Guitar World | Home of the World's Greatest Authorities on Guitar Playing (original) (raw)
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- Sophie Lloyd's first US show will go ahead
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- The '90s Dual Rectifier is back… with a few changes
- Martin overhauls Standard Series for first time in 7 years
NAMM 2025: rumors, predictions and breaking news from the world’s biggest gear show ByMichael Astley-Brown last updated 14 January 25 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 
Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton gives update on frontman Steven Tyler’s health ByJanelle Borg published 14 January 25 Hamilton doesn't rule out Aerosmith returning back to the live circuit despite Tyler's recent voice problems 
Fender CEO Andy Mooney explains why the firm’s return to NAMM 2025 won’t be business as usual ByMatt Owen published 14 January 25 Fender is one of the key brands returning to NAMM for 2025, but it’s taking a different approach this time 
Walrus Audio just created an entirely new type of pedal that’s aimed at improving your playing, not your tone ByMichael Astley-Brown published 14 January 25 The Canvas Rehearsal stalks new ground as a metronome, headphone amp and Bluetooth streamer in one 
Cesar Gueikian all-but-confirms the return of the cult Gibson RD – an unsung build beloved by Dave Grohl and Ghost ByPhil Weller published 13 January 25 One of the firm’s most obscure designs of the 1970s looks set for an unlikely return 
Guitar Center launches initiative to replace music gear destroyed by Los Angeles wildfires ByJanelle Borg published 13 January 25 MusiCares, the NAMM Foundation and Sweet Relief Musicians Fund are among other organizations providing financial assistance to impacted L.A.-based musicians and music industry professionals 
That time Tom Hamilton ended up playing bass for Thin Lizzy ByPhil Weller published 10 January 25 The bassist handled Phil Lynott’s parts during a 2016/17 anniversary tour – a gig he got after meeting members of the new-look lineup at a Motörhead concert 
NAMM CEO issues statement on 2025 event following L.A. wildfires ByJanelle Borg published 10 January 25 The CEO has confirmed that the annual trade show will go ahead as planned, with a few adjustments 
Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee are recording their regular jam sessions – but remain tight-lipped about what they’re using them for ByJanelle Borg published 8 January 25 The Rush legends discuss revisiting the band's repertoire – and even coming up with brand-new jams – during these sessions 
Bob Rock made bass history on Metallica’s St. Anger – quite a feat, since he “never really played bass” before ByBill Leigh published 12 January 25 Producer Bob Rock on making St. Anger, the legacy of Cliff Burton and why he used Loverboy’s bass guitar on every track 
If you think Mike Dirnt is another clueless punk, think again ByJonathan Herrera published 11 January 25 Every success story needs a behind-the-scenes hero, and for Green Day, it was bassist Mike Dirnt. He details the making of American Idiot and his forensic approach to bass tone 
Carol Kaye on how she made Pet Sounds with the Beach Boys – and why good basslines don't come from scales ByChris Jisi published 10 January 25 Kaye, the first lady of the electric bass, played her P-Bass through a Fender Super Reverb 4x10 combo on the iconic record 
Tony Levin on playing for Pink Floyd in the post-Roger Waters era ByJanelle Borg published 6 January 25 The session icon discusses working with David Gilmour – and reveals he was asked to tour with Pink Floyd after his session work on 1987's A Momentary Lapse of Reason 
John Myung plays for one of rock’s most ambitious bands, and the Berklee-schooled bassist is tackling the challenge with extraordinary discipline ByNick Wells published 1 January 25 The Dream Theater maestro explains what every bassist can learn from Bach, how he developed the Bongo 6-string bass with Ernie Ball, and why he runs a Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier on bass… 
When it comes to Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn’s huge catalog of bass grooves, this ear-catching line from The Blues Brothers is a great place to start ByBrian Fox published 29 December 24 As the linchpin of Booker T. & The M.G.’s, ‘Duck’ Dunn helped put the music of his Memphis hometown on the map 
Rhonda Smith had been on call with Prince for more than a decade when she told the Purple One she was busy with Jeff Beck ByBrian Fox published 28 December 24 Session ace Rhonda Smith on how her 10-year stint with Prince came to a close 
Coldplay bassist Guy Berryman opens up on his role in one of the world’s biggest bands – and how he’s adapting his playing style ByMatt Owen published 24 December 24 Berryman has discussed how he helps translate Coldplay’s studio sound to the stage, and why that lets him experiment with his technique 
Tim Commerford’s new Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay is a love letter to the pawnshop bass that crafted the first Rage record ByPhil Weller published 23 December 24 Passive and active editions have been launched, but both come optimized with some clever, player-adjustable additions 
Shergold’s new Telstar bass repackages one of the firm’s best electric designs of recent years into a low-end format ByPhil Weller published 13 December 24 It’s joined by another new low-end launch from the acclaimed UK luthier, the Libertine 
“Gene Simmons used a Grabber for a reason – because they play like nothing else on earth”: Epiphone Grabber Bass review ByNick Wells published 4 December 24 With its classic looks and budget-friendly price tag, is the revived Grabber still as iconic? 
Learn bass for less with beginner basses from Squier, Yamaha and Music Man hitting the low-end on price for Black Friday ByDaryl Robertson published 30 November 24 With great discounted options from the likes of Squier, Yamaha and Sterling by Music Man, now's the time to start your bass guitar journey 
A maple cap fingerboard in 1965? Here’s why this vintage Jazz Bass is a true Fender unicorn ByHuw Price published 27 November 24 Could it be that this mid-'60s Jazz Bass is rare simply because people couldn't read Fender's small print? Well Strung Guitars owner David Davidson floats a theory and picks up the tale… 
Brubaker merges headless guitar hype with modern modular designs for the NBS Series ByPhil Weller published 11 November 24 Bartolini, Dark Glass, John East, Aguilar, and Nordstrand preamp modules are available, and each can be swapped out in less than 60 seconds 
Best budget bass amps 2025: brilliant bass tone without a hefty price ByRichard Blenkinsop last updated 31 October 24 Keep your low-end punchy and your bank balance healthy with our pick of the best budget bass amps from Fender, Orange, Ampeg and beyond! 
“In terms of sheer value for money, it’s hard to beat”: Sterling by Music Man Joe Dart Artist Series Bass review ByNick Wells published 25 October 24 On paper, the Sterling Joe Dart model looks like a remarkable reproduction of Music Man’s pro-standard version. Could this be as good as it gets for a $399 bass? 
Epiphone has brought back its quirky cult classic 1970s Grabber bass beloved by Gene Simmons, Krist Novoselic and Mike Dirnt ByMatt Owen published 26 September 24 The double-cut four-string was a hit back in the 1970s, and finally makes a triumphant return in the form of a more affordable Inspired by Gibson Epiphone reissue 
“Playing the Bass VI is a really strange experience”: Squier Limited Edition Classic Vibe Bass VI review ByMatt McCracken published 19 December 24 Part bass, part guitar, we get to grips with the Classic Vibe version of Fender’s very own dichotomy of tone 
“Thrill-seekers wishing to add ear-melting fuzz to their bass will be in tonal nirvana”: Goliath FX Hornburg Fuzz review ByNick Wells published 28 September 24 With drive tones verging on the mythical, is this the ultimate bass fuzz? 
“As a compact amp modeler/cab simulator/Capture device, this is perhaps the best option out there, screen or no screen”: Neural DSP Nano Cortex review ByMatt Owen published 18 September 24 The follow-up to the game-changing Quad Cortex is here at last, and with its ultra-powerful Nano Cortex, Neural DSP has set its sights on challenging IK Multimedia and Kemper to offer the ultimate all-in-one rig solution 
Fender Vintera II ’60s Precision Bass review ByNick Wells published 11 August 24 Vintage looks? Timeless P-Bass tones? We size up the latest incarnation of Fender’s flagship 4-string 
“You’d be hard-pushed to find a bass sound that you couldn’t gig with almost immediately”: Boss Katana-500 Bass Head review ByNick Wells published 7 May 24 This newly developed, feature-packed bass head features an Amp Feel switch and ‘Cabinet Resonance’ calibration technology to get the best from your cab – but is it a game-changer for bassists? 
“If you can handle the fanned frets, this is a bass you’ll cherish for decades”: Dingwall John Taylor Signature review ByJoel McIver published 4 April 24 After playing a custom Dingwall live with Duran Duran, John Taylor has launched his production model, loaded with a new bridge design, a Rupert Neve Design preamp to die for and a monster tonal range 
“So much fun and so inspiring, it’s a steal at the asking price”: Boss Katana:Go review ByNick Guppy published 26 March 24 Boss has crammed a full Katana amplifier into a tiny headphone-amp format – and its long list of features and tones makes it practically irresistible