How the best was won

A spirited valedictory offering from the late Wayne Kramer. Just don’t expect the jams to be kicked out like it’s 1969, warns Andrew Perry.

PUNK ROCK HERO AND GEN Z SUPERSTAR YUNGBLUD IS NOW L AUNCHING HIS F IRST SIGNATURE GUITAR. “I SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS RE ADING TOTAL GUITAR, LE ARNING ABOUT THIS STUFF,” HE SAYS. AND HE’S ALRE ADY PLOT TING HIS NEXT MOVE: “A CLASSIC ROCK ALBUM FOR 2025!”

One could say that the chaos of Madness’ debut album reflected the chaos of their formation. Originally performing under the guise of the North London Invaders in 1976, the band went through multiple

For five decades, his raw, instinctive guitar lines have helped Aerosmith become the kind of rock act whose songs an entire generation can sing. But as the band g rew from funk-fired upstarts into megastars, Joe Perry made sure never to lose one vital thing: curiosity. As Aerosmith call time on their stellar 50-year touring career, Joe joins us to reflect on what he’s learned about guitar along the way...

RIGHT AROUND 700. That’s how many issues of Guitar Player reside in our archive, from our debut publication to our last. (We tried running the numbers several times, but we’d lose count after being di

Some call him the Iron Man. Others see him as the Master of Reality or the Hand of Doom. One thing everyone seems to agree on, however, is that heavy metal was first conceived in the mind of Anthony F