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

Andy Summers and Robert Fripp Looking at their Hands

“We got together in someone's apartment in the Village and were jamming, trying to see what we could come up with”: Andy Summers on his longstanding relationship with Robert Fripp – and their surprise new collab album

By Janelle Borg published

Summers and Fripp have known each other since childhood and decided to record three albums' worth of material back in the '80s after they both achieved success with their respective bands

(L-R) FINNEAS and Billie Eilish perform onstage during the "Happier Than Ever Tour" at The Forum on April 08, 2022 in Inglewood, California

“Her number one piece of feedback is to be quieter. Sometimes, we bicker and maybe I win”: FINNEAS reveals his guitar technique debates with Billie Eilish

By Janelle Borg published

The artist and super-producer recalls recording guitars on Eilish's latest album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, and why the Fender Acoustasonic is a key tool in his production toolkit

Bob Dylan on stage with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Mike Campbell, Heartbreakers' guitarist, is in the background

“The strap came loose, the amp was up, the guitar was up, and the neck broke off. Bob turned around like, ‘What are you doing back there?’” Mike Campbell recalls breaking his guitar in front of a live audience – in the middle of a Bob Dylan show

By Janelle Borg published

Campbell talks about the unfortunate incident on the legendary Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Bob Dylan's True Confessions Tour that led him to break one of his most beloved guitars

Left-Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. performs at The Regency Ballroom on December 09, 2022 in San Francisco, California; Right-David Gilmour performs live on stage at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2016 in New York City

“We were at an EMI dinner, and David Gilmour was there. I said, ‘By far, you’re my favorite guitar player. How do you come up with those melodies?’” W.A.S.P.’s Blackie Lawless on the invaluable advice he received from the Pink Floyd icon

By Janelle Borg published

Lawless has also revealed why he had to switch to bass for the band's first two albums

Left-Grace Bowers performs on Day 1 of BottleRock Napa Valley at Napa Valley Expo on May 24, 2024 in Napa, California; Right-B.B. King playing his guitar Lucille

“He plays five notes, and those five notes said more than any of these metal shredders could ever wish they could say”: Grace Bowers on how B.B. King completely changed her perspective on what makes a good guitar solo

By Janelle Borg published

Bowers discusses her transition from hair metal to blues

Left-Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter of The Doobie Brothers performing on stage at Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, Japan, February 1979. He is playing a Burns guitar; Right-Disco diva Donna Summer, November 1978.

“I gave him 35 bucks for the guitar, bought a six-pack of Bud, went down to the studios and they played me the song. Recorded it in one take”: Skunk Baxter on how he recorded his classic Hot Stuff solo on a cheap guitar he bought right before the session

By Janelle Borg published

Baxter reveals he very nearly didn't do the Donna Summer session – and how the producer's willingness to experiment clinched the deal

Beabadoobee

“More proof of the rude health guitar music is in right now”: August 2024 Guitar World editors' picks

By Michael Astley-Brown published

Our rundown of the finest fretboard cuts from the past four weeks is here – and with it comes new efforts from fast-rising guitar stars, a potentially generational indie rock group, Eric Clapton's favorite contemporary player and much more

Matteo Mancuso playing guitar, with his laptop and speakers in the background

“For me, seven-strings are uncomfortable to play and I don’t find them aesthetically pleasing. They just don’t look sexy to me!” Fusion virtuoso Matteo Mancuso on why he prefers baritones to seven-string guitars

By Janelle Borg published

Mancuso worked with famed Italian luthier Bruno Bacci to bring his baritone guitar concept to life

Grace Bowers playing a white Strat

“This is an artist who's not just carrying the torch for rock 'n' roll – she's igniting a whole new fire”: Grace Bowers trades her Gibson SG for a Fender Strat to cover Stevie Ray Vaughan classics

By Janelle Borg published

The young blues virtuoso and her band The Hodge Podge pay homage to Vaughan with their own takes on Lenny and Scuttle Buttin’

Left-Carmen Vandenberg of Bones UK performs at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre on August 16, 2024 in Sterling Heights, Michigan; Right-Jerry Cantrell performs at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre on August 16, 2024 in Sterling Heights, Michigan

“She jumped up on Man in the Box and killed it”: Carmen Vandenberg joins Jerry Cantrell to put her own twist on the iconic Alice in Chains solo

By Janelle Borg published

Vandenberg wielded a Duesenberg Julia, while the Alice In Chains guitarist opted for his trusty 'Blue Dress' G&L at the North Carolina concert

Maya Neelakantan playing a Gibson Flying V on stage, with a drummer in the background

“Big thank you to Metallica for giving you that song. That doesn't happen very often”: 11-year-old metal guitarist nails Master of Puppets on America’s Got Talent – with Dave Mustaine’s signature model

By Janelle Borg published

Maya Neelakantan had previously covered Papa Roach's Last Resort on AGT and gone viral for her Tool covers

Left-Marty Friedman performs on stage during his Japan Heritage Special Live concert at Haneda airport on July 17, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan; Right-Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley perform during the final show of KISS: End of the Road World Tour at Madison Square Garden on December 02, 2023 in New York City

“‘You got long hair, right?’ Right. ‘And you’re over 6 feet tall?’ I’m like, ‘I’m 5’7 but I’ll have an operation’”: Marty Friedman recalls missing out on joining Kiss because of his height

By Janelle Borg published

Yngwie Malmsteen and White Lion's Vito Bratta were also rejected due to image-related reasons

Left-Skunk Baxter performs onstage at The 2020 NAMM Show – 35th Annual NAMM TEC Awards on January 18, 2020 in Anaheim, California; Right-Musical guest Dolly Parton performs on August 23, 2016

“Dolly just sat there and listened very sweetly. I asked the producer, ‘Is there anything special you want from me? He said, ‘I want you to do what Skunk does’”: Jeff “Skunk” Baxter recalls recording guitar on Dolly Parton mega-hit 9 to 5

By Janelle Borg published

Baxter highlights the song's R&B feel as a key element that set it apart from the country songs being released at the time

Russell Malone performs with the Ron Carter Trio during the Newport Jazz Festival 2019 at Fort Adams State Park on August 03, 2019 in Newport, Rhode Island

“I love to swing, but I don't look down my nose at other styles of music, or other musicians. I'll play with anybody if the music is good”: Acclaimed jazz guitarist Russell Malone, known for his work with Harry Connick Jr. and Ron Carter, has died aged 60

By Janelle Borg published

Malone had just finished a performance at Blue Note Tokyo with The Golden Striker Trio when he suffered a fatal heart attack

the Johnny Cash SJ-200 and Rosanne Cash J-185 from Gibson Custom

“Guitars were always around in the house – my dad would always have a guitar in his lap, even if he wasn’t playing it”: Gibson pays homage to the Cash family legacy with Johnny Cash SJ-200 and Rosanne Cash J-185 acoustic guitars

By Janelle Borg published

The Johnny Cash SJ-200 is based on his late-1950s signature guitar, while the Rosanne Cash J-185 is an all-new model

Left-Taylor Swift performs onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at Olympiastadion on July 27, 2024 in Munich, Germany; Right- turquoise and black Gibson acoustic guitar in front of Wembley stadium

“You are now officially the biggest-selling artist to ever perform at Wembley Stadium”: Taylor Swift gifted custom Gibson acoustic guitar to celebrate breaking Michael Jackson's 36-year-old record

By Janelle Borg published

The turquoise and black acoustic appears to be a J-45, one of the models Swift has favored throughout her Eras Tour

Left-Keith Urban performing on stage; Right-John Mayer performs on stage at The O2 Arena on October 13, 2019 in London, England

“John said to me, ‘When you hear a solo, you can tell how well that guy knows that guitar.’ I went, ‘He's so true’”: Keith Urban and John Mayer agree – having fewer guitars can make you a better guitar player

By Janelle Borg published

Urban on the valuable lesson he learned from John Mayer

David Bowie performing with guitarist Carlos Alomar in Fréjus, France, 1983.

“I knew I’d have to address that situation with Earl Slick and his Marshall stacks”: Carlos Alomar on how David Bowie financed one of the first-ever rack-mounted amplifiers

By Janelle Borg published

What began as a friendly competition with Bowie lead guitarist Earl Slick eventually inspired Alomar to develop an innovative new amp setup

Carmen Vandenberg of Bones UK performs at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre on August 16, 2024 in Sterling Heights, Michigan

“The first time I went to Jeff Beck’s house, he sat me in front of a ton of amps and gave me a guitar… he wanted to see if I could get my tone no matter what”: Carmen Vandenberg recalls Jeff Beck’s ultimate tone test

By Janelle Borg published

Vandenberg discusses the invaluable lesson she learned from Beck about achieving your tone no matter what equipment you have at hand

Multi-cam of Paul McCartney performing on stage with Andrew Watt

Paul McCartney joins Andrew Watt and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith to perform Beatles and Neil Young classics at tiny show

By Janelle Borg published

The Beatles legend also revealed that he has written an as-yet-unreleased song with Watt

(L-R) Guitarist Gary Moore and lead vocalist and bassist Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy perform at the Omni Coliseum on February 21, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia

“I played it to him on an acoustic guitar and he went, ‘That sounds kinda French… let me write some lyrics’”: Gary Moore on how Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott helped shaped one of his most iconic guitar tracks

By Janelle Borg published

The two were regularly at loggerheads over personal and creative differences, but they did collaborate on Moore’s 1978 solo album Back on the Streets

A close-up of Keith Urban smiling while playing guitar

“I felt like I was cheating on my guitars that were on life support in the hospital, and I'm looking at dating sites”: Keith Urban reflects on rebuilding his entire guitar collection after Nashville's devastating 2010 flood

By Janelle Borg published

The country guitar icon had to scramble to buy new guitars just days before he was scheduled to record a new album

Left-American guitarist Randy Rhoads (1956-1982) recording Ozzy Osbourne's 'Blizzard of Ozz' album at Ridge Farm Studio in West Sussex, England in May 1980; Right- MXR Randy Rhoads Distortion+

“Randy was using all the latest guitar techniques, and was able to incorporate all this into his sound and make it his own”: MXR's limited-edition Randy Rhoads Distortion+ is finally here

By Janelle Borg published

The highly-anticipated pedal is based on Rhoads' pedalboard, which was unveiled by the late guitarist's family for the first time in 42 years

A guitarist performs with french indie rock band Phoenix during the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at the Stade de France on August 11, 2024 in Paris, France.

“They wanted to create a moment similar to the Eddie Van Halen solo in Michael Jackson’s Beat It”: Unmasking the Paris Olympics’ mystery guitar virtuoso, who shredded his way through the closing ceremony in front of millions

By Janelle Borg published

The internet furiously debated the identity of the hooded shredder, better known as Phoenix collaborator Noé Efira. He shares the hidden meaning behind his outfit, how he secured his ultra-rare aluminum guitar from another iconic French group – and why we wasn't nervous performing in front of the audience of a lifetime

Stephen Carpenter

Deftones' Stephen Carpenter absent from 50,000-strong San Francisco concert, headlined by System of a Down

By Janelle Borg published

In 2022, the guitarist announced he was sitting out any future international tours and has recently spoken out about touring-related anxiety