<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar World in Joe-bonamassa ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/tag/joe-bonamassa Sun, 24 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000 en <![CDATA[ “I made a deal, paid him in cash, and he died two months later. His last text to his daughter was, ‘I buried the money in the desert’”: Joe Bonamassa tells the story of the strangest guitar deal he ever did ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-strangest-guitar-deal fEmwZkrxASXakcMG4jqKYA Sun, 24 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “For many players, including me, the variations in sound, feeland texture are indispensable”: Joe Bonamassa breaks down the differences between P-90s and PAF humbuckers ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-p-90s-vs-paf-humbuckers xNs4qFMtFKSTQVziMFaEzE Wed, 13 May 2026 09:40:03 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It turned out to be the worst time to do an auction – his guitars really undersold”: The celebrity guitar auction where guitars did not sell for what they should have ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/guitars/the-celebrity-guitar-auction-where-guitars-undersold UDwYcKEhb5GzWTxdBqx46R Sun, 10 May 2026 14:20:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The power went out, then this horrible rainstorm came. I got the chills. I said, ‘Dude, I think Gary Moore’s here’”: The supernatural experience Jared James Nichols had when he played through Gary Moore’s old amp ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/jared-james-nichols-supernatural-experience--playing-gary-moore-amp d72r67o4c5dJ8CQagPgjX3 Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:17:57 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Sometimes you’ve gotta use popsicle sticks and put it on some low-budget scaffolding to get it to work”: Joe Bonamassa on how best to set up P-90s – and what sets them apart from humbuckers ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/guitar-pickups/joe-bonamassa-on-the-difference-between-humbuckers-and-p-90s toMzb5aWEGpapv5G8g3iyL Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:19:21 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Time is of the essence”: Joe Bonamassa issues public plea to help session player Mason Stoops recover his stolen vintage guitars ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-mason-stoops-stolen-guitars ojicSQcN4CKpoupkmxe2sk Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:05:50 +0000 <![CDATA[ “A friend of mine called me up and said, ‘I’ve got a couple of guitars you might be interested in…’” Joe Bonamassa’s storied Lazarus Les Paul, which was once brought back from the dead, has been bought by a pop-punk guitar hero ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-lazarus-les-paul-new-owner y9GfzyVVRPNhamGph28fiN Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:15:38 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I can't walk away, so I've come back to do the thing I know how to do best, which is play”: Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival announces 2026 lineup ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/concerts-gigs-tours/2026-eric-clapton-crossroads-festival-announced SuYnntMvQBPMB9uCMmtp4N Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:07:13 +0000 Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:32:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ “When we did the tribute to my brother, we had B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy. And just to watch B.B. playing close up was amazing”: Jimmie Vaughan was a garbage man listening to B.B. King. Then he wound up touring with his hero ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/jimmy-vaughan-bb-king-watch-yourself u2wxeiBHpnon6w5Yk5hELJ Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:20:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “There are many approaches Slash could have taken for his solo – I thought it was cool he did his own thing”: How Joe Bonamassa and Slash channeled B.B. King and the Edge for an iconic cover of an iconic tune ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-u2-bb-king-when-love-comes-to-town 9Kj4kuitSZ2ef5fj58Kqx6 Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:10:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It sounds way bigger than it is”: Joe Bonamassa names his go-to studio amp – which he bought from Steven Seagal ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/amps/joe-bonamassa-bought-his-go-to-amp-from-a-hollywood-actor iVVm2cSNCJJLNKkT3MCjwN Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:18:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It's exactly Bruce’s guitar to his specifications. He just made it purple in honor of Moe’s Tavern”: Simpsons icon Hank Azaria on his Springsteen tribute – and his custom Moe guitar from the Boss’ own builder ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/simpsons-hank-azaria-on-his-springsteen-tribute-and-custom-moe-guitar MMz7XBF3w2zjrHqv6Uo9Zm Sat, 21 Mar 2026 21:00:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I’d never met B.B. and thought he’d look at me like, ‘Who the hell are you?’ So I just froze”: Warren Haynes remembers B.B. King – from being in awe to playing with him ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/warren-haynes-bb-king-tribute FfJFHi7LdizodhQFav9Fz4 Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:21:08 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Every lick he plays sounds perfect, like it’s etched in stone. But I’m sure that he simply improvised everything”: How to play B.B. King’s greatest song (with some help from Joe Bonamassa) ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/how-to-play-bb-king-the-thrill-is-gone 3Hu4UNawX5TboubUFqkYZ7 Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:35:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Joe said, ‘Check this out.’ It just so happened to be a quarter-of-a-million-dollar guitar that got the job done”: How Eric Gales enlisted Buddy Guy, Kingfish, Joe Bonamassa (and his guitar collection) to pay tribute to his brother ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/eric-gales-a-tribute-to-ljk-interview 5FUtbkwURjz2HksSLmDaQk Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:48:51 +0000 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:50:57 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I remember he had these massive hands… I said, ‘Mr King, my name is Joanne and I’m 13, and I think I’m going to be a blues guitarist’”: Joanne Shaw Taylor’s life-changing first meeting with the great B.B. King ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joanne-shaw-taylor-life-changing-first-meeting-with-the-great-bb-king 3QS6SZ4u9XbzKQnoVq2Ddm Fri, 06 Mar 2026 11:15:00 +0000 Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:47:03 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I was asked to sit in with Buddy Guy. John handed me his 1930s National and smiled while I struggled to get anything out of it”: Joe Bonamassa leads tributes for musical troubadour John Hammond, who has died aged 83 ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/john-hammond-joe-bonamassa-tribute QaSPKnRS8GmKtq5xRdmByg Thu, 05 Mar 2026 16:22:58 +0000 <![CDATA[ “There was a big snowstorm. The governor asked him to postpone the show. He wouldn’t do it. He goes, ‘I told them I’m going to be here and I’m here’”: Joe Bonamassa on his friendship with the ultimate bluesman, B.B. King – and paying the ultimate tribute ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-bb-kings-blues-summit-100 5oFXrxe64TdyrW3af3j5GC Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:21:04 +0000 Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:23:28 +0000 <![CDATA[ “You never want to pull out cases and have no recollection of when, where or how you acquired it”: Joe Bonamassa is cutting back on his gear collecting habit ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-is-slowing-down-his-gear-collecting-habit RznWYd5SCgCdyGsZwJhLyd Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:55:08 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I’ve had great luck doing the exact opposite of what the internet tells me”: Joe Bonamassa on the ‘unorthodox’ Marshall hack he nicked from Zakk Wylde ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassas-zakk-wylde-amp-trick yb5oTorKw3SoZfJaGsdsVG Tue, 17 Feb 2026 13:10:43 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Every modern guitarist from Joe Bonamassa to Jared James Nichols gets the same haters who say, ‘Everything you play is pentatonic’”: Meet Eric Steckel, the high-gain firebrand painting a new shade of blues guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/eric-steckel-knaggs-toting-blues-rock-star mpXQj3WtUiWMJWbYiLMXjc Thu, 05 Feb 2026 10:38:49 +0000 Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:00:37 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I’ve gone after three Soldanos. Eric Clapton’s, Mark Knopfler’s... and finally Gary’s came up”: Joe Bonamassa test drives Gary Moore’s iconic Soldano amp – which has been unplayed for 20 years ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-plays-gary-moores-soldano-slo-100-for-the-first-time oEUggFzhL2gQBWX4uuBQ4M Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:00:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I met him in 1990 when I was 13 years old. We became lifelong friends”: Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to B.B. King – and shows us why blues starts and ends with the King ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-bb-king-tribute toobzrQRGxjWpjbPrwCFyQ Sun, 01 Feb 2026 22:00:00 +0000 Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:47:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The night he died, I was at Buddy Guy’s club waiting for Buddy, Stevie and Clapton. Then we were told they’d all gone down”: Larry McCray on rubbing shoulders with blues royalty and playing through Joe Bonamassa’s epic rig ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/larry-mcray-heartbreak-city vVtbvZbR9PQBwEPej285Qf Tue, 20 Jan 2026 11:15:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Does this young lady get it or what?” Joe Bonamassa and Slash team up for blues classics in New York – but did their young special guests steal the show? ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-slash-soho-sessions QNQesqHRdFW4hYGBDX6dyX Mon, 19 Jan 2026 17:04:01 +0000 Tue, 20 Jan 2026 10:51:01 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Sometimes simplicity wins the day. Our namesake song, Black Country, was written by accident”: Joe Bonamassa on the art of writing a heavy guitar riff ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-the-art-of-writing-heavy-guitar-riffs ZnUp6CMiFhWLQKB4aj6reh Fri, 16 Jan 2026 17:01:06 +0000 <![CDATA[ “With that said, you all can stop asking me if I am buying it now. Muchas gracias”: Joe Bonamassa has his say on the future of Norman’s Rare Guitars ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/joe-bonamassa-on-the-acquisition-of-normans-rare-guitars zGPQwYtC9qeAD7bCi2LnaJ Fri, 16 Jan 2026 16:05:55 +0000 Fri, 16 Jan 2026 17:07:59 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I’d say, ‘Man, that guitar riff sounded killer.’ He’d respond, ‘Well, I’m sure I’ll mess it up next time’”: John Mayer, Trey Anastasio and Steve Vai lead tributes to Bob Weir ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/tributes-to-bob-weir c8Wrc7pYChHFEXvXBe584T Mon, 12 Jan 2026 12:01:58 +0000 Mon, 12 Jan 2026 14:21:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “When people ask, ‘Why do you need so many?’ They don’t get what it is to be a collector. You have the ability to preserve things”: Joe Bonamassa on why he takes gear collecting so seriously ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-explains-his-commitment-to-guitar-collecting m6qrHRxi6JrfyukSZcso4o Fri, 12 Dec 2025 14:29:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I don’t need tons of gain on my guitar because everyone else is distorted!” Joe Bonamassa reveals the secret to writing heavy riffs – and his methods might surprise you ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-how-to-make-your-riffs-heavier B528PKKRGbZuNkskMx8N4V Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:45:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Words fail me in describing his impact on music”: Steve Cropper, 1941-2025 – the guitar world pays tribute ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/steve-cropper-tributes YsAAxRxe5UwqQ9ZQYBqgsV Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:01:26 +0000 Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:48:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My right ear pretty much lost 80 percent of its high end”: Joe Bonamassa reveals temporary hearing loss diagnosis following an incident at one of his recent shows ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-reveals-temporary-hearing-loss-diagnosis KViQjYMmerVvZHKg24BrWT Wed, 26 Nov 2025 16:31:04 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The worst-kept secret in the amp world”: Joe Bonamassa’s new signature combo has landed – and it’s been built by a renowned disciple of Howard Dumble ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/combo-amps/joe-bonamassa-fuchs-jb-ods-amp-dumble dsqd3ixep8fTvLKoww7fzR Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:41:54 +0000 Tue, 25 Nov 2025 14:43:49 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I’ve never been a fan of slogging it out at auction. There are exceptions, though...” Joe Bonamassa says Gary Moore’s playing changed his life – now he’s just bought a piece of his guitar hero’s gear at auction ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-buys-gary-moores-soldano-slo100-amp pD7VovWNLSxcBkGYahAP7N Sat, 22 Nov 2025 12:30:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “You only get one shot to do this correctly. And I think we nailed it”: Joe Bonamassa once called Eric Clapton his favorite guitar player of all time. Now, the two blues greats are set to collaborate on a B.B. King classic ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-teams-up-with-eric-clapton-on-b-b-king-tribute-project 9FbMetYUYohFqWRJtUjWqP Wed, 19 Nov 2025 16:52:25 +0000 Wed, 26 Nov 2025 13:10:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Taking Klons on the road isn’t fun. It is an easy nick”: Jared James Nichols was gifted a Klon Centaur by Joe Bonamassa – here’s how he kept it safe on the road ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/jared-james-nichols-on-being-gifted-a-klon-centaur-by-joe-bonamassa spvD8GxVEyXsyFu8YRWNA3 Sat, 15 Nov 2025 09:31:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I started crying. I never thought in these 42 years I’d see my work on the stage. I’m going, ‘Damn it, Joe!’” Maricela Juarez is a legend in the pickup game – and she was given the ultimate shoutout by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/how-joe-bonamassa-brought-pickup-making-legend-maricela-juarez-to-tears dzKJTZKXwxMnxM5bAwKWaQ Wed, 12 Nov 2025 15:15:38 +0000 Thu, 13 Nov 2025 14:17:39 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I lost my mojo for aminute, but they propped me back up”: He was one of the great blues guitar talents of the ’90s, then the gigs dried up. Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith helped him get his game face back on ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/larry-mccray-heartbreak-city eCsVh5EoJcGwD3jyy8hGFh Wed, 12 Nov 2025 10:42:16 +0000 Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:47:47 +0000 <![CDATA[ “These guitars are not just for blues lawyers – you can rock with one of these”: Joe Bonamassa on the vintage Gibson that makes a great power chord guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-gibson-es-350-rock-rhythm-guitar QBb6DJfLid65DVc6qMqthK Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:36:25 +0000 Thu, 13 Nov 2025 15:09:09 +0000 <![CDATA[ “The ultimate anthem for guitar”: Viral troubadour pens ode to buying guitars – and catches the ears of Joe Bonamassa and Billy Strings ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/viral-troubadour-jesse-welles-pens-ode-to-buying-guitars 9zyKLSKVZfQCWEj6fUCz4L Tue, 28 Oct 2025 21:36:51 +0000 Wed, 05 Nov 2025 12:47:47 +0000 <![CDATA[ “You have to be prepared to spend hours and hours and hours programming”: Joe Bonamassa on why you’ll never catch him playing an amp modeler ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/why-joe-bonamassa-wont-use-an-amp-modeler zCF9XfeZEq2bqio4qfHAMJ Thu, 23 Oct 2025 14:10:00 +0000 Thu, 30 Oct 2025 15:23:06 +0000 <![CDATA[ “What stood between me and a martini was this 30-minute lesson. I’d checked out. I completely blagged the whole thing”: Joe Bonamassa was totally unprepared to deliver this guitar lesson – but it ended up going viral ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-reflects-on-his-viral-guitarist-lesson 2AaoJbCD62DwFjZhaCyJ3h Tue, 21 Oct 2025 15:55:56 +0000 Thu, 30 Oct 2025 14:54:49 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I went back to Joe and I said, ‘It’s my dream guitar but I don’t have $5,000’”: Joanne Shaw Taylor on how Joe Bonamassa’s haggling skills helped her land a signed signature model of her favorite player ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joanne-shaw-taylor-joe-bonamassa-dream-guitar-deal WHEYYLBc9YpEoq3DuFxmhL Tue, 14 Oct 2025 17:08:24 +0000 Tue, 28 Oct 2025 17:06:06 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It’s perfect for playing Chuck’s classic songs, like Johnny B. Goode and Maybellene”: Joe Bonamassa on his love for the Gibson ES-350 – and why it's a blues powerhouse ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/joe-bonamassa-gibson-es-350 nfHgjU7f77CMrC3dDDXXmW Mon, 13 Oct 2025 15:05:23 +0000 Tue, 28 Oct 2025 15:49:19 +0000 <![CDATA[ “You lit a fire under this genre”: Joe Bonamassa trades licks with “the future” of the blues, Marcus King, during virtuosic Albert King cover ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-and-marcus-king-albert-king-cover-keeping-the-blues-alive-cruise GyzAJq6pcuxhEehbL2CrPm Fri, 10 Oct 2025 16:38:13 +0000 Thu, 16 Oct 2025 15:37:42 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Once you learn how to do that, any blues solo will fly”: Joe Bonamassa shares his top tip for blues players looking to level up – and it’s not to learn more solos ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-blues-solo-advice yiQC5qkmDiJkRHDaGYd8sX Fri, 10 Oct 2025 15:56:09 +0000 Thu, 16 Oct 2025 15:38:44 +0000 <![CDATA[ “My one came from a little old lady in Pennsylvania. The family didn't realize it was a very special”: Joe Bonamassa’s ultra-rare 1959 ‘Black Beauty’ Les Paul Custom is one of 20 in existence – now it’s been recreated as an Epiphone signature guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/donovan-on-inspiring-heavy-metal zq4B5cjtACQDBNBnwcJwgd Wed, 08 Oct 2025 10:25:08 +0000 Thu, 16 Oct 2025 15:28:37 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It really is a special set”: Joe Bonamassa’s newest signature pickups are inspired by his Bolin ’Burst – the infamous Les Paul he acquired under extraordinary circumstances ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/guitar-pickups/seymour-duncan-joe-bonamassa-bolin-burst-humbuckers L8uYmyGxx5jTkXfQBaYXh Tue, 30 Sep 2025 16:17:22 +0000 Wed, 15 Oct 2025 15:49:31 +0000 <![CDATA[ “B.B.’s only wish was, ‘Do what you can to keep the blues alive.’ Hopefully this album gives a B12 shot to his legacy”: Joe Bonamassa announces a landmark B.B. King tribute album with a jaw-dropping roster of collaborators ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/joe-bonamassa-b-b-king-tribute-album c4rAxEqbD85RxxTqqf73Ki Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:10:54 +0000 Wed, 24 Sep 2025 14:42:10 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Joe said, ‘I love this truck. Is it for sale?’ I was like, ‘If you buy it, it's going to cost you a vintage Les Paul’”: The Imaginaries’ Shane Henry on his eye for vintage gear, recruiting Vince Gill – and trading trucks with Joe Bonamassa ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/the-imaginaries-shane-henry-fever digAXsf87hkxPSYVNFkrCj Sat, 13 Sep 2025 09:08:00 +0000 Thu, 18 Sep 2025 15:58:50 +0000