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“I had no idea what the hell I was doing! I couldn’t speak English. But Paul was so kind. Through a translator, he said, ‘Just relax. I love the way you play’”: How Bakithi Kumalo became go-to bassist for Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper and Tedeschi Trucks Band
The versatile South African bassist is best-known for his epic bass break on You Can Call Me Al, recorded on the cheapest fretless he could get his hands on. He shares his unlikely low-end journey to Graceland, how he mentors the next generation – and why he has 12 albums that no-one knows anything about
“I must admit, it looked and sounded phenomenal, but the poor girl was crushed to smithereens… I was totally heartbroken”: How Ted Nugent accidentally destroyed his first Gibson Byrdland
An archtop jazz box was a strange choice for a young rocker like Nugent, but as he explains here, it was the making of him, and it was all about the tone
“I have the heaviest boost pedal in existence – it’s a Marshall half-stack that I switch on when the sound needs to be bigger”: DeWolff’s Pablo Van De Poel on his life in gear – and a rig that is not to be trifled with
The DeWolff guitarist recalls a Les Paul that broke his heart and a spectacular deal on a vintage bass
“My tone is already destroyed by the time it gets to the amp”: Yard Act are redefining post-punk guitar with plugins and ‘cheapo’ gear – and they reckon a Squier Bullet Tele sounds great DI’d
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, budget gear and an experimental approach to tone
“Chord voicings, amps and dynamics are all elements of how I solo. I’m not a guy who improvises… I use well-thought-out lines that are outside the box”: Yiannis Papadopoulos on taking Scott Stapp to a higher power
The Greek-born shredder says the Creed frontman is a “very, very good guy” and explains how they worked together to add a new heaviness to the singer’s solo output
“Freddie was a good riffmeister! He was a devotee of Jimi Hendrix. People think he was just concerned with the lighter stuff but it’s not true. He did enjoy the heavy stuff”: Brian May reveals the inside stories behind 13 classic Queen tracks
In a world-exclusive interview, Brian May takes you behind the scenes of the making of 13 iconic Queen cuts, and reveals what inspired his magical guitar playing in Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, Don’t Stop Me Now and many more
“Poverty accounted for many of my choices – I had this knockoff, fake Tele I used on Rain Dogs… It was awful but also beautiful”: Marc Ribot on recording Tom Waits classics with cheap gear, and why ‘How can I destroy it?’ is one of his session mantras
A session legend who has recorded with Tom Waits, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and many more, Ribot returns with a new solo album, Connection, and, musically, anything goes
“I’ve used Gibsons and Fenders in the past, but, honestly, nothing compares to how good my signatures sound. It’s almost a joke!” How Nick Johnston found tonal nirvana by plugging straight into the amp
Just a couple of his best-selling Schecter signature models, an amp and a taste for adventure, and Canadian six-string phenom Nick Johnston had all he needed to make the album of his career
“Jimi Hendrix scared me. Learning about the Hendrix E chord was amazing… I figured out where to put my fingers and kinda eked it out on my own”: Steve Lukather names the 12 guitarists who shaped his sound
From George Harrison and Jeff Beck to David Gilmour and Eddie Van Halen, the Toto veteran has befriended many of his heroes – and it's thanks to them that he still loves to sit at home playing
“I can play a riff you've probably never heard. If there's a mistake in there, I can work on it. Sometimes the mistakes are the riffs that stick”: Brian Setzer on how he’s kept his writing skills sharp – and the records that define his career
The Gretsch loyalist and rockabilly royal unpicks his latest album, The Devil Always Collects – and discusses his tips for avoiding repetitive riff writing, and why he's finally decided to turn down his amps along the way
