How Jaco's 1962 Jazz Bass – the so-called Bass Of Doom – eventually came back to the Pastorius family By Joel McIver published 6 July 24 Stolen in 1982, the bass vanished from the public eye until 2006 when it resurfaced in a New York music store
Why every guitarist owes something to the first rock 'n' roll guitar hero, Duane Eddy By Mark McStea published 5 July 24 The man with the twangy guitar changed the lives of millions and left an indelible mark on tone, and how we play the instrument. We look back on the life of a bona-fide legend
“We’ve also embraced the jangly, the twang”: Idles’ Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan talk Tangk tones By Jenna Scaramanga published 5 July 24 Tankg is a another tour de force of electric guitar provocations with Idles' dynamic duo finding wilder ways to take their sound to the edge of disaster then hold it there, just for kicks
How Billy Morrison gathered Steve Vai and other guests for his organic solo album By Andrew Daly published 5 July 24 Inspired by a basic signal chain and the “simplest guitar album on the planet”, Billy Idol’s right-hand man feels vindicated with the unplanned success of The Morrison Project
Samantha Fish talks soloing strategies and blues heroes ahead of Slash’s S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival By Amit Sharma published 5 July 24 As Slash's all-star blues festival kicks off, the Kansas City blues whiz tells us what we can expect of her set, the gear in her life, and why you need to take some time with your solos
Duane Betts on balancing the musical legacy of his dad, Allman Brothers legend Dickey Betts By Andrew Daly published 4 July 24 In his first interview since Dickey Betts’ passing, the guitarist and songwriter explains what he learned about melody from his dad, those live jams with Marcus King and Derek Trucks – and how he learned to shoulder the inevitable comparisons
That time Rage Against the Machine's Tim Commerford injected himself with steroids then set himself on fire By Joel McIver published 4 July 24 The RATM bassist went all out for Future User’s Mountain Lion video – which also features a cameo by Lance Armstrong
When he joined the Rolling Stones, Darryl Jones had to change the way he approached classic Bill Wyman basslines By Joel McIver published 4 July 24 The Rolling Stones bassist Darryl Jones looks back on joining the fold in 1993
“It’s a primal, unconscious reaction”: What’s the science behind a stank face riff? By Phil Weller published 4 July 24 Contorting a listener’s face in loving disgust is the highest compliment a metal musician can receive – but what makes a great stank face riff? We set out to discover the secret sauce..
Mdou Moctar has ignored all of guitar’s standards – and become one of the world’s finest players By Tim Tucker published 4 July 24 How tuning by ear, recording live, and finding power in the message made Funeral For Justice Mdou Moctar's most radical album yet – an album lit up by one of guitar's most exciting new voices
Joe Bonamassa on why he’s no ’Burst hog – and putting on his “British hat” with BCC By Amit Sharma published 3 July 24 Joe Bonamassa checks in to tell us what it’s like to playing in rock supergroup Black Country Communion, why his rig is bigger for his solo shows, and channeling Andy Summers
Meet Lowlives’ Lee Downer, the British rocker who just needs a cranked amp – and 169 guitars... By Amit Sharma published 3 July 24 You might know the name Lee Downer from The Defiled. Now relocated to sunny LA, working in Guitar Center, his new band is all about '90s alt-rock, no tricks, “meat and potatoes rock”
Jazz schooled, Queen-inspired, The Last Dinner Party’s guitar hero Emily Roberts unpacks her sound By Amit Sharma published 2 July 24 Roberts reveals how their hit debut album was created, and how her unique approach to the instrument was shaped by jazz greats and one rock legend in particular…
Richie Kotzen was once a Shrapnel shredder – now he’s moving away from “stun guitar” By Andrew Daly published 2 July 24 Cheap Shots is the first single from an album tentatively titled Nomad. It finds Kotzen playing cleaner than ever, seeking out melodies, and retiring the "stun guitar" approach
Joe Perry on the origins of Aerosmith’s greatest guitar moments – and his 600-strong collection By Andrew Daly published 2 July 24 With the Peace Out Tour bringing the curtain down on America's greatest rock 'n' roll band, Joe Perry joins us to take us back to the start for a career-spanning interview
“This was Les Paul in his ear”: The story behind Gibson’s distinctive Alnico V ‘Staple pickup’ By Jamie Dickson published 1 July 24 A lesser celebrated pickup the ‘Staple’ pickup features those distinctive rectangular polepieces and a sound that makes it ripe for rediscovery, especially with a range of replicas on the market
Neil Carter discusses his near 30-year relationship with Gary Moore – and the future of UFO By Andrew Daly published 1 July 24 Multi-instrumentalist, who’s played his first lead guitar since 1978 on Mogg’s solo album, left rock music to teach woodwind and be a music examiner… but he couldn’t stay away
Lime Garden’s Leila Deeley is refreshing indie-pop with a heavy-strung Jaguar and $30 fuzz pedal By Mark McStea published 1 July 24 Lime Garden's pop sound is lush and heady but at the heart of it lies a secret shredder who got a taste for the instrument listening to Black Sabbath and the Doors. We'll let Deeley explain it...
Kerry King on flying solo, those reunion shows – and why he doesn’t demo with modelers By Jon Wiederhorn published 1 July 24 Kerry King takes us behind the making of From Hell I Rise, the thrash album of the year and the comeback of a metal icon who has every intention to keep on slaying, Slayer or no Slayer
Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram first heard Slash on Guitar Hero – now he’s playing in his traveling blues show By Amit Sharma published 1 July 24 Kingfish is leading the charge for a new generation of blues heroes. Here he checks in to talk soloing styles, the message behind the blues and Slash's upcoming S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival