July 2016

Album Review: Jeff Beck’s Bigger, Better, Badder "Loud Hailer"

July 12, 2016

The Strat master says he wants to move past “guitar nerd” albums, but his latest effort is still brimming with chops, funky rhythms, and untouchable mystique.

Beyond Blues: 8 Essential Turnarounds

July 9, 2016

Levi Clay

To navigate the last four measures of a 12-bar blues in style, you need a sophisticated ear and a solid knowledge of chord tones.

Episode 4 – Gigs from Hell

July 4, 2016

Shawn Hammond

PG fans recount live performances gone horribly awry—from club cave-ins to CD-stealing hecklers and a bar whose over-the-top, sketchy-sounding name turned out to be all too apt.

Sturgill Simpson’s Laur Joamets: From the Baltic Sea to Nashville

June 30, 2016

David Von Bader

How an Estonian string slinger went country—and beyond—with a psychedelic roots visionary … and learned pedal steel in three months.

Tone Tips: The Power of Intuitive Thinking

June 28, 2016

Pete Thorn

Your chops and attitude might be fantastic, but a high degree of intuition is just as important for taking things to the next level.

Vintage Vault: 1978 Hamer Sunburst

June 27, 2016

Dave Rogers, Laun Braithwaite, and Tim Mullally

A vintage-inspired design reflecting the best features of classic ’50s and ’60s electrics.

Guitar Shop 101: How to Repair Delaminated Neck Binding

June 21, 2016

John LeVan

Got some loose fretboard binding? No worries—here are a few easy steps to fix it.

Michael Daves: Bluegrass’ Jekyll and Hyde

June 21, 2016

Adam Perlmutter

This NYC guitarist goes trad acoustic and buck-wild electric on his edgy new double album, Orchids and Violence, pushing the roots envelope and igniting a bonfire of vintage fretboards and modern fuzztones.

On Bass: The Lowdown on Prince’s Low End

June 21, 2016

Victor Brodén

Praise for the Purple One’s mad skills on bass and a firsthand account of one of his legendary after-parties.

High on the ’70s: Black Peaches’ Rob Smoughton and Adam Chetwood

June 20, 2016

David Von Bader

This Brit guitar team inhales America’s rock ’n’ roots past to forge a fresh, fire-breathing sound for their 6-string-packed debut, Get Down You Dirty Rascals.

Jol Dantzig's Esoterica Electrica: Dollars in the Details

June 20, 2016

Jol Dantzig

Aesthetically pleasing guitar details that blend high and low art with the bottom line.

Reader Guitar of the Month: SinnerBoy Deuce

June 19, 2016

Premier Guitar Staff

This Bo Diddley plank-style guitar was built to honor the musical bond between a father and son.

Sonic Bliss: Adam Rudolph’s Guitar Orchestra

June 17, 2016

Tzvi Gluckin

A composer’s 11-axe orchestra sets Nels Cline, Liberty Ellman, and other top improvisers free to conjure a prismatic universe of sound on a unique new album, Turning Towards the Light.

Bass Bench: The Perils of Tech-Speak

June 17, 2016

Heiko Hoepfinger

Being a musician requires more than instrumental skill—you have to master terminology from many disciplines and understand the ideas they represent.

L.R. Baggs Stadium Electric Bass DI Review

June 16, 2016

Steve Cook

A bass DI that can be multi-dimensional and vibey, in addition to helping deliver great tone.

Paul Gilbert: Swingin’ Carnage Blues

June 16, 2016

Joe Charupakorn

The shred idol looks beyond metal for inspiration on I Can Destroy, and reflects on dynamics, picking, playing with intent, and a few things he would have done different along the way.