“Monster lineup here”: Eric Johnson and Michael Landau honor Jeff Beck with a fretboard-burning Freeway Jam cover By Phil Weller published 8 April 24 The two Stratocaster masters recently shared the stage for a Beck-honoring jam
“It was found in the trunk of a car. They had sanded it to make it look like it wasn’t mine”: Tyler Bryant's stolen Pinky One Strat was played by Jeff Beck, inscribed by Steven Tyler – and, miraculously, returned to him five years after it was taken By Matt Parker published 8 April 24 The blues-rock guitarist recalls the loss – and remarkable recovery – of his most significant six-string
“George Martin wasn’t going to leave his own studio, and Jeff never gave directions or said much, so there was nobody telling us what to do”: Listen to Wilbur Bascomb’s bassline on Jeff Beck’s Goodbye Pork Pie Hat By Chris Jisi published 20 March 24 New York session bassist Wilbur Bascomb Jr. recorded on Jeff Beck’s 1976 version of this Charles Mingus ballad
“What he did with it, it just brings you to tears”: Jeff Beck’s last-ever recording has been released – as Mark Knopfler’s sensational star-studded charity single finally arrives By Matt Owen published 15 March 24 More than 50 of the world’s finest guitar heroes have joined forces for the track, which has been recorded to raise funds for teenage cancer charities
“I think what we’ve had is an embarrassment of riches”: The first minute of Mark Knopfler’s star-studded charity single has been released – can you guess the guitar heroes from their chops? By Matt Owen published 4 March 24 The nine-minute extended cut contains contributions from over 50 guitar legends, and features Jeff Beck's final recording
“I could finally quieten down this noise in my head... the best in the room is sitting over there – and it doesn’t have to maybe be me”: John Mayer says that when Jeff Beck was in the room, he felt he could finally relax about his guitar playing By Matt Parker published 26 February 24 Mayer has described a sense of a weight being lifted when in the presence of the formidable guitar talent
“Rest in peace, Bobby”: Veteran vocalist and guitarist Bobby Tench – who worked with the likes of Jeff Beck, Peter Green, Humble Pie, Ginger Baker, Van Morrison and many more – dies, aged 79 By Matt Parker published 23 February 24 The British musician played with everyone from Peter Green to Freddie King and Ginger Baker yet never got the limelight he deserved
Jeff Beck was a master of string bends and the whammy bar – and this masterclass in his ‘blues and beyond’ guitar style will make your solos more expressive By David Gerrish published 22 February 24 Jeff Beck was a player like no other. He was the GOAT. We can't make you play like him, but this lesson shows how you can incorporate his style and make your blues more expressive
“We could hear Jeff playing right through the wall… I’d never heard anything like it”: Melvins’ Buzz Osborne once secretly listened to Jeff Beck’s warm-up routine – and it blew him away By Matt Owen published 19 February 24 The Melvins leader shared a trailer with the late guitar legend when the two played back-to-back slots at a festival – and what he heard proved to be unforgettable
“Eric came in, played great, just one tasty lick after another. Jeff Beck’s contribution was spellbinding”: Mark Knopfler enlists Clapton, Townshend, Iommi, Slash and dozens more for all-star charity single By Jonathan Horsley published 8 February 24 Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes raise funds for teenage cancer charities with an epic version of his Local Hero theme, featuring Jeff Beck’s final recording, and over 50 guitar legends – including David Gilmour, Joan Armatrading and Brian May
Remembering the guitarists we lost in 2023 By Jackson Maxwell published 26 December 23 We had to say goodbye to a staggering number of guitar geniuses this year. We salute those players and their contributions to the instrument
News of the (guitar) world: the biggest, baddest, weirdest and saddest guitar news of 2023 By Amit Sharma published 25 December 23 We track the year’s biggest six-string stories – from landmark gear developments to devastating departures and 2023’s most headline-grabbing players
“The smallest element can be the basis of a cool riff. That’s pretty much how I wrote Sweet Emotion”: Tom Hamilton reveals the inspiration behind one of the most iconic bass riffs in rock By Nick Wells published 19 December 23 How Sweet Emotion, from Aerosmith’s Toys in the Attic, was inspired by Jeff Beck’s Rough and Ready
“It didn’t tick his boxes. It didn’t give him what he wanted”: Before Fender, Jeff Beck worked with Ibanez to create a wild Telecaster/Les Paul hybrid – this is the never-before-told story of the signature model that almost was By Matt Owen published 3 November 23 In the 1980s, Beck sought out Ibanez to help his unique vision for a signature guitar become a reality. We trace the history of an instrument so elusive that few even knew it existed
“It wouldn’t have worked with the Stones at all. We’re all about teamwork”: Jeff Beck was once rumored to join The Rolling Stones – Keith Richards explains why that never happened By Matt Owen published 17 October 23 Although the two parties never aligned, their mutual respect for each other was clear: “He was one of the best, man,” Richards tells Guitar Player
I’m Going Down: Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram calmly recovers from tonal calamity as he joins Eric Gales and Samantha Fish onstage at Crossroads 2023 By Matt Parker published 25 September 23 The trio of blues maestros took on a standard beloved by Jeff Beck at what has fast shaped up to be the guitar event of the year
“We’re going to pay tribute to the man himself right now”: Joe Bonamassa and John McLaughlin honor Jeff Beck with a hair-raising rendition of Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers at Crossroads 2023 By Matt Parker published 25 September 23 The two guitarists paid tribute to the departed icon, performing Beck’s signature tune
Jackson has reprised a cult electric guitar associated with Jeff Beck for a super-limited Custom Shop run By Matt Parker published 21 August 23 The Music Zoo exclusives meld Jackson’s lesser-spotted 3S build with the specs of another limited run with the retailer – making for an unusual hybrid
Derek Trucks has been tackling Beck’s Bolero in his own spectacular fashion – watch him nail Jeff Beck’s influential guitar tour de force By Matt Owen published 14 August 23 The slide virtuoso has been paying tribute to the late Stratocaster master with a string of sensational covers
Jeff Beck said Stevie Ray Vaughan “was the closest thing to Hendrix when it came to playing the blues”: watch the two guitar heroes duke it out on Goin' Down By Jackson Maxwell published 6 July 23 Filmed for MTV, this electrifying 1989 performance showcases the Strat titans' uniquely forceful playing