarist, dies at 65
The hard rock guitar legend had been suffering from cancer
Zakk Wylde on Ozzy Osbourne's guitar pet peeves
Though not a guitarist himself, the Prince of Darkness had some very specific pet peeves that he related to Wylde when the guitarist was a newly-hired young gun
Watch Al Di Meola play Race with Devil on Spanish Highway with Steve Vai
This intimate rehearsal clip shows the fretwork of both guitar legends up-close
Kepma disrupts the budget acoustic game with torrefied solid-topped models starting at $249
The $300 variations of the company's Fenix series of Grand Auditorium acoustics also come fitted with a busker-friendly pickup, preamp, and effects system
Watch a rare 1965 video of Jimi Hendrix backing an obscure soul duo on TV
This vintage clip from the TV show Night Train is a rare video of the guitar legend's days as a sideman
Jennifer Batten, Samantha Fish, Lindsey Stirling, and more to feature at 2025 She Rocks Awards
Set to take place at the Hilton Anaheim Pacific Ballroom next Saturday, January 25, the annual event celebrates the achievements of women in music and audio
Ritchie Blackmore recalls the first time he saw two-hand tapping – at a wild show in 1968
Years before Eddie Van Halen put it in the early pages of the guitar textbook, Harvey Mandel was highlighting his performances with flourishes of two-hand tapping – grabbing the attention of onlookers in the process…
Peter Yarrow, guitarist, singer for Peter, Paul & Mary, and co-writer of Puff the Magic Dragon, dies at 86
A folk icon and dedicated political activist, Yarrow helped bring the songs of Bob Dylan to the wider public, but his career was later tainted by his conviction on child sex abuse charges
Jeff Beck took the Yardbirds in a new direction, but the constant Eric Clapton comparisons took years to shake
In the first stages of his career, Beck's relationship with Clapton was just as much (if not more) defined by Clapton's already-legendary reputation than it was by the man himself
James Hetfield explains the controversial mixing of Metallica’s …And Justice for All
The band's first album with Newsted, ...And Justice for All was marked by the band's increasingly progressive and technically intricate bent – and barely audible bass parts
