How did AC/DC's first ever concert go? What's the story behind Bon Scott's music career pre-Acca Dacca? How the hell did the group bounce back so powerfully after Bon Scott's death, and what is the magic behind the success of Back In Black? All this is covered (and much more) as well as interviews with Malcolm Young, Angus Young and Brian Johnson. Check out the full table of contents at the bottom of this page.

Classic Rock AC/DC Special Edition: Aussie Power Up Tour Edition is out now for AU$22.95 at all good newsagents. Go and grab yours before the Power Up Tour hits proper: it'll get you in the mood and then some.

Contents

The Ballad Of Bon Scott
Bon’s brief tenure in folksters Mount Lofty Rangers prior to joining AC/DC and a near-fatal premature ending…

The First Gig!
The original line-up recall seeing in the new year of ’74 with a bang.

TNT
The Australia-only release of their second album.

First Steps
Growing up down under: aggro in the arvo.

Let There Be Rock!
The band’s first proper album release confirms their status as a definitive force in rock’n’roll.

Riff Raff
Laying waste to the UK: on tour in ’77 with Bon leading the charge.

Bad Boy Boogie
The last few years of the 70s, AC/DC consolidated their name as the ultimate good time rock’n’roll band – both on record and on stage.

Shot Down
Working towards the peak career of the band’s Bon Scott era, AC/DC recruited new album producer Mutt Lange.

Highway To Hell
The full story behind the making of the band’s most well-known and enduring album.

A Touch Too Much
The tragic passing of the AC/DC frontman and how his death passed into legend – and conspiracy.

The 80s
The exit of Bon and the entrance of Brian ‘Beano’ Johnson: how AC/DC rose again to reach even greater success.

Back In Black
Beano’s debut: the iconic album that saw AC/DC break new ground whilst remaining true to their roots.

Hell’s Bells
Exactly how did Back In Black become such a classic album? Geoff Barton of Classic Rock explores its longevity.

For Whom The Bell Tolls
How the band fared with new guy Beano out front.

Every Home Should Have One
Buckcherry frontman Josh Todd on why Back In Black was such an important album for him – and his career.

For Those About To Rock, We Salute You
The stress and strain of following up Back In Black as new era of rock approached.

Bring Out The Big Guns
The pitfalls of playing on stage with firing cannons.

Rock’N’Roll Damnation
Dealing with inter-band conflict, surviving the vagaries of music fashion, censorship in the USA… and a serial killer.

In The Badlands
How Flick Of The Switch and Fly On The Wall saw AC/DC falter in the decade that saw pop overcome rock.

Going Into Overdrive
Drawing inspiration from an unlikely source, AC/DC revitalise their career with Who Made Who and Blow Up Your Video.

High Voltage
The resurgence and the cleaning-up of their act.

Malcolm Young
The older brother interviewed in 1992, following the release of The Razor’s Edge and Ballbreaker albums.

Rock Your Heart Out
Back to basics: the making of Razor’s Edge, Ballbreaker and into the new millennium with Stiff Upper Lip.

Can’t Stop Rock’N’Roll
The renaissance of AC/DC: how the band thrived in the new millennium by outliving their peers from the 70s.

Black Ice
For almost a decade with no new music, the band exploded back onto the scene with a “comeback” …then went supernova.

Train Kept A-Rollin’
Revisiting Black Ice and Rock Or Bust – the band’s latest (or final?) – two albums that brought the band’s career full circle.

It’s A Long Way To The Top…
He’s not bitter: Brian Johnson’s career in full and how he successfully filled the big shoes of Bon Scott, when no one though that was possible.

Let There Be Rock. Again
Angus Young and Brian Johnson on ressurecting the one of the greatest hard rock bands ever and unleashing Power Up.

The 30 Greatest Songs
The all-time classic cuts. From Lemmy to Aerosmith, from Clutch to Kiss, the great and the good choose their favourites.

• Billy Corgan & Kiki Wong: Billy and Kiki – the Smashing Pumpkins' first and latest guitarists, respectively – discuss how bonding over Dimebag Darrell and dressing like "Rob Halford's cousin" helped turn Wong into a Pumpkin overnight – by Joe Bosso
• Billy Corgan's Tales of a Scorched Earth: Corgan looks back on the making of the Smashing Pumpkins' era-defining grand opus, 1995's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness – by Joe Bosso
• Sex Pistols Incite Anarchy in the U.S.: O.G. Sex Pistols Steve Jones, Glen Matlock and Paul Cook are about to kick off a rare U.S. tour with Frank Carter – as in, not Johnny Rotten – behind the mic. Says Jones, "For the first time in a long time, I'm really enjoying doing Pistols songs" – by Andrew Daly
• Carlos Santana Is as Supernatural as Ever: Six decades into his career, Carlos Santana remains excited by the very thought of having a guitar in his hands. In this issue, he looks back on the music and gear that's soundtracked his one-of-a-kind life (not to mention his “visitation” from Stevie Ray Vaughan) – by Amit Sharma

Let us not forget this other cool stuff...

• The Gear Hunter checks in with Robert Keeley of Keeley Electonics
• Personalities pays a visit to longtime Beach Boys guitarist Al Jardine, who discusses the lesser-known aspects of Surf's Up and Holland
• Meet Inhaler guitarist Josh Jenkinson
• A tribute to the late, great Rick Derringer (1947-2025)
• Zakk Wylde's life in three guitars

The issue also features new interviews with Khruangbin's Mark Speer and Laura Lee Ochoa, plus Vernon Reid, Ricky Byrd, both guitarists from Momma, both guitarists from Phoneboy and both guitarists from the Voidz, plus Bumblefoot, Ally Venable and Laura Pleasants.

Gear-wise, we explore the history and allure of the Fender Jazzmaster, and we review all this cool stuff:

• Kramer Volante HSGT
• TC Electronic Ditto 2
• ToneWoodAmp2
• Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus plugin
• Jackson Pro Series Misha Mansoor Juggernaut ET6
• Taylor 314ce Studio
• Gibson Marcus King ES-345

Finally, we have new columns by Joe Bonamassa, Jared James Nichols, Sue Foley and Cory Wong, plus transcriptions of Neurogenesis by Intervals & Koan Sound, Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers and Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder.

Head to Magazines Direct to pick up your copy of the October 2025 Guitar World.

• The Final Interview: Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward walk us through 57 years of Black Sabbath history – from the very beginning to Back to the Beginning, the band’s history-making farewell bash in Birmingham, England, this July 5.
• The Supporting Cast: Back to the Beginning performers Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wylde, Jerry Cantrell, Adam Jones, K.K. Downing, Lzzy Hale, Bill Kelliher, Scott Ian and more talk Sabbath, Iommi and what it’s like getting random texts from musical director Tom Morello.
• The Discography: A complete album-by-album, lineup-by-crazy-ass-lineup history of Black Sabbath.

Hold on, now! There's also this other stuff...

• Creed Bratton: A rare interview with the guitar-playing former star of NBC's The Office.
• Martin Barre: The former Jethro Tull guitarist revisits some choice moments in Tull history, including his Aqualung solo, Steel Monkey and that weird Grammy win.
• Goose: Meet your new favorite jam band!
• The Gear Hunter – G&L Guitars: Leo Fender called G&L the best instruments he ever made. Forty-five years later, the firm remains, albeit with the cachet of Leo's name lingering above.

There's also a tribute to the late John Sykes and new interviews with Muireann Bradley, Steve Stevens, D.K. Harrell, Junior Marvin, Billy Duffy, Robben Ford, Ben Lechuga and Tetrarch's Diamond Rowe and Josh Fore.

Gear-wise, we explore the history and allure of the 1989-1994 DigiTech WH-1 Whammy, and we review all this cool stuff:

• PRS Archon Classic head
• Fender Player II Modified Telecaster SH
• John Page Signature The DL
• Xotic AC Booster V2
• Warm Audio Fen-Tone WA-FT ribbon microphone

Finally, we have new columns by Joe Bonamassa, Jared James Nichols, Sue Foley and Cory Wong, plus transcriptions of Children of the Grave by Black Sabbath, Suffocate by Knocked Loose (ft. Poppy) and The Fish by Yes.

Head to Magazines Direct to pick up your copy of Guitar World August 2025.

In terms of bands that have nothing to do with 1985, check out our feature on Boston’s GA-20. Our headline, “GA-2.0,” refers to the fact that they’re kicking off a new era, complete with a new guitarist and drummer. I saw them in Brooklyn in December 2023, and I look forward to seeing version 2.0 in action.

Anyway, don’t just sit there. Dig in!

>>> Class of '85: After a summation of 1985's opulent guitar scene by Mr. Brad Tolinski, we launch into a relentless series of brand-new interviews, including:

Joe Perry on Aerosmith's Done with Mirrors, Chris Poland on Megadeth's Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good, Nancy Wilson on Heart, Yngwie Malmsteen on Marching Out, Double Trouble on SRV's Soul to Soul, Jerry Harrison on Talking Heads' Little Creatures, Eddie Martinez on Run-D.M.C.'s King of Rock, Billy Duffy on the Cult's Love, Paul Jackson Jr. on Whitney Houston, Charlie Burchill on Simple Minds' Once Upon a Time, J Mascis on Dinosaur Jr.'s Dinosaur, Bruce Kulick on Kiss's Asylum, Robert Cray on Showdown!, Bob Mould on Hüsker Dü's New Day Rising and more.

>>> A Smashing Pumpkin: Kiki Wong on her life, gear and technique before and since teaming up with Billy Corgan and James Iha.

>>> GA-2.0: GA-20 – everyone's favorite bass-guitar-free Boston-based blues trio – debut a new guitarist and drummer on the latest EP.

>>> The Smithereens' Jim Babjak: The beloved guitarist talks A Girl Like You, New Jersey rock lore, touring with Tom Petty and his guitar tone's impact on Nirvana.

>>> Third Man Hardware: Yeah, that's right – GW checks in with Jack White's pedal company!

This issue – aka the shockingly breathtaking June 2025 issue of Guitar World – is available right here, right now!

Hold on, now! There's also this other stuff...

>>> Jimmie Vaughan's life in three guitars: The co-founder of the Fabulous Thunderbirds reveals the three guitars that have meant to most to him.

>>> Dead Kennedys: East Bay Ray discusses the making of 1980's Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables.

>>> This is Cracker Soul: A rare GW interview with Cracker guitarist Johnny Hickman.

Plus new interviews with King Diamond's Andy LaRocque, the Night Flight Orchestra's Sebastian Forslund, Field Music's Peter Brewis, Jonathan Hultén, Bonnie Trash's Emmalia Bortolon-Vettor, the Cradle of Filth guys, the Fleshtones' Keith Streng and the Cars' Elliot Easton.

Gear-wise, we explore the history and allure of the PRS Custom 24, and we review all this cool stuff:

>>> Gibson Victory and Victory Figured Top
>>> MXR Rockman X100 Analog Tone Processor
>>> SOMA Harvezi Hazze
>>> SoloDallas SVDS Boost
>>> Shure MV7i Smart Microphone & Interface

We have new columns by Joe Bonamassa, Jared James Nichols, Sue Foley and Cory Wong, plus transcriptions of Money for Nothing by Dire Straits, Idle Hands by Kerry King and Better Man by Pearl Jam.

Hold on, now! There's also this other stuff...

>>> Paul Gilbert's life in three guitars: The Mr. Big co-founder and Racer X whiz reveals the three guitars that have meant to most to him.

>>> Cobra Kai's guitar guys: The guys behind the music heard in the popular Netflix series that stars William Zabka, the guy who plays Chas Osborne in Back to School.

>>> Billy Zoom: The X guitarist discusses the making of a true lost classic, 1982's Under the Big Black Sun.

Plus new interviews with Jinjer's Roman Ibramkhalilov, Steve Hackett, Yasmin Williams, Neon Nightmare's Nate Garrett, the guys from Spiral XP and Billy Idol man Steve Stevens, who revisits a classic Guitar World cover from 1986.

Gear-wise, we explore the history and allure of the B.C. Rich Mockingbird, and we review all this cool stuff:

>>> Orange Dual Baby 100 and Gain Baby 100 amps
>>> Cort G250 SE guitar
>>> Mooer Ocean Machine II
>>> Bare Knuckle Pickups PolyPaf Humbuckers
>>> D'Angelico Premier SS guitar

We have new columns by Joe Bonamassa, Jared James Nichols, Jim Oblon and Andy Wood, plus transcriptions of Dogs of War by Mötley Crüe, Holy Diver by Killswitch Engage and Bridge of Sighs by Robin Trower.

Hold on, now! There's also this other stuff...

>>> Marty Friedman & Jason Becker: The former Cacophony duo revisit their 1988 album, Go Off!

>>> Myles Kennedy: We've been saying it for years, but the Slash and Alter Bridge singer is one hell of a guitarist.

>>> Randy Jackson: A rare interview with the Zebra guitarist.

>>> Pedal Pawn: The Gear Hunter checks in with this on-the-rise UK-based maker of feisty pedals that help you nail SRV's tone.

Plus new interviews with Duane Betts (who shows us his pedalboard), the Heavy Heavy's Georgie Fuller & William Turner, plus Eric Gales, Frozen Crown, elusive session great Billy Bremner (of Rockpile and Pretenders fame), Torsten Kinsella and more.

Gear-wise, we explore the history and allure of the Fender Champ, Fender Vibro-Champ and Fender Bronco and review all this cool stuff:

>>> Supro Black Magick Reverb TB
>>> Vox Valvenergy 2nd Series pedals
>>> ESP LTD Deluxe EC-01FT solidbody electric
>>> Bog Street guitar picks
>>> Yamaha TAG3 C TransAcoustic Guitar

We have new columns by Joe Bonamassa, Jared James Nichols, Jim Oblon and Andy Wood, plus transcriptions of 5 Minutes Alone by Pantera, Emotion Sickness by Queens of the Stone Age and Dead & Bloated by Stone Temple Pilots.

The Ultimate Gear Guide!

This issue also includes the 2024 Ultimate Gear Guide! This jam-packed special 56-page section features our expert reviews of the best electric guitars, acoustic guitars, amps and pedals, as featured in GW and Guitar Player this past year.

Here’s a small sample of reviews you’ll find in the issue:

Electric Guitars:

Donner HUSH-X

Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1963 SG Custom

Ernie Ball Music Man Luke 4

Fender 70th Anniversary Antigua Stratocaster

Knaggs SSC-J Steve Stevens Signature

PRS SE CE24, Custom 24 and Swamp Ash

Reverend Chris Freeman Signature

Yamaha Pacifica Professional

Acoustic Guitars

Bourgeois Touchstone Signature OM

Martin Guitar GPCE Inception

Taylor Guitars 222ce K DLX

Amplifiers

Blackstar HT Series

Dr. Z Z-80 head

Fender Tone Master Pro and FR-10 Powered Cabinet

Peavey Classic 20 112

PRS DGT 15

Taylor Circa 74 acoustic amp

Effect Pedals

Donner/Third Man Hardware Triple Threat

EHX Lizard King Bass Octave Fuzz

Interstellar Audio Machines Supernova Zoeldrive

Keeley Angry Orange, Blues Disorder & Super Rodent pedals

UAFX Lion ’68 Super Lead Amp pedal

Warm Audio Warm Bender & RingerBringer pedal

You can buy new issues of Guitar World at Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Hudson News, Books a Million and other stores – and online from Magazines Direct. And, while you're at it, why not save on every issue by subscribing?

Launched in 1994, at the height of Britpop, Total Guitar quickly became the biggest-selling guitar magazine in the UK. Where other magazines for musicians could be ‘muso’ and elitist, Total Guitar was down to earth, with a modern and irreverent take on every aspect of the world of guitars.

Cover stars included up and coming bands like Oasis, Blur and Supergrass, as well as established stars like The Edge, Jimmy Page, Johnny Marr and Slash.

It embraced the ‘total’ part of its name, with interviews, lessons and reviews, a whole-hearted love of all-things guitar – and of all genres of music.

Tim Tucker took over as Editor from issue two, replacing launch Editor Karl Foster, and worked on the magazine until 1997. “We were focused on developing a new style of guitar magazine,” he says. “One that reflected the contemporary guitar bands of the 1990s and appealed to a new generation of musicians.”

With a free covermount CD, the magazine became renowned for its song transcriptions – with full audio and backing tracks on the CD for readers to play along with – while its extensive reviews section also had a section on the CD, with gear demos so that people could hear the sounds they were talking about.

“I stayed for 30 issues,” says Tucker, "and that period remains the most exciting and rewarding full-time job I ever had.”

When Britpop faded, the magazine turned its sights to the nu metal and pop-punk scenes, with cover interviews with the guitarists of Slipknot, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Blink-182, Green Day, The Distillers and more.

When Slash formed Velvet Revolver, Total Guitar had the first interview. They got Noel Gallagher together with his hero-turned-friend Paul Weller, not once but twice. When Slipknot’s Mick Thomson complained that producer Ross Robinson had banned guitar solos, the magazine got him in to do a lesson in soloing, with audio on the CD.

The magazine's most recent Editor, Chris Bird, will go on to become Lessons Editor, working across GuitarWorld.com and our sister sites MusicRadar and Guitar Player, serving up high quality tuition content for the guitar-playing community.

For its final issue Total Guitar presents a huge retrospective cover feature looking back at some of the magazine's greatest moments – a celebration of 30 years of the magazine starting at issue 1, which featured a guide to Jimi Hendrix's licks and gear, and asked the burning question of the day: Is the Parker Fly the guitar we'll all be playing in the future?

Editor Chris Bird says: “Total Guitar has been an institution for the guitar-playing community for 30 years, employing a massively talented and creative team of staffers and freelancers since day one. In that time, TG has probably been the broadest, most accessible guitar mag in the world. I always say we focus on putting the ‘Total’ in Total Guitar.

“It has been an absolute privilege for me to have worked with such an amazing team for the last 17 years and to have served our readers the best tuition, reviews features and more in that time. Thanks for reading.”

The final issue of Total Guitar is onsale 18 October. Existing subscribers will be contacted and offered a refund or a subscription to Guitarist magazine.

Founded in 1994 by Neville Marten and Phil Hilborne, the tuition-only magazine was appreciated by many around the world, including modern day influencers and recording virtuosos. Over the years, the magazine's team included renowned players like Guthrie Govan, Dave Kilminster, Jamie Humphries, Shaun Baxter, Eric Roche and Geoff Whitehorn, with guest contributors including Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert, Martin Taylor and many more.

Guitar Techniques' breadth and depth was exhaustive. From shred rock to jazz, country to funk, and blues to pop, it was an invaluable source of guitar education.

Editor Jason Sidwell – who joins the team here on GuitarWorld.com as Lessons Editor – says goodbye in his final editorial, printed in full below:

"The day was to come, we just didn’t know when. The last issue of the world’s finest tuition-only guitar magazine on the planet. And what a ride this enthused, informative and special magazine has had.

"Like a few other GT writers, I was a fan from issue 1. I remember seeing the promo cover in Guitarist magazine that promised a lead feature on "Satriani versus Vai". Come the mag's release, this had changed to a title less competitive and more reflective of their great styles and trademarks.

"I read the first UK interview with my new enthusiasm, Shawn Lane – interview by Cliff Douse, plus a great tutorial by Guthrie Govan, his first ever article in GT. I remember the wonderful jazz arrangements by Frank Evans, the vibrant solo guitar renditions of songs by Eric Roche, Phil Hilborne’s A-Z of Riffs and many, many more tutorials on songs, techniques and theory deep dives spread across all genres and ability levels.

"I came on board GT in 2003, a promotion that saw me overseeing all tutorial content on GT and Guitarist plus Total Guitar where I started as tuition editor back in 1998. From 2003 to now, my own GT recollections are numerous, not least working with some of the very best writers and guitarists in the world. All of them are precise, considerate and well-researched both as tutors and as performers. We all walk it, not just talk it.

"Being in magazines has many benefits – you raise your own game and get to be involved in scenarios you’d never have imagined. I’ve jammed with a good number of stunning players and recorded with many of my own personal heroes for bespoke video masterclasses. And of course, I’ve interviewed numerous outstanding players.

"For one unique scenario, Neville Marten and I drove down to Poole to spend well over an hour in an empty hotel bar with Robben Ford and Larry Carlton. We chatted Dumble amps, the benefits of the IV chord in blues and how their careers had crisscrossed over the decades. You can’t buy that type of thing. Ahh, but then again you can: GT not only ran all our chat but also featured licks in the style of these icons.

"And so, we say goodbye. Thanks for your time and enthusiasm, we have greatly appreciated our relationship over the past 30 years. We will see you online in the future but for now, keep happy, keep listening and keep playing!"

Neville Marten (editor 1994-1995 and 2004-2022) adds: "Towards the end of 1993 I was editing Guitarist and Phil Hilborne handled the music. We felt the market could stand an all-technique guitar mag, so we planned it: real song tabs, popular genres, the best tutors. Before long, Phil was doing A-Z Of Great Riffs, Lee Hodgson had Hot Country, Frank Evans did Jazz, Eric Roche handled Acoustic, Shaun Baxter took on Rock, Geoff Whitehorn brought us Blues, and Cliff Douse wrote about Scales and Modes. We also had Guthrie Govan, Dave Kilminster and Jamie Humphries doing full song transcriptions.

"Launched in March 1994, we were an instant hit. We’ve had the greatest tutors and the finest guitar tuition. But things change. They have to. And I’m happy to say I was here for the first and very last issue of a magazine that’s as highly regarded today as it was 30 years ago. Thanks for coming along for a unique and spectacular ride."

For their final issue, the magazine presents a funk guitar tutorial to play like groove legends such as Nile Rodgers, an appreciation of the shred stylings of Yngwie Malmsteen, lead licks like Mark Knopfler, the blues rock fusion style of Michael Landau and Robert Fripp’s precision picking style. There are also video slide licks from Troy Redfern, riff like Queensrÿche, and the lovely classical piece, Capriccio by Johann Kaspar Mertz.

With plenty of tab, audio and video, interviews with Al Di Meola and Nigel Price plus GT recollections from the extended team, there’s a lot on offer.

The issue comes out 16 October and can be purchased at newsstands. Existing subscribers will be contacted and offered a refund or a subscription to Guitarist magazine.

I mean, if you like David Gilmour, what could be more "David Gilmour" than a David Gilmour solo album? How about five David Gilmour solo albums and a couple of live albums?

If you’ve only listened to Gilmour in the context of Pink Floyd, consider this issue your guide to “the alternate discography of David Gilmour.”

Anyway, here's what we've crammed into GW this month:

>>> Echoes: Nine years since his last solo album – and a half-decade after auctioning his fabled guitar collection – David Gilmour’s latest release, Luck and Strange, is a rule-breaking new chapter laced with nods to his past. “There was that feeling,” he tells us, “of, ‘F*** it, I’ll do exactly what I feel like doing…’”

>>> Extracurricular Gilmour: With a solo career that spans a whopping 46 years, David Gilmour is so much more than that guy from Pink Floyd. GW deep-dives into the guitarist’s entire solo output, attention-worthy guitar solos and all.

>>> Comfortably Done: David Gilmour’s 10 greatest lead-guitar guest appearances.

Plus a guide to the gear heard on Luck and Strange and more!

This issue – aka the menacing December 2024 issue of Guitar World – is available right here, right now!

Hold on, now! There's also this other stuff...

>>> Slipknot: Twenty-five years ago, a little-known Des Moines, Iowa, band dropped an album that would forever change the look and sound of heavy metal. Slipknot’s Mick Thomson discusses the manic recording of Slipknot, his 1999 gear, the album’s weird dearth of guitar solos and more.

>>> From Madonna to Ministry: It might seem strange that a dude best known for playing guitar lines for pumping, thumping dance songs is now blowing eardrums with industrial metallers Ministry. But Monte Pittman says he’s right where he belongs.

>>> Justin Hayward: The Moody Blues guitarist revisits obscure Moodies tracks and discusses the gear and thought processes behind his gear, tone and criminally unsung riffs.

>>> Les Dudek: Meet the guitarist who played on the Allman Brothers’ Ramblin’ Man and Jessica, dated Cher, worked with Steve Miller and was almost a founding member of Journey (But wait, there’s more…)

>>> Mike Campbell: How Mike Campbell applies lessons learned from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Fleetwood Mac to his own band, the Dirty Knobs.

>>> Rusan Guitarworks: With Prince’s Cloud 3 guitar fetching nearly a million bucks in June, we speak to Dave Rusan about working for the Purple Rain legend and the replicas he continues to produce for diehard fans.

>>> Clapton: the Fender years: Joe Bonamassa's tribute to Eric Clapton continues!

Plus new interviews with Cocteau Twins’ Robin Guthrie and Richie Kotzen, plus Marcus King, Grace Bowers, Jontavious Willis, the Asymmetric Universe brothers, Austin’s Ian Moore, Nile’s Karl Sanders, Alcest’s Neige and Wunderhorse’s Jacob Slater.

Gear-wise, we explore the history and allure of the Martin D-18 and D-28 (can you name the differences?) and review a whole bunch of cool stuff, namely:

>>> Taylor/Circa 74 AV150-10 Acoustic/Vocal amplifier
>>> Yamaha Revstar Element
>>> Ernie Ball Music Man Axis
>>> Interstellar Audio Machines Supernova Zoeldrive
>>> Electro-Harmonix Lizard King Bass Octave Fuzz

We have new columns by Joe Bonamassa (see above), Jared James Nichols, Jim Oblon and Andy Wood, plus transcriptions of Lux Æterna by Metallica, Scar Tissue by Red Hot Chili Peppers and Malagueña, as performed by Michael Lucarelli.

You can buy new issues of Guitar World at Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Hudson News, Books a Million and other stores – and online from Magazines Direct. And, while you're at it, why not save on every issue by subscribing?

Which you can read about in the new issue. And speaking of which, here's what we've crammed into GW this month:

>>> With his S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival, Slash – a favorite son of the '80s L.A. hard rock scene – has put together a summer blues tour for the ages. The GNR guitarist talks B.B. King, some unexpected gear choices and why and how his blues passion was reignited (and what that means for the future).

>>> Christone “Kingfish” Ingram discusses hitting the road with Slash and Experience Hendrix, his LP-style signature guitar (made by Fender), his five essential blues tracks and how it felt growing up as a blues-digging outsider.

>>> S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival co-star Samantha Fish talks meeting Slash (during this issue’s cover shoot), her five essential blues tracks and why you might need a swig of R.L. Burnside’s A Ass Pocket of Whiskey.

>>> ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons – a longtime Slash amigo – discusses his Hoochie Coochie Man gear, Kingfish and the B.B. King album he can’t live without.

>>> Gary Clark Jr. – the one-time "savior of the blues" – has thrown off his many labels and delivered JPEG Raw, his most musically diverse offering yet.

>>> Lefty giant Eric Gales shows off (and explains) (his pedalboard!

This issue – aka the vertically appealing September 2024 issue of Guitar World – is available right here, right now.

But wait, there's also this other stuff!

>>> Ahead of their joint Ashes of Leviathan tour, Lamb of God’s Mark Morton and Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher look back on having rocked the boat and torched the metal scene with their respective 2004 releases.

>>> On Drama, his vintage-gear-fueled new album, former Megadeth man Marty Friedman promises “the absolute purest, highest-percentage, highest-calorie version” of who he is as a guitarist and artist.

>>> Bruce Kulick – the steady-as-a-rock guitarist during Kiss’s non-makeup era – discusses the making of Crazy Nights, Hot in the Shade and Revenge (and, um, not being asked to take part in the band's final shows).

>>> No amp company launched over the past two decades has infiltrated the market quite like Blackstar Amplication. As we learn from two head designers, their secret lies in understanding what modern guitar players need – and then thinking outside the box.

Plus new interviews with Towa Bird, Nick Johnston, Goo Goo Dolls' Johnny Rzeznik, Witherfall's Jake Dreyer, Parlor Greens' Jimmy James, Blushing's Michelle Soto, Jamie Dickson and Orianthi.

Gear-wise, we explore the history and allure of the Gibson Explorer and review a whole bunch of stuff, namely:

>>>EVH SA-126 Special
>>>Orangewood Guitars Juniper Sunburst Live (Rubber Bridge)
>>>Warm Audio Warm Bender and Ringerbringer pedals
>>>Dophix Medici More Fuzz.

We have new columns by Andy Wood, Joe Bonamassa, Andy Timmons and David Grissom, plus transcriptions of the Allman Brothers Band's Jessica, Chris Stapleton's Midnight Train to Memphis and the Dead Kennedys' Police Truck (by popular demand, believe it or not).

You can buy new issues of Guitar World at Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Hudson News, Books a Million and other stores – and online from Magazines Direct. And, while you're at it, why not save on every issue by subscribing?

But wait, there's also this other stuff!

We have new interviews with Stone Mecca, Jack Gardiner, Thunderpussy's Whitney Petty, Mr. Tabs, Lime Garden's Leila Deeley, Accept's Wolf Hoffmann and Failure's Ken Andrews, who discusses the dramatically heartbreaking sounds and circumstances behind the L.A. trio's 1996 space-rock odyssey, Fantastic Planet.

We also have an ode to late Duane Eddy, who we lost in late April.

Gear-wise, besides our review of the PRS MT 100, we explore the history and allure of the Seymour Duncan JB humbucker (the one made famous by Jeff Beck) and review the following items:

>>>Taylor 222ce-K DLX
>>>Positive Grid Spark Live
>>>On-Stage AG5000 Amp Glider
>>>Techpicks
>>>Rode NT1 Signature Series mic

We have new columns by Joe Bonamassa, David Grissom, Andy Timmons and Andy Aledort, plus transcriptions of Ozzy Osbourne's Mama, I'm Coming Home, Lit's My Own Worst Enemy and Matteo Mancuso's Drop D (including Performance Notes).

You can buy new issues of Guitar World at Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Hudson News, Books a Million and other stores – and online from Magazines Direct. And, while you're at it, why not save on every issue by subscribing?

Cover Feature:

Queen's Brian May speaks exclusively to Total Guitar Magazine, discussing the creative process behind the band's greatest songs, including 'Another One Bites The Dust', 'Flash', 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and more! Plus! Get the lowdown on Brian's trademark playing techniques, learn three classic Queen riffs and master the band's epic track 'A Kind Of Magic' with TG's full tab.

Interviews:

• Yard Act

In a radical new album, Yard Act are blurring the lines between post-punk and hip-hop. Guitarist Sam Shipstone reveals how it was made – with sampling, ‘cheapo’ gear and an experimental approach to tone

• Ihsahn

In an extraordinary double album, former Emperor guitarist Ihsahn delivers new material in two contrasting versions: metal and orchestral. Read TG's exclusive interview

• Sleater-Kinney

Alt-rock trailblazers Sleater-Kinney were making bassless records long before The White Stripes and The Black Keys came along. As co-leader Carrie Brownstein tells TG: “The power comes from the conversation that the two guitars are having with each other”

• Marc Ribot

As one of the best session players in the business, Marc Ribot has recorded with Tom Waits, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and many more. And when he’s creating his own music, anything goes

Learn To Play:

• Bring Me The Horizon - Kool-Aid

• Queen - A Kind Of Magic

• U2 - One

Gear Reviews:

• Gibson Les Paul Modern Lite

• Fender Highway Series Dreadnought

• Shergold Provocateur Standard SP12

• Sterling by Music Man St. Vincent Goldie

• MXR M309 Joshua Ambient Echo

Plus!

• Exclusive interview! Kid Kapichi

• Pickup Music lesson: 12-bar jazz-blues

• Overdrive essentials

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Cover Feature:

Total Guitar rounds up the highs of this amazing year of music, complete with slew of new interviews with the guitarists who made it all happen. Featured are Kirk Hammett, Nuno Bettencourt, Jake Kiszka, Wolfgang Van Halen, Cory Wong, Yvette Young and many more. TG’s resident ace tutor Jon Bishop has created a lesson on how to play like the stars of 2023, and we take a look at the guitars, amps and FX that have rocked our world in TG's Gear Of The Year feature

Learn To Play:

• Blink-182 - Dance With Me 

• Led Zeppelin - I Can't Quit You Baby 

• Phoebe Bridgers - So Much Wine

Reviews:

• Epiphone Kirk Hammett 'Greeny' 1959 Les Paul Standard

• Fender Vintera 70s Jaguar & 70s Competition Mustang

• Guild Surfliner Deluxe

• Native Instruments Guitar Rig 7 Pro

• Jackson Pro Plus Dinky

• Taylor Beacon Tuner

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Cover Feature:

Total Guitar runs down the top Rolling Stones guitar riffs of all time, as voted by the readers of guitarworld.com. You'll also find a track by track breakdown of the guitar playing on the band’s latest album, 'Hackney Diamonds', the best gear to recreate their tone, and an easy lesson on Keith Richards' trademark open G tuning. 

Plus! 21 Ways To Better Rhythm: Master different styles of music and improve your timing with TG’s massive six-page lesson

Interviews:

• Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram

The blues wunderkind is digging deep into the blues, with influences ranging from the old masters to Eric Gales and Prince. His golden rule as a guitarist: “Don’t place too much emphasis on perfection…”

• Black Stone Cherry

“Tastes might change, but a great guitar is a great guitar!" – Gear Acquisition Syndrome is a way of life for Black Stone Cherry guitarists Chris Robertson and Ben Wells

• Richard Fortus

The rhythm guitarist in Guns N’ Roses reveals how he acts as a foil for Slash – and how an education in funk makes him a better player

• Chris Shiflett

"Everybody has to find their spot" – How the Foo Fighters’ three guitarists combine for maximum riffing effect

• Also inside: Svalbard, Danny Bryant, Hotline TNT

Learn To Play:

• Rival Sons - Sweet Life

• Queen - Keep Yourself Alive

• The Police - Every Breath You Take

Reviews:

• Shergold Telstar Standard ST14

• Squier Sonic Series

• Boss DM-101 Delay Machine

• Gibson Les Paul Standard ’50s Plain Top Inverness Green

• Funny Little Boxes Skeleton Key

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Plus! Huge savings on the magazine price when you subscribe for six months.

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Cover feature: 

Total Guitar recruits some of the world’s finest players to help you improve your playing. Heading up the mammoth 40+ page extravaganza is a selection of video lessons from Cory Wong, Sophie Lloyd, Josh Middleton and more, plus a raft of bite-sized tips and bespoke advice from acts such as The Darkness, Iron Maiden, Philip Sayce, Guthrie Govan and more! 

Interviews:

• Baroness

The power of Baroness comes from two guitarists with an unconventional appraoch to songwriting and gear. Lead player Gina Gleason reveals how it all works...

• The Hives

“Real rock 'n' roll gets your heart pumping!” – With their first album in more than a decade, The Hives are delivering high-speed thrills with a "kick-ass" guitar sound.

Learn to play: 

• Guns N' Roses – Perhaps

• Blur – Coffee & TV

• Nirvana – All Apologies  

Reviews: 

• PJD Guitars York Standard 

• The TG Test: Laney Ironheart Foundry Leadtop and Dualtop heads

• Squier Paranormal Custom Nashville Stratocaster 

• Positive Grid Spark GO

• Electro-Harmonix Andy Summers Walking On The Moon Flanger 

Subscribe: 

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Cover Feature:

Total Guitar takes a look at all things tone. Inside the mag, you'll find lessons on setting up your guitar to get the best sound, and creative ways to get more from your amp and effects. Read essential tone tips from funk-rock virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt and roots-rockers Rebecca and Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe and try TG's five-page tutorial on how to play like the greatest icons of guitar tone.

Interviews:

• Empire State Bastard

“It was always going to be extreme…” – Biffy Clyro's Simon Neil on his side project with Mike Vennart and Dave Lombardo

• Saint Agnes

“We love the intensity and the aggression…” – Kitty A. Austen and Jon James Tufnell on their unorthodox approach to tone

• Nothing But Thieves

On their first number one album, the Essex-based five-piece mix guitars with synths and prog-rock influences with danceable beats. It’s a sound they call “retro-futuristic”

• Also inside: Ultra Q, Grace Potter, James And The Cold Gun

Learn To Play:

Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb

The Killers - Mr. Brightside

Greta Van Fleet - The Falling Sky

Reviews:

• Marshall Studio JTM ST20H Head

• Fender Tom DeLonge & Steve Lacy Stratocasters

• Gibson SG Standard ’61

• Gretsch G5420T-140 Electromatic

• J. Rockett Archer Select drive pedal

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Cover Feature:

Total Guitar's rundown of the greatest acoustic songs of all time, as voted for by the guitar-playing readers of TG and guitarworld.com. Inside the magazine you'll find insight into how 50 iconic songs were written and recorded, along with tips on how to play the top 10 tracks. 

Interviews:

• Ben Howard

He feared the worst after suffering two mini-strokes. Now Ben Howard returns with his most adventurous album to date. “The guitars,” he says, “are doing weird things…

• Skindred

"Every rock band wants their own 'Seven Nation Army' riff! Mikey Demus on the power of simplicity – and his "weird" pedals

• Nat Myers

How he made a beautiful old-school blues album – with help from Dan Auerbach, and just one acoustic guitar

• mehro

For rising star mehro, every song begins with an acoustic. His method, “Being open, being in tune and channeling the inspiration”

• Also inside: bdrmm

Learn To Play:

• AC/DC - 'Shoot To Thrill'

• The Hives - 'Countdown To Shutdown'

• Billie Eilish - 'TV' (from 'Guitar Songs')

Reviews:

• Blackstar Debut 50R

• Dave Mustaine 2023 Flying Vs

• Danelectro Blackout '59M NOS

• Fender Gold Foil Telecaster

• EHX Lizard Queen

Plus!

• Five ways to use the Mixolydian mode

• Play like the Red Hot Chili Peppers

• The FX Factor: Essential wah pedal basics

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It's a celebration... But maybe a form of group therapy too. As the old joke goes, magazine editors have got issues. Here's Jamie Dickson, Guitarist's incumbent editor, to kick things off. He has enjoyed a successful tenure but of course he nearly knocked Slash out with a light stand.

Jamie Dickson (2011-present) 

“My first memory of Guitarist magazine comes from the day I bought my first guitar. I was 16 and I’d started working in a local gardening centre. I’d just received my first pay packet of £75 and I couldn’t decide what to spend it on; I thought either a Walkman or a guitar. 

“So I walked into Morlings music shop in Lowestoft with my pay and walked out again with a Hohner Dreadnought – and that one decision changed the course of the rest of my life. The second thing I bought that day was a copy of Guitarist, so I could find out what to do with my new Hohner. I remember Slash was on the front cover and, digging around in subsequent years, I think it would have been around 1992. 

“Fast forward to 2011 and I found myself actually getting a job at the magazine I’d read and loved for years. It was a real pinch-yourself moment and one I’ve never forgotten. It was a privilege then and it remains so today. One of my first big assignments I received, as a features editor, was to interview BB King backstage at the Albert Hall during an all-star celebration of (if memory serves) his 86th birthday. 

“I had been granted only 10 minutes’ interview time to get the cover feature and, having been ushered into the great bluesman’s dressing room and been introduced, I was a little alarmed when he began with quite a long recital of the story of how his guitar Lucille came to get its name. It was wonderful to hear him tell it in person, but I knew this story had been told many times before. 

“But to my delight, BB then told me about how listening to the wavering sound of Hawaiian guitar players on the radio influenced his trademark vibrato as a blues player – he also recalled being scolded for touching a preacher’s guitar as a very young boy, a moment that somehow began a love affair with the instrument that, through his huge talent, gave the world so much incredible music.

“As the short interview drew to a close, I said goodbye and, on cloud nine, left the dressing room carrying one of our photographer’s light stands – and narrowly avoided lamping (literally) Slash in the head with it as he walked briskly past the dressing room door. Talk about going from hero to zero – or very nearly.

“Since then there have been so many memorable moments meeting musicians I’ve admired my whole life. But I’m deeply conscious this privilege is only extended to me in order to bring readers of this magazine closer to that moment, to that musician, through the stories we publish. 

“As such, while it is an honour to be the actual person in the room, it’s you – the readers of Guitarist – who make it all possible. I’d like to express my enduring gratitude to you for that support, as we literally wouldn’t be able to do this without you. I hope we’ve repaid your support by helping you feel like you’ve spent time with your guitar heroes in these pages. 

“So, what moment has made me proudest, working at Guitarist? Well, for the reasons outlined above, I’m going to set aside things like interviews – no matter how personally gratifying – that are really just part of my job. Which leaves me with one memory to treasure in particular. In 2018, myself, Nev Marten and Mick Taylor were invited to perform Hendrix’s first album at the Bristol Blues Festival. 

“While we were never going to reach Jimi’s epic heights on guitar, we gave it all we had in a performance to a sold-out auditorium. It was a memory to treasure because my mother and father were in the audience and I remember my dad coming up afterwards and saying he was proud of me – you don’t forget those things, no matter what age you are. 

“We all went and had a meal afterwards and the moment became a special memory. My dad died a year later. So I’m going to name that as my favourite moment from my privileged time working here – three editors, past and present, performing music we loved for people we loved.”

Mick Taylor (1997-2013) 

“So. Many. Memories. Meeting your heroes goes without saying, not least the staff of the mag – then headed up by Neville – on a rainy February day in 1997. It started with endless copy subbing, to eventually being let off the leash as a nervous newbie writer somewhat agog at a stream of seasoned pro players.

“The failing tape machines; picking up the phone to David Gilmour and not believing it was him; playing Brad Paisley’s guitar on stage; hanging out in Joe Bonamassa’s apartment; talking at length with Randall Smith, Paul Reed Smith, Bill Collings; Peter Green, Les Paul… titan after titan offering endless golden nuggets of insight and learning. The primary task remains translating those interactions via words and images, but the secondary effect is the profundity with which it shapes us personally.

“And then there are the guitars. Oh the guitars… and the amps and the pedals and yet more guitars. A never-ending stream of jaw-dropping instruments about which you were required to form some objective opinion. I’m still not sure it’s possible.

“Above all else, though, what replaces any single memory are two realisations that continue to grow in significance. The first is the inspirational talent and commitment of the people who never got a byline, but who made – and continue to make – Guitarist happen day-to-day. You taught me what better looks like, and to never stop chasing it. 

“Secondly, it’s the camaraderie and shared passion created by this bizarre amalgam of wood and metal. As my brother-in-tone Daniel says, ‘It’s a lot to have in common with someone,’ and that it is. To have been part of that as steward of the best guitar magazine in the world is a privilege that remains as amazing as it was unlikely. Happy 500th Guitarist. I will always love you.”

David Mead (1992-’96; 2015-present) 

“Memories from my time as Guitarist editor in the mid-’90s are many and varied and it’s difficult to single out just one. Previously, as features editor, my first serious mission had been to interview Steve Vai at the Cannes Guitar Festival in May ’93 where I was treated like a lord and chauffeur-driven everywhere.

“I actually had to plead with the organisers to let me walk to Vai’s hotel to do the interview so that I could enjoy just a little of the South of France sunshine. We became so engrossed in our conversation that I nearly missed my flight home, Steve giving me a lift back to my hotel to pick up my things just in time to be chauffeured back to Nice Airport.

“Being asked to write the liner notes for Gary Moore’s Blues For Greeny album was certainly a highlight of my tenure in the editor’s chair. I was invited up to Sarm West studios to hear a rough mix of the album and while I was there I had a few words with Gary and noticed that Greeny was on a stand in the main studio. I asked if I could have a quick play and Gary said, ‘Sure.’ I remember it being very light and incredibly resonant, and I was in total awe of its historical significance.

“I’ve been incredibly fortunate to spend time with many of my favourite guitarists: having a coffee with Eric Clapton at Olympic Studios in 1994 (and playing ‘Blackie’ afterwards), being given a tour around Air Studios by Mark Knopfler and a private lesson on how to play Romeo and Juliet on his famous resonator. Other unforgettables include spending 24 hours with Pink Floyd on tour in Strasbourg, and an hour-long phone call talking to Frank Zappa… Thanks, Guitarist!”

Dave Burrluck (2000-present) 

“Unlike my illustrious colleagues’ stories of derring-do with some of the greatest guitar players ever, I’m more likely to have been shown the tradesman’s entrance. Dispatched many more times than I can remember to visit factories all over the world, I’m invariably covered in sawdust, not glitter. But, to be honest, I’ve always felt more at home talking timbers, glue and production techniques with the likes of Bob Taylor, Joe Knaggs and countless others. That’s my schooling.

“It certainly hasn’t all been plain sailing and free lunches. Crossing the border from the USA into Mexico on a press trip to Fender’s Ensenada factory, where our passports were scrutinised by big staff with bigger guns, was unsettling, to say the least. And having our car searched for bombs every morning as we left the hotel compound in Jakarta makes you wonder if your factory trip was really necessary.

“It can be an eye-opening and humbling experience, too. Visiting a sizable factory in China is one experience I won’t forget. Staffed by young workers who really should have been in college but lived miles from their homes in dormitories on-site, I realised my bulky DSLR and lenses cost more than any of the staff earned in a year. I never travelled with that kit again and have always had immense respect for these ordinary people making guitars we can actually afford.

“On a quick trip to Annapolis, Maryland, to interview Paul Reed Smith I was told we were going to the White House so I’d better pack a suit. When Paul and his driver, Church, arrived to pick me up it was swiftly decided that said suit was a bit too Dr Feelgood. 

“We drove to Paul’s house where he and Church dressed me in one of Paul’s outfits, which, as Paul is a fair bit taller than me, didn’t exactly fit. Now late, we headed off to Washington and hit traffic: ‘Let’s do the interview now,’ suggests Paul. I got my story and got to see George Bush announce the end of the war in Iraq. If only I was making this up…”

Neville Marten (1986-’93; 1996-present)

“I have millions of great Guitarist memories. Playing Clapton’s ‘Blackie’ and ‘Brownie’, David Gilmour’s white 0001 Strat or Brian May’s Red Special, Jimi’s ‘Woodstock’ Strat, or playing on stage with Gary Moore. Then there were fantastic work trips all over the world to incredible places. But while these all stand out, I recall certain things that didn’t quite go to plan, just as readily as those that did.

“One biggie was in 2006 when I went to interview Mike McCartney about his new book Live8 Coolpix, where brother Paul had invited him backstage to take candid shots of the artists that performed at the festival. I drove to Liverpool for the lunchtime launch and was due to interview Mike afterwards. I heard that Paul was in town and it was rumoured he might attend. He didn’t. I believe someone also mentioned they were leaving for Las Vegas the next day for the opening of The Beatles Love: Cirque du Soleil show.

“Mike had other interviews to do and mine kept getting pushed back. About three hours later we were sitting on the floor of an empty radio studio, having our chat. We got on really well and had common friends, like guitarist Joe Brown (before The Beatles broke, they’d supported him; Mike told me he’d snapped a picture of George as he sneakily picked up Joe’s Gibson ES-345).

“After the interview Mike said something like, ‘Neville, I feel you’ve been messed about today. Why don’t you come to dinner with the family?’ Since I faced a three-and-a-half-hour trek home I politely declined. On the long drive out of Liverpool it suddenly dawned, ‘The family… you absolute moron! Have you just turned down dinner with Paul McCartney?’

“Now, I have absolutely no idea if that’s what was going to happen, but if it was, it’s safe to say I goofed!”

Eddie Allen (1984-1996) 

“Following a chance meeting in 1984 with an old friend, I was invited to meet a publisher who was about to launch a new magazine aimed exclusively at guitarists. At that meeting I accepted his offer to be involved, and Guitarist was launched. By the November 1985 issue, featuring Gary Moore, I was designing front covers (mine had a Flying V in the strapline), riding on a tour bus with Gary and his band, and taking photographs for publication in the magazine – including the cover picture. Necessity meant we learnt quickly to become multi-skilled in those days.

“Then joining the editorial team with their ability to engage with artists, equipment manufacturers and distributors alike, coupled with their musicality, enthusiasm and knowledge for all things guitar-related, I hope helped in Guitarist’s transition from a magazine written by enthusiastic amateurs to a world-leading international publication. 

“I eventually became editor, and in the 12 years I was involved with Guitarist we literally covered a lot of ground, reviewing gear and interviewing artists. During that time just about every major player featured in its pages, as did all the latest gear. 

“I’ve lost count of the amount of equipment reviews and artist interviews I did, but there is one that will always stand out: Spinal Tap’s Nigel Tufnel. An absolute gentleman and as mad as a box of frogs. But the night spent talking with Heart’s Nancy Wilson or the morning spent in Lita Ford’s hotel room both come a close second.

“Working on Guitarist magazine from day one was an adventure. Actually, it was like being in a musical episode of Minder, starring the great and the good from all parts of the music industry. Personally, being a part of the first 12 years of Guitarist’s 500 issues was amazing. Here’s to the next 500.”   

Cover Feature:

Wolfgang Van Halen: Believe The Hype! As WVH takes his soloing to new heights on 'Mammoth II', here, talking to TG, he gives his thoughts on writing lead breaks as if they’re songs, the melodic influence of David Gilmour, using two-handed tapping, and recording with his late father’s iconic Frankenstein guitar. 

Total Guitar breaks down the summer's biggest guitar albums, with Track By Track features on the Foo Fighters' 'But Here We Are', Queens Of The Stone Age's 'In Times New Roman' and Avenged Sevenfold's 'Life Is But A Dream'. 

Plus! Rock Icons Lesson: Get inside the playing styles of rock’s most influential guitarists, from trailblazers Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton to later mavericks like Tom Morello and Matt Bellamy

Interviews:

• Squid

For the two guitarists in this experimental post-punk act, normal rules do not apply. As they put it: “We’ve never wanted to come across like we’re doing things properly!”

• The Lemon Twigs

The Long Island two-piece's brand of power-pop has a new sense of refinement – plus some classic guitar heroics

• Nita Strauss

She can shred with the best of them, but Strauss' new solo album features ‘radio songs’ with guest-star vocalists – plus a showdown with mentor Marty Friedman

• Jake Kiszka

Rock heroes Greta Van Fleet are on a mission to explore new territory. For guitarist Jake Kiszka, this means different techniques, random guitars and all-improvised solos. "Stagnation," he says, "is a form of death."

• Also inside: Mutoid Man! Hotwax!

Learn To Play:

• Kiss – 'Detroit Rock City'

• Red Hot Chili Peppers – 'Black Summer'

• Queens Of The Stone Age – 'Emotion Sickness'

Reviews:

• Gibson Kirk Hammett ‘Greeny’ Les Paul Standard

• Walrus Audio Fundamental Series

• EVH 5150 Iconic Series 15w 1x10 Combo

• IK Multimedia TONEX Pedal

• Two Notes ReVolt Guitar

• Apogee Jam X

Competition:

Win! An EVH Wolfgang WG Standard QM worth £689

Plus!

• Five ways to use minor 7th arpeggios

• Write a Britpop-style hit!

• The FX Factor: Essential pitch shifter basics

Subscribe!

Free G7th Performance 3 Capo worth £40 when you subscribe to Total Guitar!

Plus! Huge savings on the magazine price when you subscribe for six months.

Click here to purchase a single copy, or click here to subscribe.

Cover Feature:

How Nuno Bettencourt created the greatest solo of the 21st Century. Soloing tips for every genre. Song technique tutorials and player style lessons: Joe Bonamassa, Guthrie Govan, Eric Gales, and many more! Plus, readers' poll: Your favourite solos revealed! 

Interviews:

• Nuno Bettencourt

• Tigercub

• Guthrie Govan

• Island Of Love

• Corook

Learn To Play:

• Foo Fighters - Rescued

• Queen - I Want It All

• Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent

Reviews:

• Cort G300 Glam

• DOD Reissue Pedals

• Fender Tone Master Reverb

• Walrus Audio Melee

• Vox amPlug Brian May

Plus!

• Five ways to start playing jazz

• How to use fuzz distortion

• Classic chords lesson

Subscribe!

Free pair of Orange earbuds and a 20-foot Crush cable, together worth £36.99 when you subscribe to Total Guitar!

Plus! Huge savings on the magazine price when you subscribe for six months.

Click here to purchase a single copy, or click here to subscribe.

Cover Feature:

40 years after SRV's debut, TG looks at the musical legacy of the blues guitar icon. Featuring interviews with contemporary blues virtuoso Eric Gales, Double Trouble drummer Chris Layton, and a classic interview from the archives with Stevie Ray Vaughan himself. Plus! 20 Things Stevie Taught Us! Learn the tricks and techniques of this great player.

Interviews:

• Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton

• HMLTD

• Indigo De Souza

• Richie Faulkner

• CLT DRP

Learn To Play:

• Mammoth WVH – Another Celebration At The End Of The World

• Stevie Ray Vaughan – Tightrope

• The Clash – London Calling

Reviews:

• Charvel Jim Root Signature Pro-Mod San Dimas Style 1

• Marshall Reissue Pedals

• Strymon Cloudburst

• Epiphone 1958 Korina Explorer

• Crazy Tube Circuits Unobtanium

Plus!

• Five ways to improve your strumming

• How to use digital delay

• Play like AC/DC

Subscribe!

Free pair of Orange earbuds and a 20-foot Crush cable, together worth £36.99 when you subscribe to Total Guitar!

Plus! Huge savings on the magazine price when you subscribe for six months.

Click here to purchase a single copy, or click here to subscribe.

Cover Feature:

How To Play Blues! 20 ways to get your mojo workin' with TG's playing tips, tab riffs and jam tracks. We also look at the best gear available for blues today, and we profile the greatest blues guitarists of all time. Plus! We break down the blues styles of Buddy Guy and Jimi Hendrix.

Interviews:

Larkin Poe

"Blues should be a living art form" – The music of Larkin Poe is both deep-rooted and future-facing, with one golden rule: “Every song has to have a riff!”

Alter Bridge

"The guitars are breathing!" – A deep dive into the heavy new Alter Bridge album – with Mark Tremonti and Myles Kennedy, two guitarists in perfect balance... 

The 1975

"In one song there's nine guitar parts going on simultaneously" – How the two-guitar dynamic works in The 1975 – by the band’s lead player and secret metalhead Adam Hann

GA-20

"Some of our songs don't even have a solo" – Two guitarists, zero showboating: Inside the retro-chic blues of GA-20

Alexisonfire

"For one solo I was using eight fuzz pedals!" – How the reunited Alexisonfire are reinventing post-hardcore – with “ancient” effects and blues-inspired solos

Learn To Play:

AC/DC - Hells Bells

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Tippa My Tongue

The White Stripes - Hotel Yorba

Muddy Waters - Hoochie Coochie Man

Reviews:

Chapman ML2 Pro

Squier 40th Anniversary Jazzmaster Gold Edition

Blackstar Dept 10 Amped 1

Electro-Harmonix J Mascis Ram’s Head Big Muff

Subscribe!

Free Blackstar Fly 3 Mini Amp worth £65 when you subscribe to Total Guitar!

Plus! Huge savings on the magazine price when you subscribe for six months.

Click here to purchase a single copy, or click here to subscribe.

Elsewhere in the issue, we chat with Tash Sultana about her MTV Unplugged album (spoiler: it's not all unplugged), as well as the usual embarrassment of interviews, including artists like Dune Rats, Parkway Drive, Julia Jacklin, Beddy Rays, Stella Donnelly... the artists, they did speak.

This issue also has a big feature of Ernie Ball, as well as lessons on how to nail an acoustic performance. Reviews include the latest gear from Sterling by Music Man through to Fender, Blackstar, Vox and Cort.

Australian Guitar #150 is available now at newsagents all around the country, and online via TechMags or iSubscribe.

Subscribe to the print edition of Australian Guitar, and you'll enjoy each new issue on the day it's published, delivered straight to your door.

Cover Feature:

In a huge special feature, guitarists from five of the biggest and best metal bands on the planet speak about their new albums and the gear and techniques used in the quest for ultimate heaviness. We profile up-and-coming rising stars of metal. The art of metal guitar is analysed in 10 landmark songs from across the decades. And, if you’re itching to get playing, you can learn the trademark techniques of these titans of metal with our ‘play in the style of’ lessons. 

Featured inside: Metallica, Machine Head, Iron Maiden, Amon Amarth, Black Sabbath, Lamb Of God, Arch Enemy, Slipknot, Pantera, Animals As Leaders, Mastodon, and more!

Interviews:

Slipknot's Mick Thomson & Jim Root

"Metal can go in a million different directions!" – The new Slipknot album is the band's most eclectic to date, with experimentation amid the fury. Guitarists Jim Root and Mick Thomson reveal all...

Amon Amarth's Olavi Mikkonen & Johan Söderberg

The sheer power of Amon Amarth comes from two guitarists with no-frills gear. "I just use one pickup and volume and that’s it!" explains Mikkonen...

Machine Head's Robb Flynn

In a revitalised Machine Head, leader Robb Flynn is playing as fast and heavy as ever – while also channelling Bob Marley! 

Lamb Of God's Mark Morton & Willie Adler

"To improve your metal chops, work on your triplets" – For the two guitarists in Lamb Of God, the heaviest riffs are all about groove...

Arch Enemy's Michael Amott

Arch Enemy’s riffs are “a merciless onslaught of fast picking”. But there’s also room for “sexy” vibrato. Michael Amott explains...

Plus! Pop-punk up-and-comers Pale Waves

For this fast-rising punk-pop band there’s only one way to play guitar: “Loud!”

Learn To Play: 

Black Sabbath - Paranoid

John Mayer - I Guess I Just Feel Like

Larkin Poe - Bad Spell

Breakestra - Cramp Your Style

Reviews:

Epiphone Noel Gallagher Rivier

Gretsch Electromatic Jet G5220 & Baritone G5260

Cordoba Stage nylon-string electro

Walrus Audio Lore delay/reverb pedal

Plus!

Guitar Lesson: Play Like Jeff Beck

Competition: Win an Epiphone Slash Les Paul Standard in stunning Appetite Burst finish!

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Free G7th Performance 3 Capo worth £39.95 when you subscribe to Total Guitar!

Plus! Huge savings on the magazine price when you subscribe for six months.

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HE IS A second-gen Greek-Australian with the spirit of a weathered Nashville country-rocker, fusing his love for steely twang and sizzling melancholy with his proven penchant for indie-rock (when he’s not jamming up a storm on his own accord, Newling plays in Ruby Fields’ band).

KINDA LIKE Andy Golledge, Buck Meek and Molly Burch.

CHECK OUT Newling’s stirring second EP, Half Cut And Dangerous (which at eight tracks spanning 32 minutes, feels much more like an album), on which he embodies a vivid rawness with his battered and emotive singing, and a rich soundscape that seeks – and never fails to find – the beauty in minimalism.

COLOURBLIND

THEY ARE A quartet of nostalgic alt-rockers on Kaurna land (Adelaide) turning their lingering teen angst into cathartic emo anthems begging to be screamed along to. The band have shared local stages with acts like Dear Seattle, Bugs and Cry Club, but they’re fast becoming national favourites in their own right. 

KINDA LIKE Ceres, Trophy Eyes, Title Fight and Microwave.

CHECK OUT Their gut-punching second EP, Semaphore. Like its striking cover (painted by local luminary Christina Lauren), the record hides pain behind its beauty, luring the listener in with gentle noodling and poised melodies before they’re shown no mercy in a beating of sharp and stormy emotion.

KAT EDWARDS

SHE IS A soulful singer-songwriter taking her equally playful and poignant indie-pop from nipaluna (Hobart) to the world. She debuted in 2017 with an EP of acoustic folk titled Sunk – which, mind you, was a fantastic record – but has since come into her own with an evolved sense of self and a newly coloured-in musicality steered by driving synthpop soundscapes and breezy guitars.

KINDA LIKE Gretta Ray, Clairo and Girl In Red.

CHECK OUT Her sizzly second EP, Best Bad News, which arrived in mid-August and hasn’t left our minds for a minute since. On it, Edwards soars from the dreamy (‘Pretty Dancer’) to the dour (‘Growing Pains’), with some damn fine grooves in-between (‘Best Bad News’). She’s a marvel to see live, too.

SUNSICK DAISY

THEY ARE A quartet of sonically ambitious high-schoolers on Kaurna land (Adelaide) doling out what they describe as “sour candy dream-pop”. Fittingly so, their tunes are sweet and breezy, echoing the all-time greats of shoegaze with a tasteful hint of surf-rock energy. It’s truly wild to think they’ve been around for less than a year.

KINDA LIKE Sweater Curse, Slowdive and Cocteau Twins.

CHECK OUT Their soaring debut single ‘Someone Like You’, which earned the band a spot as finalists in this year’s Triple J Unearthed High contest. They’re also fast becoming staples of Kaurna’s live circuit – you can catch them playing next with Teenage Joans on Friday October 14th.

TRACES

THEY ARE A trio of mosh-fiending mates from Tamworth (the country music capital of Australia), who – quite defiantly – opted out of lap steels and akoubras in favour of soul-thrashing breakdowns and brain‑tickling glitches. They deal in technicolour chaos.

KINDA LIKE Northlane, Spiritbox, Invent Animate and Volumes.

CHECK OUT  ‘Soul Killer’ and ‘Crown Of Thorns’, the first tastes of their convulsive and charged debut album, Red (which is sadly not an electro-core reimagining of Taylor Swift’s iconic 2012 LP). A release date for the record is yet to be locked in, though leader Jack Pallett tells Australian Guitar that it’s in the bag and will be out this year; keep your ears to the ground around November.

TWO KNIVES

THEY ARE A quintet of Novocastrian sad-jammers (including frontperson Rachel Maria Cox, who’s been featured in many an issue of Australian Guitar) “brought together by a mutual love of Simpsons references and emo music”. The former sadly isn’t featured in their output – yet, at least – but they certainly come through on the emo front, belting out some of the sharpest, most heartrending anthems this side of 2003.

KINDA LIKE The Lazy Susans, Luca Brasi and Sunny Day Real Estate.

CHECK OUT Their eponymous debut EP, which burns brightly with a gritty rawness that may stem from its DIY recording, but feels just as suited to its poignant themes of heartbreak, trauma and internal reckoning. 

SLIPKNOT: Jim Root and Mick Thomson do a deep dive into the making of the band’s dizzying and cathartic new album, The End, So Far. It's all here: the setbacks, the depression, the wild gear experiments, the whammy-bar hijinx and more! We also list Jim and Mick's complete backline (their amps, pedals and beyond) and ask Jim about his new signature Charvel.

LAMB OF GOD: Willie Adler and Mark Morton, Lamb of God’s yin-and-yang guitar duo, take you behind the scenes of the band’s “combative,” “confrontational” (and mostly live-in-the-studio) new album. Our feature includes an updated gear list and a look at Morton’s massive Nevermore riff.

MACHINE HEAD: Robb Flynn walks us through everything that led up to the Bay Area metal veterans’ 10th album, plus his effects, the Burn My Eyes 25th-anniversary tour – and exactly why he thinks Machine Head are the Grateful Dead of metal. Includes an updated band timeline.

MESHUGGAH: Mårten Hagström takes you inside the making of the Swedish death metal masters’ unrelenting new album, Immutable, his weakness for Simon & Garfunkel – and the return of co-founding guitarist Fredrik Thordendal.

We also catch up with the legendary Robin Trower and Korn’s James “Munky” Shaffer – while the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach recounts his career in 10 songs (which also includes a Tonal Recall-style guide to Auerbach’s Boss pedal settings on Tighten Up).

We have interviews with A Perfect Circle’s Billy Howerdel, plus Lari Basilio, Leprous, Bloodbath, S.G. Goodman and Kirk Fletcher, not to mention the Introducing column.

Meanwhile, Joe Bonamassa fills you in on Blues Deluxe Vol. 2, Andy Timmons shares some string-bending techniques, Andy Aledort shows you how to improvise over a classic Muddy Waters tune – and there’s a fresh new column by Josh Smith.

This month’s song transcriptions are 2112/Overture by Rush, Deadman’s Curve by Brothers Osborne (if you’re not familiar with this guitar solo, you really need to check it out!) and Pink Moon by Nick Drake.

Gear-wise, we have reviews of Reverend’s new Billy Corgan Signature Z-One guitar, the Line 6 Catalyst 100 combo, the super-cool-looking ESP Guitars LTD Deluxe SN-1000HT Fire Blast and Fender’s new Hammertone Distortion and Overdrive pedals.

In Power Tools, Chris Gill explores the history of the MXR Dyna Comp and provides some optimal settings.

We also present eight of our favorite home-recording products – from pedals to plug-ins – that’ll make your tunes sound like they were tracked at a swanky L.A. (or Brooklyn... or Joshua Tree…) studio.

I hope you enjoy this metal- (and gear-) packed issue!

The new issue of Guitar World is on sale now.

You can buy new issues of Guitar World at Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Hudson News, Books a Million and other stores – and online from Magazines Direct. And, while you're at it, why not save on every issue by subscribing?

Cover Feature:

Muse – A New Dimension! Matt Bellamy on writing Muse's heaviest songs yet. Plus! Total Guitar goes in-depth with a detailed breakdown of Matt's technique and profiles the top 10 greatest Muse songs as voted for by the readers of GuitarWorld.com

Interviews:

Dave Mustaine

Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine shaped the sound of thrash metal with his fast right hand. And now, having survived cancer, he's in no mood to slow down

The Big Moon

How motherhood and lockdown inspired the band to write their most confident album yet

Derek Trucks

As the Tedeschi Trucks Band deliver a quadruple album bonanza, slide guitar maestro Derek Trucks reveals the source of his gargantuan tones and emotive power

Guthrie Govan

“It quickly became clear to me that the guitar is a typewriter” – inside the mind of one of the greatest guitarists on Earth!

Learn To Play:

Foo Fighters – Times Like These

Blue Öyster Cult – (Don't Fear) The Reaper

Pharrell Williams – Happy

KT Tunstall – Other Side Of The World

Reviews:

Guild Surfliner electric guitar

Universal Audio UAFX amp pedals

Manson Meta MBM-2 and MBM-2SF electric guitars

Soundlad Liverpool Scran drive pedal

Plus!

First Steps In Guitar: Easy funk riffs

Chord Clinic: How to use slash chords

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Free G7th Performance 3 Capo worth £39.95 when you subscribe to Total Guitar!

Plus! Huge savings on the magazine price when you subscribe for six months.

Click here to purchase a single copy, or click here to subscribe.

Cover Feature: 

Total Guitar interviews four artists who are bringing fresh perspectives to the acoustic guitar:

Vance Joy displays a refreshing lack of reverence for his Martin, Maton and Gibson acoustic guitars. For him it’s all about songcraft. Tash Sultana’s recent Unplugged album sees them reimagining songs with part-acoustic/part-electric arrangements. Polyphia virtuoso Tim Henson is awe-inspiring as he breaks new ground on his new prototype Ibanez nylon-string. And, with a radical take on bluegrass, Billy Strings is making traditional American roots music relevant to a new generation. 

Plus! We’ve compiled our top tips for acoustic guitar gigging, and created an in-depth nine-page technique workout covering everything from fingerstyle and flatpicking to the ins and outs of modern percussive guitar. 

Interviews:

Geordie Greep

"The best stuff is when it's on the verge of collapse" – Creating magic out of chaos, Black Midi are at the cutting edge of modern rock music. So why is guitarist Geordie Greep hailing AC/DC as an influence?

Steven Wilson

"I love the idea of playing just one note and breaking someone's heart" – Porcupine Tree’s comeback album is a progressive rock masterclass, but leader Steven Wilson is no virtuoso on guitar. “Less,” he says, “is more...”

Charlie Griffiths

New Adventures In Prog: Haken guitarist and TG writer Charlie Griffiths talks about his extraordinary new solo album and profiles four of modern prog’s rising stars…

Learn To Play:

Jeff Buckley - Grace

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple Man

Passenger - Let Her Go

Lamb Of God - Nevermore

Reviews:

Sheeran By Lowden Equals Edition acoustic guitar

Blackstar St. James EL34 Combo and 6L6 Head

PRS SE Standard 24-08

Fender Dual Marine Layer Reverb

Plus!

First Steps In Guitar: Doom metal riffs

Beyond The Periphery: Haken’s Charlie Griffiths dons his TG tutor’s hat to bring you his very own lesson on cutting edge prog guitar

Subscribe!

Free G7th Performance 3 Capo worth £39.95 when you subscribe to Total Guitar!

Plus! Huge savings on the magazine price when you subscribe for six months.

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It's a packed issue: in addition to Mr White we've got chats with Kirk Hammett (on his sterling solo debut), Alex the Astronaut, Bartees Strange, Ben Lee, Carolesdaughter, Foals, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and you better believe there's heaps more. Not just one or two more. Heaps. (Ok, since you twisted our arm, also King Stingray, Maddy Jane, Jaguar Jonze... and there's still more!).

Technique wise we're got tutorials on delay tactics, mixing and matching pick-ups, a lesson on string skipping technique, and plenty of other stuff too. We're also giving away a Cort KX700 EverTune valued at AU$2,239, but you'll need to read the magazine to learn more about that.

Australian Guitar #149 is available now at newsagents all around the country, and online via TechMags or iSubscribe.

Subscribe to the print edition of Australian Guitar, and you'll enjoy each new issue on the day it's published, delivered straight to your door.

Cover Feature:

This month, Total Guitar has conducted a series of polls on GuitarWorld.com to decide the greatest guitar albums of all time. With a poll for each decade from the 60s to the 2010s and 2020s, a staggering 150,000 votes were cast! Inside the mag you'll find an epic 50+ page cover feature profiling the guitar playing on the top 10 albums of each decade, with every number one getting an in-depth examination, either from the guitarist who made the record or a player notably influenced by it. And you can pick up a few playing tips along the way with our tab lessons.

Interviews:

Samantha Fish

"It's mind-boggling!" – Samantha Fish hails the album voted the greatest of the 1960s

Jimmy Page

"We were firing on all cylinders!" – Led Zeppelin's legendary guitarist reveals how he created the masterpiece that topped Total Guitars 70s poll

Joe Satriani

"It sounds like so much fun!" – One shred icon salutes the work of another, as we analyse the no.1 album of the 80s

Matt Tuck

"It's a phenomenon!" – One half of Bullet For My Valentine's twin-axe attack, Matt Tuck explains how TG's greatest album of the 90s influence him

Mark Tremonti

"It has a lot of emotion!" – Mark Tremonti on the album that saved Alter Bridge

Jake Kiszka

"We were exploding with creativity!" – Jake Kiszka on creating classic rock for a new generation

Learn To Play:

Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town

Foals - Wake Me Up

Post Malone - Circles

Reviews:

Positive Grid Spark Mini amp

Epiphone Jerry Cantrell signature Les Paul Custom Wino & Prophecy

Boss RE-2 Space Echo

TC Electronic SCF Gold stereo chorus/flanger pedal

Plus!

First Steps In Guitar: Funk guitar techniques for beginners

Subscribe!

Free Ernie Ball Classic Jacquard Strap worth £28.99 when you subscribe to Total Guitar!

Plus! Huge savings on the magazine price when you subscribe for six months.

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That’s the essence of the word ‘progressive’, right there, if you ask us. Progressive rock in the sense of the genre of music that Yes made doesn’t get that name just because the music is fiendishly complex: we call it by that tag because it doesn’t stop evolving. It’s restless, hungry for evolution, and unsatisfied with mediocrity. You can hear this in every bass part that Squire recorded. This is why he’s our cover star this month: because he gave us the gift of his creativity, delivering the parts with a tone that has baffled his fans for decades. We reveal those tones this month: see if you can achieve them yourself, and use them as Chris might have done.

Like Squire, our other interviewees have tons of wisdom and motivation to offer us, whether they’ve played with Paul McCartney, Korn or a host of other bands. We also take you behind the scenes at Abbey Road Studios, review essential new bass gear from Spector, Fender and newcomers Becos, and present you with state-of-the -art education. 

Get the new issue at Magazines Direct.

Cover Feature:

This month we trace David Gilmour’s evolution as a guitarist via 20 amazing Pink Floyd tracks – from 1969’s 'The Nile Song' all the way through to this year’s 'Hey Hey Rise Up'. We’re joined by a host of guitarists – Kirk Hammett, Matt Bellamy, Derek Trucks, and many more – who couldn’t wait to talk about their favourite Floyd songs and tell us how they’ve been influenced by Gilmour’s playing. 

We also gain insight into the guitarist’s creative process in an exclusive interview with Pink Floyd producer Bob Ezrin, and Gilmour’s story of his life in the band is told in his own words. And if all this has you fired up ready to plug your guitar in and play, you'll find a huge eight-page lesson on Gilmour’s style.

Interviews:

Kirk Hammett

The Metallica guitarist is exploring new sounds on his first solo project. His aim: "To do something that's never been done before..."

Tosin Abasi & Mårten Hagström

The eight-string guitar opens up a world of sonic possibilities. Two of its leading exponents – Mårten Hagström of Meshuggah and Tosin Abasi of Animals As Leaders – reveal all.

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

"We're searching for that perfect melody." How the three guitarists in RBCF create an epic, filmic sound.

Grace Cummings

"Less is more!" For singer-songwriter Grace Cummings, playing guitar is all about serving the song...

Learn To Play:

Cream - Sunshine Of Your Love

U2 - With Or Without You

Architects - When We Were Young

Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer

Reviews:

Yamaha Revstar RSS02T

Line 6 DL4 MkII

Fender Paramount PD-220E

Walrus Audio Slötvå

Plus!

String skipping lesson: Supercharge your picking and soloing skills

First Steps In Guitar: Easy steps to get more out of your practice time

Subscribe!

Free Ernie Ball Classic Jacquard Strap worth £28.99 when you subscribe to Total Guitar!

Plus! Huge savings on the magazine price when you subscribe for six months.

Click here to purchase a single copy, or click here to subscribe.

Elsewhere, we chat effects and EverTune with Korn, unfairly (or not?) pit Squiers against Fenders, and offer up the usual voluminous trove of interviews with the likes of Warpaint, Ball Park Music, Body Type, Chris Cheney, Joe Satriani, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Alpha Wolf, Thornhill... and that's only roughly half of 'em.

When we're not interrogating hapless musicians, we're chatting with the luthier responsible for Prince's iconic Cloud guitar, or dishing out tips on bluegrass and funk techniques. There's also 11 pages of gear reviews if your bank account is looking a bit too healthy.

Australian Guitar #148 is available now at newsagents all around the country, and online via TechMags or iSubscribe.

Subscribe to the print edition of Australian Guitar, and you'll enjoy each new issue on the day it's published, delivered straight to your door.

As usual, we don’t discriminate between musical genres in Bass Player. We enter classic Hollywood metal territory in a deep chat with Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe, we enter the jazz world with the great Dave Young, and we head to Bangladesh to explore the world of Bassbaba Sumon, who has stared down obstacles that would leave most of us collapsed in the corner of the studio.

With those and many more bassist interviews to absorb and enjoy, this is a packed issue even before we get to the gear reviews. Here, we encounter the biggest of all bass brands with the new Meteora bass from Fender, before shaking hands with new guys Flattley and their tasty effects pedals. Whatever you do with bass, if it’s interesting and serves a useful purpose, the doors of Bass Player are open to you. It’s how our community works. Enjoy the new issue!

Get the new BP at Magazines Direct.

Cover Feature: 

This month, in an exclusive new interview, Jack White talks us through his guitar playing and songwriting approaches, how he balances his trademark fuzz guitar tones with synth sounds, and he discusses his gear preferences, from inexpensive junk-shop instruments to modern signature models. 

Also in our 22-page special feature: we chart Jack’s influence as a guitarist, writer, arranger, producer, and creator of a mini-empire in Third Man Records, and we profile some selected highlights of his extensive gear collection. Plus! We take you inside Jack’s playing style with our tab lessons, and show you how to play three awesome riffs from The White Stripes to Jack’s latest solo material.

Interviews:

Bloc Party

Bloc Party’s lead guitarist Russell Lissack has two of the most complex pedalboards ever amassed. So how many pedals did he have when making the band’s new album “Probably a hundred,” he tells TG...

How to create a rock anthem, by Def Leppard

Guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell explain the art of writing a stadium rock banger. Rule number one: "Respect the melody..."

Molly Tuttle

Molly Tuttle reckons that pretty much anyone can play bluegrass music. But as a renowned virtuoso, she likes to bend the rules. “It’s fun,” she says, “to stretch the limits...”

Fantastic Negrito

Fantastic Negrito had to find a new way to play guitar after he was injured in a near-fatal car crash. But he gets by – with a little help from a friend...

Feeder

“I like the freedom to experiment": Tips on songwriting, gear and tone, by Grant Nicholas of Feeder

Learn To Play:

The Police – Message In A Bottle

The Darkness – I Believe In A Thing Called Love

Greta Van Fleet – You're The One

The Black Keys – Wild Child

Reviews:

Fender Player Plus Meteora HH

Line 6 Catalyst 100 1X12 Combo

Jet Guitars JS-400

Headrush MX5 compact multi-fx floorboard

Maestro Invader Distortion

Plus!

Delay Tactics! Transform your sound with our lesson on timed delay effects

First Steps In Guitar: TG's beginner lesson guides you through some key basic techniques

Bluegrass Essentials: TG’s guide to getting started with bluegrass guitar playing

Subscribe!

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Plus! Huge savings on the magazine price when you subscribe for six months.

Click here to purchase your copy, or click here to subscribe.

Cover Feature: The reinvention of John Frusciante

In his first album with the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 16 years, John Frusciante has redefined how he plays the guitar. His vision: to find a bridge between the explosive virtuosity of Eddie Van Halen and the visceral power of Kurt Cobain. In our 23-page special feature, John reveals how he fell in love with rock music again – and how he finds fresh inspiration in everything from jazz to post-punk. 

Also inside: John's tips on how to become a better guitarist; his guide to modern players who are rocking his world; video lessons for three Frusciante riffs: Can't Stop, Scar Tissue and new banger Black Summer. Plus! The top 10 Frusciante-era Chilis songs – as voted by you!

Interviews:

Ghost

Inspired by ABBA and 80s hair metal, the new Ghost album is a modern rock masterpiece. Its creator Tobias Forge reveals how he did it – and why he needed a "better guitarist" than himself for the solos

Khruangbin

How the funky, reverb-heavy sound of Texan trio Khruangbin is created – by a visionary with only one guitar

Halestorm

"Everything is on 11!" Halestorm have pumped up the volume on their new album. And for leader Lzzy Hale, being a role model is a beautiful thing

Kurt Vile

From inside his home studio, Kurt Vile reveals his working methods to TG. Writing songs, playing guitar – it’s all about capturing a “perfect moment”

Warpaint

In the dream-pop art-rock of Warpaint, Theresa Wayman is now experimenting with dry guitars amid the ambient tones

Learn To Play:

John Mayer – Gravity

AC/DC – Highway To Hell

Jake Bugg – All I Need

Ghost – Call Me Little Sunshine

Reviews:

Cort G290 FAT II electric guitar

Gibson Maestro effect pedals

Orange 'The Guitar Butler' preamp pedal

Boss GX-100 multi-fx floorboard

Pigtronix Constellator modulated analogue delay pedal

Plus! 

Lessons In Funk! Flex your funk muscles with TG's groove masterclass as we examine Chilis-style funk-rock, contemporary neo-soul, jazz-fusion and more!

First Steps In Guitar: String muting and chord changes for beginners

Song Stories – How Rock's Greatest Guitar Tracks Were Made: Bonus mini-mag, exclusive to UK print edition readers

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Click here to subscribe or buy a single issue

Having spent a long time in conversation with RHCP bassist Flea for this issue of BP, though, we understand the message more clearly. Love for our chosen instrument, love for his band-mates, love for music: if these are at the core of our worldview, as they are for him, then we will be more tolerant people who are better equipped to help each other out of the current situation. That’s our take on it, anyway: we’ll be interested to hear yours.

We’ve always thought that bass players are a pretty good bunch of people anyway. Of course, we have our flaws like everybody else, but there’s something about being the primal heartbeat of any musical endeavor that makes us rise above most of the petty problems of everyday existence. You’ll get a lot of this from our other interviews in this issue with a host of talented bassists from the blues, session, indie and metal worlds, as well as from our panel of educators. They genuinely want one thing: to fulfill our stated aim of making you the best bass player you can be. Maybe this ‘sharing the love’ idea makes sense after all. If it works for a bassist as advanced as Flea, it’ll work for the rest of us.

Buy Bass Player at Magazines Direct.

Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll find the ultimate guitar workout for 2022, with 10 pages of lessons sure to send your fretting fingers into overdrive. We also take a journey into the golden age of Epiphone – which is right f***ing now – and discover why it’s no longer just “Gibson’s cheaper little brother”. To that end, we caught up with the founder of Bare Knuckle Pickups to learn about the P-90’s big comeback, and weigh in on the debate of the decade: could online lessons ever really trump the classic face-to-face method?

There are plenty more questions answered in this issue, like, “Could an island retreat help me rekindle my love for the acoustic guitar?” And, “Where the hell did all these crazy new guitar designs come from?” We also explore the pros and cons between multi-effect units and traditional stompboxes, and dive into the delightfully dirty world of fuzz, boost and distortion pedals. But if you’d rather create something entirely your own, our DIY feature has you covered with the ultimate partscaster build. 

All of this, of course, is on top of our usual stack of interviews, gear reviews, columns and more. 

Australian Guitar #147 is available now at newsagents all around the country, and online via TechMags or iSubscribe.

Subscribe to the print edition of Australian Guitar, and you'll enjoy each new issue on the day it's published, delivered straight to your door.

Cover Feature: Johnny Marr – The Ultimate Interview

Johnny Marr discusses his entire career. Included in this 20-page special feature is a lesson on Johnny’s playing style, three classic Smiths riffs to learn, plus John Frusciante, James Dean Bradfield and Dave Keuning explain how Marr inspired them. 

Interviews

Korn

Masters of the seven-string, architects of nu-metal, Korn guitarists Munky and Head are still finding new ways to play heavy...

Turnstile

Hardcore cult heroes Turnstile are poised to be one of the breakout bands of 2022. Guitarist Pat McCrory discusses their “emotional” return to playing live – and how to experiment without losing your edge...

The Lazy Eyes

The Lazy Eyes are Australia’s next great psych-rock band. Guitarists Harvey Geraghty and Itay Shachar reveal the secrets of their mind-bending sound...

Joe Satriani

"I need to raise my own bar." Every guitarist wants to play better – and Joe Satriani is no exception...

Joanne Shaw Taylor

Blues sensation Joanne Shaw Taylor loves being back on the road. She only gets nervous when she plays for friends – like Joe Bonamassa...

Jason Pierce

He creates complex, epic soundscapes with Spiritualized, but calls himself an "inept" guitarist. "It's about the soul," Jason Pierce says, "not the ability..."

Learn To Play

Deep Purple – Smoke On The Water

Nova Twins – Antagonist

The Lumineers – Ho Hey

Supertramp – Give A Little Bit

Reviews

IK Multimedia AmpliTube X-Gear pedals

D’Angelico Premier Bedford

Boss SY-200 synth pedal

Trinity By Relish pickup-swapping guitar

EHX Ripped Speaker pedal

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Click here to subscribe or buy a single issue

Our primary objective at BP is to celebrate all aspects of our community, so in this issue we meet a whole range of bassists, from heavy metal titans via funk veterans to rockers of all stripes. Jenny Lee, Joshua Crumbly, Victor Wooten, Stanley Clarke, John Myung, Frankie Poullain, Stu Hamm and Robert Trujillo all feature in the value-packed magazine you’re reading, and that’s before we even meet our team of world-class bass educators, advisers and gear testers.

These accomplished bass players are here with a single goal: to equip you with the skills and know-how that you’ll need, whether your goals are to conquer the lighted stage, master online music, compose and play the right parts, or just jam with a band. They know, you know and we know that there is no more fundamental, more life-affirming instrument than ours... and let no-one tell you otherwise. 

Get Bass Player 419 at Magazines Direct.

Cover Feature: The Return Of The Guitar Hero

TG speaks to the Guns N' Roses legend ahead of new Conspirators release, '4', as he talks about writing and recording, using less gain in his tone, his love of the Gibson Flying V, and why he’d rather “keep it rock ’n’ roll” than conform to what’s popular. We uncover some of the lesser-known highlights of Slash’s $2 million guitar collection, and take you through some trademark Slash-style playing techniques. We’ve even produced three awesome GN’R video lessons for you.

Interviews

Yard Act

Yard Act are the most talked-about new band in the UK. Guitarist Sam Shjipstone and singer James Smith reveal the origins of their unconventional post-punk sound

Alt-J

Joe Newman has led alt-J to worldwide success, but has always focused on songwriting first – guitar playing second. Until now...

Zakk Wylde

He plays heavy with Black Label Society and Ozzy, but Zakk Wylde is inspired by the emotion in blues and “pentatonic insanity” of jazz fusion

Black Country, New Road

After their surprise top 5 debut album, Black Country, New Road deliver a more melodic follow-up. But as guitarist Luke Mark says: “I insisted on being louder than everyone else!”

Cory Wong

Funk master Cory Wong is all about the groove. But on his new album with Vulfpeck, he’s also rocking out. As he says: “I got to be a little more Eddie Van Halen!”

Robben Ford

He's a master craftsman who has played for legends such as Miles Davis and Joni Mitchell, and created a series of brilliant solo albums. For Robben Ford, on golden rule applies: "Tone has always been number one to me."

Learn To Play

Santana – Samba Pa Ti

Bill Withers – Use Me

Taylor Swift – Willow

Jack White – Taking Me Back

Reviews

PRS SE Silver Sky

Epiphone 1961 Les Paul SG Standard

Fender Kurt Cobain Jag-Stang

Funny Little Boxes 1991 Drive

Plus!

10 Things Every Novice Guitarist Needs To Know

Subscribe!

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Of course, there’s more to greatness than just being good at what you do. There’s another factor, too: whether a bassist stood their ground in the face of opposition, or persevered with their art in impossible circumstances, or went above and beyond in their search for excellence. Add those into the mix, too, and what you come up with is something very close to true greatness.

Note that in this poll, unlike earlier attempts to define a single GOAT bass player, we’re neither foolish nor egotistical enough to suggest that an individual bass player is the greatest ever. That just leads to negativity: believe me, we’ve witnessed it. Instead, we’ve broken the world of bass down into musical genres, listing 10 bass players in each category: that’s a much more arguable, and therefore more reasonable, approach to take. Still, who knows if the results will hit the right spot with the bass-playing community? Let us know!

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Cover Feature: 2022 Guitar Workout

Picking & fretting accuracy

Fretboard knowledge

Playing through changes

Funk workout

And more!

Cover Feature: Simon Neil's Guide To Rock

As part of TG’s 2022 Guitar Workout, Simon Neil presents his guide to the art of rock guitar: How to make a Strat sound heavy. How to write in odd time signatures. How to prepare for playing live. And why there is still one pedal he can’t live without... 

Interviews

Andy Summers:

From jazz roots to worldwide fame with The Police, he developed a signature style that defined the post-punk era. "Being a guitar player," says Andy Summers, "is who I am."

Steve Vai:

Vai reveals all about his three-necked Hydra, how he invented a new technique he calls “joint-shifting”, and how he made a track from his new album, 'Inviolate', using only one hand...

Bendology!

The evolution of string bending from classic 70s blues-rock to contemporary progressive math-rock

Learn To Play

Queen – Seven Seas Of Rhye

Weezer – Island In  The Sun

Django Reinhardt – Minor Swing

We Came As Romans – Daggers

Reviews

Fender Acoustasonic Player Telecaster

Framus Diablo Supreme

Guild A-20 Marley

Electro-Harmonix Nano Deluxe Memory Man

Competition

Total Guitar has teamed up with Gibson to offer you the chance to win a G-00 acoustic guitar from the company’s acclaimed new Generation Collection. Don't miss your chance to win!

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