Guitarist – September 2026

Summary

Johnny Marr is selling 100 of his guitars at Christie's on 17 September 2026, and Guitarist September 2026 walks the collection with Amelia Walker, including the 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo behind "This Charming Man" and the 1963 Casino behind "How Soon Is Now?"

Guitarist September 2026 makes Marr's Guitars the cover feature at 58, with Jamie Dickson and Henry Yates interviewing Marr and Amelia Walker, Christie's Head of Private and Iconic Collections, guiding the guitars. The issue adds Eric Johnson's tour rig at 46, Sam Grassie at 54, Dave Gregory at 78, an obituary for Wayne Charvel at 44 and Historic Hardware on Gary Moore's 1955 Gibson Les Paul Junior at 86.

New gear runs the Fender John Osborne Telecaster at 8, the EVH 5150III Hypersonic 6L6 2X12 at 14, the Epiphone Marcus King El Dorado at 18 and the Gibson ES-335 50s and 60s at 92. Regulars carry Gas Supply at 28, Fretbuzz at 30, Tones Behind The Tracks at 34, Substitute at 40, Bought & Sold at 120 and Vintage Icons at 126, with Blues Headlines at 128. Marr's auction and his new album The Age Of Everything, out 2 October on BMG, give the issue its reason to exist.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story
p.58 · MARR'S GUITARS
Johnny Marr is selling around 100 instruments, and Amelia Walker of Christie's walks Guitarist through the collection at 58, guitar by guitar. The piece covers the 1982 Rickenbacker 330 Jetglo used on "This Charming Man", the 1963 Casino behind "How Soon Is Now?", the 1977 Gretsch Atkins Super Axe he wrote the first Smiths album on and the 1978 nine-pickup Strat. Marr says he wants a fan to buy these rather than a case-collector. Look up the auction at christies.com before 17 September if you intend to bid.

▸ Features
p.46 · ERIC JOHNSON
Eric Johnson opens his tour rig at 46, covering how the Texan Strat player recreates his signature sound live. The piece names the guitars, amps and the settings he uses. Check your own amp settings against his before the next gig.

p.54 · SAM GRASSIE
Sam Grassie is interviewed at 54, with the piece covering his debut album Where Two Hawks Fly on Broadside Hacks Recordings and his folk guitar style. Editor Jamie Dickson calls him a rightful inheritor of the 60s Brit-folk sound. Listen to the album on his Bandcamp page, which the piece names.

p.78 · DAVE GREGORY
Dave Gregory of XTC talks at 78 about Drums And Wires, butchering his SG and the gigs that spun out of control. The piece covers the angular riffs and solos that defined the record. Play Drums And Wires after reading to hear what he describes.

p.086 · HISTORIC HARDWARE: GARY MOORE'S 1955 GIBSON LES PAUL JUNIOR
Historic Hardware at 86 examines Gary Moore's 1955 Gibson Les Paul Junior, covering the instrument and its history. The piece names the guitar and its construction. Compare your own Junior against the details printed here.

▸ New Gear
p.008 · FENDER JOHN OSBORNE TELECASTER
The Fender John Osborne Telecaster is covered at 8, with the B-Bender mechanism explained as the guitar's defining feature. The piece names the model and its spec. Test the B-Bender before buying, since it changes how you fret.

p.014 · EVH 5150III HYPERSONIC 6L6 2X12
The EVH 5150III Hypersonic 6L6 2X12 is reviewed at 14, covering the digital modelling amp and its sounds. The review names the unit and its output. A/B it against a valve amp at the volume you actually play.

p.092 · GIBSON ES-335 50S & 60S
Gibson's new 50s and 60s ES-335 reissues are reviewed at 92, with the piece asking whether they are the best reissues yet. It names the two models and their differences. Play both versions in the shop before choosing, since the necks differ.

▸ Regulars
p.028 · GAS SUPPLY
Gas Supply at 28 rounds up new gear and releases in short form. It names products and prices where printed. Note one item here and check it in person.

p.034 · TONES BEHIND THE TRACKS
Tones Behind The Tracks at 34 breaks down how a specific recorded guitar sound was made. It names the guitar, amp and settings. Recreate one setting from the piece at your next rehearsal.

p.120 · BOUGHT & SOLD
Bought & Sold at 120 covers instruments changing hands, naming guitars and prices. The column tracks the vintage market. Check your own guitar's value against the sales printed here.

p.128 · BLUES HEADLINES
Blues Headlines with Richard Barrett at 128 closes the techniques section with blues phrasing and licks. He names the scales and the approach. Learn one lick from the column and use it in a solo this week.

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Editor's Take

Guitarist September 2026 has a cover feature worth the issue: Marr's Guitars at 58 is not a celebrity interview with photos attached but a working walk-through with Amelia Walker naming which guitar made which Smiths song, and Marr's line about wanting a fan to buy them rather than a glass-case collector is the honest note underneath a sale. Dave Gregory at 78 and Sam Grassie at 54 are both strong, and the gear run from 8 to 92 is broad. The weakness is the middle: Eric Johnson at 46 is a rig tour the magazine has run before, and the regulars at 28, 30 and 32 are short fillers. The cover is busy — Eric Johnson, Gibson ES-335, Marcus King and Marr all compete — but Marr's name is the one that sells it. Buy this for the Marr feature and the Dave Gregory interview; gear-only readers will find the reviews sufficient but not exceptional.

Strengths
• Marr auction piece names the guitar behind each song
• Dave Gregory interview covers Drums And Wires properly
• Gear run spans a Tele, an EVH amp and ES-335 reissues

Weaknesses
• Eric Johnson rig tour repeats familiar ground
• Regulars at 28 to 32 are short filler

Verdict: Essential for Marr and Smiths readers — The auction feature is the year's best guitar journalism here.