the world’s best-selling guitar magazine

About

Guitar World’s debut issue was only 82 pages, had a very small staff and budget and wasn’t even on a monthly schedule for about the first 12 years of publication. By 1984, GW began to multiply – spinoffs and offshoots became a large part of its focus as ownership looked to expand its reach into other markets and demographics. That year saw the publication of Guitar Heroes, a one-shot guide to more than 100 of the greatest guitar players of all time. In early 1992, the idea was revived as the semi-annual Guitar World Legends, but with one major change: each issue was conceived as a tribute to an artist or genre, and included past GW interviews, lessons, equipment guides, rare photos and more.

GW’s first official sister publication was Guitar School, which debuted in 1989 and foundered in 1997 shortly after its name was changed to Maximum Guitar. In the summer of 1993 GW branched out with Country Guitar, which morphed into Guitar World Acoustic and lasted until 2007. Mid-2003 saw GW venturing into the bass market with the premiere of Guitar World’s Bass Guitar, which eventually ceased operation with its Pete Wentz-fronted June 2007 issue.[citation needed]

Second to Guitar World was the Guitar One magazine which was founded in 1998. The second best-selling US guitar magazine which was owned by Cherry Lane Magazines, was sold as part of the company’s desire to scale down its magazine roster. Both of the magazines were purchased by Future Network in 2003. That year the circulation for Guitar World was 180,000, and for Guitar One was 140,000. The last publication for Guitar One was in 2007. Then what was left was taken up by Guitar World.

In the summer of 2009, GW’s editorial staff launched Guitar Aficionado, a high-end publication designed for players passionate about the finer things associated with the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, including vintage and collectible axes, designer watches and fashion, exotic motorcycles, fine foods and spirits and more. By 2017, Guitar Aficionado had become a casualty of cutbacks resulting from the purchase of New Bay Media by Future PLC.

Revolver, one of the leading hard rock and metal publications still in existence, was conceived as GW’s sister publication in 1999. When it hit newsstands in the spring of 2000, Revolver’s debut issue contained a unique mix of content, including an oral history of the Doors, a behind-the-scenes look at the Japanese pop scene and members of Slipknot wearing fashionable men’s suits. But perhaps the world wasn’t quite ready for such an eclectic combo: after only a few issues, Revolver was retooled and relaunched into the magazine metal fans know today.

While each of these magazines has either been killed off or – in the case of Revolver – sold to another company, GW is still part of a large family. As a member of Future plc, it calls Guitar Techniques, Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar Player and Bass Player its sister publications.

GW was published by Harris Publications from 1980 to 2003 and by Future US from 2003 to 2012. NewBay Media took over from 2012 to 2018, until Future plc re-acquired the magazine in April 2018.