Joe Bosso

Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.

Latest articles by Joe Bosso

null
L.A. Witch's Sade Sanchez: ”People can’t go out, so this is a perfect time for everybody to learn how to play the guitar”

By Joe Bosso Published

How the burgeoning SoCal trio went from getting fired to playing for keeps with a reverb-drenched garage rock sound

Artists
null
John Petrucci on his lifelong love of Rush: "I still use Alex Lifeson licks that I learned in high school!"

By Joe Bosso Published

The spirit of radio is strong in Dream Theater's shredder-in-chief, as he details how Rush lit a progressive fire in his playing

Guitarists
null
Jason Isbell: “As I get older, I tend to play fewer notes to try and make my point“

By Joe Bosso Published

The alt-country rocker discusses his "clean and loud" approach to recording a Strat through a Roland Jazz Chorus on Reunions

Artists
null
Hits, misses and major labels: Veruca Salt’s Louise Post and Local H’s Scott Lucas on surviving the '90s alt-rock boom

By Joe Bosso Published

Post and Lucas remember a febrile time for alternative-rock – and what came after

Music Industry
Guitar player
100 things every guitarist should know

By Joe Bosso Published

GW joins forces with Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa and many more to teach you 100 essential lessons in the art of the six-string

Guitarists
Hunting psych-soul grooves with the Black Pumas
Black Pumas: "A lot of groups fall into that 'soul revival' thing, but we embrace rock equally"

By Joe Bosso Published

Adrian Quesada and Eric Burton on their unlikely pairing, vintage gear and letting the ear guide the song

Artists
Sadler Vaden
Sadler Vaden: "Some downplay their influences, but I wear them right on my sleeve"

By Joe Bosso Published

The deliciously melodic guitarist busts out the Roger McGuinn/Mike Campbell vibes for his new solo record, Anybody Out There?

Artists
Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani: "Every day there’s something new to learn about the guitar. I don’t know if we’re ever going to figure the thing out!"

By Joe Bosso Published

The shred icon goes deep on the creation of Shapeshifting, his latest gear inspirations, and the solo that needed 170 takes to get right

Artists
Kim Gordon
Kim Gordon: "If dissonance is something we added to the vocabulary of indie rock, from a legacy standpoint, that’s pretty cool"

By Joe Bosso Published

The former Sonic Youth bassist/vocalist/guitarist breaks down her truly wild solo debut, No Home Record

Artists
Brothers Osborne
Brothers Osborne: "I can’t just think about blowing guitarists away when I come up with a solo - I try to think big-picture"

By Joe Bosso Published

John and TJ Osborne offer up an exclusive preview of their upcoming “bigger, louder and more exciting” new album

Guitarists
Steve Vai
Steve Vai: "When I was a kid playing guitar too loud, the neighbors would complain... and my father would tell them to shut the f**k up"

By Joe Bosso Published

With the big 6-0 just around the corner, guitar icon Steve Vai reminisces about Satch, Zappa, Alcatrazz and a life in the ultra zone

Artists
Tim Stewart
Lady Gaga guitarist Tim Stewart: "We get pop fans come to see her, but we get the guys from Anthrax and Slayer, too"

By Joe Bosso Published

He's played with Rihanna, Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey, and now the session pro shares what it's like to land one of the highest-profile gigs on the planet - and how you can emulate his success

Guitarists
null
Chris Shiflett: "Foo Fighters isn’t a band that has a lot of guitar solo-type stuff - on my own material, I do a lot more of that"

By Joe Bosso Published

The guitarist discusses his gutsy, twangy - but definitely rocking - second solo outing, Hard Lessons

Guitarists
null
Dylan LeBlanc: "Certain guitar moments can sound like poetry if you get ’em right"

By Joe Bosso Published

The American guitarist and singer-songwriter on the influence of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on his writing style

Guitarists
null
Stephane Wrembel: "When you cut out string noise, you’re left without the physical aspect of what a musician does"

By Joe Bosso Published

Stephane Wrembel’s annual The Django Experiment albums are mind-blowing odes to the music, legacy and influence of the late, great Django Reinhardt

Guitarists
Penn Jillette performs live
Penn Jillette: magic is easy, music is hard

By Joe Bosso Published

One half of magic duo Penn & Teller discusses his other love: bass playing

Bass Guitars
Mike Kerr, Royal Blood
Royal Blood's Mike Kerr: “I don’t talk about my pedals, ever”

By Joe Bosso Published

The bassist–frontman half of the British power duo Royal Blood gives a coy nod to the gear used on “How Did We Get So Dark” – but don’t expect any instructional videos from this secretive player

Effects & Pedals
null
Vince Gill: "I reached the point where I said, ‘I’m just going to play what’s necessary’"

By Joe Bosso Published

The country guitar master discusses his bittersweet new gig with the Eagles, fingerpicking and his powerful new solo album

Artists
null
Guthrie Govan: "I don’t see how it’s possible to have too much technique or knowledge"

By Joe Bosso Published

He of the mad, mad skills talks dinosaurs, blind alleys and the Aristocrats’ quirky-as-hell new album, You Know What...?

Guitarists
null
Bear's Den: "‘Folk rock’ makes it sound like all we do is strum acoustic guitars and kind of stand there”

By Joe Bosso Published

Critics have rushed to anoint Bear's Den as one of the UK's best folk-rock acts. Just don't tell them that

Bands
Sleater-Kinney perform live
Sleater-Kinney on how St Vincent challenged and reconfigured their sound for The Center Won’t Hold

By Joe Bosso Published

Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein discuss gear, songwriting and their new St Vincent-produced album

Artists
null
3 in-demand Nashville session guitarists reveal what it takes to land country music's biggest gigs

By Joe Bosso Published

How to make it in Music City with session pros Kenny Greenberg, Russ Pahl and Derek Wells

Guitarists
null
Jimmie Vaughan: "The goal is to play what you feel; once you figure that out, it all comes naturally"

By Joe Bosso Published

The Austin six-string legend talks dusting off forgotten blues gems for Baby, Please Come Home

Artists
Nirvana perform at MTV Unplugged
The 25 best acoustic rock songs

By Joe Bosso Published

The lightest tunes from music's heaviest hitters

Music Releases
null
Steve Stevens and Geezer Butler Discuss Their New Band, Deadland Ritual

By Joe Bosso Published

"We’re just four guys getting together and doing what we like.”

Bands
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Archives