22-year-old guitar ace Anna Cara has looked back on how she landed the gig of a lifetime in Alice Cooper's band.

When Cara was hand-picked by shred veteran Nita Strauss to fill in during her maternity leave from her long-standing tenure with Cooper, the young guitarist wasn't just stepping into Strauss' shoes – she was also carrying forward a guitar legacy that included Dick Wagner, Steve Hunter, Kane Roberts, Vinnie Moore, and Orianthi.

“You’ve got to be adept at learning a whole spectrum of music,” longtime Cooper guitarist Ryan Roxie says of the gig in the latest issue of Guitar World.

“When I heard Anna play, I knew right from the get-go that she’s cut from a different cloth. She can play mechanical shredder stuff with ease but also can slip into classic rock mode at the drop of a hat.”

It was Tommy Henriksen, Cooper’s other guitarist, who discovered Cara, likening her tone and style to the late Gary Moore as soon as he spotted her on social media.

Henrikson tells Guitar World, “I kept telling Ryan, ‘You’ve got to see this kid play, man.’ She’s got that thing. I can’t explain it. There’s not many people who have it, but she’s got it.”

Henrikson initially scouted Cara for his own band, Crossbow Skully, after scouring YouTube and Instagram for promising musicians.

“She never showed her face, just her playing guitar,” he remembers. “She wasn’t doing all that stupid stuff – not posing or anything. I sent her a message and said, ‘I love what you’re doing. You’ve got great vibrato and feel. Can I call you and your parents?’

“I didn’t know how old she was,” Henrikson adds. “I FaceTimed with them and said, ‘I like your daughter’s playing. She’s a natural. She plays like Gary Moore. She’s got the vibrato of a 55-year-old man.’”

“I said, ‘I’m putting together a band. I’m going to call you. Be show-ready. You’re going to be going on a plane to L.A.’”

As soon as she landed at LAX, Henriksen (casually) drove her to a Hollywood star's home studio.

He continues, “This kid has never been out of Newcastle, and now she’s at Johnny Depp’s house. Johnny goes, ‘Let her play any guitar she wants,’ so I handed her Johnny’s guitar. That’s how she wound up working with me.”

Cara explains that she was discovered when she was just 19, and, as she herself puts it, “There have been years of development, and I’ve become a better musician and live player.”

Therefore, when Strauss announced that she needed a maternity cover, Henrikson knew who to put forward for the gig.

“Alice was looking for a guitar player, and I said, ‘Do you want a girl or a guy? I’ve got either/or,’” says Henriksen. “But the first thing I did was send Anna’s stuff to Ryan because I wanted him to see her. Ryan heard her play and said, ‘I see it. I hear it.’

“Next thing you know, he’s [Cooper] like, “Let’s bring her to Vegas to watch the show and get her familiar with everything.”

Strauss has not yet announced a specific return date to the band, so those hoping to catch a glimpse of Cara’s talent can do so during Alice Cooper’s upcoming fall run.

Head to Alice Cooper for a full list of dates.

For more from the Alice Cooper guitar triumvirate, plus new interviews with Ziggy Marley and Brian Setzer, pick up issue 607 of Guitar World from Magazines Direct.

Orianthi has been brandishing PRS guitars since she was just 11. “I was a very obnoxious kid, and I was like, to my dad, ‘I want a PRS,’” she recalls in an interview with Premier Guitar. “I mean, they're expensive here in Australia. [I] got one, and I still have it, so I just love them.”

It is therefore a no-brainer that the acclaimed guitarist would get her very own signature PRS – the Private Stock Orianthi Limited Edition, based on her personalized Custom 24, which was first made as a one-off artist build by the Private Stock team a couple of years ago.

“Paul [Reed Smith] made me a guitar quite some time ago as a purple guitar, and it was painted, like, four times, and I used it a lot. I really wanted one as a backup,” she explains. “So he made me one as a backup, but it actually turned into a signature because everyone was writing saying, ‘I wanna buy this guitar.’ We made it available to everyone. They're not cheap, but they're very much worth it.”

Its distinct finish – dubbed Blooming Lotus Glow – has a pink center glow that fades outward to a similar purple found on Orianthi's original build.

Further customization comes by way of the inlays. Instead of PRS’ iconic bird inlays, Orianthi opted for a “Lotus Vine” pattern. “These lotus flowers down the neck here [are] like my tattoo,” she says, referring to the inspiration behind the inlays. “I just love flowers. My name means flower in Greek.”

The Private Stock Orianthi Limited Edition followed Orianthi's previous signature team-up with Paul Reed Smith's brand, the PRS SE Orianthi Signature Model, released in 2010.

And if you're hoping for an SE version of her $11,000 Private Stock signature model, Orianthi previously revealed she’s in talks with PRS to make it happen.

Orianthi’s debut solo album, 2005’s Violet Journey, immediately put the guitar community on notice that a major new talent had arrived. Her unique blend of blues-fueled virtuosity turned heads from the very start, leading to countless endorsements from major-league gear manufacturers.

The subsequent years have seen her release four more highly acclaimed albums; in fact, we caught up with her as she was completing work on her sixth album, which is due sometime this year.

This means Guitar World managed to find a spot in Ori’s hectic schedule to discuss the three guitars that have meant the most to her over her career.

“I’ve got so many guitars that mean a lot to me for all kinds of reasons, but I guess – when push comes to shove – these are the three I always return to. I still find myself on guitar-hunting expeditions when I get a day off on tour, but if I could only own three guitars, these are the three that would make the cut.”

Maton Australian EA80C

“This was the first guitar I bought for myself, when I was 14. My dad had bought me a few other guitars before, but I managed to finally get enough money together to buy this. I thought that the fact that Maton was Australian was cool. They’re such a great brand – such well-made guitars.

“I brought it over to America with me, and the wood got cracked during the flight. It holds a lot of great memories for me, sitting and writing with it in those early years. I came up with all the songs for Violet Journey, which got me the deal with Jimmy Iovine, on this guitar. I actually started out on an old, beat-up classical guitar that my dad had, that he was happy to let me play.

“He didn’t trust me with his Gibsons and Fenders at that time. Then, when I was seven, he gave me his Cherry Red Gibson ES-125, on the condition that I only used it at home. He was always telling me to be very careful with it – it was a really beautiful guitar.

“It was a left-handed hollowbody – my dad is left-handed – so we converted it to right-handed, which was actually kind of weird.”

“I would sneak it out to school after my dad left for work, but he came home early one day and saw me coming back in with it. I was busted, and he was shocked at first, but I told him that I’d played a song I’d written at school assembly and I had some friends dancing with me. I think he was impressed that it was like a proper show, so that got me off the hook.

“I was really spoiled as a kid when it came to guitars; after he gave me the 125, he gave me a red Fender Strat and then a PRS. My parents could see how dedicated and serious I was about playing the guitar when I was a child.

“I guess they thought I probably wasn’t going to be able to do anything else except maybe feed the animals in a zoo, so maybe I could become a guitar player. My dad was a real tone freak and guitar obsessive, and I think that’s where I got my obsession from.”

PRS Custom 24 (one-off)

“You can plug this guitar into anything, and it sounds amazing. I’ve played it next to a ’59 Les Paul for comparison, and also next to my ’62 ES-335, and it sounded just as good. It’s got Paul [Reed Smith]’s special pickups that sound really full; it sustains wonderfully. It’s a real workhorse; it never goes out of tune.

“There are so many unique details about this model. It’s got mother-of-pearl all over it – it was specially flown out for the guitar. There’s pink mother-of-pearl and all kinds of extravagant stuff on the neck, and my “O” symbol is also made from the same material. The entire guitar is made from one piece of Brazilian rosewood, so it’s very heavy.

“I love vintage guitars, but taking them on the road causes me anxiety, because I worry about someone stealing them, but this purple PRS has been everywhere with me. It’s definitely my Number 1 guitar. I actually buy a seat on the plane for it. It travels with me everywhere; it stays with me in my hotel room. It is literally with me all the time; it’s a bit psychotic, I guess. I’ve had five guitars stolen from me, and when you love something the way I love this guitar, you don’t take chances.

“I played the national anthem at a football game in Miami in 2009 on a Les Paul with a Floyd Rose. I turned my back for five minutes and it got stolen from behind me. I’ve had four great PRS guitars stolen as well. That’s why I make sure if I’m taking this guitar with me anywhere, it stays right by my side.”

Gibson SJ-200 (signature)

“It was a huge honor to be asked to collaborate with such an historic company. On top of that, to then be told that my model is their third-best-selling SJ-200 ever, after Elvis and Bob Dylan – what stellar company to be in! – is just really amazing. According to Gibson, they’re so popular that they’ve been on back order for five years, which is mind-blowing.

“I’m working with them to produce an Epiphone version, as the Gibson model is a little on the expensive side. Having said that, the expense is justifiable, with the quality of the wood and the extras like the crystals, and we spent a long time developing the LR Baggs pickups. It also has a built-in compressor.

“Basically, if the sound guy passes out drunk or something, you can fix everything from the guitar. Everybody asked me why I picked such a big guitar, but it just sounds like a grand piano. The sound is huge, and the tonal spectrum is so broad, it’s just immense.

“When you’re accompanying yourself, playing an acoustic gig, the worst thing for me is that horrible, thin sound you often hear. You need the sound to be fully rounded out, and the Baggs pickup captures every detail of the full-bodied sound of the guitar.

“I wanted something that had a neck that was a bit more like an electric guitar – I always found regular acoustic necks a bit too chunky.

“I’d played an ES-345 with what seemed like the ideal neck, and that was the inspiration for the neck on my signature model. It’s been really cool to collaborate with Robi Johns at Gibson – he’s an amazing luthier. His wife is into crystals, as am I, so we immediately connected.

“I said I wanted amethyst on the controls, and he just said OK, whatever you want – that was just for my own Number 1 model; the others have mother-of-pearl instead, though there is an option to have crystals. I thought we’d better give people a choice as not everyone is as into crystals as I am!”

• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

Bon Jovi guitarists old and new, Richie Sambora and Phil X, joined forces with Orianthi and Matt Sorum at the Rock For Responders benefit concert on Thursday, February 27, with Livin’ on a Prayer headlining the supergroup’s mini performance.

Phil X became a full-time member of the rock giants in 2016, having initially served as a stand-in for Sambora on a number of tours after 2011. And, while a Sambora-Bon Jovi reunion may be off the table, the two lead guitarists offered perhaps the next best thing with an era-combining show.

Sambora wielded a heavily relic’d Henrik Danhage signature Charvel, while Phil X opted for a gold Gibson SG as the pair put on an initially subdued – and notably Talkbox-less – take on the 1980s classic, with an octaver-laced solo from Sambora helping crank through the gears.

He’d started by thanking the responders who “risked their lives to save ours” during the wildfires before asking the crowd, “Wanna sing with me?” as the droning opening chords of the song cut through the PA.

Taking place at the Battleship Iowa Museum in San Pedro, California, the show was the latest in a long line of benefit concerts that have been put on to raise much-needed funds in the wake of the LA wildfires that swept through the city in January.

The concerts haven’t disappointed so far, with a female-powered Nirvana reunion, Blink-182 performing with Matt Skiba, and a star-studded show being compared to Live Aid all delivering the goods previously.

Orianthi, meanwhile, made one of her first public appearances since being forced off the Alice Cooper tour due to injury. The guitarist had been forced to perform sat down at PRS's recent 40th anniversary bash.

Last month, Phil X confirmed that new Bon Jovi music – featuring at least one killer guitar solo – is in the works, along with more tour dates, as the band looks to build on the momentum of 2024’s Forever. That record featured Jon Bon Jovi’s first-ever acoustic guitar, after the frontman was reunited with it 45 years after he sold it.

The news seemingly keeps any possibility of a Richie Sambora return on ice. Mind, Bon Jovi had rather brutally shut the door on a reunion last summer, when he hit back at the manner of Samobora's departure, saying: “He wasn’t kicked out, he quit. And he hasn’t made any great overtures about coming back.”

Sambora, meanwhile, has detailed Bon Jovi's disastrous first arena show when, opening for ZZ Top at Madison Square Garden, he blew his amp in the first 60 seconds.

It's a truth universally acknowledged that a torn hamstring is no fun – and Orianthi can attest to that. Having had to pull out of Alice Cooper's tour due to the injury, the guitarist has revealed how a torn hamstring and hip have disrupted her immediate plans and touring schedule – forcing her to approach AC/DC's Back in Black from, let's just say, another angle.

“I'm recovering from a slightly torn hamstring and hip,” she explains on the Guitar Hang podcast. “And I had to cancel some Alice Cooper dates, which I felt terrible – really terrible about. But I felt this terrible pain and I was, like, ‘I don't know, holding the guitar for two hours a night and not being able to move around.’

“And I called Alice, actually, when I was in Saudi Arabia, and I said, ‘I'm in a lot of pain. I'm not too sure what's going on.’ So I gave him a heads up and I said, ‘I don't know. I don't know what's happening.’ When I got back, yeah, they were, like, ‘Oh, you can't really do this.’ I'd never canceled anything before. So it weighed heavy on me. But now I'm feeling better and all of that.”

Despite the obvious consequences such an injury has on a musician with a schedule as packed as Orianthi, she's hopeful she'll be able to stand up for the upcoming shows – something she wasn't able to do at PRS' 40th anniversary concert.

“Playing the 40th anniversary for PRS sitting down on a chair, it was so bad,” she admits. “I was, like, ‘Man, this is so embarrassing.’ And I'm, like, in a tracksuit and playing with Dany [Daniela Villarreal] from The Warning – she's awesome. We played Back In Black.

A quick tip from Orianthi? “You should never play Back In Black sitting down. It was just weird because they didn't show me walking out. So my mother saw it. She goes, ‘Did they wheel you out? You just appeared on a chair.’ That was some weird shit. Anyway. What can you do?”

Aside from her link-up with Dany, Orianthi also treated audiences to a performance of First Time Blues – and surprised The Warning guitarist by gifting her the custom guitar she played that night.

In a last-minute plot twist, Gilby Clarke has been confirmed as touring guitarist in Alice Cooper’s band, and will be replacing Oranthi for a string of dates starting January 31.

The Godfather of Shock will be forgiven for placing Clarke under a shelter-in-place notice until the tour bus is fueled up and ready to go because finding someone to play electric guitar in Cooper’s touring band has been a cursed endeavor in recent months.

Clarke will be replacing the Australian guitar phenom Orianthi, after she was booked to return to Cooper’s touring band to sit in for current touring guitarist, Nita Strauss, who had a scheduling snafu. How has all this come to pass?

Well, the official release says “unforeseen circumstances” have forestalled Orianthi’s return to the Cooper camp, but it looks like she is in no fit shape to tour right now after revealing on Instagram that she has sustained an injury.

“Unfortunately I have a torn hamstring and damage to my hip after last tour,” she wrote. “Not sure exactly when it happened but the pain I feel/felt is bad… getting it fixed up now.”

Orianthi said then she would be able to make PRS Guitars’ 40th Anniversary Show but warned ticket holders she would have to perform seated before resting up. A few days later she posted a picture from the physio’s treatment room.

This is a real bummer for Orianthi, who is all systems go right now, finishing up her forthcoming studio album, Some Kind of Feeling, under the watching eye of Kevin ‘The Caveman’ Shirley, and tracking with her new supergroup alongside Cindy Blackman Santana and Rhonda Smith – with Jimi Hendrix producer Eddie Kramer in the control room.

Orianthi played with Alice Cooper from 2011 to 2014, and she told Guitar World that he is “like family.” When Cooper reached out to her for these dates, there was only going to be one answer.

“Working with him was such a blast, and it's such an honor. Alice is a legend,” she said. “I know the shows are going to be really fun. It's going to be just a whole different dynamic and sort of a change from Nita.”

Speaking about the differences between her style and Strauss’, Orianthi said Hurricane Nita was an “incredible player” but she would play Cooper’s tunes the way she always would.

“I play more classic blues rock, so it’s a different dynamic,” she said. “I’m pretty much going to do it my way. I’m just going to play the songs the way I played them before, and then, obviously, Alice adds the new stuff he wants me to add. Because I’m an artist, I don’t copy anything.”

Orianthi even had to play some Jenga with her schedule to make the tour. Alas, it was for nought, and now Clarke will be in her place, and will play Cooper’s shows from January 31 through to February 16. Touch wood.

You can find full dates and ticket details at Alice Cooper.

Orianthi is busy as hell. She’s riding high after her last two records – 2020’s O and 2022’s Rock Candy – showed the world that she’s not only a great singer and performer but a titan on guitar, too. It wasn’t always that way, though, not that people knew any better.

Had the music industry had its way, Orianthi – who had a massive pop hit with her 2009 single According To You – would have been chewed up and spat out. But that’s not how it went down. And the best part is that now it’s Ori’s way or the highway.

“I’ve been through a lot in this industry,” she tells Guitarist. “I really have [sighs]. I manage myself; I’m doing business 24/7. I have an incredible team around me, but, ultimately, I make the final decisions. In the beginning, being signed in such a big situation and having a whole circus around me… To be honest, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised that life is short, and every day when you wake up do something a little different.”

Orianthi has gone from topping the pop charts to integrating herself deeply within the blues, rock and guitar spaces. From the outside looking in, her rise and subsequent pivot seemed easy – but it wasn’t. “I hate the music business,” she insists. “But I love music. God, I love it so much.”

Which is why Ori is recording not one but two records. The first, a blues-rock-leaning affair produced by Kevin Shirley, and the second, an Eddie Kramer-produced jam-meets-psych record with drummer Cindy Blackman Santana and bassist Rhonda Smith; the latter album is another animal altogether.

As for how she balances it all, she says: “Gratitude is very important. So many successful people are miserable and, honestly, I wasn’t enjoying myself at the beginning. I was very unhappy, alone and upset. I was constantly going, ‘I’m not good enough. I need people to help me.’”

But it’s not like that any more. “Everything we need is within ourselves,” she says. “Taking the time to find it is part of your journey as a human. I’m very into the spiritual realm because everything has an energy around it that resonates. And when you hear it, that moves you.”

Few have been able to wrench themselves from the clutches of pop stardom and pivot toward halcyon guitar infamy, but Orianthi has. And yet she’s chill about it, aiming to be a positive force for others, rather than leading with an ego.

“You can be a [woman] in this industry and be successful,” she says. “I learned from guys, but my whole thing is it doesn’t matter if you love playing. You just play, right? If you dedicate your time to what you love, it doesn’t matter if you’re male or female. That’s really important. It’s about being your own person, going with it and being authentic.”

You’ve dialled in your sound over your last couple of records. What’s been the key to that?

“I’m trying to get better. I’ve never stopped learning and want to be a better guitar player. I also want to be a better singer and songwriter because everyone has their own mind, fingerprint and journey. There were quite a few records where I was told the parameters, like, ‘This is what you have to do. You have to make a heavy record,’ or ‘You have to make a pop record.’

“I was told what to do, but I wanted to play guitar. There’s freedom in that. You learn that there’s people out there that you’ll find who think they own you… but the label I’m working with now [Woodward Avenue Records] truly believes in me as an artist.”

Are your two latest tracks, First Time Blues and Ghost, indicators of where you’re going?

“Yes. And soon we’re putting out Some Kind Of Feeling [available now], which is quite different. I wrote Some Kind Of Feeling a while ago on acoustic and it’s got a soul kind of feel. People might think it’s quite a departure, but I figured, ‘You know what? I put out enough heartbreak songs. Why not put out a happy song to manifest some good shit?’

“I don’t want to be a person who only writes songs about a horrible relationship. This is about love, connection, what music does and what somebody can do when they come into your life. It can be love, a friend or a person… It’s just about feeling good. Life is all about connections for me, and this song represents that. I really dig the new vibe… it’s really different.”

It’s part of a larger album you’re working on with Kevin Shirley. But you’re also working on another album with Eddie Kramer.

“So [I] self-produced First Time Blues and Ghost; the rest of the album is produced by Kevin Shirley. He’s a master, he’s freakin’ great. My solo album is coming out, and Kevin and I are producing it.

“The second record I’m doing is a side project, a supergroup with Cindy Blackman Santana and Rhonda Smith. It’s a three-piece, like a Band Of Gypsys vibe but the tunes are commercial and we hope to reach a lot of people. We’ve moulded our own sound with Eddie Kramer. It’s an honour to record with him and I’m excited for everyone to hear. We’re nearly done with that record – so it’s two.”

How has Eddie impacted you as a guitarist?

“He’s a legend, incredible, and he definitely has brought out something that other producers haven’t with his energy alone. Eddie focuses on getting the right microphone placement and works his magic. He’s always twiddling around with the knobs in the studio and getting the right compression and settings. It’s very old-school and interesting. I love watching Eddie in the studio when he’s panning and doing wild shit.

“We did a 25-minute jam, which will be on the record, and he had to mix that. He was sweating afterward! We go off on these tangents. I don’t know… we’re on some weird frequency where we cut it and it was just wild.

“And Eddie, because I’m such a huge Hendrix fan, I respect him so much. He suggests things like, ‘Why don’t you try this amplifier, this setting, this pedal or this guitar?’ I’ll try whatever he calls for, you know? My heart is open. Being in the studio with Eddie Kramer and Kevin is an honour.”

How does working with Kevin Shirley compare?

“He gets such a great sound and incredible guitar tones. We’ll do takes until I get it right, and it’s just very inspiring. Kevin does things a different way. The way he mics things up and goes through things with me, like, ‘Yeah, this guitar didn’t work too bad,’ or ‘Maybe we’ll try this at this part,’ it’s really wonderful. I’m grateful to have them both on these records coming out next year.”

Is there a throughline between the two projects?

“With Eddie, I kind of got into the psychedelic realm of my childhood from when I was 14 or 15, when I was just sitting in my room, listening to Hendrix and experimenting. With Eddie, there’s a lot more searching – and with Kevin, it’s more structured in how I approach the solos.”

Is that intentional?

“Well, it’s structured with both but wildly structured with Eddie. I want the sounds to be different. I don’t want people to go, ‘Yeah, this group project sounds the same as her solo album,’ you know? I don’t want people to say, ‘Oh, her guitar playing always sounds the same.’ I want to be inspired differently, so the energy is different.”

There’s been significant progression across your records. Was there a moment when you felt you’d finally found yourself as a guitarist?

“We’re constantly evolving as humans. I’m constantly evolving as a guitar player. I have a fingerprint of the way I play, which is maybe a mix of Carlos Santana meets Stevie Ray Vaughan meets Gary Moore and whatever else.

“I put all my influences in, but at the end of the day, I like to experiment. I don’t consider myself to be just a singer, or just a guitarist, or just this or that, you know? It’s all of those things. It’s always evolving and I hope that when I’m much older, I can go, ‘Man, that record, I’m really proud of that.’”

Are you getting that vibe from the music you’re making now?

“These next two, honestly, I feel they’re the best ones I’ve made in my career. It feels like there’s more freedom and I’m putting less pressure on myself. I just want to be remembered as an artist who inspired people with every song. And I don’t want to bore myself, either, because I get bored easily [laughs], so it’s an open-minded approach.”

Are there certain guitars that lead to that open-mindedness?

“Absolutely! I’ve gotten into a habit – or a good habit, depending on how you look at it – of buying vintage guitars. I love my ’63 Strat, which I use a lot. I’ve got a ’61 Tele, which I use a lot, and I have my 1962 ES-335, which I just got, and I’ve absolutely fallen in love with that guitar!

“I love older guitars because they hold different energy. They’re all personalities and I like to surround myself with them. My house is literally crystals, guitars, amplifiers, Buddhas and cats. It’s very eccentric there [laughs]. But yeah, vintage guitars can be like spiritual healers. It’s so interesting.”

What got you into vintage guitars?

“When you hit a chord on one, it’s like a grand piano or something. I just love recording with them because you just hit a chord, like with this 1800s parlour guitar I have, it just sounds different. It’s warmer, though tuning is a pain in the ass [laughs]. I don’t like taking it on the road.

“I don’t think that [vintage guitars] should be out on the road. They shouldn’t be workhorses because they’ve already been workhorses for many, many years since they’re vintage. So, for me, they’re best used in the studio. But it’s fun… I work really hard and spend my money on some guitars that I feel are right.”

And the vintage gear is very different from your signature PRS model.

“PRS has been incredibly supportive since I was young. I have my signature models, the purple one, my main one, and now I have a white one, my second main one. I use those a lot because they have all the elements… the sound of PRS is like a Ferrari. It’s a very smooth guitar and everything just works. It’s sort of a combination of Fender and Gibson together, and they’re pieces of art, too.”

Elsewhere, you’ve got a new signature amp with Orange, the Oriverb.

“That amp took a couple of years to make. Pat Foley, one of my very dear friends, and I designed it together. We went back and forth to dial it in. People think, ‘Oh, it’s just another Rockerverb combo, but it’s white.’

“But we’ve changed a lot of things, from the speakers to the tubes to the reverb and the distortion. You can really push it like a vintage amp. It will be out soon, and for the price, you can’t find such a rich-sounding and full reverb.”

Did you model the Oriverb after vintage amps?

“Absolutely. I had the honour of sitting with Alexander Dumble long ago when he was alive. I went to his home, plugged into all his amps, and he let me play the first amp that he ever made.

“I never forgot the sound of that amp. So it’s got a bit of Dumble sound mixed with an old Marshall and a Fender Twin. It’s got a sound that cuts through and has high-end when you bring up the mids and the treble. But, ultimately, it’s warm-sounding and well rounded.”

When you reflect on your journey, from where you started to where you are now, what sticks out most?

“God… I don’t know. I don’t get proud of anything. Just standing up for myself more, saying, ‘This is how I feel as an artist and this is what I want to do.’ You get beaten down when you’re in the pop world. I did that for many years. Being a pop artist and having people saying you’re not good enough is pretty messed up.

“Half the shit that goes down, supposedly needing a songwriter, being told you can’t write a hit song or you’re not thin enough… It’s crazy. You’re never good enough, need media training, and are told all this crazy shit until you say, ‘What the fuck?’ We’re all individuals who should be celebrated in different ways. Now, I’ve learned that being who you are and being authentic is very important.”

You easily could have been swallowed up by the machine, but you weren’t. That’s also something to be proud of.

“It’s not easy. When you come out as a pop artist and you go, ‘I actually grew up listening to Hendrix, Santana and the blues,’ people say, ‘Wait a second… no, you’re a pop singer.’ They frown upon it – you know, the blues community, the purists, or whatever they call themselves. It’s like, ‘What’s she doing here?’”

Do you feel more accepted now?

“The last couple of years, with the new sound, I’ve been more accepted where people say, ‘Okay, cool. She’s ventured off now.’ As scary as that can be – because people expect a certain thing and you don’t want to lose the audience. The main thing is to feel good and have a positive message.

“Life is colourful. I’m self-managed, so every day I wake up and deal with 101 things. It’s a lot, but I work hard to pay my spiritual healers to keep myself sane in this business [laughs].”

• The Orange Oriverb 2x12 is out now. See Orange Amps for more details.

Playing on live television is no easy feat – especially when it’s one of the most anticipated shows in the fashion industry’s calendar: the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

However, Orianthi proved that you don't need a huge rig and stacks upon stacks to deliver big tones, as she recently revealed that she played to an audience of millions by simply using her travel-friendly Orange Crush practice amp.

“I just did Victoria’s Secret and I used the Crush for that,” she tells MusicRadar, referring to her solo-driven medley of The Arrows/Joan Jett & the Blackhearts’ I Love Rock N' Roll and Lenny Kravitz’s Are You Gonna Go My Way.

“Live on TV with, like, 70 million viewers, and I used the Crush! People were like, ‘Your tone was really great.’ ‘Yeah, it was the fucking Crush!’ It’s so easy to use, to transport. That amp is awesome.

However, this is far from the first time that the guitarist has used this portable amp for a show. “Live, I have used the Crush a couple of times already,” she continues. “People don’t even know it. They’re like, ‘Oh, it must be some really expensive or whatever.’ No, it’s like 300-and-something bucks.”

After releasing the Oriverb – her signature combo amp with Orange – last August, Orianthi treated her fans and the wider guitar community to the Crush 20RT, a solid-state 1x8" amp that weighs just 15.9 lbs but still packs a punch.

Gig-ready features include an 8-inch, custom-designed ‘Voice Of The World’ speaker, spring-inspired reverb, a 3-band EQ, and a chromatic tuner. Best of all, it costs just $219 – another compelling win for the small amp champions.

“I wanted a portable amp that I could use backstage before a show to warm up before I go on,” she said upon the amp's release. “It has a similar tone [to] my larger version of this amplifier. It’s just really easy to use. I like to plug my PRS right into my 20RT, and there [are] no pedals required.”

In recent Orianthi news, the guitarist revealed her return to the Alice Cooper band – and, in an exclusive Guitar World interview, discussed what fans can expect her to bring (back) to the table, in Nita Strauss’ stead.

With ongoing solo shows, one album underway with producer Eddie Kramer and another with Kevin Shirley, Orianthi has a lot to do. But that didn’t stop her from carving out time for a run of shows with Alice Cooper in early 2025.

“Alice is like family,” she says of covering for Nita Strauss, who’d replaced her in Cooper’s band in 2014. “I thought it would be fun – then I realized, ‘I’ve got 25 songs to learn!’

“I do remember quite a bit of it, though. Working with him was such a blast. I know the shows are going to be really fun. It’s going to be a different dynamic and sort of a change from Nita.”

She’s also having fun with her signature Orange amp, the Oriverb. “When you get guitars that are not made well, and some artists stand behind them, it doesn't feel right,” she says. “They’re just looking for a paycheck.

“I could just have my name on this – but I actually need to like it. I’d feel really awful if I was selling something to people and thinking, ‘I would never use that.’ It has to be top-notch.”

Out of everything she has to look forward to in the coming year, she’s most excited about taking herself back to basics. “When I was a kid, I’d lock myself away for a day with my guitar,” she recalls. “I’m hoping to do that when I get back from the Alice Cooper shows – if I’m not in a bedazzled casket!

“I have to find those moments where I can just sit with different records and play. The important thing is getting back to just me with a guitar, feeling inspired. It’s about finding that peace.”

You’re rejoining Alice Cooper in January and February. How did that happen?

“An email that basically said, ‘Hey, Alice would love for you to join him because Nita is busy.’ I was like, ‘Absolutely!’ Well, actually, at first I said, ‘I’m not sure because I have my own stuff going on right now with my tour.’ But we moved things around and made it work.”

What do you bring to Alice’s music that’s different from Nita?

“I bring something really different to the band. Nita brings rock and metal, which is awesome. She’s an incredible player, but the way she plays is different from me. I play more classic blues rock, so it’s a different dynamic. It’s going to be interesting for the people who are watching and are used to the dynamic with Nita. We chatted about it the other day – we’re good friends.”

So you’ll be playing the songs your way rather than Nita’s?

“I’m just going to play the songs the way I played them before, and then, obviously, add the new stuff the way Alice wants me to. I’m an artist – I don’t copy anything. People expect that from me. Anything you step into, you approach it that way.”

Are you sticking with your basic rig?

“It’s totally new stuff. I’m going to have three new PRS guitars. At the end of the shows I’m actually going to sign them, and Alice will too, then we're going to donate them. We’ll auction them off and send the money to a children’s hospital.

“It’ll be special playing those guitars every night, knowing that money will be raised for a children’s charity.”

Your signature Orange amps have been a hit. What other signature gear do you have on tap?

“I’m very excited about my Epiphone SJ-200 – that’s coming out very soon. I just got the prototype and it just looks so amazing. It’s essentially my red SJ-200 that sold out. The top-selling artist acoustics were Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and my guitar, which is insane!”

Epiphone has had a lot of success with signature guitars by artists like Joe Bonamassa.

“I love Epiphones – I think they do an incredible job. They’re just solid. I can’t wait for mine to be out next year. It’s going to be lower in pricing, so people can afford it. It was really tough when you create a guitar like that, especially with the wood, mother of pearl and gold plating. It’s quite extravagant.”

“I want it so people and kids can buy it. That’s why it was important for me to do a Crush version of my amp, too. Growing up, I couldn’t afford these guitars and amps; I would save up and it took me a while. Ao I don’t take anything for granted.”

Are you very involved in the creation of your signature gear?

“I’m so OCD. We go through a lot of prototypes to make sure it’s absolutely perfect. It has to be something I would play in the studio straight off the production line; it has to be a guitar I would grab and use on stage.”

Do you have plans to update your signature PRS?

“I’m excited about the possibility of a new PRS in the near future, but we just did the Blooming Lotus a year or two ago. I’m giving it a minute. People have been looking at my white PRS and asking when I’m going to do a signature of that one. But white is kind of hard to put into production, so we’ll see.”

On the new music front, you worked on First Time Blues with Joe Bonamassa in 2024. What was that like?

“Joe’s awesome. He’s a good friend and a great guitar player, artist and person. I was scrolling Instagram and was like, ‘I’m gonna reach out.’ I said to him, ‘I’m gonna be in the studio, and I’ve got this song… if you’d be up for it, I’ll send you a rough.’ He said, ‘Totally down.’ He just asked for some Diet Coke and cigars, and he was good to go!”

What’s the trick to sharing space with Joe, given that you’re both such powerful players?

“You just have a conversation musically. It’s like a back-and-forth – but you kind of want to step to the side and let Joe just freaking blow, you know? That’s what everyone wants to hear because he’s an insane player. I don’t want to hear myself while he’s playing! Then you step in and play a solo; and at the end you play together. It’s always off the cuff.”

How do you view where you’re at with your playing?

“I’m very colorful. I just want to better myself and never stop learning. I’m very blessed to have amazing friends who are legends. Carlos Santana is like my father – he’ll text me a playlist and say, ‘Listen to this jazz record. You’ve gotta play along to it.’ And I do, and I think, ‘This is cool! This is outside the box!’

“I’ll try to come up with different melodies – not play the same thing and just go off on tangents. I do that sometimes, and I want to do that more. This year, I’m going to try and find more space for myself. I’m going to try to submerge myself by just playing guitar and figuring out music by myself, just sitting with my guitar.”

Orianthi knows a thing or two about playing with Alice Cooper. She had previously joined The Godfather of Shock Rock's camp between 2011 and 2014, before passing the baton to Nita Strauss.

Now, just over a decade later, she’s returning to the fold to fill in for Strauss on next year’s Too Close For Comfort tour – a decision she sums up simply: “Alice is like family.”

“Working with him was such a blast, and it's such an honor. Alice is a legend,” she tells Guitar World. “I know the shows are going to be really fun. It's going to be just a whole different dynamic and sort of a change from Nita.”

The invitation came via an email that cut straight to the chase. “It basically said, ‘Hey, Alice would love for you to join him because Nita [Strauss] is busy.’

“I was like, ‘Absolutely.’ Well, actually, at first, I said, ‘I'm not sure because I have my own stuff going on right now with my tour.’ But we moved things around and made it work.”

With Orianthi on board, Alice Cooper fans can expect her to bring her blues-inflected playing to the table.

“I bring something really different to the band than Nita does. She brings rock and metal – which is awesome. She's an incredible player, like, the way she plays is different from me. I play more classic blues rock, so it's a different dynamic,” she explains.

“I'm pretty much going to do it my way. I'm just going to play the songs the way I played them before, and then, obviously, Alice adds the new stuff he wants me to add. Because I'm an artist, I don't copy anything.”

In other news, Orianthi recently revealed how her new signature Orange amp drew inspiration from her meeting with Alexander Dumble.

Guitar World's full interview with Orianthi will be published in the next few weeks.

Orianthi has had quite the career so far. She's played with Michael Jackson and Alice Cooper, survived the rigors of the pop industry, and recently collaborated with Joe Bonamassa as she made a return to her blues-y roots.

In the summer, Orianthi also sent her signature amp, the recently unveiled Orange Oriverb, into production – and it turns out the 2x12 combo, which is also available in a miniature, portable format, carries a little bit of Alexander Dumble’s spirit in its sonic DNA.

Speaking of her new signature amp in the latest issue of Guitarist, Orianthi says she worked closely with Orange’s Pat Foley over “a couple of years” to perfect its recipe.

“We went back and forth to dial it in. People think, ‘Oh, it’s just another Rockerverb combo, but it’s white.’ But we’ve changed a lot of things, from the speakers to the tubes to the reverb and the distortion,” she explains. “You can really push it like a vintage amp.”

When further asked whether the Oriverb was modeled on the various vintage creations she’s played in the past, Orianthi then revealed the combo’s Dumble connection.

“I had the honor of sitting with Alexander Dumble long ago when he was alive,” she reveals. “I went to his home, plugged into all his amps, and he let me play the first amp that he ever made. I never forgot the sound of that amp.”

That first-ever Dumble’s tone was mixed into a wider melting pot of rock and blues guitar favorites to ensure that the Oriverb was not just a repainted Rockerverb, as the naysayers protest.

“It’s got a bit of [the] Dumble sound mixed with an old Marshall and a Fender Twin,” she says. “It’s got a sound that cuts through and has high-end when you bring up the mids and the treble. But, ultimately, it’s warm-sounding and well-rounded.”

The amp unites a pair of British-made Celestion Neo Creamback speakers and EL34 valves, with a striking-yet-still subtle embossed pattern covering its white Tolex finish.

At the time of its release, Orianthia had said her objective for the amp was to create something that could “amplify the personality” of the player, drawing on the “guts and clarity” of her preferred Rockerverb MKIII.

The Dumble connection, though, is significant. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is one of countless players to have championed the amp builder's creations – he owns 11 custom-built Dumbles – but recently warned players about just how good they are, saying: “They are so transparent that, if you’re not a very refined player, it’s going to expose all of your flaws in your playing.”

Head to Magazines Direct to pick up the latest issue of Guitarist, which also includes chats with Steve Hill and Billy Morrison.

In related news, Orianthi has announced she will temporarily join Alice Cooper for a run of dates, filling in for her successor Nita Strauss.

Back in 2022, Ibanez-wielding electric guitar virtuoso Nita Strauss left Alice Cooper's band after eight years with the shock-rock titan.

Though Strauss's future with Cooper was uncertain at the time – it was announced just days after her departure from the Cooper fold that she would be joining pop star Demi Lovato's live band – Strauss would join Cooper onstage for a one-off encore just three months after her departure, and subsequently re-join his band full-time the following year.

Now, it's been announced that Strauss will once again be taking a leave of absence from Cooper's band, and that one of her predecessors in the group, Orianthi, will be taking her place.

Orianthi toured with Cooper from 2011 through 2014, and will re-join the latter for a series of shows from late January through mid-February 2025.

“When Orianthi moved on to pursue her own career in 2014, we were lucky to find Nita,” Cooper said in a statement.

“Over the past decade, Nita, Chuck [Garric, Cooper's bassist], and Tommy [Henriksen, another one of Cooper's guitarists] have also launched their own projects, and we always try to coordinate our schedule so we can keep the band together, but these shows came up after Nita had already committed to another tour.

“So, I reached out to Orianthi, and thankfully she was available to jump back in, so we're all really looking forward to doing these shows with her. I’m so fortunate to always have such great musicians to work with.”

In the years since she left Cooper's band, Orianthi has kept plenty busy, releasing two studio albums – 2020's O and 2022's Rock Candy – and working on plenty of signature gear.

Orianthi's one of the rare guitarists with dual endorsements, having created a signature SJ-200 acoustic guitar with Gibson, while maintaining her longstanding relationship with PRS.

As if that wasn't enough, she's also created not one, but two, signature amps with Orange in the last three months – enough to make anyone feel lazy.

For a full list of tour dates, visit Alice Cooper’s website.

After the release of her signature combo amp, the Oriverb, in August, Orianthi has once again teamed up with Orange for the Crush 20RT – a travel-friendly amp that promises to offer ample functionality and reliability.

Like its sibling, the Crush 20, the Crush 20RT features footswitchable Clean and Dirty channels, with Orange's new high gain, four stage preamp design guaranteeing a wide sonic palette.

For enhanced “sheer punch,” the amp, weighing just 15.9 lbs, features an 8-inch, custom-designed ‘Voice Of The World’ speaker, a 3-band EQ, chromatic tuner, and “spring-inspired” reverb.

Designed with modern guitarists in mind, it’s also equipped with an Aux In for backing tracks and a CabSim-loaded headphone output – making it suitable for the bedroom, rehearsal room, studio, or stage.

“This amp is really diverse – from the clean channel to the dirty channel – there’s warmth and there’s grit, it’s really quite incredible. I think everyone is really going to dig it!” comments Orianthi.

“I wanted a portable amp that I could use backstage before a show to warm up before I go on. It has a similar tone [to] my larger version of this amplifier. It's just really easy to use. I like to plug my PRS right into my 20RT, and there [are] no pedals required.”

Construction-wise, the Crush 20RT comes in Orange's standard orange or black finish with a cream grill, as well as an attractive limited-edition white Tolex exterior with all-black accents and, of course, a custom Orianthi badge.

With the limited-edition white amp priced at $219 and the standard black and orange versions available at $199, the Orianthi-approved Orange Crush 20RT is now available for pre-order from all Orange partners and distributors.

For more information, visit Orange.

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show made its return on October 15 for the first time since 2019. Amongst the wings, sequins, and models, guitar hero Orianthi made a special appearance, delivering solo-driven renditions of The Arrows/Joan Jett & the Blackhearts’ I Love Rock N' Roll and Lenny Kravitz’s Are You Gonna Go My Way.

As Victoria's Secret put it, “Warning: Orianthi’s guitar solo may cause spontaneous dancing, screaming, and chills”.

Fitting for such a high-profile event, she wielded her most recent acquisition: an Orianthi PRS custom build in white, featuring her signature ‘O’ logo artwork.

This new addition to her collection appears to draw inspiration from one of PRS' core models, the Custom 24-08, fully kitted out with a 3-way toggle pickup switch, two mini-toggle coil-tap pickup switches, and a PRS Patented Tremolo.

Orianthi's playing accompanied the likes of Kate Moss, Tyra Banks, Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel, Barbara Palvin, Ashley Graham, Behati Prinsloo, Jasmine Tookes, and Taylor Hill, who worked the catwalk, showcasing the brand's latest lingerie line.

In addition to Orianthi, other musical guests included Cher, South African singer-songwriter Tyla, and Thai artist Lisa from the K-pop group Blackpink.

The guitarist's appearance at the prestigious event follows the launch of her signature Orange combo valve amp, the Oriverb, and the announcement that a Crush version will be released next month.

Orianthi has joined forces with British amp brand Orange to release her signature combo, dubbed the Oriverb. Based on the Rockerverb MKIII 50 Neo, the Oriverb is newly voiced and promises to capture the guitarist's “dream tone”.

Compared to the Rockerverb that inspired it, the Oriverb has a cleaner midrange warmth that pays tribute to the guitarist's blues-rock tones, made possible by a pair of British-made Celestion Neo Creamback speakers and EL34 valves.

To further optimize the tones, the signature amp comes equipped with independent clean and dirty channels, each with its own EQ settings, a footswitchable spring reverb, a built-in attenuator, and a valve-driven effects loop.

Construction-wise, the cabinet is crafted using 15mm Baltic birch plywood, which Orange claims makes it “one of the lightest 2x12 50-watt tube combos out there”. Although at 31kg/68.34lbs, it's nearly double that of Blackstar's tube-driven St. James 2x12, which weighs in at 16.8kg/37lbs.

Aesthetic details include an Orianthi-picked pattern-embossed white Tolex finish with a black grille cover, and an enamel control plate with “eye-catching” gold accents and “hieroglyphic-style” icons.

“We created this to be something very special, unique, something that when people plug into it, whatever guitar they are gonna use through this, it is going to amplify their personality,” says Orianthi.

“Being able to bring something to life that I feel a lot of people are really going to enjoy has been a real honor. Seeing this whole amp come to life has been a dream come true. It’s a beautiful amp and it really reflects my eccentric personality!”

In a 2021 Guitar World interview, Orianthi revealed that plans were already in place for a signature amp: “When I got an Orange Rockerverb MKIII, I felt it had some serious guts but so much clarity.

“I prefer using amp distortion and I was just blown away by the tone of that amp. They did a custom Rockerverb for me in gold snakeskin, which looks really cool. We’re actually in talks about doing a signature thing.”

Priced at $2,700, the Oriverb is now available at all Orange partner retailers. For more information about this signature amp, visit Orange.

In this edition of Guitar World's Cover Stars, we are speaking with the one and only Orianthi, who rocked up for her April 2013 covershoot with a beyond sparkly 2008 PRS Custom 24. To think that this was one of her backup electric guitars…

Well, it's remarkable. As she explains here, it might have started out stock, but once Michael Jackson's people were through with it it took on a life of its own…

Where and when did you get this guitar?

“I got it when it was new; PRS actually gave it to me during the Michael Jackson This Is It rehearsals. When I got it, it was a plain stock guitar, and then we covered it with rhinestones, which was pretty insane-looking.”

What led you to cover it in rhinestones?

“For the tour, Michael’s designers were like, ‘We need a really sparkly guitar. Can we make one of yours sparkly?’ I had a few Custom 24s; I brought this one in, which was one of my backups, and they said, ‘Okay, let’s cover it,’ and I said, ‘That sounds pretty good.’ 

“The designers just covered it, which made it pretty heavy. But yeah, it was a cool guitar, but I didn’t want to play it too much after that because I didn’t want the rhinestones falling off. [Laughs]”

While on tour with Michael Jackson, which songs did you use this guitar on?

“I believe I used it on Beat It and Black or White. But with Beat It, I always had a red guitar, so I interchanged with that one. I had about four guitars for that tour, but that was the main one I used for Beat It – and especially Black or White.”

Have you used this guitar on any notable recordings?

“I actually did! I used it on Monster, which I recorded with Michael Jackson and 50 Cent.”

Have you used it since?

“I used it – well, it was very strange – during a video shoot [for Dave Stewart’s Every Single Night]. I nearly got crushed by an elephant while holding it, but I didn’t, thank God! So, yeah, that guitar has definitely seen some shit. [Laughs]”

All of that inherited mojo aside, what makes this PRS special?

“With any PRS, they’re incredibly well made. They all have different personalities because, you know, with the woodgrain and just the way the necks are. They’re all pieces of art and all pretty similar – but different. But that one definitely had a personality, and I used it for certain things; it’s a very diverse guitar; you could use it for anything.”

Is that why you chose it for your Guitar World cover shoot?

“Instead of using a regular PRS, we used that, which was definitely cover-worthy. They said, ‘Do you have a showy guitar?’ I said, ‘Yes, I do,’ and that’s why we chose it.”

Do you still have this guitar? If so, when was the last time you played it?

“That guitar is actually at a museum in Asia now. The last time I played it would have been quite a few years back. I wanted to display it there because Michael was massive in Asia and toured there a lot, and I still do. So instead of putting it away in a safe and never playing it, they asked, ‘Can we have it to display it?’ and I said, ‘Absolutely.’”

Orianthi and Joe Bonamassa go way back, with their camaraderie solidified in Orianthi's February single First Time Blues. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the Australian virtuoso invited Joe Bonamassa to join her onstage at her Whisky a Go Go show on May 18. 

In a video recorded by fans, Orianthi says, “I've got a very special guest coming up right now for a song I just put out not too long ago, First Time Blues. We've got the amazing... one of the best guitar players out there, Joe Bonamassa, [who] is gonna come out right now and shred it up.”

Bonamassa first joined Orianthi for a live rendition of her single First Time Blues – the result of their in-studio collaboration (produced by frequent Bonamassa collaborator Kevin Shirley), as debuted earlier this year. 

Next the Whisky a Go Go audience was treated to a dexterous rendition of B.B. King's Never Make Your Move, with the two trading licks and solos for a proper guitar extravaganza. 

Orianthi brandished what looks to be her original 2017 PRS Private Stock build with a sparkling purple finish, lotus flower fretboard inlays, and ‘O’ logo artwork. 

Bonamassa appears to have opted for a sunburst Les Paul Standard. We can’t call the precise model, but given that it was an LA show and therefore near Nerdville (the name given to Bonamassa’s LA home  – and the primary location for his extensive guitar collection), it’s fair to assume it may well have been one of the several 'Bursts in his possession.

In addition to her go-to PRS guitar, Orianthi used her signature Gibson SJ-200 acoustic and a Gibson Flying V throughout the show. 

Speaking about the single and her friendship with Bonamassa, Orianthi said [via Blabbermouth], “My good friend and legend Joe Bonamassa put down his fire leads on the second solo section. Joe is such a great musician. We have jammed many times in the past and I'm grateful he came in and added his magic to First Time Blues.”

Orianthi's last album, Rock Candy, was released in October 2022. A sixth studio is expected to be released later this year. 

Where are all the great female electric guitarists? Not in music magazines, according to new academic research published in the Journal of Popular Music Studies.

The study, conducted by guitarist and MA student Isabella Fincher, analyzes coverage of 43 influential female guitarists between 1959 and 2023 in 10 established American press outlets. It includes pioneering players like Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, St. Vincent, Joan Jett, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Memphis Minnie. 

According to the study, 16.3% didn’t appear in a single article. 46% were mentioned in fewer than 10 articles – and often cited in connection with their work with a well-known male artist, such as Orianthi with Michael Jackson, Lady Bo with Bo Diddley, and Carmen Vandenberg with Jeff Beck.

It should be noted that while, historically, guitar publications, including Guitar World, have likely been no exceptions to this trend, this particular study has limited its focus to mainstream music and news titles such as The New Yorker, NPR, and Rolling Stone. 

Black female guitarists, in particular, tended to get even less press coverage. 27.9% guitarists in the study are Black women. Yet they were only featured in 10.6% of the articles analyzed.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the electric blues pioneer and Godmother of rock and roll who inspired everyone from Eric Clapton to Keith Richards, was only praised in 29 of these articles posthumously. According to Fincher’s study, none of these major publications wrote anything about her while she was still alive.

In her analysis, Fincher proposes that these players have been the subject to a set of double standards rooted in long-running masculine stereotypes around the electric guitar and rock music. 

Fincher writes that male electric guitarists are typically perceived as mythological god-like figures. Their over-the-top performances, with shocking gestures and over-exaggerated facial expressions, are key to their fans worshipping them as their heroes. 

On the other hand, women are chastised for similar performances. Most notably, a 1989 Rolling Stone article criticized Vicki Peterson of The Bangles for “relying heavily on cliched Moves R Us poses” and “playing guitars in a Pete Townshend-like windmill motion.”

In addition, many of these guitarists have often been framed as novelty acts and exceptions, or depicted as female versions of male stars.

For instance, the study notes Orianthi has routinely been described in the press as a “female Slash”, “female Carlos Santana” and “female guitar hero”. In a live review of The Runaways, Lita Ford was described by a Los Angeles Times critic as “a girl guitarist [that] can play [as] authoritatively and obnoxiously as the boys.” 

In a New York Times article from 1971 about the band Fanny, the writer posits: “a Four-Girl Rock Group, Poses a Challenge to Male Ego. Going to see an all-girl rock group, one has to bring a mixture of condescension and paranoia. What if they are good?”

The study evidences what has long been considered the anecdotal experience of many non-male guitarists.

In 2024, gender inequality remains a clear issue in the music industry, particularly in the guitar scene. Fender research revealed in 2018 that 50% of all beginner and aspirational guitar players are women – yet only 6% of all signature electric guitars were designed by women and non-binary artists, despite demand for female and non-binary artists' signature guitars outstripping supply. The relative lack of publicity from the mainstream music press may have contributed to these statistics.

On the music press side, meanwhile, inequality is slowly being addressed. For instance, Fincher notes that of the articles in the study that were published between 2020 and 2023, 41.3% of them were written by women.

Fincher suggests that to continue to address these systemic inequities, the music press must actively feature more female guitarists from all across the board, especially women of color. 

Moreover, Fincher stresses that it's necessary to go beyond gendered categories and markers, such as “women in guitar”, as well as their hyper-sexualization, as this excludes, rather than includes, women from serious consideration. 

Fincher concludes that, by challenging the stereotypes of rock culture, female guitarists embody the values and ethos that we associate with rock 'n' roll in the first place.

The full study is available at University of California Press.

Orianthi has joined forces with blues powerhouse Joe Bonamassa for her latest single, First Time Blues, and it blends soulful melodies and hotter-than-the-sun lead playing.

It’s the first single from Orianthi’s upcoming sixth studio album, slated for release later this year, and follows on from 2022’s Rock Candy, an album where she wanted the verses to focus on storytelling and aggression.

The track was written and produced by the former Alice Cooper guitarist and recorded in Robby Krieger’s Los Angeles studio. Bonamassa’s longtime studio partner Kevin Shirley, meanwhile, handled the mix, making for a star-studded quartet.   

The track sees Orianthi leaning heavily into her blues and Americana roots – styles of music she says resonate with her more than any other – as its rolling, highpass filtered riff gives way to fat, steam-training grooves. Its verses are stripped back, a low-gain guitar quietly tucked beneath its drums and swathing keys, as it rises to its riff-iced chorus.

All the attention, of course, is on the song's pair of solos. Orianthi's up first, and with a clear but rasping tone she flies through finger-blurring runs, screaming string bends and a neat octave chord run taking her up to the higher frets for its finale.

In the video, she's seen ripping her signature PRS, complete with floral fretboard inlays and her O logo at the heel.

Bonamassa's solo is a little more reserved, sitting back into the pocket of the groove, building slowly to a fluid but breathless run across the fretboard of his sunburst Les Paul, set to the bridge humbucker.

Speaking to 96.1 KLPX DJ, Larry Mac, Orianthi dismissed claims that the new album is a “complete redirection,” rather saying that it's “going more in the blues-rock sort of Americana vibe, sort of less poppy than the stuff I put out before.

“I love all sorts of genres of music, but I think what connects with me the most is the blues,” she expanded [via Blabbermouth].

“It resonates with me more than anything. So I'm just kind of going back to that; even my first record, Believe, had quite a bit of blues in it. So, with this new album and the singles that are going to be rolling out, people are gonna hear more of that, a bit more of an edge, and a bit more of the music I'm gonna be playing for the rest of my life.”

Reflecting on her time in the Doors guitarist’s studio, she adds: “We had a blast in the studio. He's a dear friend of mine for many years and a legend. And I'm a big Doors fan, so having the opportunity and the honor of recording at his studio and Robby coming in and giving the thumbs up, that means the world.”

The track’s release comes after Joe Bonamassa visited Andy Timmons in the studio, lending his solo skills on a track set to feature on his forthcoming album. The resulting shred wars saw “an absurd amount of talent” on display.

The band performing on First Time Blues is completed by guitarist Nick Maybury (Perry Farrell, Scott Weiland), bassist Justin Anders (Eric Burdon, Billy Ray Cyrus), keyboardist Carey Frank (Bruce Springsteen, Social Distortion), and drummer Elias Mallin (Kill Hannah, Kesha).  

Adelaide-born guitarist Orianthi first rose to prominence as Carrie Underwood's guitarist, before becoming Michael Jackson's lead guitarist for the This Is It tour, rehearsing with the pop legend before his death. She also enjoyed three years in Alice Cooper's band. 2024's solo record – her sixth in total – continues a trend of a new record every two years, which started with 2020's O.

First Time Blues is available to stream and purchase now.

Since catching the eye of Michael Jackson, Carlos Santana, and Alice Cooper 20 years ago, Orianthi has forged a genre-bending solo career earmarked by diversity. And it's a good thing, as she blissfully refuses to adhere to any one style for too long.

For Orianthi, a musically restless career has seen her grow leaps and bounds with each successive release. And to that end, after success with records such as Believe (II) (2010), Heaven in This Hell (2013), and O (2020), it's Orianthi's latest, Rock Candy (2022) that finds the six-stringer as focused and driven as ever.

"I've never stopped searching," Orianthi tells Guitar World. "I still listen to all the records I grew up on to this day because they still inspire me. I've never stopped searching for new, soulful ways to touch people through the guitar."

"But I also owe a lot to my dad," she tells us. "He's a left-handed guitar player and had an amazing record collection when I was growing up. I got into all that stuff, and the guitar spoke to me. I still remember thinking, 'That looks fun. I want to do that.' So, my dad taught me my first three chords, and I was writing songs by the time I was six. But the endless possibilities have made it so that I've never stopped."

Orianthi's songwriting chops may be ever-evolving, but her searing tone is a permanent fixture. A blistering amalgamation of guttural blues, slick pop, and something that simply can't – or won't – be defined, Orianthi's sound refuses to be boxed in.

"My playing has evolved from when I was younger," Orianthi says. "I'm different from when I started. And I know that I'll continue to change. As I get older, and the more I play with other musicians and do more live shows, the more I'll continue to evolve as a player."

She continues, "I love jamming with other players; it allows me to go in all sorts of directions I'd never think to go. It's those progressions that are the fun part of jamming. I love the idea of collaborating and getting on stage with like five different guitar players. When you're sitting together, there's just some kind of wavelength that I can tap into. It's a spiritual thing. And I think it's a huge part of my evolution."

Orianthi dialed in with Guitar World to dig into the 10 guitarists who shaped her sound.

1. Carlos Santana

"First and foremost is Carlos Santana. He's the reason why I picked up the electric guitar. After hearing the Abraxas record, Carlos really inspired me because of his tone and not choices. The way that he put his heart into every note was so illuminating. And then, when you see him live, there really is something about him where after you step away from the performance, you feel enlightened and totally inspired.

"Carlos brings people together with his music and his playing, which will always be special to me. And he's become a dear friend, so he's even more meaningful to me now."

2. Jimi Hendrix

"Secondly, for me, is Jimi Hendrix. It's hard to think of where to even begin beyond the fact that Jimi was one of the most incredibly innovative people ever to play guitar. He came in like an alien and completely changed the way people looked at and heard the guitar. His coloring, aggression, and even his mistakes were all beautiful. He was such a free spirit and a force to be reckoned with. His playing was full of fire, and his vibrato was so unique.

"Jimi's playing takes you on such a journey whenever you hear him. Each note is like a statement of intent. And every time he took the stage, it seemed like he was on a mission to hit people in a certain way."

3. Eric Clapton

"Next would have to be Eric Clapton. For starters, his melodies are amazing. I mean… we know he's a great songwriter but also an incredible singer. But the way he plays is so thoughtful. His take on the blues is singular to him, and each note he hits is unique to him. And when he hits those notes, you know that he means it.

"Each note choice has its own meaning, and he uses them to take the listener on a journey. The way he brings you in is something other guitar players don't do. And I feel that dating back to his music with Cream, his solo stuff, the Unplugged record, and beyond. All his stuff is incredible, so he's been a huge inspiration for me."

4. Gary Moore

"I remember my dad playing Gary Moore's stuff growing up, and even as a kid, I was like, 'Wow, this is incredible.' I was blown away by his intensity, as well as his skill. But he's a unique player… he's kind of like a blues-metal player, which is a pretty crazy blend. You've got wild scales and fast stuff, but then he hits you with so much soul and aggression.

"So, he had all those things going for him, but what really made him stand out was the emotion he could hit you with through his playing. He could bend strings with reckless abandon, but he'd pair that with these beautiful melodies; it was unreal. And seeing him do all that live was yet again another experience. I remember watching a lot of videos of him playing as a kid, and while I never got to meet him, that inspired me big time."

5. Eric Johnson

"My dad used to play Cliffs of Dover growing up, so I've always been aware of Eric's playing, and I've always loved it. Funnily enough, I recently got to jam with Eric for the first time ever, and just my luck, my amp blew up [laughs]. But we had a good time after we got that figured out.

"It was funny, though; I'm finally getting up there with Eric, and the amp goes to shit. So, it could have been this super-cool moment – and it still was – but I'll always have that memory to go along with it [laughs]. So, we'll have to do it again to make up for the shitty amps.

"But amps aside, Eric is such a sweet person, and it truly was an honor to get up there with him. The proficiency of his playing, the note choices, and just everything he creates has such scale. His runs are so clean, but he has this groove that only he can create. I just love his sound. He's a great player and an even better person."

6. Steve Vai

"Steve Vai is another massive inspiration to me and another dear friend. I first met him when I was 14, and I got to play with him for the first time. Getting to sit with Steve Vai at such a young age was a massive learning experience in and of itself. I mean… how could it not be?

"He's incredible. He's an absolute genius. The way he orchestrates things is unreal. No-one does it the way he does. And I got to see that firsthand when I worked on a song called Highly Strung from my first record [Believe (II)]. We wrote that together and demoed the guitars all in one afternoon. So, he's something else.

"You don't even need to be into the guitar to enjoy watching him play because he's such a showman. It's like watching a sci-fi show or something. That and the melodies he plays that are unlike anything else makes him so unique to so many people. I love him as a player and person. He's a beautiful human."

7. Freddie King

"Another big inspiration for me was Freddie King. His attack and approach to the guitar are unlike anything else I've heard. He could be wild but still in total control. And his tone had this way of cutting through and reaching people. As an artist, that's what you try to do, and Freddie did that well.

"Of course, I love all three of the Kings [Freddie, Albert, and B.B.], but something about the character in Freddie's playing spoke to me. He had a different way about him and seemed to carry a ton of happiness along with him, which he injected into his playing. His note choices, paired with his rabid tone, really cut through to my core. He was another one that my dad got me into, and his playing has been with me for a long time."

8. B.B. King

"So, now, I'll have to go with B.B. King. Each note that he chose would always hit me so profoundly. And each of those notes did have their own unique voice.

"I'm thankful that I met B.B. in 2009 while in the green room at the Grammys, and I got to tell him how much he inspired me. And I have to say, he was just the sweetest man and was filled with so much happiness. For a man who spent his entire life playing the blues, I can undoubtedly say that B.B. King was far from down and out. He was always smiling and made everyone around him feel comfortable. So, I'm sad that he's gone.

"But beyond that, we all know how incredible B.B. King's vibrato was. As a kid, I'd be playing my dad's 335, trying to get that down pat for hours and hours. I'd watch old black-and-white videos of him with his Gibson ES-335, trying to learn what he did. And so, when I finally got it, you can imagine how happy a day that was for me."

9. Tommy Emmanuel

"On the acoustic side, I have to go with my fellow countryman, Tommy Emmanuel. If you've never seen him, all I can tell you is that he's such a showman. But beyond that, what an incredible freakin' guitar player.

"The things that he's able to do all himself acoustically… it's not to be believed. He puts on these shows at festivals, theaters, and halls all by himself, but it sounds like he has several players up there with him. But it's just Tommy up there alone with a guitar while the spotlight shines down on him. He's a rare case of someone who can captivate an audience without anyone else's help.

"I met Tommy when I was around 10 years old, and I had him sign my poster. He wrote, 'Never give up,' which inspired me. I hung that on my wall, and anytime I was feeling down, I remembered what Tommy wrote, and I'd keep going forward."

10. Nancy Wilson

"I haven't mentioned any women yet, and with that in mind, I can't have a list like this without Nancy Wilson. She's a great player, but she's also a total badass. She definitely inspired me because she's very feminine, but she also held her own in a genre filled with guys. So, that, and just how she played, made a big impression on me as a kid.

"Nancy is an inspiration for all women who are looking to pick up the guitar. Because when I was growing up, the genre was predominantly filled with guys, but Nancy showed me that women could rock, too. Her spirit still inspired me. She's always totally owned it up there and played with such freedom. I love it."

Last weekend marked the 2023 Dallas International Guitar Festival – a three-day event that culminated in a trio of headline performances from Eric Johnson, Orianthi and Philip Sayce.

The weekend was littered with notable onstage team-ups, but one of the biggest took place on the Saturday (May 6), which saw two of those headliners in action at the same time.

During her own set, Orianthi shared the stage with Eric Johnson for a blitzing rendition of blues classic Never Make Your Move Too Soon, which saw the two trade full-throttle licks and soulful solo exchanges.

Released by B.B. King in 1978, the Will Jennings and Nesbert 'Stix' Hooper-written track proved to be the perfect host for the pair’s swampy pentatonic passages, though it wasn’t until after some rather jarring technical difficulties were overcome that the two titans picked up steam.

Despite a rude interruption from an untimely buzz at the two minute mark, Johnson – via the fretboard of his sunburst Fender Stratocaster – plowed on undeterred with with his opening effort, while Orianthi and her PRS Private Stock model guitar held down the rhythm.

The Australian blues rock star got her own solo spot soon after, with the final four minutes of the cover reserved solely for soloing and some searing call-and-response licks.

Johnson is as melodic as ever, breaking out the boxes and navigating seamlessly between shapes across the fretboard through some tactile scale work, while Orianthi opts for sheer ferocity, dialing a more gain-tinged tone for upper register action.

Unfortunately, Johnson falls victim to a dodgy backline for much of the jam, but despite being dogged by annoying technical issues, the Cliffs of Dover titan remains wholly unfazed. The sign of a true professional.

Elsewhere on her setlist, Orianthi took her razor-like tone – now amped-up with a healthy dose of wah – to Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Child, which was executed in equally fierce fashion.

Shout out must also go to Orianthi’s second guitarist Neil Swanson, who sets the fretboard of his Charvel alight with some pinpoint pinch harmonics, lightning runs and neat whammy bar sleight of hand during the Hendrix cover.

In other Orianthi news, the six-string star recently hinted that an affordable version of her $11,000 Private Stock signature guitar could be on the way, saying there's “probably an SE model coming of that one”.

Orianthi says she is talking to PRS about a possible affordable SE version of her recent Limited Edition Private Stock signature guitar, the #10245 Orianthi.

Speaking to Premier Guitar, the Australian guitarist said, “We’re in talks right now [and there's] probably an SE model coming of that one.

“A lot of people wanted to buy it and they couldn’t afford it. It’s very expensive, but it’s very well made. That is a dream guitar that was brought to life by the PRS team. Paul has really dialed it in. He picks the right woods, and everything is quality. They’re like Porsches, you know what I mean?”

The current Private Stock model is priced at an eye-watering $11,700. That was launched as part of PRS’s 2022 Private Stock collection and includes a wealth of high-end features – with ‘wealth’ clearly being the operative word.

The build features a solid mahogany body, mahogany neck, a 24-fret rosewood fingerboard and a two-piece flamed maple top. It's finished in an eye-catching Blooming Lotus Glow burst complemented by a Lotus vine inlay pattern.

It's also laced with premium hardware, including PRS Phase III locking tuners, a PRS Gen III vibrato and PRS 58/15 humbuckers. Finally, it all comes packaged in a custom Paisley hardcase.

If the new affordable edition comes in anyway near the typical price for the SE range (for instance, the $849 of the SE Silver Sky), PRS will need to find a way to shave more than 90 percent off the Private Stock price tag.

A significant part of that will be achieved by changing the production from handmade US models (signed by Paul Reed Smith himself) to the South Korean or Indonesian factories used for SEs.

Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how the firm achieves such a price drop in terms of the spec and tonewoods from such a premium base level.

Watch this space…

Composer Kitt Wakeley has a taste for both rock music and virtuosic rock musicians. He’s currently gearing up to release his new album, The Symphony of Sinners & Saints Volume II: The Storm and has shared the latest single: a reworking of Led Zeppelin’s Stairway To Heaven featuring a scorching solo from Orianthi. 

The Australian guitarist has formerly stepped into Jimmy Page’s shoes on the Hollywood Vampires’ cover of Whole Lotta Love, but in this new instrumental her electric guitar is given centre stage.

Orianthi has played alongside everyone from Alice Cooper, to Michael Jackson and Richie Sambora and is therefore one of the few with the authority to break the age-old ‘No Stairway’ rule laid down in Wayne’s World. 

The piece is more than a straight cover and at one point works in the thundering orchestral string section riff from Led Zeppelin’s later tune, Kashmir, before returning to Stairway’s crescendo moment. Orianthi’s contributions tie everything together with her usual blend of searing attack and clarity, whipping up the album’s titular storm in the song’s closing lines.  

“It was so fun to work with Kitt on this legendary track,” says Orianthi. “The orchestra arrangement is beautiful. It’s always a little scary territory covering such a great tune as a guitar player and being such a huge fan of Jimmy page. I just went into EastWest Studios and did my thing. I hope people enjoy it!”

Orianthi’s contribution follows debut single MVP, which featured Nita Strauss, while Nuno Bettencourt and Joe Satriani are also set to guest across multiple tracks on the new album.  

Wakeley, meanwhile, is enjoying the limelight following his recently announced Grammy award for Best Classical Compendium for previous album An Adoption Story. As such, he’s opted to shift his latest record release date back to April 17, from its original January 6 slot. 

Head to Kit Wakeley’s official site for streaming links to the new single and The Symphony of Sinners & Saints Volume II: The Storm

Last year, Australian electric guitar star Orianthi released Rock Candy – her fifth studio album and the latest addition to a discography that has cemented her reputation as one of today's standout blues rock players.

With an enviable catalog of guitar-heavy hits to choose from, the PRS player sat down with Guitar World to discuss the best of the bunch, dissecting five tracks from Rock Candy and five further songs from across her wider repertoire, detailing her writing, recording and soloing philosophies along the way.

1. Light It Up

From: Rock Candy (2022)

“Rock Candy was made with my good friend Jacob Bunton. We’re both real rockers at heart – we love anything riff-based and heavy. I wanted something where the riffs sounded like a bass and guitar playing at once. We jammed on the riff and came up with the stomping line that opens this song. We work really quickly; we did the whole album – at the rate of a song a day – in 12 days. 

"Light It Up is about living your own life and stepping into your own power and feeling comfortable with that, as a lot of people don’t do that. People will run away from taking control, but that’s where the real power is. Negativity can be real loud, but when you step into your own power, that’s when you see things differently, you know?”

2. How Do You Sleep?

From: Heaven in This Hell (2013)

“This seems to be one of the favorite songs for my fans. I always get a lot of requests for it. I wrote it with Dave Stewart, and I actually wrote it on the piano. I was going through a break-up and it was a song that just came out of me organically. Every time I play it, it takes me right back to where I was. 

"I played a classical guitar for the acoustic solo, which was Dave’s idea. He wanted to take it somewhere unexpected from where that sort of song would usually go. It really opened up the song at the end and made it very different. It added a real spark to it. I love jamming out with this song when we play it live – it’s a lot of fun.”

3. Where Did Your Heart Go

From: Rock Candy (2022)

“I’m a blues-based player – that’s how I started with my dad’s record collection – but I also love a really good pop song. If I can fuse those things together in a song, that’s something I really enjoy pulling off. This track started as a diary entry; that’s where my lyrics came from. 

"When you’re going with a feeling on a track, as I was here, you can just kind of add whatever is on your mind as you’re laying it down and really get carried away with the spirit of what you’re doing. With the guitar sound, I wanted to go for something spacey but very melodic, so I’ve got a really nice delay on the solo and fills that really seems to add to the emotion of what I’m playing.”

4. Contagious

From: O (2020)

“There is a lot going on in this song for sure. I wanted it to be massive and heavy, and I was listening to a lot of Muse, AC/DC and Nine Inch Nails at the time, funnily enough, which may have influenced the track a little. I just had all this different music on my playlist when I was hiking, and I was coming up with ideas that seemed to reflect what I was listening to. 

"There are so many parts to this song, and it really transports you to a different place. I like mixing up big riffs with lighter-sounding parts in a song. There’s only so many riffs, though; sometimes you’ll come up with something and someone will say it sounds like this or that – but there’s only so many combinations that sound right.”

5. Fire Together

From: Rock Candy (2022)

“This is a really fun song. I just wanted an upbeat, punchy song that wasn’t particularly deep lyrically, but that would act to lift the spirits of someone listening to it. It’s a lot of fun to play – I came up with that riff a long time ago in Nashville, and then we finished it up in L.A. by the time we were ready to put the album together. 

"I approached the solo as a live solo rather than thinking about preparing it and punching it in. It certainly wasn’t overthought or anything. I like to have melodies in my solos, I like them to be memorable so that they can almost be sung. When I’m working out solos, I usually do it when I’m in the car driving, listening to demos and humming something that I’ll try to work out how to play on the guitar.”

6. Illuminate

From: Rock Candy (2022)

“I split this instrumental into two parts to open and close the album, to bookend everything else on the record. I wanted it to sound like something you’d open a show with; that’s how I wrote it when I came up with the idea in my studio in L.A. I put it together with Jacob, and that’s him playing violin at the end – he’s a great violin player. 

"I think we’re going to open our shows with this one going forward. It’s quite a composed piece, and I think I am happiest when the solo is structured; when I listen back to something where there’s a lot of free-form noodling and playing, it can just annoy me. I’ve certainly done a lot of that, but as I’ve gotten older and made more records, I’ve found that I really like to completely structure things.”

7. Heaven in This Hell

From: Heaven in This Hell (2013)

“There’s a lot of wah on this one – I really love using a wah pedal. It started life as a kind of Delta blues riff, but then I put an octave fuzz on it and made it into a heavy blues-rock vibe. We used to open our shows with this one as it is such a strong live track; it always gets a really strong reaction and it’s a great song to stretch out on. 

"I don’t generally leave the wah on for tone – I usually use it for extra attack, which comes from growing up listening to Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, where they use it as a kind of beat pedal. I love that effect, though. It seems to really help the guitar to speak when you’re digging in for some emotional impact.”

8. Sinners Hymn

From: O (2020)

“More wah on this one! This actually also started life as a Delta blues song, and the lyrics reflect that. It’s kind of a dark song and the producer, Marti Frederiksen, suggested we make it super heavy on the chorus, so it takes it in a different direction. The song is pretty fiery, and the solo at the end was an idea I added afterwards. 

"Listening back, I realized it needed an extra kick to it at the end, which I knew was how I’d do it live, so we went back in to do that last solo. Marti and I really experimented with this whole album; it was such fun to do.”

9. Living Is Like Dying Without You

From: Rock Candy (2022)

“I actually wrote this in about 10 minutes. I had written the lyrics; I walked into the studio and there was an acoustic guitar there and I just started strumming it. It was just very simple and direct. Jacob and I played acoustic guitar live in the room. It was completed really quickly – then I put down the vocal tracks just about as fast. It was all very organic. 

"This is another track that started life as a diary entry where I started to think about what I’d written in terms of it being a song. The solo is deliberately simple, where I just really focus on the melody. This song is very different from what I’ve done before. It’s always really fun to move out of your comfort zone into other areas.”

10. Blues Won't Leave Me Alone

From: Radio Free America (2018)

“I recorded this album with Richie [Sambora]. It was a lot of fun, but it was a very different kind of sound – almost like a new-age blues. This is one that people love to hear live. I think it resonates for people and it certainly does for me; ever since I was a kid I’ve had this feeling that the blues won’t leave me alone. I guess I listened to way too many Robert Johnson records! 

"My father had such an amazing record collection, which was predominantly blues – B.B., Freddie and Albert King, Gary Moore, Eric Clapton, Howlin’ Wolf – growing up listening to that, it’s always going to be the foundation of my playing.”

• Rock Candy is out now via Frontiers Music.

It was November 2020 when Orianthi made her grand return to the limelight, dropping O more than seven-and-a-half years after she wowed the world with Heaven In This Hell. Thankfully, fans needn’t have waited so long to get around to the Adelaide pop-rocker’s fifth album, Rock Candy. The 11-tracker landed last month to well-earned acclaim from her fanbase. Its telling of her spirit as an artist, having minted it in less than two weeks with producer/bandmate Jacob Bunton. In this interview, she tells Australian Guitar how it all happened…

What was your approach to songwriting for Rock Candy?
Normally you’ll write songs over a few years and think, “This will be a good song for the record.” But instead of sourcing songs [from a wider catalogue of material], this was more like, “Let’s just make it in this time period.” [I was writing] what was on my mind at the time and just feeling inspired. It was just me and Jacob in the room, riffing it out. 

‘Living Is Like Dying Without You’, I wrote that song in like ten minutes. I had the title, went into the studio, and we recorded it together, just strumming the guitars in the middle of the room. I think I put two vocal takes down on that one – it was a very live recording. It’s very honest and there, you know, because I wanted it to be that way.

The perfectionist in me is brutal, I could slave over something for years. But ultimately, this was kind of a challenge because I wanted to put that [rule] on myself and Jacob, like, “Let’s make a record this fast and let’s write a song a day.” We threw ourselves into it, and we had fun doing it, we really did. And we called it Rock Candy because it’s rock and pop.

What made you want to lean more heavily on those pop elements?
I love a good pop song. I’ve been writing pop songs since I was really young and honestly, we kind of produced it that way because I wanted the verses to focus more on storytelling than aggression. We wanted to have that sort of beat going into it, and for the vocal to be produced a certain way. I think it’s all pretty cohesive, but yeah, that song is definitely on the pop spectrum for sure. 

I think it’s nice to have a bit of variety [in the catalogue] – I get bored, you know? I’m a big fan of country, I’m a big fan of blues, rock, all of that. Really, for me, it’s just about how it makes you feel. So with the production, I want it to come across the way it sounds in my mind.

With Bunton’s background as a film score composer, there’s an element of theatricality – those big, bold, attention-grabbing sounds. Was it your intention to grip people with an epic kind of sound?
Honestly, that’s a part of my personality. Not to say I’m a dramatic person, but when things hit me – like a breakup – that’s frickin’ dramatic to me. Getting your heart broken, that’s dramatic. That’s where songs like ‘Void’ and ‘Where Did Your Heart Go’ come from. Those songs were written about [the end of] a serious relationship, and Jacob would match that emotion with how he would score. I guess in those moments, like with the sounds and how we got the guitar tones and the drums and whatnot – and just the feeling of it – I wanted people to sort of feel the same way I was feeling.

What can you tell me about the guitar you’re holding on the cover of Rock Candy?
That’s my new PRS Signature Private Stock model. The finish is called Blooming Lotus – it’s actually the same colour as my first Jimi Hendrix t-shirt, which was a tie-dyed one I used to wear. I was ten years old and everyone used to walk miles in front of me because it was so bright and crazy. I just thought it was such a cool colour. 

It looks kind of like a lotus – there’s lotus flowers all down the neck, which is a custom shape with 24 frets – it’s a very playable, fast kind of neck, which I really dig. I’m looking at it right now and it makes me very happy to admire. It’s like… It kind of goes with Rock Candy because I feel like a kid in a candy store when I play it, because it is such a beautiful piece of art, but it also sounds incredible.

I’m very hands-on with everything that I create – especially with all the PRS models I’ve done, and then the Gibson acoustic that I came out with. That’s the one I’m holding in the promo shot, that red one, that’s my signature SJ-200 with the 345 neckline. 

That was the first time Gibson have done a hybrid acoustic. The necks on the J-200s are usually pretty fat, and I like the playability of them, but I wanted a smaller neck so I was like, “Can I get an electric guitar neck on an acoustic body?” So they followed me down that rabbithole. We made that guitar together a while ago and it’s been on backorder for the past, like, two years.

Welcome to Guitar World’s weekly roundup of the musical highlights from the, erm, world of guitar. Every seven days (or thereabouts), we endeavor to bring you a selection of songs from across the guitar universe, all with one thing in common: our favorite instrument plays a starring role.

Orianthi – Light It Up 

What is it? Aussie rock guitarist Orianthi is gearing up to release her fifth studio album, Rock Candy, later this year, and previewed the upcoming effort earlier this week by dropping the riff-loaded, surprisingly heavy Light It Up. As the name would suggest, it’s an all-out fretboard bonfire, packed full of swampy drop-tuned low-end jabs and a collection of fiery upper-fret noodles.

Standout guitar moment: The riff wins it here for us. Introduced as a single guitar line full of bends and quick-fire fret work, some drop-tuned backup swiftly arrives, thickening out the mix for what becomes one of Orianthi’s most infectious tunes yet. 

For fans of: Marcus King, Royal Blood

– Matt Owen

Lamb of God – Omens

What is it? The second single and title track from the Virginia groove metal powerhouse’s upcoming ninth album, Omens. In typical Lamb of God fashion, the four-minute rager packs no shortage of slamming electric guitar riffs courtesy of resident axe-slingers Mark Morton and Willie Adler, spanning drop D chug to the band’s tried-and-tested low-string Phrygian antics.

“A lot of the messes human beings find ourselves in could be very easily prevented simply by paying attention to obvious repeating patterns, both in our personal lives and in a broader socio-historical context,” says frontman Randy Blythe. “What some call ‘omens’ are really just manifestations of the fact that there is nothing new under the sun. It’s foolish to ignore this, but we all do it.”

Standout guitar moment: The breakdown section from 1:20 is going to need some stiff competition to beat when the album arrives in full on October 7.

For fans of: Machine Head, Trivium, DevilDriver

– Sam Roche

Rodrigo y Gabriela – Weird Fishes/Arpeggi

What is it? Tackling one of Radiohead’s greatest three-guitar opuses (and there are many) is no simple task, but Rodrigo y Gabriela do it with aplomb in this, the Mexico City duo’s first new release since last year’s inspired cover of Metallica's The Struggle Within.

Standout guitar moment: The song’s called Arpeggi, so the guitar highlight will always be that hypnotic bed of fingerpicked arpeggios – which Rodrigo y Gabriela recreate perfectly here – but the way the duo evokes Ed O’Brien’s haunting backing vocals on the original with a slide will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

For fans of: Radiohead, José Gonzalez, Paco de Lucía

– Jackson Maxwell

Dreadnought – Gears of Violent Endurance

What is it? Taken from the Denver, CO quartet’s forthcoming studio album, The Endless, this is a typically hypnotic work of progressive, descriptor-resistant alt-metal that operates out of a doom scene whose sound Dreadnought do not share. The arrangements have an automatic, driving krautrock quality but give way for what serves as a chorus but what is really just a big mood for the audience to get lost in.

Standout guitar moment: Kelly Schilling is playing for textures more than moments in this track, but the big takeaway from Gears of Violent Endurance is how capably she marshalls dynamics, flitting between a Schecter 8-string guitar, SG and Tele to find the right accompaniment for the song.

For fans of: Opeth, Ulver, Agalloch

– Jonathan Horsley

Robben Ford, Bill Evans – Common Ground 

What is it? The first single and title track from Bill Evans and Robben Ford’s upcoming album, which will be the pair’s second collaborative effort following 2019’s The Sun Room. Ford and Evans are a fool-proof formula for capturing genuine musical magic, and Common Ground is further evidence of the duo’s palpable chemistry. While Ford piles on the tremolo-tinged rhythms, Evans supplies the sporadic sax embellishment, resulting in an immensely soulful listening experience.

Standout guitar moment: Though Ford’s playing throughout is on-point, his solo at the 2:13 mark takes things up a notch. Tastefully compressed with a healthy helping of gain, the quickfire cameo is full of Ford’s best tricks: selectively assembled phrases, box-breaking licks and tasty turnarounds.

For fans of: Matt Schofield, Kirk Fletcher, Josh Smith

– Matt Owen

Tedeschi Trucks Band – Gravity

What is it? This is the sound of Tedeschi Trucks Band getting elemental on the third chapter in their quadruple album and film project I Am The Moon. Part three, The Fall was just shared with the world on Wednesday, and is released today on physical formats. 

There are sure to be multitudes of beguiling moments that will reveal themselves with the passage of time. But Gravity, and how it fits within the overarching concept of star-crossed lovers, facing a pull they are incapable of resisting, would be an obvious highlight. 

Standout guitar moment: This is one of those tracks in whichTTB finding a strutting groove, a soulful hook, the room to stretch out, but the rewind-and-play-again guitar moment is a bravura Derek Trucks guitar solo. Sometimes he makes that SG sound live the human voice, other times, like here, it sounds inspired by the animal kingdom. 

For fans of: The Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule, The Marcus King Band

– Jonathan Horsley

Vieux Farka Touré & Khruangbin – Savanne

What is it? The beguiling opener and lead single from Ali, a new LP-length collaboration between Vieux Farka Touré and the genre-blending Houston trio Khruangbin. A tribute to Vieux’s father, the late Malian guitar legend Ali Farka Touré, Ali will feature eight of his father’s compositions, both famous and obscure. Savanne is a stately introduction to the album – built upon a lulling but vital groove, and Vieux Farka Touré’s spellbinding guitar work.

Standout guitar moment: Incredibly dynamic and powerful – with each note perfectly articulated – Farka Touré’s stunning (mostly) unaccompanied intro alone is worth the price of admission.

For fans of: Mdou Moctar, Tinariwen, Kikagaku Moyo

– Jackson Maxwell

Goatwhore – Born of Satan’s Flesh

What is it? Anyone familiar with the NOLA black metal stalwarts' oeuvre will know exactly what this is. Blackened thrash metal or thrashy black metal, whichever way you slice it, this comes out the speaker all het up with a fire and brimstone vibe so hot one gets the impression you could cook a steak just by wafting it at the speaker. As black metal goes, this is all-action extreme metal blasphemy. Goatwhore resist the urge to blast us all to kingdom come 24/7, but when they go for it they can be exhilarating indeed.

Standout guitar moment: Sammy Pierre Duet peels off an excellent solo in this, giving it a veneer of respectability – well, a musicality, shall we say, and one that contrasts nicely with the barbarism. But we are here for the scabrous chug. That's what gets heads a-banging.

For fans of: Black Anvil, Aura Noir, Absu

– Jonathan Horsley

David Lee Roth – Nothing Could Have Stopped Us Back Then Anyway

What is it? Yes, it's a bit of a mouthful, but count yourself lucky you didn't have to clear up the debris of the TV Van Halen threw off a balcony during their early days. This is just one recollection David Lee Roth remembers on his latest single, Nothing Could Have Stopped Us Back Then Anyway.

Others include the time an unnamed member of the band – possibly Eddie Van Halen – safety-pinned a tablecloth to his pants, and another occasion when the group were kicked out of a restaurant, consequently finishing the night on a park bench nearby drinking beer and eating McDonald's.

Standout guitar moment: To our best knowledge, it was John 5 who set aside his electric guitar and picked up an acoustic to lay down tracks for Nothing Could Have Stopped Us. And he highlights just what a versatile guitarist he is, cruising through the song’s silky unplugged lines with enviable grace.

For fans of: Van Halen, Crosby, Stills & Nash

– Sam Roche

Hot Mulligan – Drink Milk and Run (Acoustic) 

What is it? A reimagined rendition of the latest track from Michigan post-emo exports Hot Mulligan, who, despite the de-electrified instrumentation, maintain their unrivaled energy levels and deliver a knockout performance that almost eclipses the original. Fans of all-things pop-punk will find solace with Hot Mulligan, who deliver delicate acoustic guitar strums, twinkly counterpoint motifs and infectious vocal lines.

Standout guitar moment: At the two minute mark, the acoustic guitar briefly gets the floor to itself, and makes the most of the opportunity by diving into a sleek arpeggiated sequence that's capped off with some neat open string runs. It continues thereafter, adding another luscious layer to the mix.

For fans of: KennyHoopla, Moose Blood, Neck Deep

– Matt Owen

Taipei Houston – As the Sun Sets

What is it? The debut single from Taipei Houston, a duo comprising two of Lars Ulrich’s songs, Myles and Layne. While you might be surprised that As the Sun Sets is far removed from the thrash metal with which the lads’ father made his name, it’s ultimately still rooted in the electric guitar, the tone of which is dialed to perfection with a ultra-grungy fuzz tone. 

We’re not yet sure when we’ll hear more material from Taipei Houston, but judging by the pair’s songwriting prowess on their debut single, we’d wager there’s plenty more to come.

Standout guitar moment: That opening riff perked our ears up and piqued our interest in about a second.

For fans of: The White Stripes, The Black Keys

– Sam Roche

Built to Spill – Spiderweb 

What is it? Though the rhythm section is entirely different from the one that anchored this indie institution’s last full-length album of original songs – 2015’s Untethered Moon – Spiderweb shows that all you really need for it to sound like Built to Spill is frontman/guitarist/songwriter Doug Martsch. The latest single from the band’s forthcoming album, When The Wind Forgets Your Name, Spiderweb has all the catchy, jangling riffing and classic pop-rock hooks one would expect from a Built to Spill number.

Standout guitar moment: Neil Young has always been one of Marsh’s most obvious guitar touchstones (see the band’s reverent, epic live cover of Young’s Cortez the Killer) and the ragged-but-emotive, distortion-coated exclamations that highlight the first of this song’s two guitar solos – particularly the wailing single-note stabs toward its conclusion – make his influence crystal clear.

For fans of: Dinosaur Jr., Neil Young, Pavement

– Jackson Maxwell

Australian electric guitar titan Orianthi has announced a new studio LP Rock Candy, which will arrive October 14 via Frontiers Music.

To usher in the news, Orianthi has dropped the effort’s scorching, riff-loaded lead single Light It Up, which employs a juicy drop-tuned tone for what is up there as one of Orianthi’s most heavy-hitting tracks to date.

Probably intentionally, Light It Up sees the six-string maestro light up the fretboard of her PRS electric guitar for a fiery range of high-gain pyrotechnics that transition seamlessly between stomping low-end riffs and searing upper-fret licks.

Rock Candy will serve as the follow-up to 2020’s O, which at the time was the PRS player’s first new studio album in seven years.

For the 11-track recording, Orianthi tapped multi-instrumentalist Jacob Bunton who, as well as producing the album, contributed bass guitar, rhythm guitars, keyboards, violin and backing vocals. The duo were joined by drummer Kyle Cunningham.

Rock Candy will be Orianthi’s second release of 2022, after she released Live From Hollywood – an album containing live cuts of tracks from across her discography – earlier this month.

Check out the Rock Candy tracklist below.

1. Illuminate (Part I)
2. Light It Up
3. Fire Together
4. Where Did Your Heart Go
5. Red Light
6. Void
7. Burning
8. Living Is Like Dying Without You
9. Witches & The Devil
10. Getting To Me
11. Illuminate (Part II)

• Rock Candy is available to preorder now.

Orianthi has announced Live From Hollywood – a new live album that was recorded during the electric guitar titan’s January 2022 show at the Bourbon Room in Hollywood.

To usher in the news, Orianthi has previewed the forthcoming offering by dropping the album’s lead single and show opener, Contagious, which is lifted from her most recent album, O.

Unlike the studio version, the live reimagining of the track features an extended lead line-driven intro – completed with compressed bends and tight upper fret motifs – with Orianthi souping up her song by locking into a crunchy, gain-drenched six-string tone.

There’s also a high-octane guitar solo at the 3:15 mark, loaded with electrifying descending scale runs and wah-charged pentatonic licks.

Check out the live version of Contagious in the video below.

Due July 15 via Frontiers, the 12-track Live From Hollywood sees the Australian singer-guitarist team up with her backing band – comprising guitarists Nick Mayfield and Carmen Vandenberg, bassist Justin Andres, keyboardist Michael Bearden and drummer Glen Sobel – for live renditions of tracks from across her repertoire.

As well as featuring performances of songs from 2020’s O – such as Sinners Hymn, Crawling out of the Dark and Blow – Live From Hollywood will also feature tracks from other LPs in Orianthi’s discography, including 2013’s Heaven In This Hell and 2009’s Believe.

Accompanying the album itself will be a long-form video of the performance, which will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray formats.

Live From Hollywood is said to be a precursor to Orianthi’s next, as-yet-unannounced studio LP, which will be arriving at some point later this year.

Check out the full track list for Live From Hollywood below.

1. Contagious
2. Sinners Hymn
3. Heaven In This Hell
4. Think Like A Man
5. You Don't Wanna Know
6. What's It Gonna Be
7. Courage
8. Blow
9. Impulsive
10. Blues Won't Leave Me Alone
11. According To You
12. How Do You Sleep

• Live From Hollywood is available to preorder now ahead of its release on July 15.

Born in Australia to Greek parents, Orianthi Panagaris has played for rock and pop legends such as Alice Cooper, for whom she toured as part of the band, and Michael Jackson. 

Orianthi was was rehearsing for Jackson’s This Is It shows when the singer died in 2009. She has also recorded with Steve Vai, Dave Stewart and Michael Bolton, as well as recording an album with ex-Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora.

Her first gig was with Steve Vai when she was just 15, and when she played with Carlos Santana in Adelaide it brought her to the attention of Paul Reed Smith, which led to her playing PRS guitars, which she has done ever since. 

If we add TV commercials and performing at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads festival to her CV, plus various other tours and shows, we’ll find that she has already had an incredibly full career, even though still only in her mid-30s.

Orianthi’s playing style is pure classic rock. She began playing piano at just three, before starting on guitar at only six years of age. She first came to public attention in 2009, playing guitar for Carrie Underwood at the Grammy awards, and has been on an upward trajectory ever since. 

She released her most recent album, O, on the Fronters label, which was produced by the legendary Marti Frederiksen.

Our track in this lesson is also pure classic rock. We’re in E minor (E-F#-G-A-B-C-D), and the rhythm part doesn’t stray from this key, even though the B5 powerchord hints at B Major (B-D#-F#), the fifth chord built from E Harmonic Minor  (E-F#-G-A-B-C-D#). There’s also a C# in the solo which pushes it into E Dorian (E-F#-G-A-B-C#-D), with a nod towards E Minor Blues (E-G-A-Bb-B-D) due to the inclusion of a Bb note. 

The rest of the solo is E Minor Pentatonic (E-G-A-B-D) fare, and although the above info is good to know it’s unlikely Orianthi would think of it this way.

Get the tone

Amp settings: Gain 8, Bass 6, Middle 6, Treble 7, Reverb 4

Orianthi plays PRS guitars, so aim for a humbucking pickup sound if possible. If using single coils, it may be good to roll some treble off and increase preamp gain on the amp or drive pedal. Orianthi tends to favour high-gain guitar amplifiers such as EVH and Mesa/Boogie, so again aim for a good amount of preamp distortion, plus ambient reverb or delay.

Example 1. Orianthi rhythm

Make sure you retain the space that’s built into the track; although there are single-note phrases and powerchords taking up a lot of the air, there are also plenty of rests to allow the drums to be given prominence and to help the track breathe.

Example 2. Orianthi solo

The solo has some speedy 16th-note triplet phrases featuring legato – hammer-ons and pull-offs – plus alternate picking and quite a few bends. Make sure the transition from picked to legato notes sounds seamless, and that the bends are in tune and in time.

UPDATE (01.19.22): A previous version of this story stated that this camp would take place from January 27 through January 30. It has now been pushed back to Mother's Day weekend due to COVID concerns.

A women-only rock camp is set to take place from May 6 through May 9 in Los Angeles.

Presented by Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, the camp will feature Heart's Nancy Wilson, Orianthi, Jennifer Batten, Kathy Valentine (of The Go-Go's) and Melissa Etheridge as headlining instructors.

Camp goers will get to attend masterclasses and Q&A sessions, and participate in themed jam rooms and a final grand performance at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood on May 9.

Other instructors at the camp include Rhonda Smith – who's worked with Prince and Jeff Beck – Eva Gardner, whose credits include work with Gwen Stefani and Pink, and Ashley Reeve, who has toured the world with Cher.

Notably, all crew and staff working on the camp– complimenting the women-only lineup of instructors and mentors – will be women.

Now, for clarification, this particular Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp is indeed only open to female attendees, but an additional, $899 Man Cave package is available to keep attendees' partners, spouses or boyfriends busy while their loved ones rock out with the stars. 

For more info, and to book your spot, head on over to Rock Camp.

For those unfamiliar with the rock camp premise, a recent video of Dave Mustaine playing Megadeth classics with attendees at another recent Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp in Florida will provide a delightful introduction.

If you thought PRS had put all its time and energy into the recent release of the John Mayer Silver Sky SE, you’re about to be pleasantly surprised.

As it turns out, the Maryland brand has been busy behind the scenes curating a catalog of fresh-for-2022 electric guitars, headed up by all-new 24-08 SE and S2 models, as well as a rather glamorous limited-edition Orianthi Private Stock.

That’s not all though, as a wealth of new updates have also been debuted, ranging from eye-catching colorways to PRS-voiced Fishman Sonitone pickups, the latter of which will now be found on all SE acoustic guitars.

A few specific models have also been on the receiving end of some subtle tweaks, including Mark Holcomb’s SE signature guitars, as well as the SE Custom 24 Floyd and SE Hollowbody II.

Read on for a breakdown of PRS’s early 2022 activities.

PRS Private Stock Orianthi Limited-Edition

Just look at that finish. Dubbed Blooming Lotus Glow, you’d be hard pressed to find a more elegant colorway in this drop, and the intricate Lotus Vine fretboard inlay helps cap off this axe as arguably one of the best-looking PRS electrics around.

Now we’ve finished gushing over the aesthetics, let’s look at the specs. A solid mahogany body with a violin-carve maple top is paired with a one-piece, Pattern Thin mahogany neck, which is adorned with a 24-fret rosewood fingerboard.

The 25”-scale six-string also boasts 58/15 neck and bridge humbuckers, controlled by conventional master volume and tone controls. A versatile five-way switch – as found on the Custom 24 – is also included.

As expected, the Private Stock Eagle inlay features on the headstock, which also has room for PRS Phase III Locking tuners and the Orianthi logo. Other hardware appointments include a PRS Patented Gen III tremolo.

The PRS Orianthi Private Stock is available now for $11,700.

PRS S2 Custom 24-08 and SE Standard 24-08

For the first time since the 24-08 switch’s introduction in 2011, the versatile system can now be found on the new-for-2022 S2 Custom and SE Standard models.

First seen on high-end Private Stock models – and later on the Core and SE Custom 24 models – the 24-08 pairs a three-way pickup selector with two additional coil-split mini toggles. In practice, players can remove humbucker coils from each circuit, conjuring up a range of nuanced tones.

It’s an update from the standard five-way switch that both models previously featured, though aside from this update both the S2 Custom 24-08 and SE Standard 24-08 remain true to spec sheets of their predecessors.

“It’s not so easy to get eight musical, usable pickup settings in one guitar,” said Paul Reed Smith of the new models. “Being able to go from full humbuckers to the crisp clarity of single coils and having all the in between sounds brings a lot to these instruments.”

The PRS SE Standard 24-08 is available for $729, while the PRS S2 Custom 24-08 will set you back $1,929.

PRS SE Acoustics

PRS’s acoustic department has also seen a significant upgrade: from 2022, all PRS SE acoustic models will now feature newly voiced, PRS-designed Fishman Sonitone pickups.

The pickups in question were EQ’d in Paul Reed Smith’s studio and promise a “warm, organic tone that allows the natural sound of the instrument to come through”. Implemented by Larry Fishman and his engineering team, the pickups will come with soundhole-mounted tone and volume controls.

“The EQ in this pickup system sounds like you mic’d the guitar,” offered Paul Reed Smith. “It’s very musical. Everyone here is pleased with the sound.”

Each PRS SE acoustic also features the hybrid X/classical bracing, which is said to work alongside the new exclusive pickups to create a tone that will allow players to “move seamlessly between writing, recording and performing”.

Other updates

A host of other specification updates have been introduced throughout the rest of the PRS collection.

Mark Holcomb’s SE and SE SVN signatures, as well as the SE Custom 24 Floyd, have been equipped with a shallow violin top carve – as found on the SE Custom 24 – while all 24-fret S2 models have been updated to feature Pattern Thin neck carves.

PRS has also been busy developing new finishes. The SE Hollowbody II and Paul’s Guitar are both now available in Black Gold Burst and Faded Blue Burst, while the S2 Series line now offers all-new colorways.

Black Amber, Bonni Pink Cherry Burst, Lake Blue, Mahi Blue and Scarlet Sunburst are available on select S2 Series models.

For more information on all these new models, visit PRS Guitars.

Last Saturday (December 4), Alice Cooper hosted his 19th annual Christmas Pudding charity benefit concert, and among its star-studded lineup of guests were former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley, Aussie singer-songwriter Orianthi, Sugar Ray vocalist Mark McGrath and Collective Soul frontman Ed Roland, to name a few.

The event – which took place at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona – was Christmas Pudding's first edition since 2019, since it was cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Fretboard fireworks were in plentiful supply during the event. As reported by the Arizona Republic, Ace Frehley took to the event's dizzying rotating stage to perform Kiss classics Shock Me, Parasite and Cold Gin, while Orianthi “shredded her way through a headbanging set of heroic guitar leads” from her tracks including Contagious and Sinners Hymn.

Cooper performed with his backing band, though his touring guitarist, shred extraordinaire Nita Strauss, was not present. The rocker tore through a set of classics including Under My Wheels, No More Mr. Nice Guy, as well as fresher cuts like Fallen in Love, from Cooper's 2017 album, Paranormal. 

His set, of course, climaxed with a rendition of School's Out, before concluding with a cover of Chuck Berry's Run Rudolph Run. 

The annual Christmas Pudding benefit concert was launched in 2001 as a way for Alice Cooper and his wife Sheryl to raise money to open a center where teens aged between 12 and 20 could be taught music, art and dance. 11 years later, in 2012, the couple achieved their goal when they opened the Rock Teen Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Proceeds from this year's 19th annual Christmas Pudding benefit concert will go directly towards funding programs at the Rock Teen Center.

The fundraiser also included performances from the Alice Cooper's Solid Rock Dancers, and the winners of this year's Proof is in the Pudding Musical Talent Competition, Cooper's own version of American Idol.

Looking for the best new gear to make sure this summer is the hottest yet? Look no further than Guitar World’s Summer Ultimate Gear Guide.

In this fifth installment, Guitar World’s Paul Riario and Alan Chaput select guitars, amps and basses that are guaranteed to keep your music sizzling.

The two kick things off with Gibson’s stunning new cherry red Orianthi SJ-200 acoustic, designed in conjunction with the Australian virtuoso who has played with everyone from Alice Cooper to Richie Sambora to Michael Jackson, as well as recently released an awesome new solo album, O.

The high-end, hybrid stunner boasts an AAA Sitka spruce top and maple back, with an easy-playing neck modeled on Gibson's ES-345 electric. Other features include a Cherry nitrocellulose lacquer finish, gold Grover Keystone tuners, and a lotus flower-adorned pickguard and fingerboard.

Electronics-wise, the Orianthi sports an LR Baggs system, with an under-saddle piezo pickup and soundhole-mounted preamp.

Same full SJ-200 sound, but with faster playability and electronics to boot. A winner all around.

On the amp front, Paul and Alan check out PRS’s Archon, which was recently returned to production after being pulled from the company’s lineup earlier this year.

And lucky for us, it's back. A two-channel – clean and lead – heavyweight, the new Archon is available in the form of a 50-watt 1x12 combo or a 50-watt head with matching 1x12 and 2x12 cabinets.

Designed with five gain stages before the master volume, the lead channel's gain controls are voiced by PRS to offer tonal variety that spans from tight, traditional rock punchiness to blistering metal roar, while the clean channel boasts significant headroom, making it an ideal pedal platform.

There’s also a pair of 6CA7 power tubes, as well as volume, bright switch, treble, middle, bass and master controls for each channel, in addition to global presence and depth controls.

Finally, Paul and Alan turn us on to Spector’s Bantam 5 five-string bass. Boasting Spector's carved-and-contoured NS body style and available in three finishes – Black Cherry, Black Satin and Solid White – the 32-inch scale Bantam 5 sports a chambered European alder body with a figured maple top, three-piece maple neck and 22-fret rosewood fingerboard.

Electronics come via a pair of EMG 40DC pickups complete with an EMG BTC active EQ circuit for “maximum versatility,” while controls include Volume, Pickup Blend and a stacked Treble/Bass.

Other features include black hardware, sealed die-cast tuners and a Spector-designed lightweight locking bridge, and the deep-inset bolt-on neck ensures “utmost resonance and projection” while providing an effortless playing experience.

To find out more about Spector’s Bantam 5 bass and all this amazing gear, check out the video above.

Gibson has officially launched its new collaboration with Australian singer-songwriter Orianthi, the SJ-200 Acoustic Custom.

Boasting an AAA Sitka spruce top and maple back, Orianthi's SJ-200 is somewhat of a Frankenstein acoustic guitar, with a neck modeled on Gibson's electric ES-345. Other features include a Cherry nitrocellulose lacquer finish, gold Grover Keystone tuners, and a lotus flower-adorned pickguard and fingerboard.

Electronics-wise, the Orianthi SJ-200 Acoustic Custom sports an LR Baggs system, with an under-saddle piezo pickup and soundhole-mounted preamp.

“Creating a signature acoustic with the amazing Gibson team was truly an honor! I couldn’t be happier!” Orianthi says. “It’s the same full SJ-200 sound, but it plays much faster with a 345 neck on it, and with the modified unique LR Baggs custom pickup, it’s a balanced guitar and cuts through. I can’t wait for you all to be able to pick it up and shred away on it.”

Back in August, Orianthi shared the first details of her new acoustic collaboration with Gibson. At the time, an Instagram post by the Aussie guitarist revealed a striking red finish and a host of luxury visual appointments, but what lurked under the guitar's hood was left largely to the imagination.

The Orianthi SJ-200 Acoustic Custom is available now for $5,499. For more information, head to Gibson.

Not many of us can say we spent our formative years shredding out alongside such virtuosic legends as Steve Vai, Alice Cooper and Carlos Santana. Adelaidian rock queen Orianthi can, though – hell, her very first time on a stage outside the walls of her Anglican high school were with Mr. Vai, wailing out on her six-string as though she’d been doing it for decades (despite being just 15 years old herself). And in the 20 years since that faithful night, Orianthi’s hunger to kick down the barriers of the music industry and riff her way to the top has only intensified. 

On the outset, things may not look so hectic: she released her third solo album, Heaven In This Hell, in the early months of 2013, followed by a casual stint of world touring and a few lowkey side-projects like BeMyBand and a run playing alongside Dave Stewart. In 2017, she teamed up with Richie Sambora to debut the collaborative RSO project, which apexed in the 2018 album Radio Free America. But aside from those occasional blasts of off-kilter creativity, Orianthi has been almost alarmingly quiet.

Behind close doors, however, that’s not at all the case. The LA-based songwriting gun has packed her last few years to the brim and beyond with artistic endeavours, collaborating with dozens of fellow musos ranging from venerable rock legends to up-and-coming pop luminaries, teaming up with Hollywood’s finest to work on various projects for TV and film, and even toying around with some lucrative non-musical business ideas. She also has at least three other albums in the pipeline, not including her monolithic solo comeback, O. 

Taking in elements from all her wild experiences over the past seven years, O is much more than your stock-standard rock ’n’ roll album: though it’s packed from cover to cover with red-hot riffs and soaring solos, there are slivers of grunge, sprinkles of pop and some truly unexpected (yet entirely welcome) hints of EDM to unearth throughout its dense and dynamic ten tracks. 

Keen to vibe on everything about her new LP – as well as all the other exciting projects she has kicking around, her newfound appreciation for digital production, and her soon-to-launch signature acoustic with Gibson – Orianthi treated Australian Guitar to a grand ol’ yarn.

It’s been seven years since we got our mitts on Heaven In This Hell, so I feel like this album has definitely been pretty hotly anticipated. Why did it take you this long to make another solo album?
Y’know, it’s just a timing thing. I’ve been working so hard on all these different projects – I’ve been working with a lot of Japanese artists and people like Sebastian Bach and Richie Sambora, I’m doing a lot of session work, collaborating with and writing songs for other people, and working on an animated movie. I was also working on a hip-hop album with P. Diddy’s camp, believe it or not – a guitar-and-beat kind of situation, y’know? And that record still exists! 

I actually have a couple of albums in the works: I have a pop record, I have the hip-hop record… I definitely went down some different rabbitholes, and tried a lot of different things. But then I sort of felt like, “Y’know what? I don’t want to travel around with a guy and a computer, I want to travel around with a band!” So I said to Marti [Frederiksen, producer], “Hey, do you want to come and work on my new solo album?” And he was like, “Absolutely! Let’s do it!” And he came back from Vegas – because he was working with Aerosmith there – and we just jumped into the studio straight away. And yeah, it was a lot of fun! So I didn’t take a seven-year break, but it felt like now was the right time to put out my next solo record. And I’m working on another one right now, so there’s lots more music to come.

Was there anything you took on from all those other projects that you were able to bring over to this new solo record?
Yeah! Working on a hip-hop record and a pop record with all these producers that use computers and beats and stuff, I learned a lot of new techniques when it came to working with samples. I had beats that I would come up with on Logic and bring over to Marti, and then Marti would make them sound better and spice them up, and then we’d bring real drums in and flesh it all out with a real band. You can definitely hear a little bit of an experimental sound on this album, and some guitar tones that I’d never tried before. 

I really stepped out of the box. Because you can’t be chasing after something superficial – you can’t be chasing a hit, you’ve gotta chase after a sound and a feeling. And I think that’s what really works these days, more than anything else, because people’s attention spans are like gnats. And we’ve become programmed that way because of how technology has evolved. We want something immediately, and then we’re over it, onto the next thing. So y’know, you just kind of want to make something for yourself – make yourself feel something first, and then hopefully it makes other people feel something too. And then you keep on creating…

How did that apply to your creative approach as a guitarist?
I really wanted to go with what was right for the song, rather than, “Let’s just do a balls-to-the-wall solo with the sound that I usually have.” It was like, “Let’s put it through the Kemper and my Orange, let’s try a fuzz here, and let’s f*** with it a bit more afterwards…” Because sometimes you put down a solo and it’s like, “Okay, that’s cool” – it sounds good and everything, but it doesn’t sound like anything new or exciting. I wanted to really mess with my sounds and try new stuff. And Marti was great with that, we spent a lot of time putting different effects on things together. But I predominantly used my Orange Rockerverb Mk III amp, which I absolutely love, and then we just sort of messed with stuff on the computer afterwards. Because I’m not a big pedal user – I have my guitar, my amp and a wah pedal, and that’s basically my setup.

In other exciting news, you have a signature model Gibson J-200 coming out! What can you tell us about that?
Well, I am beyond honoured that I got approached by the heads of Gibson to collaborate on something they’d never done before, which is a hybrid acoustic. I went down to Montana with a rep from out here [in Los Angeles], Ray – we went down and met up with Robi Johns, who is one of the most incredible acoustic guitar creators; he really brings dreams to life, y’know? 

I sat down with him for lunch and I said, “This is kind of what I’m thinking” – I’m a huge Elvis fan, I grew up listening to players like him and Johnny Cash, and they all had J-200s, right? That was the ‘thing’ – that was the grand prize Gibson for me, y’know? The holy grail. And the guys at Gibson were like, “Isn’t that a little big for you?” And I went, “It is!” It’s a f***ing big guitar, but the sound is unmatchable to any other acoustic. It has such a projection and depth to it that – but the neck is so boat-like; it’s so hard to play leads on it. 

So I asked, “Can we put an ES-345 neck on a J-200 body?” And they were down! It was actually so funny, I grabbed Bradley Cooper’s guitar that he used for A Star Is Born – I was playing that and I was like, “Y’know what? This neck is great – let’s fit this on the body of the J-200!” And they were like, “Well, we’ve never done something like that before, but… Sure!” And I’ve gotta tell you, the new model is hands-down one of the best acoustics I’ve ever played. I’m beyond honoured that I had a part in making it, and I can’t wait for people to have it in their own hands!

“We made the record in about 28 days,” says Australian guitar queen Orianthi, whose new album, O, arrives some seven-plus years after its predecessor, 2013’s Heaven in This Hell. 

The 10 tracks were produced by Marti Frederiksen, with his 21-year-old son, Evan, contributing bass guitar and drums. 

“It took a long time to get ’round to it because I was busy with different collaborative creative efforts. And I’m really proud of all the things I’ve done in the time since my last record. There was the RSO stuff [with Richie Sambora] plus writing and touring with all these other artists. But it felt like it was time to make my next solo album.” 

The new music weaves through all kinds of guitar tones, from more metallic affairs to country and pop sounds – every bit as diverse as you’d expect from someone who has played for artists as varied as Michael Jackson, Alice Cooper and Michael Bolton. 

She’s composed for Bollywood soundtracks and can be heard on tracks by Anastacia, Adam Lambert and 50 Cent.  

“I listen to a lot of different music, so it is pretty diverse,” Orianthi says. “I was listening to a lot of INXS, Jimi Hendrix and Nineties stuff like Nine Inch Nails, as well as bands like Muse – whose synthy tones probably inspired the heavy octave fuzz on Sinners Hymn. 

“I was also listening to a lot of Buddy Guy at the time, like [2001’s] Sweet Tea, so the lyrics were originally written as a poem about a blues band, like a Robert Johnson kinda thing about going into every town, ripping it up and then heading off... a very classic blues story.” 

You’re holding your PRS Goldtop Custom 24 on the cover of O. Was that your main guitar for the recordings? 

“It got used on quite a few of the solos. I also had a Les Paul, an SG, a PRS Custom 22 and this 1970 Tele that Marti owned. It was just there and we liked how it cut through. It got used for layering because you don’t want the same guitar always in there; you want to harness different personalities. 

“There was quite a mixture of guitars by the end. For Contagious, we layered Les Pauls, Teles and a PRS. I think there was a [Gibson] Trini Lopez on there somewhere too. I wanted different guitars that you could hear separately, not just this one wall of sound. It needed gravity and texture.“

You became an ambassador for Orange Amps in 2018. What made you decide to switch over? 

“For some reason, I’d never played Orange amps before then, and I don’t know why… maybe it was the color? Not that I’m against orange! But somehow I’d tried every other company, like Marshall and EVH, and when I got an Orange Rockerverb mkIII, I felt it had some serious guts but so much clarity. 

“I prefer using amp distortion and I was just blown away by the tone of that amp. That’s what got used for the record. They did a custom Rockerverb for me in gold snakeskin, which looks really cool. We’re actually in talks about doing a signature thing.“

Is that a DigiTech Whammy we’re hearing on Contagious?

“I can’t remember which version it was, but yeah! We actually found that one in the studio. It was so messed up and scratched, but we plugged it in and it sounded great so we went with it. I’m not really an effects geek. 

“My dad is; he’s a bit of a collector and has closets full of pedals. I didn’t catch that bug. When I started touring, I got sent all these rackmounts, but I started to feel like the connection was lost between the guitar and the amp. 

“The sound felt disconnected so I stripped it completely back and tend to go with a wah pedal plugged straight in – usually a Cry Baby that I’ve had for ages that was a custom one that was made for me. If I hear a certain sound, I’ll use the pedal that calls for it. And Contagious definitely wanted some Whammy!“

And there’s some kind of phaser on Impulsive. 

“We ran different loops in Pro Tools to mess with the sounds afterwards. I recorded everything straight into the amp pretty organically, and it was later when we started modifying the sounds and coming up with patches for extra color or crazy distortion, like on the song Company. Impulsive was mainly the SG, PRS, a Tele and also my Gibson J-200.“

Of course! You have a new signature acoustic coming out. 

“I was actually with Gibson from 2009 to 2011, before I went over to Martin and then to Taylor. I got approached by them recently about a signature acoustic and, of course, the answer was, 'Hell yeah!' – especially with me being such a big Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash fan. 

“I went to the Montana factory and I just knew my favorite would always be the J-200. The only problem I found was that the neck didn’t work amazingly for a lead player, even more so if you have small hands like I do. So I asked if we could make a hybrid acoustic, putting an electric neck on a J-200 acoustic. 

“They followed me down the rabbit hole. It was the first time in history they’ve done an acoustic guitar with an ES-345 neck. LR Baggs worked on the pickups with me to focus more on the mid-range. I find it so comfortable for leads – you can shred on it, basically. We even put amethyst crystals on the pickguard so it has this energy to it.“

Your PRS collection must be pretty extensive by now. Which would you say are your favorites? 

“The first PRS I ever had was from the '80s; my dad got it for me when I was 11. It’s pretty heavy. I think it’s a 1987 model so only a few years after Paul established the company, I guess. It lives in my vault in Australia, along with some of my Private Stock instruments. I did two SE models that sold out. 

“I also designed the ones for the Alice Cooper tours with the blood all over them. Paul made them really fast – so fast that when he put them in the cases, some of the fluff inside got stuck in the paint. They looked great… like a beast had been murdered!“

Do you still have the “MJ” Custom 24 that was decorated with Swarovski crystals for the Michael Jackson tour? 

“That one is actually being displayed in China right now. One of my Alice Cooper guitars is being displayed in Matt’s Guitar Shop in Paris; it’s a white one with red blood that was used at Wacken Festival and for some of the Hollywood Vampires recordings. If you keep a guitar in a vault, no one’s really seeing or using them. I think people should see and play guitars. 

Which guitars are you mainly playing at the moment? 

“I’ve been playing my Flying V a lot. I used it for the Sinners Hymn video shoot. I think it’s the 1970 Hendrix reissue. I’ve also been writing a lot on my new signature acoustic.“

Is there anything you learned that helped inspire your playing on the new album? 

“I’ve been playing a lot without a pick, probably because I’m losing them all the time! It’s amazing what Jeff Beck can accomplish using just his fingers. I love Jeff. He must be an alien or something because he just seems to get better and better. 

“I was backstage at the Classic Rock awards one time with Jeff and Johnny Depp and a bunch of people. Jeff had a guitar plugged into an amp and was just jamming on the couch in front of me. It was insane. His tones and note choices are pretty wild. So hybrid picking actually helps me play faster, I think. 

“There are endless possibilities when it comes to the sounds you can pull out of a guitar. That’s the most magical thing about it. The more you sit with it, the more you’ll learn about yourself. 

“Other players can influence you, too – I’ve been jamming a lot with [the Doors’] Robby Krieger. He’s an incredible guitarist, and we’ve written a few songs at his studio. It’s all about opening your mind. I love anything out of the box.“

Speaking of which, you were championed very early on by Steve Vai. 

“When I was 15, I opened for Steve in Australia. He became a great friend, almost like an uncle. I just remember getting up on stage with a backing track and no band at the Heaven nightclub in Adelaide. Everyone had their arms folded because I was this young girl opening for this monster player. 

“Steve was watching the whole thing and told me to send my demos so he could help me out. He did that for years and he didn’t have to! He helped make me a better player and writer by listening to demos and tell me which parts he liked and which he felt needed changing.“

Is Carlos Santana still the player who most impacted your life?

“Santana is the reason I picked up the electric guitar. My dad had Abraxas. I remember putting it on one day and thinking it was beautiful and amazing. Then my dad took me to the Dance of the Rainbow Serpent tour when I was 11. 

“He went into Europa and I remember turning to my dad and saying, 'I don’t want to play classical anymore. I want to play electric!' I sent my demo to his management office when I was 14 and got an email from Carlos’ brother Jorge – who sadly passed but was an amazing player – saying they had been playing it in the office and loved it. 

“He sent it on to PRS and I ended up getting a call from Paul. When I was 18, Santana came to Australia and I got the opportunity to jam with him.“

And what was he like? 

”He could have just signed my guitar and I’d have been happy with that, but he let me play his guitar and he played that Custom 24 my dad got me. I was a bit of a zombie that day because I was playing in three different cover bands and hadn’t slept. But I knew every Carlos song, so when he said, ‘Do you want to jam with my band in front of 15,000 people?’ and pretty much took me straight out on stage. 

”He kept me on for 45 minutes because I knew every song, and kept telling me to take solos. I looked around and it was the same lineup as on the Sacred Fire video I would practice to. After that, Carlos stayed in contact and I would go over to the U.S. to play the NAMM Show. I just kept playing until eventually someone from Interscope was in the audience. 

”I’d made my own demo, playing every instrument at home, and Jimmy Iovine got it. I worked my arse off for years and eventually got my album out. It was such a process looking back now. This industry is not for anyone who wants to rest or have downtime. It’s 24/7.”

Well, all that hard work paid off when you were chosen for Michael Jackson’s This Is It tour, which would have been the biggest guitar gig in the world. 

”I know, right? It came out of the blue. I was making my album with Interscope, in a vocal booth with Diane Warren! We were doing a song and I got this message on MySpace from Michael’s musical director, saying that Michael had been watching my YouTube videos and seen me at the Grammys with Carrie Underwood and decided I was what he was looking for on this new tour. 

”I was like, ‘What, is this for real?!’ And they set up a call later that night, asking if I could learn Beat It, Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ and Dirty Diana for the next morning. Being a huge fan of Eddie Van Halen and Jennifer Batten, my answer was, “Um, sure?!” I knew I wasn’t that kind of player by any means, I certainly wasn’t going to try and fill their shoes.”

What did you end up doing? 

“I decided to do my own thing. I learned everything note-for-note but added my own identity. When people heard me doing the Beat It solo, they said I wasn’t doing it exactly – but that’s not how I play! I can’t play like Eddie or Jennifer; they’re incredible. You should have your own fingerprint on things. If people don’t like it, they don’t like it. 

“Michael loved it, thank God, otherwise I would have been mortified. I got hired that day, so it was very emotional. I started crying and called my mom. We all had to sign confidentiality agreements so we couldn’t tell anyone. Not even my label knew, until they had a meeting with Interscope and it was mentioned I would be on guitar. 

“I got a text from Jimmy Iovine saying, 'Oh, just found out!' and I joked, 'Sorry about that!' It was wild. I was playing songs like Billie Jean and Dirty Diana with Michael singing and dancing right in front of me. Then I would be coming home to clean up dog crap and tell my friends I’d been in the studio working on something else! [Laughs]“

• Orianthi's new album, O, is out now via Frontiers.

NAMM 2021 isn't taking place in the physical realm this year, but you'll find all the hottest January gear launches in our guide to the biggest guitar, amp and pedal releases of 2021 so far.

Gibson has announced of whole host of signature acoustic guitars – including models for Orianthi, Slash, Tom Petty and Noel Gallagher – alongside a number of new Historic and Modern offerings to existing ranges.

While details on the ground are scarce, here is what we know about the 2021 Gibson acoustic range...

2021 Gibson Signature Acoustics

Orianthi sees her signature SJ-200 headline the 2021 collection of signature acoustic guitars.

Taking cue from what Gibson calls the “King of the Flat-Tops”, the former Alice Cooper and Michael Jackson guitarist's new signature is based on a standard SJ-200 model, which boasts a Super Jumbo body shape and captures the quintessential classy vibe that the original donned.

This isn’t the first time we’ve set eyes on Orianthi's acoustic, having received a sneak peek at the striking red SJ-200 last year.

Gibson has also teased the arrival of a number of other signature acoustics, and while specs and accompanying pictures are yet to be released, the model names have been announced, and so we can hope to see a Tom Petty SJ-200 Wildflower, the Noel Gallagher J-150 and Slash Collection J-45 in action very soon.

Watch this space...

2021 Historic / Modern range updates

Cesar Gueikian of Gibson reflected on 2020, saying it brought Gibson a “renewed focus on our acoustic guitars”, and that this year the guitar maker seeks to leverage its heritage and bring “new iconic instruments into the hands of new generations of players”.

In line with this emphasis on heritage, the Gibson Acoustic Custom Shop Historic Collection has expanded to include a number of instruments that seek to capture that trademark Gibson acoustic sound.

New to the fold is a 1942 Banner J-45, 1942 Banner Southern Jumbo, 1934 Jumbo, 1936 Advanced Jumbo, 1939 J-55, 1952 J-185, 1960 Hummingbird and more. The new historic collection offerings aim to celebrate Gibson’s legacy through accuracy, authenticity, beauty and attention to detail.

Elsewhere, the Gibson Acoustic Modern Collection also gets a number of new additions. A line of guitars that offer modern takes on classic shapes, the new Modern Collection promises a number of innovations that appeal to the demands of today’s players.

These appointments include modern voicings, easy-playing SlimTaper necks with a flatter fingerboard radius, high-ratio enclosed tuners and advanced pickup systems, all of which complement the new Modern Collection instruments.

The guitars that sport such features are a J-45 Standard 12-string, as well as bringing in a new Cherry J-45 Standard, Vintage Sunburst Hummingbird Standard, and Wine Ride and Autumn Burst options for the SJ-200.

By balancing an iconic past with an innovative future, Gibson hopes these models will set the stage for the next era of shaping sound for present and future generations.

As we say, details are pretty scarce, so we will update you as and when more info comes in.

Happy (slightly belated) New Year! For those lucky enough to enjoy some time off over the holiday season, we hope you had a wonderful break with your loved ones and took advantage of some well-earned relaxation after the clusterf*** that was 2020. 

We’re excited to leap straight into an exciting new year filled with endless opportunities for greatness – and we’re even more excited to be kicking it off with a giant new edition of Australian Guitar! In issue #141, we’re celebrating the long-awaited return of a local institution, one of the most recognisable names in music history and quite possibly the biggest rock ‘n’ roll band to ever don the axe: of course, we're talking about AC/DC! We’ve crammed in two extra special, one-on-one interviews with legendary guitarist Angus Young, who fills us in on everything there is to know about the band's epic new LP Power Up, plus a heap of interesting facts about his past, present and future as a bonafide shredlord. 

If AC/DC ain't your jam (no judgement here), don't sweat it – we've packed AG #141 with plenty of other in-depth artist interviews. With the help of Billy Corgan himself, we get down to the nitty gritty on the Smashing Pumpkins' defiantly experimental new album, Cyr. We catch up with Tash Sultana on the eve of their monumental second album, and vibe on how 2020 completely flipped their perspective on time.

We've always been huge on celebrating Australian talent, and issue #141 is no different, featuring interviews with such legendary locals as Orianthi, Plini, Luca Brasi and Jess Locke, plus our regular Fresh Frets column (where we highlight some of our favourite up-and-coming acts) and an all-Australian Spotlight special. And for those looking beyond our sunny shores, you'll find interviews with overseas acts both iconic, like Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, Julien Baker, Laura Jane Grace and Steven Wilson – and emerging, like Pale Waves, Yungblud and Amahiru.

Elsewhere in Australian Guitar #141, you'll find the ultimate guide to building the pedalboard of your dreams, our tips for beginners keen to podcast like a pro, a hands-on dive into the world of the women revolutionising lutherie, and a special look back at the guitarists that invented what we know and love today as the blues. And if your new year's resolution was to up your ante as a player, you'll find plenty of invaluable lessons in our epic 10-page bootcamp feature! 

Australian Guitar #141 is available now from newsagents all around the country, and online via techmags.com.au or iSubscribe.

Exclusive interviews in this issue:

• Amahiru
• Architects
• Bring Me The Horizon
• Jess Locke
• Julien Baker
• Laura Jane Grace
• Luca Brasi
• Orianthi
• Pale Waves
• Passenger
• Plini
• Smashing Pumpkins
• Steven Wilson
• Tash Sultana
• You Me At Six
• Yungblud
• Kiah Gossner (Producer Profile)
• Jarryd James (Spotlight)
• Kelly Jansch of Totty (Spotlight)
• Matt Stevens and Paul Musolino of The Gloom In The Corner (Spotlight)
• Maddy Jane (Spotlight)

All the hottest gear reviews:

• IK Multimedia Z-Tone Buffer Boost + DI
• Vox Bobcat V90 + S66
• Fender American Professional II Telecaster + Stratocaster HSS
• Faith Lyra Cutaway Nylon-String Acoustic
• DV Mark Eric Gales 'Raw Dawg' 60W Amp Combo
• Kramer Original Collection (2020 Lineup)
• Zoom G11 Multi-Effects Processor
• Fender Acoustic SFX-II + Acoustic Junior Amplifiers

Subscribe to the print edition of Australian Guitar, and you'll enjoy each new issue on the day it's published, delivered straight to your door. Click here for all the details, including how to get 12 issues delivered for under a hundred bucks and win a ZOOM G11 Multi-Effects Processor valued at $1,799!

Orianthi’s new album, O, is chock-full of colossal distorted guitar sounds, but in a new interview, the Australian guitar hero has admitted she has come a long way tone-wise.

Speaking to Guitar.com, Ori cited her cover of a Jimi Hendrix classic at Japan’s Summer Sonic Festival in 2010 – which has now clocked up over 10-million YouTube views – as her lowest tonal point.

“There are a lot of views on my version of Voodoo Child on YouTube and I can’t really watch it – I just cringe,” she says.

“I hated my tone – it was just fucking awful – but I had a great time with an EVH amp cranked up and all these effects. There are a lot of mean comments like, ‘Her sound sucks’ and I just think, ‘Yeah, I agree with you guys – it sounds pretty shitty, but it was a fun time!’”

Earlier this week, Orianthi detailed her tonal approach to Total Guitar, saying, “I don’t like using too many pedals. I like the connection between the guitar and the amplifier.”

In that same interview, the former Michael Jackson guitarist named another awkward tone scenario at the Roseland Ballroom in New York, when she had no time to soundcheck owing to the show’s packed line-up.

“They plugged me into this amplifier on the clean channel. They just turned up the treble,” she recalled. “People were in pain. I was in pain. I was playing According To You so I was tapping with a clean tone. Never let people tell you that things are okay without you checking it.”

Wise words, indeed. Orianthi’s new album, O, is out now via Frontiers Music.

Australian guitarist Orianthi has already had a storied career, performing with the likes of Alice Cooper and Steve Vai, as well as landing the coveted lead guitar slot with Michael Jackson.

As she releases new album, O, we quizzed her on the highlights – and lowlights – from her career so far, as well as her new Gibson signature acoustic, and how she ended up jamming with Carlos Santana when she was just 18…

Create the music that you love

“Before making my new record O, I was working with hip-hop producers, experimenting with beats. Then I met up with producer Marti Frederiksen (Aerosmith, The Struts, Ozzy). I was like, ‘That’s the kind of record I wanna make, something raw and rough’. We did the whole record in 28 days. I was really happy with the way everything sounds really inspired. It makes you wanna hear it live. That’s the whole vibe of the album.”

Make the ultimate guitar by crossbreeding your favourite designs

“When Gibson approached me about doing a signature acoustic, I was blown away. I wanted to work on a J-200 because it’s such a classic. It’s Elvis and Johnny Cash. I just find the neck a little bit like a boat. It’s hard to get around, so I asked them to put an ES-345 neck on a J-200 body. 

“It is one of the most comfortable, amazing sounding guitars. I worked with LR Baggs on the pickup. Sometimes pickups sound thin with acoustics, but this really has the gravity of the body.”

Play for the song

“Michael Jackson definitely taught me to do what’s best for the song. It’s not about crowding it with guitars and instruments that don’t make sense. It’s about surrounding the music and the melody with something that makes you feel something. 

“You don’t want to get in the way of the lyrics. I used to put guitar in between everything. It sometimes doesn’t call for that. As a guitar player, I want guitar in everything. But being a pop music fan and a music fan in general, I listen with different ears.”

Use the gear that inspires you

“The guitar I’d save in a fire is my first PRS that I got when I was 11; a brown Custom 24. I use PRS guitars because they’re just so versatile, and Paul Reed Smith is a great artist. On this album, I used an Orange Rockerverb Mk III, which is just a beast of an amp. 

“I don’t like using too many pedals. I like the connection between the guitar and the amplifier. I keep coming back to my custom Cry Baby wah. It’s on a slant, so you don’t have to rock your foot so far. It’s got more throw and bite.”

Always soundcheck your own gear

“The worst show I ever played was the Roseland Ballroom in New York. My single was taking off and they had me booked up with interviews until showtime, so there was no soundcheck. The other acts were all Justin Bieber, Kesha, Jason Derulo. We were the only band. 

“They plugged me into this amplifier on the clean channel. They just turned up the treble. People were in pain. I was in pain. I was playing According To You so I was tapping with a clean tone. Never let people tell you that things are okay without you checking it.”

Develop your own style, and people will hire you for it

“Alice Cooper really hired me as an artist. He didn’t give me a particular brief. He just said, ‘I want you to go to town and play the way you play.’ I guess he dug the way that I phrased things. When I got the Michael Jackson gig, I wasn’t into studying Eddie Van Halen and shredding. I’m more of a blues-based rock player. 

“You can’t try to walk in there and fill Eddie Van Halen or Jennifer Batten’s shoes. Some people were like, ‘Oh you didn’t play the Beat It solo just like it was on the record.’ I played it the way that I would play it, and I guess Michael liked it. I just do what I do. I can’t try to be anybody else. That’s the way I look at it.”

The best tone comes from dangerously loud amps

“Bob Rock told me about Fender Champs. The guitar tone on Blues Won’t Leave Me Alone was a Champ, and I drove it to 10. You wanna drive those little amps to breaking point, and they sound amazing. It was so terribly loud, to the point where I nearly got tinnitus from that session, but I was really happy with the tone. 

“Santana does that, too. I did it with my Orange Rockerverb on this last record. Sometimes you just gotta play loud, and find the right microphone that’s not gonna overload and really capture it.”

Sometimes you should meet your heroes

“My father took me to a Santana show when I was 11. I was sitting in the nosebleed section, and when he went into Europa, I knew I wanted to play guitar. My first demo was mostly Santana covers. I sent it to his management office and I got an email back from his brother saying they’d been playing it in their office.

“When I was 18, I got to jam with him backstage. He said, 'Would you join me onstage tonight?' I got up for 45 minutes, cos I knew every song in his set. He’d say, ‘Take the solo!’ It was crazy.”

Figure out who your real friends are and keep them close

“It’s hard to find really good people in this industry. When you do, keep them close because they keep you sane and centred. I’ve got a bunch of people I call on for advice. 

“When you first pick up guitar in your room, the joy that it brings, and the simple feeling that you get from creating a song, that’s what it’s all about. Everything else, the craziness, the music business can really do your head in if you’re not surrounded by the right people.”

• Orianthi's new album, O, is out now via Frontiers Music

In honor of Veteran’s Day, Gibson’s charitable arm Gibson Gives has teamed up with Guitars4Vets to launch the inaugural Rock to Remember virtual concert.

Rock to Remember will be hosted by Jared James Nichols and feature all-original performances from more than 20 artists across the U.S, among them Don Felder, Joe Bonamassa, Phil X and The Drills, Orianthi and Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger.

Also on the bill are Big & Rich, Travis Denning, Lee Roy Parnell, Meghan Patrick, Tesla’s Frank Hannon with JT Loux Band, Jimmy Vivino and Friends, Meghan Linsey and Tyler Cain, Honey County, Bones Owens, Nick Perri and the Underground Thieves, Laine Hardy and more.

Additionally, a handful of U.S. veteran graduates of the Guitars4Vets programs will be featured performing their original songs.

The artists join Gibson Gives and Guitars4Vets to raise funds to provide music programs for returning US military veterans afflicted with PTSD. 

Rock to Remember will livestream in its entirety today, November 11, at 7:30 PM CST simultaneously on Gibson Facebook and LiveXLive.

Fans can contribute directly at the Guitars4Vets music program website or by texting a donation to “G4V” 707070.

For more information, head to Guitars4Vets and Gibson Gives. 

Since she burst onto the international scene with her 2009 album, Believe, Orianthi has remained at the forefront of the new generation of exciting, highly accomplished guitarists. 

And while over the years she’s played alongside everyone from Michael Jackson and Carrie Underwood to Alice Cooper and Richie Sambora, she has mostly built her devoted fan base through her own music, which combines rock, blues, pop, country and electronic with plenty of fiery, high-octane guitar playing on her PRS Custom 24s.

Now Orianthi is back with the highly-anticipated O, her first solo release in seven years. And it doesn’t disappoint – for just one example, check out the album’s first single, the hard rocking, shred-tastic Sinner’s Hymn.

Orianthi recently discussed the making of the new record, her relationship with PRS, what we can expect from her in the future and much more. For all the details, read on.

O is your first solo album in over seven years. How has your writing process changed since the recording of Heaven in This Hell back in 2013?

This record was written and recorded in 28 days. It’s definitely got elements of blues, rock and pop with some electronic vibes. Marti Frederiksen and I went in the studio and didn’t over-think anything, it has a raw-yet-polished, vibed sound. I hope people want to put this record on in their car and not turn it off.

Last month you performed tracks from O during a livestreamed concert at the world-famous Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood. Will you be hosting any more livestreams in support of the new album?

Absolutely hope to soon. It was fun to play with my band after a long time!

Growing up in Australia, can you remember the first time you encountered the PRS brand and the first one you ever played?

Yes, when I was 11 and I saw Carlos Santana perform Europa, that was a complete turning point for me! I begged my dad to buy me a PRS. He got me a Custom 24, and I still have it. It was made in 1988.

It was Carlos Santana who initially fostered your relationship with Paul Reed Smith and PRS Guitars. How exactly did that connection come about?

When I was 14, I made a demo at home and sent it to Santana management, they sent it to PRS and Paul Smith called me and invited me to the US. Then years later when I was 18 years old, Santana played in Adelaide again, and he sent a DVD of the show (with me jamming with him at Memorial Drive in front of 15k people!) to PRS, and he invited me to the NAMM show.

You have collected a number of one-of-a-kind PRS Custom 24s – most notably one covered in Swarovski crystals, the blood splattered Floyd and of course the metallic purple one with the Orianthi “O” inlay. Of all these guitars which one sees the most action?

I love the Swarovski MJ guitar! I played that one only a few times, mostly with Michael Jackson at rehearsals and in a Dave Stewart music video. The purple one with my logo on it is my main PRS right now – the pickups, the neck, everything about it is perfect.

As a longtime PRS endorsee, what have been your fondest memories and experiences  with the company over the past 20 years?

I have so many fun memories – the first time I came to NAMM, Paul and everyone were so sweet and supportive!! We had dinner, hung out and had some laughs and good times! Going to Japan with the PRS team a few times was such a fun experience too, and so was creating signature models, of course!

You’ve had the opportunity to share the stage with many artists. Can you name a few and tell us a little bit about these experiences? How have these experiences influenced you as an artist?

Michael Jackson definitely made me a better performer and gave me a lot of confidence. Alice Cooper, too! Touring with Alice was so much fun and he is so professional. He gives 100 percent every night. Alice, his family, and the band will forever be family to me. 

Working with Richie Sambora and writing the RSO record, he is an incredible songwriter, so I definitely upped my game a lot. He’s such a great lyricist also. Prince was amazing to work with for a very short time – we jammed, and he taught me quite a bit from the short time we spent together.

Looking to the future, what do you hope to see happen once COVID-19 finally loosens its grip on the live music industry?

I know during this time a lot of great records are being written. I can’t wait for the world to be better, so I can play my new album live with my band and travel the world again.

Women Who Rock and Gibson Gives, the charitable arm of Gibson guitars, have teamed up for a new virtual concert series throughout October.

The performance and interview series will be headlined by singer-songwriter Rita Wilson and shot on location at the Gibson Showroom in Los Angeles and Austin. Wilson will also headline the show on October 28 at 5:00 PM CST.

Additional performers include Celisse, who will appear October 7 at 7:00 PM CT; Emily Wolfe, on October 14 at 5:00 PM CT; and Orianthi, on October 21 at 5:00 PM CT

All donations generated from the performances will benefit Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI), the nation's largest research institute dedicated solely to women's health research. Donations will be fully matched by UPMC and UPMC Health Plan up to $25,000.

“As both a breast cancer survivor and a singer/songwriter, this concert series felt like the perfect opportunity to raise awareness for the importance of women’s cancer research through the power of music,” Wilson said.

“I’m excited to perform alongside such a diverse and strong group of female artists and partner with Women Who Rock and the Magee-Womens Research Institute to hopefully make an impact in the continued fight against breast cancer.”

Added Melinda Colaizzi, Women Who Rock founder, “We’re so grateful for Gibson and the incredible lineup of female musicians who are supporting us this October to help us raise funds and awareness for understudied women's health research and for shining a spotlight on women in music.

“Both women in music and women’s health research are underrepresented and we’re lucky to have Gibson Gives on our side in this crusade to ‘Rock the Future of Women’s Health’ and to use the power of music to make a difference impacting lives around the world.”

Elizabeth Heidt, Head of Global Entertainment Relations at Gibson said, “Gibson Gives is honored to partner with Women Who Rock, our esteemed female artists and Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation to amplify women’s health research through the healing power of music.

“Our mission at Gibson is to empower and enable creators around the world, to put the power of music into the hands that need it most and bring a positive impact our communities. This is only the beginning of our work with Women Who Rock for women around the world, we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.”

You can watch the Women Who Rock and Gibson Gives October Concert Series every Wednesday night in October beginning at 5:00 PM CT on Gibson TV and Gibson Facebook Live. All performances will also be archived.

And to donate, head to Strike a Chord.

Orianthi recently announced her first new studio effort in six years, and now the electric guitar player has unveiled the title of that album, O, as well as its first single, Sinners Hymn.

Regarding the new material, Orianthi told the Australian Rock Show that the record “is not too much of a departure from my past stuff, but it is different. So I think people will get what they sort of expect, with that heavy riffage and big solos, but there's a lot of different sounds going on and textures, with drum loops and synths. It's not just staying with one tone throughout the whole record.

“There's some heavy tracks on there. There's some lighter tracks, bluesy tracks. As I said, it's different, but it's kind of what people were sort of expecting.”

And while Sinners Hymn is an unabashedly electric guitar-fueled track, Orianthi also recently dropped the news that she also has a new acoustic collaboration with Gibson in the works, writing on Instagram, “Couldn’t be more excited about my new signature @gibsonguitar acoustic.. will be available soon.”

From the looks of it, the new model, which is touted as having “first-of-its-kind engineering,” features custom appointments including a striking red finish and custom fingerboard, bridge and headstock inlays.

O is due out November 6. For more information, head to I Am Orianthi.

Orianthi will livestream her set from the Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday, September 19 at 9pm EST/7pm CST/6pm PST. Tickets are available from Veeps.

Orianthi has long been associated with PRS electric guitars, but she recently dropped the news that she also has a new acoustic collaboration with Gibson in the works, writing on Instagram, “Couldn’t be more excited about my new signature @gibsonguitar acoustic.. will be available soon.”

From the looks of it, the new model, which is touted as having “first-of-its-kind engineering,” features custom appointments including a striking red finish and custom fingerboard, bridge and headstock inlays.

While we await the official launch of the guitar, Orianthi has also announced a new studio album, her first in seven years, as well as her debut offering with new label Frontiers Music SRL. The as-yet-untitled album is scheduled for release later in 2020.

“I am thrilled about this new chapter with Frontiers,” Orianthi said. “Their passion and enthusiasm for music is such a great reminder of why I love creating music. I couldn’t be more excited to release my upcoming album with them.”

Stay tuned for more info on the new Gibson signature Orianthi acoustic as it becomes available.

We’ve seen plenty of unique (Rush’s Freewill) and sometimes massive (Foo Fighters’ Times Like These) quarantine jams happen over the last few months. But this 68-musician version of the Beatles’ Let It Be might be the biggest one of all.

Conceived by the team behind Soundcheck Live, a monthly all-star jam featuring recording artists, touring sideman and local L.A. entertainers, and supported by the MusiCares Foundation, the song was recorded to raise money for music industry professionals impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, as well as to “offer up inspiration at a time when the world needs it most.”

And while the line-up is impressive, featuring guitarists like Phil X and Orianthi, bassists including Stu Hamm and King’s X’s dUg Pinnick, drummers like Dream Theater’s Mike Mangini and a lineup of singers headlined by Avril Lavigne, the star of the show, at least in our humble guitar opinion, is Nuno Bettencourt, who not only contributes a ridiculously ripping electric guitar solo, but even adds some lead vocals to the mix.

"We chose Let It Be as a song of hope in uncertain times," said Soundcheck Live founder and Avril Lavigne's musical director, Steve Ferlazzo. 

"I like to think of this project as an entire three-hour Soundcheck Live show condensed into one five-minute song that will offer people some inspiration and help when they need it most."

All proceeds from Let It Be will be donated to the MusiCares.org Relief Fund.

Donate now at Charity Stars.

Dean Markley has announced two new additions to its Artist Series electric guitar strings - custom gauge sets from Orianthi and Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein.

The Orianthi Signature set offers up Dean Markley’s cryogenically treated Blue Steel strings in a combination of Orianthi’s favorite light gauges, 9-52, for “bendable, sustaining top end and a tight, fat, ballsy bottom”.

The Doyle ‘Annihilator’ Signature Set, meanwhile, is built for rougher treatment. The 10-60 gauge set is made of nickel-plated steel and hand-wound slowly over a hex core, with the outer string wrap maintaining 100% contact with the core.

According to Dean Markley, the core-to-wrap ratio makes bending easier and provides the physical and tonal durability for Doyle’s aggressive style of playing.

Or, as Doyle eloquently puts it, “I beat the [expletive] out of them, and they don’t break.”

Both packages are available now, with Orianthi's strings at $6.99 and Doyle's set at $5.99. For more information, head to Dean Markley.

Since he burst onto the stage in 1968, frontman extraordinaire Alice Cooper has performed with an astonishing array of guitar virtuosos, starting with Glen Buxton and Michael Bruce, and continuing with Steve Hunter, Dick Wagner, Davey Johnstone, Vinnie Moore, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Orianthi, Reb Beach and Slash. But what does he really think of them? You’re about to find out.

Orianthi

“Orianthi was in the band for three years, and she was great — one of the best guitar players around. She was essentially a rock/blues player, which is generally what a good guitar player is, so she fit right in, because most rock and roll is blues-oriented rock.”

Glen Buxton and Michael Bruce

“Glen Buxton was so unique. He wasn’t the kind of player that could play a traditional 12-bar blues, but he could jam with someone like Pink Floyd’s original guitarist, Syd Barrett. Glen was very futuristic, and when he was on, he was a good as anybody. Michael Bruce, on the other hand, was a great rhythm and riff player. He laid the foundation, while Glen went into outer space.” 

Davey Johnstone

“Davey originally played in Elton John’s band, and he was a very sophisticated musician. I’m used to playing with two or three guitarists, but Davey is one of those guys who could probably cover all the bases by himself.”

Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner

“They played with me on Welcome to My Nightmare and a bunch of other things. I remember Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler telling me, ‘Well, that’s the dream team right there.’ And they really were. Both were spectacular lead players. I think Steve might’ve been the better soloist, but Dick was the better writer. If I had to pick my favorite solo on any Alice Cooper record, it would definitely be Hunter on ‘I Am Made of You’ from the Welcome to My Nightmare 2 album.”

Nita Strauss

“That girl is going to have a long career. She’s got a great personality and has a lot of pride in her work without all the ego. I always tell my people, Look, ego is great onstage. I want you to have all the ego in the world onstage, because that’s what the audience wants. They want to see a great performer. But offstage, I don’t want to see any of that nonsense. Ego doesn’t work offstage, it works onstage. Nita is an incredible guitarist and a solid person.” 

Who would you like to have played with?

“I would’ve loved to work with Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop. I don’t think I’ve heard anybody better than that. Their playing on the Butterfield Blues Band’s second album, East-West, is the best guitar work I’ve ever heard in my life. Maybe Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck would be equivalent, but I don’t know why you would need anything more than Beck by himself! I guess it would also be fun to put Steve Vai and Joe Satriani together. I’ve worked with them separately, but together would be as good as it gets.”

In honor of the upcoming release of Girl, the album, a collection of empowering songs for girls featuring award-winning musicians like bassist Divinity Roxx and guitarists Nita Strauss and Kat Dyson, we thought we’d share some dazzling guitar moments. Moments made possible by female guitarists who know how to get the job done.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy some amazing guitar chops. And check out Girl, the album, a tasty collection of original songs created to inspire girls to go for it!   

Jennifer Batten kills it at the Superbowl 1993 half time with Michael Jackson.

Orianthi’s cyber duel with Steve Vai as they trade off for “Highly Strung.”

Nancy Wilson goes “Crazy On You” in this classic from Heart.

Bonnie Raitt has been dishing out the blues for decades. Check out this early clip from 1976.

Nita Strauss goes crazy with “Pandemonium.” Can’t wait to hear more!

The teenaged Tina S breaks the internet with smashing YouTube success.

Gabriela Quintero takes rhythm guitar to new levels as she matches chops with Rodrigo Sanchez.

Lita Ford goes from being a Runaway to a killer guitar goddess.

Sister Rosetta Thorpe combines rock, blues and gospel for some funky goodness. A true pioneer.

Kaki King transcends this universe to otherworldly levels of skill and creativity.

Find out more about Girl, the album and pre-order here.

NEXI Industries and Orianthi have announced that they will collaborate on two new Orianthi Signature Guitar Effect Pedals.

Inspired by classic yet modern blues tones, Orianthi Signature Effect Pedals will combine NEXI’s plug-and-play design with Orianthi’s years of experience playing on the world stage. “Tone is everything,” Orianthi once told Tone Report magazine. With that in mind, the guitarist prefers only a few pedals that are clear and direct to better  highlight her playing. 

Taking these tone driven preferences into account, the team at NEXI is developing two new signature effects pedals that reflect Orianthi’s tonal voice. While designed to Orianthi’s specifications, the pedals will open more tonal horizons for any player. Orianthi Signature Guitar Effect Pedals are a hybrid design, meaning they can be powered by either a 9V battery, an external jack or NEXI’s own pedal board. 

Each pedal will be priced at $99.95, and is scheduled for release later this year and at Winter NAMM 2019.

For more on these pedals, head on over to nexi-industries.com.