Latest articles by Henry Yates
Scott Gorham may have passed his Thin Lizzy audition – but his budget Les Paul copy certainly didn’t
The Irish rockers finally found their man after auditioning 24 hopefuls when Gorham turned up for his turn – but Phil Lynott was left underwhelmed by his choice of instrument
Lita Ford on the only amp she ever returned, and why she didn't ask for her stolen Mockingbird back
The rock icon talks all things gear, like that time she lied about her age so she could earn money for an SG, Neal Moser's badass B.C. Rich custom jobs, and why she returned a Kerry King Marshall
Scott Gorham doesn’t rule out a future for Thin Lizzy – but he’s biding his time to find the perfect guitar foil
Lizzy’s most faithful guitarist, Scott Gorham, has left the door open for a potential return of the iconic band – but only under the right circumstances
Scott Gorham recalls his nerve-racking Thin Lizzy audition – and his first impressions of Brian Robertson
Back in 1974, Thin Lizzy were auditioning a second guitarist to accompany their newest recruit: the 18-year-old Les Paul-wielding Brian Robertson
Jerry Harrison on the outtakes and off-brand inspirations behind Talking Heads’ Little Creatures
If 1985's Little Creatures brought an Americana flavor to the Talking Heads, MTV brought commercial success. Harrison reflects on an art-rock classic and explains why the pressure was fun
Andy Summers on the stylistic clashes and unexpected successes of his ‘80s collab with Robert Fripp
As Summers’ and Fripp’s avant-garde albums of the 80s are reissued, we hear all about how the side-project came to be – and whether it could happen again
Lita Ford had her prized Mockingbird stolen – but crossed paths with it in the most bizarre circumstances
Ford was briefly reacquainted with her beloved Mockingbird when an auditionee rocked up to her studio with her stolen guitar
Jerry Harrison on Talking Heads 1977 debut, the spirit of CBGB and Lou Reed’s advice on “hairy arms”
Granting a rare interview to promote Talking Heads’ newly reissued debut album, the new wave pioneer holds forth on everything from the thrills of the CBGB scene to the perils of mimicking your heroes
Johnny Marr on the magic of his 7-string signature Martin – and his fight with capo addiction
Since he rose to glory in the mid-’80s with The Smiths, Marr has been the king of crystalline chime. Now, he reveals how his new M-7 Martin – complete with octave G string – puts that shimmer at your fingertips
Remembering John Sykes, the journeyman virtuoso who his mark on both Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake
Cruel timing and clashes with David Coverdale kept Sykes from rock’s super-league but he was a top-tier player with a sound all his own
How Andy Summers formed one of the 1980s’ most unlikely guitar partnerships with Robert Fripp – despite not being especially keen on some of his work
The worlds of stadium rock and prog came together for a time in the early 1980s, when The Police and King Crimson guitarists teamed up for a handful of avant-garde records
Interpol frontman Paul Banks on making landmark records, goofing off in the studio and why he’s no fan of the Fender Twin
As the New York band celebrate 20 years of sophomore classic Antics, we catch up with Paul Banks to find out what gear he used back then and now, and how solos can be used as a surrogate vocal
How Rosanne Cash found her sound – and captured Johnny’s design flair in her signature Gibson
Her surname precedes her (whether she likes it or not). But as Gibson releases a limited-edition recreation of her fabled father’s SJ-200 – alongside her new J-185 – Rosanne Cash tells us she’s comfortable in her skin and proud of her own legacy
Daniel Kessler on making Interpol classics, the lessons he took from Fugazi and the art of six-string minimalism
As the New Yorkers set out on the anniversary tour for their 2004’s classic second album, we catch up with Kessler to talk rejection, hollowbodies, and why you won’t catch him playing major chords
Brian May on reworking Queen’s regal debut, bad reviews, and Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Magic”
As the new Queen I boxset drags once lost songs into the daylight, May tells us about poverty, parental disapproval, the Red Special’s first runout – and the perils of playing through Jimi’s Marshall stack
Jim D’Addario on the history, innovations and future of the world’s biggest string manufacturer
As D’Addario celebrates its 50-year anniversary, we speak to its current chairman about the company’s roots, breakthroughs and next moves, and learn how the family has been making strings for centuries
Johnny Marr on his signature Martin and why the Smiths were a Patti Smith-influenced folk band
Tearing up the blueprint with an octave G string, Johnny Marr’s new seven-string Martin signature model is a distillation of all the British icon’s most rebellious opinions on acoustic
Brian May fought to add a rhythm guitarist to Queen in their early years – and several players would eventually grant his wish
While May got into the habit of playing lead and rhythm at the same time, he did sometimes get the extra helping hand he had envisioned – including from Freddie Mercury himself
Mary Spender on the tones, tunes and heartache behind her debut breakup album
Featuring a guest spot from Ariel Posen and some of the most gourmet tones you'll hear all year, Super.Sexy.Heartbreak. finds Spender processing a lifetime of broken hearts through fingerstyle guitar
In 1969, a young Brian May hid in a venue to speak to Rory Gallagher – and it led to his tonal breakthrough
The Irish blues rock legend gave May a tonal template that he says he’s never bettered
D’Addario recruits players to help test its strings – and there's one jazz veteran who is more reliable than most
This particular player, who has been a D'Addario artist since 1982, is instrumental in analyzing the nitty gritty of in-progress guitar strings
Brian May issues health update after suffering ‘minor stroke’ last year
The Queen guitar hero suffered a health scare late last year, which left him briefly fearing he might not be able to pick up the guitar again
The remarkable untold story of Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios – from the man who helped him build it
Founded by Hendrix just months before his death, Electric Lady Studios was a mind-expanding creative mothership where his guitar playing reached new heights...
“It sounded awful. I could hardly play”: Brian May on the one time he experimented with a Marshall stack
The Vox AC30 amp/Red Special guitar combo is one of the most iconic in rock, but the Queen guitar hero didn't solidify that setup straight away
“You’re playing that fast that you need to have a satin neck? Wear it down yourself!” Why Johnny Marr isn’t convinced by the satin neck trend
The Smiths icon and vintage gear lover has some choice words for guitarists who prefer satin finish treatments – and anyone who artificially ages their gloss necks
