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

Left-Rory Gallagher playing his '61 Fender Strat on stage; Right-A 1961 Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, Vox AC30 amplifier and Rangemaster treble booster owned by the late Irish musician Rory Gallagher, photographed during a studio shoot for Guitarist Magazine/Future via Getty Images

“I would love to keep it in Ireland if we could”: The Irish government wants to ensure Rory Gallagher’s iconic Fender Strat remains in the country

By Janelle Borg published

The government's interest follows a grassroots campaign that's hoping to raise enough money to keep the guitar in Ireland

Left-Tash Sultana performs during 2022 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 19, 2022 in Manchester, Tennessee; Right-John Mayer of Dead & Company performs during the 52nd annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at Fair Grounds Race Course on May 06, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana

“John Mayer, you’ve been sleeping on a good jam”: Tash Sultana publicly invites John Mayer to a guitar duel

By Janelle Borg published

In the same social media video, Sultana teased potential new material with a blues-inspired jam

Left-Michael Thompson playing guitar in a studio; Right-Michael Jackson performs in concert circa 1988

“I look up and he’s sitting right next to me. He was super-fascinated with the EBow”: Pop session great Michael Thompson on the time he recorded guitar for Michael Jackson – and the King of Pop walked in mid-session

By Janelle Borg published

Thompson reveals what it was like to work on two of Michael Jackson's biggest tracks

Left-Kerry King from the former band Slayer with his solo project performs live on stage at the annual Rock Am Ring festival at Nuerburgring on June 07, 2024 in Nuerburg, Germany; Right-Hip hop group, the Beastie Boys, at West 42nd street/Times Square subway station, New York, New York, November 27, 1986. Left to right: Michael Diamond (aka Mike D), Adam Horovitz (also known as Ad-Rock), and Adam Yauch

“I wish I didn’t get paid. I wish I took a quarter point or something, ‘cause now I would be a rich man”: Slayer’s Kerry King on what he regrets about his solo on the Beastie Boys’ No Sleep Till Brooklyn

By Janelle Borg published

King reveals how he ended up playing on the Beastie Boys and Sum 41's records

Kiko Loureiro of Megadeth performs at Lokerse Feesten Festival on August 6, 2023 in Lokeren, Belgium with a photo of Aanika Pai in a circle on the image

“This is the stuff of dreams”: 11-year-old wows Kiko Loureiro with her solo skills at the ex-Megadeth shredder’s guitar camp

By Janelle Borg published

Kiko Loureiro even lent the young guitarist, Aanika Pai, his own Ibanez guitar and Neural DSP Quad Cortex

Tom Morello and Thomas Raggi attend the 73rd Sanremo Music Festival 2023 at Teatro Ariston on February 09, 2023 in Sanremo, Italy.

“If you’ve seen them play live the crowd goes off! It looks a lot like some of the big bands of the ’90s”: Måneskin’s Thomas Raggi joins Tom Morello on stage in Italy – with a special appearance from Morello’s son Roman

By Janelle Borg published

Tom Morello and Thomas Raggi gave a searing rendition of the MC5's Kick Out the Jams, before joining his son Roman for a live performance of their single Soldier in The Army of Love

Slash

“Blues is really thriving and alive and fresh at the moment, whereas it’s few and far between for me to find interesting things to listen to in rock”: Slash was so impressed by this UK blues guitarist that he personally paid to bring him to the US

By Janelle Borg published

Slash discusses the future of blues and how young guitarists are helping the genre thrive

Tom Morello performs at Lucca Summer Festival on July 06, 2024 in Lucca, Italy

“Unapologetic, fearless with their own musical and personal style and really able to challenge the conventions of what hard rock music is”: Tom Morello reveals his two favorite contemporary hard-rock bands

By Janelle Borg published

Morello also states that he thinks the place for women in the future of rock music is “at the front”

Shania Twain with her bespoke guitar

“We are proud to present this bespoke genealogy to you, told in a new and innovative way”: Shania Twain presented with a stunning handmade guitar in celebration of her musical legacy and Irish heritage

By Janelle Borg published

The Telecaster-style guitar was handmade by Woodstock Guitars in Ukraine and adorned with intricate artwork by Irish artist David Rooney

Josh Klinghoffer performs onstage at The Forum on May 07, 2022 in Inglewood, California

Ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer sued for wrongful death

By Janelle Borg published

Klinghoffer allegedly ran over and killed 47-year-old pedestrian Israel Sanchez while in a black SUV

David Gilmour (L) and Roger Waters (R) perform at a benefit evening for The Hoping Foundation on July 10, 2010 in London, England

“David Gilmour had been playing the riff. I said, ‘And then what happens?’ And he said, ‘No, that’s it.’ I said, ’Do you mind if I see what happens next?’” Roger Waters reflects on writing Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here – and the meaning behind it

By Janelle Borg published

David Gilmour's Wish You Were Here guitar intro served as the catalyst that inspired the beloved Pink Floyd track

Roger Glover, Ian Gillan and Simon McBride of the English rock band Deep Purple perform in concert during Alma Festival on June 13, 2024 in Madrid, Spain

“I woke up with those words, ‘Smoke on the Water’, on my lips. I mentioned it to Ian and he said, ‘Sounds like a drug song, we better not do that’”: Deep Purple just played Smoke on the Water on the lake that inspired it – with actual fire in the sky

By Janelle Borg published

The band return to Montreux, the site of the 1971 casino fire depicted in the lyrics of their iconic track

Left-Nick Bockrath of Cage The Elephant performs in concert during the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 15, 2024 in Manchester, Tennessee; Right- The Watson Twins perform onstage with Bucky Baxter during 'Into The Great Wide Open: A Tom Petty Superjam' at This Tent during day 2 of the 2018 Bonnaroo Arts And Music Festival on June 8, 2018 in Manchester, Tennessee

“He said, ‘This is the only lap steel I would go out and play rock and roll with... so this one's for you’”: Cage the Elephant's Nick Bockrath got his lap steel – and some of the best buying advice of his life – from Bob Dylan guitarist Bucky Baxter

By Janelle Borg published

Bucky Baxter also served as a sounding board for Bockrath when it came to guitar-buying advice

Face of Tom Fowler playing bass

“He had me play a couple of odd muted things and groove for a while, and then he said ‘OK, you're it’”: Esteemed bassist Tom Fowler, best known for his work with Frank Zappa, has died aged 73

By Janelle Borg published

In addition to his stint with Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention, Fowler played with Ray Charles, Jean-Luc Ponty, Steve Hackett, George Duke and It's a Beautiful Day

Paul Stanley performs onstage with Kiss at the Monsters of Rock Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil on April 26, 2015

“I haven't played much... I thought if I started playing, I would miss playing with the band and doing what we do”: Paul Stanley admits he hasn't picked up the guitar in a while for fear he'll miss Kiss

By Janelle Borg published

After five decades in Kiss, and wrapping up the band's final shows, Stanley is trying to get back into the groove of playing guitar

Tommy Emmanuel performs on stage at Arena Nord during Bluesheaven Festival 2023 on November 11, 2023 in Frederikshavn, Denmark

“When I heard the Rolling Stones, they sounded like a bad high school band to me. I didn't get it”: Tommy Emmanuel explains how a love of Chet Atkins meant he initially struggled to understand The Rolling Stones and Beatles hype

By Janelle Borg published

Emmanuel now “loves” both bands, but back in the day it took him “a long time to appreciate them”

Yungblud performs live at the announcement of Bludfest 2024 at Camden Stables Market on March 18, 2024 in London, England

“Does anyone know how to play this?”: Yungblud is inviting fans on stage to play guitar – and he's letting them take home his SG Juniors

By Janelle Borg published

Yungblud is taking fan engagement to the next level by inviting fans on stage to show off their guitar skills

Jennifer Batten performs in Merula at Roreto di Cherasco

“He’s a guy that really invented electric guitar, and a lot of what people are doing today”: Jennifer Batten pays tribute to Jeff Beck, her former collaborator, with a searing cover of Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers

By Janelle Borg published

Batten was part of Jeff Beck's touring band for three years and featured on two of his albums

Roger Daltrey )L) and Pete Townshend (R) leads The Who in concert at Firenze Rocks 2023 at Visarno Arena on June 17, 2023 in Florence, Italy

“A lot of dedicated Who fans come to every show in order to see Roger hit me in the face again, for me to smash him over the head with a guitar”: Pete Townshend sets the record straight about Roger Daltrey's comments on The Who's retirement

By Janelle Borg published

Roger Daltrey had recently mentioned that he was “happy” that “that part of my life is over”

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Ann Wilson of Heart performs onstage during the Jim Irsay Collection Exhibit and Concert at Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall on January 11, 2024 in Los Angeles, California

“Please know that I absolutely plan to be back on stage in 2025”: Heart postpone 2024 tour after Ann Wilson reveals she is undergoing cancer treatment

By Janelle Borg published

Ann Wilson is currently undergoing “a course of preventative chemotherapy” and hopes to be back on stage next year

Left-Chris Shiflett performs on Day 1 of BottleRock Napa Valley at Napa Valley Expo on May 24, 2024 in Napa, California; Right-Joe Bonamassa performs in concert at ACL Live on October 29, 2023 in Austin, Texas

“It was a half-hearted effort. I knew he would clock it”: Foo Fighters' Chris Shiflett once tried (and failed) to trick Joe Bonamassa into believing he had bought a genuine '59 Les Paul Burst

By Janelle Borg published

Chris Shiflett defied country guitar expectations and used the Les Paul on his latest country-tinged EP

teve Van Zandt performs on stage at Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano on June 12, 2024 in Madrid, Spain

“All my life I’ve carried with me this guilt and feeling of, ‘Jeez, if only I could have stayed in the band and yet done all these other things’”: Steven Van Zandt reflects on leaving Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band just before their breakthrough

By Janelle Borg published

During his initial tenure in the E Street band, Van Zandt was partially responsible for the iconic Born to Run guitar riff

Lord Phobos playing a strat guitar on stage

“That song has a pretty epic solo. I remember scratching my head a bit trying to figure out the harmonizer effects he was using”: This is one of the hardest guitar songs you could attempt to cover, according to cover pro Lord Phobos

By Janelle Borg published

With a hefty repertoire of covers under his belt, TWRP guitarist Lord Phobos pinpoints the song that he admits was “quite a tough one” to learn

Slash (left) with Grace Bowers, with guitars in the background

“Met my guitar hero last night”: Grace Bowers finally meets Slash – whose Welcome to the Jungle solo inspired her to pick up guitar

By Janelle Borg published

The encounter served as a full-circle moment for Bowers, who started playing guitar after wanting to emulate Slash's effortless cool

Chris Shiflett from the Foo Fighters performs on The Pyramid Stage at Day 3 of Glastonbury Festival 2023 on June 23, 2023 in Glastonbury, England

“I think it sounds very close to vintage amps. If I hadn’t told you that, you probably wouldn’t have guessed, right?”: Foo Fighters' Chris Shiflett explains why he opted for a digital modeler over tube amps on his latest EP

By Janelle Borg published

Chris Shiflett discloses the reasons why he didn't use a single amp in studio