Janelle Borg

Janelle Borg

Janelle is a staff writer at GuitarWorld.com. After a long stint in classical music, Janelle discovered the joys of playing guitar in dingy venues at the age of 13 and has never looked back. Janelle has written extensively about the intersection of music and technology, and how this is shaping the future of the music industry. She also had the pleasure of interviewing Dream Wife, K.Flay, Yīn Yīn, and Black Honey, among others. When she's not writing, you'll find her creating layers of delicious audio lasagna with her art-rock/psych-punk band ĠENN.

Articles by: Janelle Borg

Beetronics Tuna Fuzz pedal on a table next to an electric guitar

“It's by far the most affordable pedal we’ve ever made”: Beetronics introduces the Tuna Fuzz – a vintage-style fuzz pedal in a tuna can

By Janelle Borg published

The new pedal pays homage to company founder Filipe Pampuri's early days, when limited funds led him to repurpose tuna cans as pedal enclosures

(R-L) Kevin Cronin and Bruce Hall of REO Speedwagon perform at Shoreline Amphitheatre on July 15, 2022 in Mountain View, California

“If it were up to just him, he’d be back on tour… but it's not up to just him”: REO Speedwagon to stop touring due to “irreconcilable differences”

By Janelle Borg published

The band members will be wrapping up their decades-long career with a string of North American tour dates, concluding on November 23 in Kentucky

Portrait of Dana Bourgeois

“Tony Rice said, ‘This is the sound you should be going for – you just need to put it in a bigger package’”: How Dana Bourgeois led the OM-style guitar renaissance and turned Bourgeois Guitars into a guitar craftsmanship powerhouse

By Janelle Borg published

From earning the Bluegrass Hall of Famer's approval in his early days, to producing 500 intimately crafted guitars a year and landing an innovative partnership with Eastman, the experienced luthier is decades deep into the business – but still has an intense “infatuation with guitars”

A stack of Orange electric guitar amplifier speaker cabinets owned by the members of English metalcore band Architects

“We’re not even going to try to dabble in digital modeling. Everyone else can do it better”: Orange explains why it's not joining the amp modeling race

By Janelle Borg published

Charlie Cooper, son of founder Cliff Cooper, confirms that amps are very much Orange's future and that the brand is doubling down on what it does best

Musician Tommy Cash attends the Johnny Cash Birthday Celebration 2014 at The Johnny Cash Museum on March 1, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee

“He continued to perform around the world throughout his career, carrying the torch for the Cash music legacy”: Tommy Cash, country artist and Johnny Cash's younger brother, dies at 84

By Janelle Borg published

Cash's biggest hit, 1969's Six White Horses, was dedicated to John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr, and he also went on to tour with his brother Johnny, Connie Smith, George Jones, and Hank Williams Jr.

Guitarist Tito Jackson of the R&B quintet "Jackson 5" tunes his Gibson hollow body electric guitar in circa 1975.

“The blues deserve a chance… My love really sits with that genre of music”: Jackson 5 guitarist and singer Tito Jackson has died aged 70

By Janelle Borg published

Tito's guitar work was key to the group's success, while his last solo album saw him collaborate with George Benson, Joe Bonamassa and Stevie Wonder

Left- Carlos Alomar at club Le Bar Bat on October 1993 in New York City; Right-Rock and roll musician Chuck Berry poses for a portrait holding a Gibson hollowbody electric guitar in a scene from the movie "Go Johnny Go" which was released in June of 1959 in Los Angeles, California

“I had the audacity to say, ‘Are we gonna rehearse, Mr. Berry?’ He whipped around and yelled, ‘We don’t rehearse rock ‘n’ roll!’” Session great Carlos Alomar on his time as Chuck Berry’s rhythm guitarist

By Janelle Borg published

Alomar also recalls his tour with James Brown and the time the King of Soul yelled ‘Hit me!’ – and he didn’t hit back

Comp of Lenny Kravitz, Halsey and Shawn Mendes separately performing on stage during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York

Guitars make a comeback at this year's MTV VMAs – spearheaded by Lenny Kravitz, Halsey and Shawn Mendes

By Janelle Borg published

Lenny Kravitz's Flying V, Halsey's Fender Telecaster and Shawn Mendes' Martin signature acoustic stole the spotlight at the star-studded event

Rihanna and Nuno Bettencourt perform at BB&T Center on April 20, 2013 in Sunrise, Florida

“When Rihanna's team reached out to me, I said, ‘Why would you want to use me? Like, I do what I do’”: Nuno Bettencourt explains why he accepted the role of Rihanna's go-to guitarist

By Janelle Borg published

The Extreme guitarist has also detailed why he won't sacrifice his tone to land a gig with a huge artist

MonoNeon performs onstage during the 2024 Black Music Honors at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on May 18, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia.

“When I was playing with Prince, I saw how he was using it and I just saw his swag with it, so I kind of adapted it”: MonoNeon reveals the one pedal Prince urged him to use, now a staple in his bass rig

By Janelle Borg published

The viral bassist also talks about how the Purple Rain hitmaker recruited him after seeing his YouTube videos

Deftones' Stef Carpenter unveils new Sol Invicto track

Stephen Carpenter reveals when he expects to return to live duties with Deftones

By Janelle Borg published

Carpenter was notably absent from the band's recent shows and had previously talked about anxieties related to touring

Yngwie Malmsteen

“This guitar holds the magic of Malmsteen’s fast-paced, virtuosic playing”: One of Yngwie Malmsteen's main Fender Strats is up for grabs – and it comes with a free Ferrari

By Janelle Borg published

Malmsteen's #4 Fender Stratocaster, modded to the guitarist's taste, has been played on stages around the world

Mdou Moctar and band perform a tiny desk concert against an office backdrop

“They brought Orange stacks to a Tiny Desk”: Mdou Moctar delivers scorching solos at the NPR offices – and even ditches his Strat for an Acoustasonic

By Janelle Borg published

Moctar and his band showcased standout tracks from his latest album, the critically acclaimed Funeral for Justice, in an electric performance

David Gilmour

“I think we changed him as much as he changed us – he was loving the guitar solo thing by the end”: David Gilmour on how he won over Luck and Strange’s solo-sceptic producer

By Janelle Borg published

Gilmour has also addressed whether he feels pressured to deliver solos on the fly – and how he writes them

King Gizzard playing with a fan on stage

“He wants to come on stage and play Joey's guitar part with you guys to honor his friend. We'll do that”: Fan plays guitar onstage with King Gizzard in memory of his friend who died in an avalanche

By Janelle Borg published

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard performed the track Perihelion with fan Timmy at a recent show in Boston

Mk.gee performing live on Jimmy Kimmel

“I never liked the idea of getting lessons from a guitar player, and thought it would be more useful to learn from someone who didn’t play the guitar at all”: Lo-fi guitar hero Mk.gee on why he decided to learn guitar basics from an upright bassist

By Janelle Borg published

Rather than developing a clear-cut guitar technique, Mk.gee wanted to learn how to use the guitar as a tool for experimentation

Ana Perrote (Left) holding a Fender Strat and Carlotta Cosials (Right) holding a Fender Lead

“I remember trying a Telecaster and finding the sliding so complicated, like a mountain between one fret and the other. I hated it. That’s why I stuck with Jazzmasters”: Hinds talk learning guitar on the road, recruiting Beck – and rebuilding the band

By Janelle Borg published

The Spanish guitar duo have overcome lineup changes to make one of this year’s essential indie rock records. Carlotta Cosials and Ana Perrote explain how they craft conversations with their guitar parts – and how their exes inadvertently gave rise to their love of guitar

David Gilmour and Romany Gilmour playing acoustic guitar at a British pub

“You're going to come and upstage me? OK, great”: David Gilmour surprises pub-goers with acoustic rendition of Pink Floyd classic accompanied by daughter Romany

By Janelle Borg published

Gilmour wielded his Martin D-35 signature acoustic for a special Wish You Were Here duet at a tiny pub in the UK

George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic's Blackbyrd McKnight perform on stage at Wilderness Festival on August 8, 2015 in Oxford, United Kingdom

“‘What are you still doing at home? You’re supposed to be on a flight going to Detroit to audition.’ That was my introduction to P-Funk”: DeWayne Blackbyrd McKnight on how he came to join George Clinton's legendary music collective

By Janelle Borg published

McKnight's journey to Parliament-Funkadelic started with him knocking on a stranger's door after hearing someone play guitar

Herbie Flowers playing double bass

“I told Lou Reed, ‘Can I get the double bass out of the car? Because this song is a bit jazzy’”: British bass legend Herbie Flowers, best known for his work with David Bowie and Paul McCartney, dies aged 86

By Janelle Borg published

Flowers recorded over 20,000 sessions and his distinctive jazz-informed bass heavily features on Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side and Bowie's Space Oddity

Linkin Park with new co-vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain

“We feel really empowered with this new lineup, their world-class talents, and the vibrant new music we’ve made together”: Linkin Park unveil new-look lineup, drop new single The Emptiness Machine

By Phil Weller published

Dead Sara vocalist and rhythm guitarist Emily Armstrong and producer Colin Brittain have joined the reformed nu-metal giants, with a world tour set to kick off next week

Left-Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush perform on stage at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England, on December 3rd, 1977; Right-American rock guitarist and singer Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) performs live on stage playing a black Fender Stratocaster guitar with The Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 24th February 1969

“I thought it was a bunch of noise. I left. Later, it almost felt like Jimi Hendrix was saying, ‘I'll make sure you never forget my name’”: Frank Marino on the time he left a Hendrix gig early – and the truth behind the bizarre Hendrix haunting story

By Janelle Borg published

The Mahogany Rush guitarist sets the record straight on the Jimi Hendrix comparisons and a ghost rumor that dogged him for decades

Lily Fontaine of English Teacher performs on stage at Electric Brixton on May 29, 2024 in London, England

“In terms of electric guitars, I’ve never used anything other than Fender in my life”: UK post-punk band English Teacher just won one of the most prestigious prizes in music – and it all started with Fender

By Janelle Borg published

Previous winners of the UK's esteemed Mercury Prize include Arctic Monkeys, PJ Harvey, Primal Scream, Arlo Parks and Franz Ferdinand

Left-Bass player Eric Avery of the band's Garbage and Janes Addiction performs onstage during KROQ's Weenie Roast at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre on May 14, 2016 in Irvine, California; Right-Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins performs at Lucca Summer Festival on July 06, 2024 in Lucca, Italy

“I didn’t know Corgan, but I knew he wasn’t the easiest person to work with. I thought, ‘This isn’t going to last but it’ll be interesting’”: Jane’s Addiction’s Eric Avery on his brief stint with the Smashing Pumpkins and what he learned from Billy Corgan

By Janelle Borg published

Avery briefly worked with Corgan on what would later become the Pumpkins’ seventh album, Zeitgeist

Taylor Swift performs onstage during night four of "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at La Defense on May 12, 2024 in Paris, France

“We're witnessing history in the same way that the Beatles changed the music industry in the early 1960s”: Gibson reveals Taylor Swift’s go-to guitars during the Eras tour and hopes for a signature model

By Janelle Borg published

Gibson’s Vice President of Product, Mat Koehler, discusses working with Swift’s team to execute her vision, delves into her J-180 love story, addresses the possibility of a signature model, and sets the record straight on the true color of that viral acoustic