Latest articles by Joe Bonamassa
“It works every time… although you'll ruin your pick”: How to end a slow blues solo, by Joe Bonamassa
Drawing upon B.B. King's seminal Live at the Regal, JoBo offers pointers for "high-note activity" and the emotional build-up before deferring to Jeff Beck for the coupe de grace
Joe Bonamassa explains how to get into a slow blues jam – and, crucially, how you can get out of it
In this exclusive video lesson, the bluesman walks us through an essential skill for the blues guitar player, the slow blues… And he’s going to demonstrate how using an amp it took him 15 years to track down
Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to Eric Clapton’s Stratocaster years
The blues guitar superstar and a vintage Strat from his Nerdville collection share a lesson that will make your Strat sing whether it’s a Custom Shop or a Squier
Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to his favorite guitar player of all time
JoBo digs out a vintage Beano Burst lookalike to break down the licks of Eric Clapton during his “Gibson years”
Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to Dickey Betts in this video and tab lesson
Les Paul in hand, Bonamassa shows us two examples of how Betts might phrase a solo, one using the "country scale," the other using the minor pentatonic
“The most well-known user of this instrument was universally beloved for having one of the heaviest guitar tones of all time”: Joe Bonamassa explains why you can rule the world with one pickup
In this video lesson inspired by Leslie West, Joe Bonamassa puts the single-pickup rock 'n' roll machine through its paces with some riffs and licks that make good use of open strings
Joe Bonamassa blues guitar lesson: JoBo pays tribute to an unsung Les Paul legend
The Mayor of Nerdville gives us a lesson in the blues style of Tower of Power guitarist Bruce Conte, a player whom JoBo says is one of his favorite guitarists ever
Joe Bonamassa on why he loves the P-90s on his 1958 Gibson Les Paul Special – and the origins of its ‘TV Yellow’ finish
The Les Paul Special is a simple slab of mahogany that doubles up on the P-90s and as JoBo attests, it is a highly recommended electric with a voice that can cut through the mix
“No-one played like him before, and everyone played like him after”: Joe Bonamassa demonstrates the genius of Albert King
Joe Bonamassa pays homage to one of his favourite blues influences – and why he can’t play a slow blues without asking, “What would Albert do?”
“One of my greatest heroes”: Joe Bonamassa salutes Jeff Beck as he shares his favorite licks
With a Les Paul in hand, Bonamassa checks in from Nerdville to give a lesson in the style of the late, great Jeff Beck
“The first time I saw Ronnie, he was playing a Strat through two Super Reverbs – the sound was larger than life”: Joe Bonamassa reaches for his dream guitar to dissect the brilliance of East Coast blues great Ronnie Earl
The Howard A. Reed 1955 black Fender Stratocaster is put through its paces once more in tribute to one of blues guitar's GOATs
“This is the earliest known black Strat in existence. I first saw it when I was 11 years old – Guitar World featured it as the centerfold poster. I fell completely in love”: Joe Bonamassa on the guitar that represents his journey above all others
JoBo tells the story of the legendary 1955 Howard A. Reed Strat as he shares his favorite licks by blues great Ronnie Earl
“The Gibson SG took me about 30 years to figure out… it’s completely different from a Les Paul”: Joe Bonamassa explains how he learned to love Gibson’s solid guitar – and teaches you his favorite SG licks
It might have taken Bonamassa a minute (or a few decades) to fall for the SG’s charms, but now he has in a big way, and this video lesson offers a taste of what the Gibson double-cut can do
“This is a rare instrument and a cool example of something Jimi would have played back in 1969/1970”: Joe Bonamassa teaches us his favorite Hendrix-inspired licks on a very special Stratocaster
Class is officially in session at Nerdville as JoBo reaches for his “bronchitis Strat” for a primer in Hendrix blues-rock that will make you a better player
“I like Firebird Vs the best, simply because this is the model that Johnny Winter played”: Learn Joe Bonamassa’s favorite Firebird licks in this exclusive video lesson
Armed with a 1964 Gibson Firebird V, Joe Bonamassa teaches us some tricks he picked up from the late, great Johnny Winter
“The quest to acquire this instrument resulted in the greatest guitar safari of my life”: Joe Bonamassa shows you why he loves his legendary Bolin ’Burst, and shares his favorite licks to play on the iconic Les Paul
The blues maestro puts the fabled 1960 Gibson Les Paul Standard through its paces in this exclusive lesson
“Imagine trying to convince your parents to buy you this thing in 1958!”: Joe Bonamassa shares his favorite Gibson Flying V licks
"Amos" is a very special guitar, with a very special sound, even if it was a little ahead of its time in 1958. In this tab and video lesson, Joe Bonamassa shows us what it can do
What does the Varitone control on a Gibson guitar do? Let Joe Bonamassa show you in this lesson from the blues maestro
Joe Bonamassa invites you to get up close and personal with a super-rare 1959 Gibson ES-335 equipped with Varitone circuit – and learn some licks along the way
“This guitar is a real ‘blues machine’, and I really love it!” Joe Bonamassa explains why every blues player needs to try a Gibson ES-345 as he shares his favorite licks
The Varitone control makes this semi-hollow unlike anything else in the Gibson catalog – Joe Bonamassa shows us the tones and licks that made it such a classic electric
“It’s fun, and things can get swampy in a hurry”: Joe Bonamassa teaches you the fundamentals of slide guitar
The blues ace takes you through the basics of how to play slide guitar, including muting, tuning and the “dreaded intonation”
Joe Bonamassa teaches you his favorite Fender Stratocaster blues licks
The blues guitar superstar takes us on a tone tour on his 1954 Fender Strat, with licks inspired by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Johnson and more
Joe Bonamassa shows you his favorite Fender Esquire licks: “You can rule the world with one pickup”
The blues guitar superstar's adventures in classic guitars continue as he shows us why Leo got it right the first time around...
Joe Bonamassa shares his favorite Gibson ES-335 licks in this exclusive lesson
Learn some soloing tips from Mr Bonamassa as he takes his 1961 Gibson ES-335 up the dusty end to show you what the legendary semi-hollow can do
Joe Bonamassa makes a strong case for fitting your Gibson Les Paul with P-90s as he shares his favorite ’54 Goldtop blues licks
The first in a series of exclusive lessons from the Mayor of Nerdville that will not only teach you something to play but also demonstrate what a classic vintage electric guitar can do
Joe Bonamassa introduces you to the playing of Pee Wee Crayton, one of the most underrated blues guitarists of the 20th century
Armed with a Fiesta Red Strat and a dynamic style, Crayton was a powerhouse of '50s blues guitar. This lesson takes you inside Bonamassa's interpretation of the Crayton classic Win-O
