Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. We may earn a commission on any affiliated purchases.

Gallery: Riot Fest 2018

We cherry-picked the essential guitar-centric happenings from Chicago’s three-day celebration, including performances from Johnny Marr, Elvis Costello, Incubus, Weezer, Bad Religion, Jesus Lizard, and more!

By Chris Kies,
Chris Kies
Chris Kies has degrees in Journalism and History from the University of Iowa and has been with PG dating back to his days as an intern in 2007. He's now the multimedia manager maintaining the website and social media accounts, coordinating Rig Rundown shoots (also hosting and/or filming them) and occasionally writing an artist feature. Other than that, he enjoys non-guitar-related hobbies.
See Full Bio
Perry Bean
Perry Bean

Perry Bean cut his teeth touring and playing in punk rock and hardcore bands, before he got his start in film. He worked his way up from lowly production assistant to become a producer, art director, and most recently, a music video director nominated for ACM, CMT, and CMA awards. Being Premier Guitar's Chief Videographer was a perfect fit for him, combining his two favorite things—guitars and cameras. Perry doesn't have free time, but his massive dog Beef pays his rent by being Perry's intern.

See Full Bio
Sep 28, 2018

Derek Lynch

Hobo Johnson and the LoveMarkers' Derek Lynch

It's been a wild ride for Hobo Johnson & the LoveMakers this year, ever since Hobo and his crew made a single-shot video for NPR's Tiny Desk series. They eventually lost out in the finals, but the video garnered millions of views and earned them a Tiny Desk slot. Guitarist Derek Lynch is seen here with his all-stock Olympic white Fender American Professional Jaguar.

featured-stories wolfmother the-aquabats bad-religion taking-back-sunday gear-galleries incubus the-jesus-lizard the-adolescents fear clutch underoath young-the-giant dillinger-escape-plan bleachers hobo-johnson-and-the-lovemarkers twin-peaks face-to-face guitarists bassists bully performance-galleries the-killing-joke sum-41 special-featured-stories whats-new flogging-molly bullet-for-my-valentine reignwolf alkaline-trio johnny-marr interpol weezer jd-mcpherson

The Latest

Reader Pedalboards 2026
Gear

Reader Pedalboards 2026

Orangewood Del Sol Baritone
Gear

Orangewood Del Sol Baritone Review

Way Huge Doom Hammer
Gear

Way Huge Doom Hammer Review

Blackstar guitar amplifier with a woven front and bold logo, featuring control knobs.
Gear

Blackstar Debut Bass 25 Review

News

Swiff Audio Launches Maestro Series WT09B 5.8GHz Wireless System

More for you

Rig Rundown: The Black Crowes’ Rich Robinson [2026]

Rig Rundown: The Black Crowes’ Rich Robinson [2026]
- YouTube
youtu.be

The southern rockers’ lead guitarist wields some serious firepower on the Crowes’ latest tour.

Keep Reading Show less

Most Popular

This Shredder Melts His Face Off!
Off the Record

This Shredder Melts His Face Off!

Ernie Ball to Acquire Source Audio
News

Ernie Ball to Acquire Source Audio

Guild Reissues S-300 Offset Body Electric Guitar In Two Metallic Finishes
News

Guild Reissues S-300 Offset Body Electric Guitar In Two Metallic Finishes

Source Audio Encounter
Gear

Source Audio Encounter Review

Building Amps That Inspire Guitarists
Off the Record

Guitar Amps That Ignite Passion

Alessandro The Dane
Amps

Alessandro The Dane Review

EarthQuaker ZEQD-Pre Review

EarthQuaker ZEQD-Pre

“When in doubt, don’t.” It’s a pearl of wisdom that offends risk takers and guides more than a few tortoises to the finish line ahead of the rabbits. But in the tone-chasing world this dictum carries extra weight, because depending on your aims, anything you situate between guitar and amplifier can subtract as much as it adds. Indeed, a little restraint can go a long way toward sweetening a sound.

And restraint is one of the things that makes the ZEQD-Pre, a preamp co-designed by EarthQuaker and Mike Zaite (aka Dr. Z), such an elegant piece of kit. The things they didn’t add make it easier to use. The streamlined design also makes the ZEQD-Pre feel truly additive. It can lend body and excitement to big tube amps that sound flat at low volume. And as an analog addition to digital signal chains, it adds real life and a tactile dimension to flat, drab, or spiky DAW and modeler tones.

Keep Reading Show less

Totally Wycked Audio Source Code Review

Totally Wycked Audio Source Code

When Japanese engineer Susumu Tamura designed the Maxon OD808 overdrive, he could hardly have known that it and its export twin, the Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer, would become perhaps the most influential and, probably, imitated pedals in stomp box history. In fact, upon its introduction in 1979, the Tube Screamer, whose smooth sound is characterized by a bass roll off, midrange bump, and slight high-end attenuation, was not an instant success. But as the pedal was adopted by players as disparate as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Kirk Hammett, it gradually became a ubiquitous presence on pedalboards of all persuasions.

Keep Reading Show less

Keeley Oaxa Review

Keeley Oaxa

Running two effects of the same kind concurrently can yield amazing results. Stacked fuzzes or RATs? I’m in heaven. Other effects work less reliably well in pairs. Two reverbs, for instance, can sound killer but can turn an otherwise carefully crafted signal to smog. Twin phasers, in my experience, can be counted among the effects that are delicious together. It takes just two simple one-knob phasers to get very weird. Build two phasers into one, though, and add a few extra tone shaping controls, and the weird gets weirder fast.

Keep Reading Show less

Under the Microscope: How Vintage Verified Is Revolutionizing Guitar Authentication

Two men in matching blue shirts stand in a workshop with tools and a guitar.

Vintage Verified founders Jon Roncolato (left) and Zach Ziemer

We don’t often talk about Renaissance high art and ’50s rock ’n’ roll guitars in the same breath, unless we’re forming a new rockabilly-prog band called Hot-Rod Maximus. (You’re welcome.) But in the modern world of art and guitar collecting, items reputed to be the work of either Leonardo Da Vinci or Leo Fender are subject to much the same scrutiny from experts in the field, are known for fetching vast prices from discriminating buyers, and, given the millions of dollars potentially involved in even a single sale, are likewise expected to stand up to the most rigorous high-tech scientific analysis, as well. Right?

Keep Reading Show less