Before Nirvana released their sophomore album Nevermind in 1991, punk rock and indie music was considered niche-- something the masses would never touch. Punk certainly wasn’t getting any mainstream airplay, and the focus was on the hair metal bands of the era: Mötley Crüe, Poison, Warrant. With Nevermind, Nirvana brought punk and indie rock into the popular music realm and made alternative music ubiquitous.

When it comes to guitar effects, there’s something about the “talk box” that listeners especially love. A collective roar still rolls through the crowd whenever Peter Frampton breaks out the unit during live shows.

With the CD and DVD set Celebration Day riding high on the Billboard charts, we need no reminder of the potent magic Jimmy Page created as the leader of Led Zeppelin.

Eddie Van Halen, like many of his constituents at the highest level of musical ability, is both a revolutionary and a traditionalist.

Thin Lizzy’s Scott Gorham recently talked to Gibson.com about the legendary band’s final U.K. tour. Although Thin Lizzy as a band and brand will continue for a while, Gorham is prepping a new three-guitar group…

Love or hate social media, there’s no disputing the fact it’s a quick and effective way for famous types to send information to the masses, whether that’s details on a new album or random musings about their dating life. We’ve spotted 10 rockers who are uber-active on Twitter and some of their latest tweets. Check out our list of “Rocker to Follow on Twitter” below, and follow Gibson on Twitter via @GibsonGuitar! (I’m on Twitter, too, via @localmusicbeat.)

Whenever I look back at a year, at first glance I think “there weren't many albums that I liked this past year,” or something to that effect. But as soon as I actually start listing them I always find myself having so many new favorites, and 2012 is no exception. I've decided to list 10 albums that I think stand out from the crowd. Some are obvious choices, and others might be a bit obscure, but well worth a listen, and a great way to discover some new music.

After tremolo, fuzz and reverb, wah-wah is one of the earliest effects, and certainly one of the most expressive. Its interactive nature means everyone uses the wah-wah a little differently. Some players rock the pedal in time with the song. Others use it to outline phrases. Others use it as a tone filter. That sense of individuality is a great metaphor for the guitar itself; all distilled down into a space small enough to fit under your foot. Here are the 10 best wah-wah solos.

With DVD/CD Celebration Day recently hitting Top 10s around the globe, Led Zeppelin have a whole new audience. And also a mature audience who are revisiting their epic recordings. But where to start? Where to revisit? And which album is best? You decide…

Gibson has taken a few different approaches to mini humbuckers over the years.