Guitar Talk
Deep dives into the players who shaped electric guitar history.
The Ultimate Guide to Kirk Hammett: Gear, Solos, Tone & Metallica Legacy
Explore the ultimate guide to Kirk Hammett, covering his history with Metallica, signature gear, iconic solos, playing style, influences, and the techniques that made him one of heavy metal's most recognizable guitarists.
The Ultimate Guide to David Gilmour: The Guitarist Who Made Every Note Matter
Discover the ultimate guide to David Gilmour — his iconic tone, the Black Strat, his gear, the Comfortably Numb solo, his Pink Floyd years, and the techniques that made him one of the greatest guitarists in history.
History of the Riff: Why Whole Lotta Love Changed Rock Forever
More than 50 years after it first blasted out of speakers, the opening riff to Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love remains one of the most recognizable pieces of guitar music ever recorded. Here's why it changed rock forever.
Steve Vai: The Alien Genius Who Turned the Guitar Into an Entirely New Instrument
From Frank Zappa's boot camp to Passion and Warfare, the Ibanez JEM, and the PIA era — how Steve Vai reinvented what six strings can do.
The Ultimate Guide to Stevie Ray Vaughan: The Guitarist Who Brought the Blues Back to Life
Biography, gear, technique, tone secrets, top songs, and beginner tips for chasing the sound of the man who dragged the blues back into the spotlight.
Billy Gibbons: The Bearded Blues Wizard Who Made Tone More Important Than Speed
As the driving force behind ZZ Top, Billy Gibbons proved that you don't need a thousand notes to create something unforgettable. Sometimes one perfectly placed note says everything.
Tony Iommi: The Man Who Lost His Fingertips and Invented Heavy Metal
How one factory accident changed guitar history forever. The incredible true story of the Black Sabbath legend who turned tragedy into the birth of an entire genre.
The Ultimate Guide to Eddie Van Halen: The Guitarist Who Changed Everything
The innovator. The showman. The genius. A complete guide to the life, legacy, tone, and gear of the guitarist who permanently rewrote the rules of rock.
Keith Richards Is Still Chasing the Next Great Riff — And the Rolling Stones Aren't Finished Yet
Six decades in, Keith Richards is still writing riffs that matter. With the Rolling Stones' upcoming album Foreign Tongues, he proves that great guitar playing is about feel, groove, and curiosity — not chasing trends.
Andy Timmons: The Guitar Hero Your Favorite Guitar Hero Loves
Andy Timmons is the player's player — a master of melody, phrasing, and tone whose instrumental guitar work has earned the respect of legends. Here's why every guitar fan needs to know his name.
SatchVai Band: The Story of Guitar's Greatest Teacher and His Most Famous Student
Discover the incredible story behind the SatchVai Band, how Joe Satriani taught Steve Vai, the legendary guitarists who studied under Satch, and the remaining 2026 Surfing With The Hydra tour dates.
Why Randy Rhoads Still Sounds Ahead of His Time
More than four decades after his passing, Randy Rhoads still sounds futuristic. Classical discipline, cinematic phrasing, and raw emotion — here's why his playing keeps finding new generations of guitarists.
Why Nuno Bettencourt Might Be the Most Complete Rock Guitarist Alive
Shred precision, funk groove, pop songwriting instincts, and stadium-sized stage presence — Nuno Bettencourt quietly checks every box. Here's why a new generation is finally putting him in the all-time conversation.
Why Gary Moore Was One of the Most Emotional Guitarists Ever
From Thin Lizzy to 'Still Got the Blues,' Gary Moore made a single bent note feel more human than most players manage in an entire solo — here's why his Les Paul tone, vibrato, and phrasing still set the bar for emotional blues-rock guitar.
Why Steve Lukather is One of the Most Underrated Guitarists Ever
Steve Lukather played on Thriller, anchored Toto, and quietly became the guitarist other elite guitarists look up to — here's why the 'Toto guitarist' deserves a much bigger seat at the all-time greats table.
How Joe Satriani Became One of Guitar's Greatest Teachers and Players
From mentoring Steve Vai, Kirk Hammett, and Alex Skolnick to releasing Surfing with the Alien, Joe Satriani built a legacy on inspiring generations while proving instrumental guitar music could reach a massive audience.
Why Warren DeMartini Doesn't Get Enough Credit
Ratt's lead guitarist sat right between flash and feel — and in a decade obsessed with shred, that quiet mastery is exactly why Warren DeMartini still gets overlooked.
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.