AJ YORIO (THE HEAVY HOURS)

“We assumed we would just be four friends making music in a basement forever. One day we get a phone call from a booking agent in Nashville.

“IT WAS A MOMENT OF GREAT JOY, PLAYING WITH THIS GUY…”

IN 1983, TWO OF ROCK’S GREATEST GUITARISTS, BRIAN MAY AND EDDIE VAN HALEN, JOINED FORCES IN THE STAR FLEET PROJECT. NOW, IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TG EDITOR CHRIS BIRD, BRIAN PAYS TRIBUTE TO HIS LATE FRIEND, AND TELLS THE STORY OF THE EXTRAORDINARY MUSIC THEY MADE TOGETHER...

TC ELECTRONIC PLETHORA X5 - £399

MASH to the future

EVERYTHING LOUDER THAN EVERYTHING

As Angus Young sees it, what the world needs now is “a good old hard shock of AC/DC”. Fortunately, said shock comes this month with the release of the legendary band’s new album, Power Up.

FRACTAL FM3 AMP MODELLER/FX PROCESSOR - €1266

Instantly stage-ready high-end amp and effect modelling

JULIEN BAKER

Armed with just a Telecaster and a monster pedalboard, Julien Baker can take her songs to the kind of anthemic heights that normally require full bands.

BLACKSTAR LIVE LOGIC

The logical choice for er, Ableton

EPIPHONE LES PAUL STANDARD 50S £549

A gold standard from a golden era of inspiration?

FENDER STRATOCASTER

A true American icon

40 YEARS OF JACKSON GUITARS

As Jackson celebrates its 40th anniversary, we chart its history from custom repair shop to the number one supplier of rock and metal guitars

Squier Paranormal Super-Sonic

It’s one of the most bonkers guitars you can buy, but is this oddball truly super?

“Sometimes You Just Gotta Play Loud!”

Australian guitarist Orianthi – former sidekick to Michael Jackson and Alice Cooper – shares her knowledge on gear, songwriting and keeping your head in the music business

TAYLOR AD27 GRAND PACIFIC £1619

The most affordable American-made all-solid Taylor series yet

SUPER GEEK!

''THIS WAS DEFINITELY A TOOLKIT OF A RECORD''

The Wizard

AS LEADER OF PROGRESSIVE METAL TITANS DREAM THEATER, JOHN PETRUCCI IS A MASTER TECHNICIAN AND SORCERER OF SHRED. BUT ON HIS LONG-AWAITED SECOND SOLO ALBUM, TERMINAL VELOCITY, HE’S APPLYING HIS VIRTUOSO SKILLS TO THE BLUES, LATIN FUSION AND POP-PUNK – AND PULLING TRICKS FROM ONE OF HIS OLD TUTORIAL VIDEOS...

ROCK AND ROLL

THE MASTERY OF JIMMY PAGE IN 20 CLASSIC LED ZEPPELIN SONGS

ZOOM G11 £699

Zoom are back to take on the multi-FX floorboard competition

NOBELS ODR-MINI £69

An open-secret tone machine gets the shrink

Jimmy Page

In an epic interview with TG Editor Chris Bird, Jimmy discusses his evolution as a player, the fine details of his unique style, tone, and composition, his famous guitars, and the creative process that went into the holy trinity of Led Zeppelin songs – Whole Lotta Love, Kashmir and Stairway To Heaven...

H.E.R.

“I think this will inspire a lot of young black girls – and actually a lot of young girls in general – to pick up the guitar,” says Grammy-winning RnB artist H.E.R., when TG asks about her Fender signature. The new Strat will feature a mid-60s C-shape maple neck, Fender’s own Vintage Noiseless pickups, and an anodized aluminum pickguard. Then there’s that dazzling Chrome Glow finish.

The Future Sound Of Fender

TG talks tone, gear and songwriting with Black Pumas, Yola, Girl In Red and IDLES – the Fender Next artists who are building new sounds from fresh approaches

Fender 2020 Back To The Future

How the world’s biggest guitar company takes some of the guitar world’s most-loved instruments and remakes them anew

Free Your Mind… And Your Ass Will Follow!

Funk legend James Brown used to call himself ‘the hardest working man in show business’. In 2020, that guy is cory wong, the modern funk master who’s made five albums within a year – four solo records and one a collaboration with pianist Jon Batiste. Here, in his own words, cory outlines his ever-expanding “artistic journey” via 10 key tracks...

SOCCER MOMMY

Nashville’s Soccer Mommy has had quite the rise over the last half-decade.

MIXING TIPS

Wrapping up our miniseries on home recording, we turn our attention to the mixdown process with tips from Grammy-nominated rock and metal producer Romesh Dodangoda

MXR TIMMY £139

Meet the accessible version of a cult classic

MORSE POWER!

AS ROCK LEGENDS DEEP PURPLE CELEBRATE ANOTHER HIT ALBUM WITH WHOOSH!, GUITAR VIRTUOSO STEVE MORSE TALKS TONE, TENSION AND TECHNIQUE – AND EXPLAINS HOW JAZZ MUSIC CONTINUES TO INSPIRE HIM

“WE'RE COMPLETE PEDAL GEEKS!”

WITH A NEW IDLES ALBUM, ULTRA MONO, JUST RELEASED, THE BRISTOL BAND’S GUITARISTS LEE KIERNAN AND MARK BOWEN DISCUSS THEIR LOVE OF FENDERS, WALLS OF AMPS AND GIANT PEDALBOARDS, BUT THEY ADMIT: “ALL OUR GUITAR PARTS ARE REALLY SIMPLE”

Heart of Darkness

IRISH POST-PUNK HEROES FONTAINES D.C. ARE ONE OF THE FASTEST-RISING BANDS IN MODERN ROCK. BUT WHEN THEY MADE THEIR HIT NEW ALBUM A HERO’S DEATH THEY WERE IN “A BAD PLACE”, STRUGGLING TO COPE WITH THEIR OWN SUCCESS. FENDER-TOTING GUITARISTS CARLOS O’CONNELL AND CONOR CURLEY EXPLAIN WHY THEY RECORDED THE ALBUM TWICE, WHY THEY FAVOUR UNORTHODOX PEDALBOARDS, AND WHY, SOMETIMES, A “SH*TTY” SOUND IS BEST

EPIPHONE SG SPECIAL P-90 £349

Inspired by Gibson… and could it be the perfect compromise?