in Artists, Guitarists “I managed to stay behind at The Marquee when everyone had gone home. I asked him, ‘How do you get that sound?’ He said, ‘Well, it’s easy…’” In 1969, a young Brian May hid in a venue to speak to Rory Gallagher – and it led to his tonal breakthrough
in Artists, Guitarists “Like all young artists, sometimes you run into somebody that’s one of your heroes”: Jerry Cantrell recalls the time he tried – and failed – to pass an Alice in Chains demo tape to Axl Rose
in Artists, Bands “There’s a lot of power to our band name… we weren’t part of any scene, so it was like, ‘Who are we? We are The Damn Truth’”: Meet the Canadian quartet bringing their raucous sound to the masses – with a little help from Bob Rock
in Artists, Guitarists “The ‘industry’ strings you along with these empty accolades but labels paying you on time can keep your life from falling apart”: Beyoncé session guitarist Justus West says awards don’t pay the bills – and labels need to take more accountability
in Artists, Guitarists “It’s not a Marvel movie or a Vegas residency – it’s rock and roll and it’s a living breathing organism”: Jack White responds to short sets criticism – and explains why you’ll never see him play for three hours
in Artists, Guitarists “Sounds just like Slash, doesn’t it?”: Slash joins forces with Tom Morello for a three-song cameo at LA Wildfire Relief shows – taking on MC5 and an AC/DC classic
in Artists, Guitarists “I had no idea how he was getting his guitar to sound like that”: Joe Walsh called him one of most underrated guitarists of the ’70s and Hendrix said he was a better guitar player than he was – yet this Telecaster icon often remains overlooked
in Artists, Bassists “It’s one of our best tunes and one of my best basslines”: When Duran Duran fused Chic and Sex Pistols for one of bassist John Taylor’s standout performances
in Artists, Bassists “I’m like the Pablo Escobar of bass. If a dude works on my pedalboard, it’s almost like I have to kill him after he’s done!” With Rage Against the Machine, Tim Commerford pioneered an all-time iconic bass tone. No wonder he’s cagey about his setup
in Artists, Guitarists “I didn’t do a ton of exploration on the f-hole idea. If I had to do it again, I might do it completely differently”: Eric Johnson broke new ground with his first semi-hollow Fender Strat – but he’d take inspiration from Gibson if he ever made another
in Artists, Guitarists “I said, ‘The only way we can play 40 minutes is if we include Purple Haze.’ This guy grabbed me and said, ‘You got a lot of nerve!’” Billy Gibbons once covered Jimi Hendrix hits while supporting Hendrix on tour – and the guitar hero watched
in Artists, Guitarists “I view the instrument I play not as an object to be mastered, but as a partner with which to share with the listener a meaning”: Pioneering pedal steel guitar virtuoso Susan Alcorn has died aged 71
