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Bill Kelliher

“My dad didn’t believe in distortion”: Bill Kelliher took us through his unlikely guitar tone journey – while he cooked us lunch

By Matt Owen published

We asked the Mastodon maestro to tell us about his lifelong search for perfect guitar tone, so he did – and gave us a killer culinary class while doing so

ESP LTD Signature Series guitars 2023

NAMM 2023: ESP meets fan demand with James Hetfield Olympic White Vulture and debuts 12 LTD signature guitars, including Gary Holt’s “very pointy” GH-SV

By Matt Parker published

Bill Kelliher, Stephen Carpenter, Nergal, Lars Frederiksen and Javier Reyes all have at least one new guitar on the way from the LTD stable

Mastodon's Troy Sanders holds his new signature Fender Precision Bass

Fender teams up with Mastodon's Troy Sanders for well-spec'd Silverburst signature P-Bass

By Jackson Maxwell published

The Mastodon low-end ranger's new four-string is outfitted with a custom Jazz Bass single-coil bridge pickup, a Split-Coil P-Bass unit in the middle, and eye-catching custom graphics throughout

Brent Hinds stars in Victory Amps’ video as Super Sheriff Dirty B. Hinds

Watch Mastodon’s Brent Hinds turn Super Sheriff and arrest guitarists for tone violations

By Matt Parker published

Hinds has endorsed Victory Amps’ Sheriff – and taken to the streets of Atlanta to extend the long arm of the law

Victory Amps VS100 Super Sheriff and Mastodon's Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher performing live

Victory Amps overhauls its Sheriff range – and seemingly signs Mastodon’s Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher to its ranks

By Michael Astley-Brown published

The British rock-voiced series has been revamped with new Mastodon-endorsed heads and combos

Mojotone Bill Kelliher Hellbender pickup set

Are Bill Kelliher’s new Mojotone Hellbender pickups the most versatile metal humbuckers ever made?

By Matt Parker published

The Mastodon rhythm king’s new signature set uses Alnico II and V ceramic magnets to deliver tones spanning brutal to beautiful

Mastodon, Kate Bush, First Aid Kit

7 guitar-led covers of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill

By Jonathan Horsley published

Kate Bush’s irresistible 1985 hit is driven by synth but as these covers from Placebo, First Aid Kit, Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher and more prove, the song can be just as dramatic on guitar

Troy Sanders

Troy Sanders: “The Teardrinker bass solo turned from a silly joke to an interesting moment that I’d never done in Mastodon before”

By Joel McIver published

The Mastodon bassist and vocalist on why the Atlanta metal institution doubled up for their latest album, Hushed And Grim, and taking the opportunity for a bass solo

(from left) Dave Grohl, H.E.R. and Wolfgang Van Halen

Foo Fighters, Mammoth WVH, AC/DC, Black Pumas, St. Vincent, H.E.R., Dream Theater nominated for Grammys

By Jackson Maxwell last updated

Chris Cornell, Deftones, Arlo Parks, Gojira, Mastodon, Weezer, Paul McCartney, Joe Bonamassa, Japanese Breakfast and Cedric Burnside were also among the nominees

An all-star band covers Judas Priest on Two Minutes to Late Night

Watch Nili Brosh team up with members of Anthrax and Mastodon for a relentless cover of Judas Priest's Screaming for Vengeance

By Jackson Maxwell published

Two Minutes to Late Night's latest all-star cover is spearheaded by a three-guitar attack led by Brosh and Anthrax's Jonathan Donais

[L-R] Bill Kelliher and Brent Hinds of Mastodon

Mastodon: “We write our guitar parts separately then show them to each other. We’re not a jam band – we’re more like choreographed acrobatics”

By Jon Wiederhorn published

Stylistically divergent – yet undoubtedly compatible – Mastodon guitarists Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher unravel Hushed and Grim, the band’s first double album

[L-R] John Mayer, Samantha Fish, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and Joe Duplantier

The 20 best guitar albums of 2021

By Jonathan Horsley published

Records that stoked creative fires and set the guitar world alight this year, as voted for by you

Bill Kelliher of Mastadon performs at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill on June 11, 2019 in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

Bill Kelliher reveals Ron Wood’s signature ESP as his secret studio weapon: “It’s the best-sounding Tele ever”

By Michael Astley-Brown last updated

The Mastodon guitarist shared his love for the humbucker-equipped Rolling Stones model in a new interview on the making of Hushed and Grim

Kim Thayil of Soundgarden performs on stage at Sleep Country Amphitheater on August 29, 2014 in Ridgefield, Washington.

Kim Thayil channeled the loss of Chris Cornell in his solo on the new Mastodon album

By Michael Astley-Brown published

Bill Kelliher details how he and the Soundgarden guitarist approached the recording of Hushed and Grim’s Had It All

Mastodon

Mastodon bring metal to the masses with a performance of Teardrinker on Late Night With Seth Meyers

By Sam Roche published

The Atlanta stalwarts appeared on the late-night talkshow this week to deliver the dual guitar-heavy track – complete with a surprise new ESP double-cut in the hands of Brent Hinds

Bill Kelliher with ESP Silverburst double-cut

Bill Kelliher shares first glimpse of new double-cut ESP signature model in promo for STL ToneHub Pack

By Michael Astley-Brown published

Kelliher has crammed his sounds from the new Mastodon album into a plugin – but a mystery Silverburst is stealing the limelight

Eric Gales performs at the Neighborhood Theatre on June 11, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina

From high-octane blues duels to lush baroque-pop: here are this week's essential guitar tracks

By Matt Owen, Michael Astley-Brown, Sam Roche, Jackson Maxwell published

Craving new guitar music? Satiate your appetite with new songs from Eric Gales & Joe Bonamassa, Jack White, Big Wreck, Anjimile, Vended and more

Bill Kelliher playing live with Mastodon

Mastodon reveals atmospheric, time signature-skipping new single, Sickle and Peace

By Matt Owen published

The new track is the third to be lifted from the progressive metal group’s “ambitious” upcoming double album, Hushed and Grim

Bill Kelliher

Bill Kelliher: “Metallica practiced for three hours a night before playing onstage for another two. Meanwhile, we were sitting around drinking beer and picking our noses!”

By Amit Sharma published

The Mastodon guitarist reveals what he learned from touring with the biggest metal band in the world, and shares his thoughts on The Black Album, 30 years on

Mastodon's Troy Sanders (left) and Bill Kelliher perform at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on June 28, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada

Watch as Mastodon reach into the multiverse for new song, Teardrinker

By Matt Parker published

The Atlanta riff lords have unveiled the second single from their forthcoming eighth album, Hushed And Grim