Guitar Talk
Deep dives into the players who shaped electric guitar history.
Why John Mayer Is Actually a Better Guitarist Than You Think
There's a strange thing that happens when a guitarist becomes too popular: people start assuming they must be overrated. Few players trigger that reaction more than John Mayer—and almost none of it holds up once you actually listen.
Eddie Van Halen, the Brown Sound, and the Day Guitar Changed Forever
Before Eddie Van Halen, electric guitar had rules. After him, it had a new vocabulary—a warm, snarling tone that breathed like a living thing, and a two-handed technique that turned the fretboard into a piano. This is the story of the Brown Sound and the moment guitar split into a before and after.
Long Live the Guitar Solo: 80s Guitar Gods vs. the Modern Revolution of Henson and Abasi
There’s a quiet debate happening in guitar culture right now—the emotional firepower of the 80s guitar gods versus the precision and architecture of modern innovators like Tim Henson and Tosin Abasi. Neither side is wrong. And the tension between them is shaping the future of the instrument.
The Perfect Rock Formula: Why Malcolm and Angus Young Are Pure Genius
Some of the most powerful music in rock history wasn’t built on speed or complexity—it was built on discipline, chemistry, and knowing exactly what not to play. That’s the genius of Malcolm and Angus Young.
From Pawn Shops to Legend: How Stevie Ray Vaughan Rewired the Blues and Saved Guitar Music
His rise wasn’t clean, fast, or easy. It was messy, loud, and built on pure obsession—and that's exactly why Stevie Ray Vaughan’s story still hits so hard today.
Why David Gilmour's “Comfortably Numb” Solo May Be the Greatest Guitar Solo of All Time
It doesn't try to win a race. It doesn't rely on speed or flash. It just makes you feel something so specific and so overwhelming it almost feels personal—and that's why it may be the greatest guitar solo ever recorded.
Decoding David Gilmour's Comfortably Numb Solo Tone
Big Muff into Hiwatt, a whisper of rotary, and a neck-pickup croon. Here’s how Gilmour forged the 1980 Comfortably Numb solo tone—and how you can actually get there today.