Latest articles by Joe Matera
Europe’s John Norum on sacred Strats and what he learned from Don Dokken
As Norum gets ready to work on a new Europe album, the Swedish six-string maverick pops by to share his most embarrassing moment onstage and famous firsts
“I was playing a gig with Jack Bruce and one of my amps suddenly burst into flames!” Robin Trower's onstage disasters and famous firsts
The genius behind Bridge of Sighs talks flaming amps, favorite Strats and why he still practices every day – even if he didn't do it all that much when he was younger
“In 2005 I loaned my SG to a friend… It remained lost. In 2019, I walked into a thrift store – and behind the counter was my guitar”: Phantom Planet’s Alex Greenwald on finally tracking down the missing Epiphone that soundtracked The O.C.
How the indie-pop rock stars returned with a sense of purpose after a miracle reunion with a much-loved Epiphone SG that Greenwald lost many years ago
“I did everything by working my ass off. I played in bars six nights a week, 300 shows a year, three one-hour sets every night for eight years with no record deal”: Evanescence’s Troy McLawhorn on his guitar firsts, favorites and embarrassing moments
The Evanescence guitarist talks killer trench coats, first gigs, and the amp that got away
“Charles Manson actually stole one of my Martins years ago and I never, ever got it back”: The Beach Boys co-founder Al Jardine on his musical regrets, favorite guitars, and the acoustic that got away
Jardine on his custom-made Fender Strat, love of Super Reverbs and the joy of playing the late Carl Wilson’s solos on tour
“Jimmy sat there for the whole two hours then waited until after the show before he asked me, ‘How did you find out how to make my sound?’” Meet Mr. Jimmy, the Japanese kimono salesman who has dedicated his life to becoming Jimmy Page
This is the story of Akio Sakurai, aka Mr. Jimmy, and his lifelong quest to replicate Jimmy Page’s guitar style and tone, and perform Led Zeppelin just as Page did back in the day – and, eventually, in front of the man himself
“I realized I was never going to be a great player like Tommy Shaw, so I guess I’m just a power-chord and single-string lead player now. But I’m pretty good at it!” Styx’s James “J.Y.” Young on his guitar journey
The Godfather of Styx shares his most embarrassing moments on stage, the advice he would give his younger self, and why he’s Chicago through and through when it comes to the blues
“Charles Manson actually stole one of my D-45s years ago”: One of Al Jardine’s prized Martin acoustics was once swiped by the notorious cult leader – and he “never, ever got it back”
The Beach Boys’ history with the Manson Family is well-documented – and it turns out Jardine’s Martin was one of the many items stolen from the band
“I did a round on the solo, and Ric Ocasek goes, ‘That’s really nice.’ He begins humming, and in my mind, I’m going, ‘But I didn't play that!’ He’d edited what I just played in his head”: Session great Larry Mitchell reflects on his all-star resume
He recorded with Ric Ocasek and Nile Rodgers, toured with Tracy Chapman, and every time he jams with Steve Vai the playing reaches “another level of epic-ness” – Larry Mitchell looks back on his star-studded session career
“I wish I knew more about what the hell I was doing when I’m playing”: Dave Mason has recorded with Jimi Hendrix and Wings, and inspired George Harrison to play slide guitar – and he’s done it all without “a lot of technique”
The former Traffic guitarist and ace songwriter/sideman discusses his favorite gear, and reveals the one piece of advice he'd give his younger self
“I can’t be a better Paul McCartney. I can’t be a better you. I can only be a better me”: 7 questions with Kat Dyson
The Prince and Cyndi Lauper session stalwart talks first guitars, practice, and the importance of staying true to yourself
“When I’m off the road, I have this love affair with ragtime guitar”: 7 questions with Wishbone Ash’s Andy Powell
Powell shares embarrassing moments, his greatest gear loves and more in this quick-fire interview
7 questions with Loverboy's Paul Dean: First songs, embarrassing stage moments, and why the Neural DSP Quad Cortex is a game-changer
What kind of player is Paul Dean? Well, as he admits here, he is a pentatonics guy with some Middle Eastern scales thrown in for good measure – and one who knows the value of a good song
The story of Aria Guitars: the unsung brand that has served metal shredders and jazz virtuosos alike for over 60 years
Aria has a long, proud history, played by the likes of Cliff Burton, George Lynch, Herb Ellis and Andy Summers. Join us as we access all Arias and pay tribute to a slept-on guitar icon
Hank Marvin: “Cavatina is such a beautiful tune to play. It was a very good moment for me to nail it in one take”
The hero to an entire generation of British guitarists talks embarrassing moments and his favorite Shadows recordings
“Butch Vig told us that when Nirvana were working on Nevermind, they were A–B-ing my guitar and trying to replicate that sound”: The Smithereens' Jim Babjak looks back
The power-pop guitar hero talks embarrassing moments onstage, what makes the perfect guitar solo and what it’s like to have influenced Kurt Cobain
Kansas' Rich Williams: "Strats are a mystery to me. I’d watch guys like Eric Johnson play a Strat and get such a beautiful sound, yet when I pick it up, it just sounds horrible!"
The prog-rock guitar titan discusses putting PRS pickups in his Dean Cadillac, what he learned from Steve Morse, and why Kansas made him get rid of his ES-335
R.E.M.’s Peter Buck: “My first gig was horrible. The only thing I can remember is playing the Batman theme, and I’m not sure we even played the third chord”
The alt-rock icon talks the perils of touring without guitar tuners, sculpting bridges instead of solos and why writing songs is the best way to get better
Phil Manzanera: “When I lived in Venezuela, a British boy showed me how to play R&B like Chuck Berry and that was it. I was converted to rock ’n’ roll”
The longtime Roxy Music guitarist talks obscure gear, early gigs and embarrassing onstage moments
Al Di Meola: "I see a lot of young players online with such super-phenomenal technique – but very rarely do I see it in the framework of a composition"
The fusion guitar master shares his thoughts on the next generation of players, maintaining speed on the fretboard, and what makes his '59 Gibson Les Paul the best-sounding guitar he's ever played
Goo Goo Dolls’ John Rzeznik on taking the plunge on vintage guitars, longevity, and why he will never be a social media star
The Buffalo, NY, rock stalwarts return with Chaos in Bloom, a record produced by Rzeznik, featuring some truly epicurean tones. Here, the guitarist tells us how it all came together
Beabadoobee talks alternate tunings, “weird, strange” recording techniques, and the subconscious influence of ‘90s grunge and alt-rock
The self-taught Gen Z guitar hero returns with the brilliant sophomore album, Beatopia, and explains how fresh tunings spring forth fresh musical ideas
10 questions for Yngwie Malmsteen: “I’m an extremist in everything I do. More is more in everything”
The shred king talks regrets, first gigs and explains why he never has a bad show
Yngwie Malmsteen: "You can’t 'build' speed – you play it until you have it perfect. There are no shortcuts and no tricks"
In this 2010 edition of Dear Guitar Hero, the neoclassical shred great explains why the Strat is the Stradivarius of electric guitars, how he actually uses those Marshall stacks, and the biggest misconception people have about his playing
