There have been all kinds of influences that have moulded Joe Bonamassa into the player he is over the years – blues heroes such as Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and rock legends Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. But ask the 43-year-old New Yorker about the sounds explored on his new album Royal Tea and he’ll enjoy going off-script for a while.
“I deal with blues-rock until there’s no demand for it!” he says, laughing. But for a player who is so often regarded as one of the greatest blues enthusiasts on the planet, it’s refreshing for him to shed light on influences far, far beyond.
“One thing that’s so freeing about not being in the hit singles business is you have no rules!” he grins, talking to TG via video chat from his ‘Nerdville East’ base in Nashville, Tennessee. “It’s not like I have these big songs that I need to change or mix for radio. If I want prog time in Nerdville, let’s go!”
Continue reading your story on the app
Continue reading your story in the magazine
THE FAMILY THAT PLAYS TOGETHER...
Guitar-toting husband and wife Tyler Bryant and Rebecca Lovell are stars in their own right. “We’re the leaders of our own respective bands,” he says. But this year they’ve collaborated in each other’s music – her on the new Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown album, and him on Larkin Poe’s acoustic set. As they tell TG, it’s all about a “special connection” – and a lot of gear...
THE EVOLUTION OF… Yvette Young
ONE OF THE MOST GIFTED AND INNOVATIVE GUITARISTS OF THE MODERN ERA EXPLAINS HOW SHE DEVELOPED A UNIQUE STYLE THROUGH EXPERIMENTATION, INTUITION AND PLAIN OLD-FASHIONED HARD WORK. AS YVETTE YOUNG SAYS: “MY TIME IS STILL VERY MUCH BASED AROUND IMPROVING”
POCKET ROCKET
Boss’ latest box of tricks is loaded with stacks of features
LIVE AND DANGEROUS!
The Struts are Britain’s fastest-rising hard rock band, and for their new album Strange Days, they’ve pulled in some A-list guest stars including members of Rage Against The Machine, Def Leppard and The Strokes – and Robbie Williams. It was also recorded pretty much live in the studio, and as guitarist Adam Slack says, “It’s the most guitar-y album we’ve done!”
MASTER CLASS
HIS WORK WITH RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, AUDIOSLAVE AND PROPHETS OF RAGE HAS MADE HIM ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL ROCK GUITARISTS OF HIS GENERATION. AND FOR THE READERS OF TOTAL GUITAR HE HAS A SIMPLE MESSAGE. “IT’S LESSON TIME,” TOM MORELLO SAYS. “SO WASH YOUR HANDS AND TUNE YOUR GUITAR. BUT IF YOU HAVE TO PICK ONE OR THE OTHER... WASH YOUR HANDS!”
HARLEY BENTON SC-JUNIOR £177
More than the sum of its parts?
JOE DUPLANTIER SIGNATURE PRO-MOD SAN DIMAS STYLE 2 HH MAHOGANY £719
Another Signature model from the Gojira frontman, but this time he’s gone vintage
DUNLOP CRY BABY Q-ZONE £169
Cocked and loaded
EPIPHONE PROPHECY FLYING V £799
With top-dollar spec and classy finish, is this 2020’s best metal guitar?
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.
