Welcome…

Few records in history have crossed over like

‘THAT MYSTIC PINK FLOYD SOUND’

INVESTIGATING THE DAVID GILMOUR-APPROVED DAWNER PRINCE BOONAR

GIBSON GO BIG

This is a busy year for Gibson. As

THE FIRST BOSS GUITAR

In one of the more surprising announcements

NEW PICKUPS FROM GUS G

The company owned by Greek virtuoso Gus G,

“HEAVY, BANGING LIVE TUNES!”

DON BROCO GUITARIST SI DELANEY ON THE BAND’S “ANGRY” NEW ALBUM – AND THE AMP HE WANTS TO BE BURIED WITH

EPI-TITE FOR DESTRUCTION

Gibson's leading man unleashes an arsenal of affordable signatures

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE

Knives

16TH NOTE STRUMMING

Take your rhythm guitar skills beyond the basics with this lesson on 16th‐note rhythms

SAMANTHA FISH

Her roots are in blues, but Samantha Fish is pushing the boundaries on a new album – with influences ranging from Prince to Fleetwood Mac, and a simpler approach to her songwriting and her gear. As she explains: “It doesn’t always work to have a 10-minute solo in the studio!”

THE VACCINES

“I’ll write entire songs and I won’t know what any of the chords are that I’ve used!”

Brian Setzer

HE’S THE ROCK ABILLY T WANGER WHO LED THE STRAY CATS TO GLORY IN THE 80S, AND HE’S STILL SE ARCHING FOR NEW SOUNDS – WITH INFLUENCES RUNNING DEEP FROM JAZZ TO BOSSA NOVA. BUT WHEN BRIAN SETZER PLUGS IN, HE ALWAYS HAS ONE THING ON HIS MIND: “YOU GOT TA HAVE THE RUMBLE!”

TWENTY ROCK LICKS

Breakthrough blues-rock lead guitar to take your playing to the next level

METALLICA BLACK GOLD

Photo Ross Halfin It was titled simply Metallica,

“I WAS JUST SIT TING THERE WITH MY GUITAR AT THREE O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING, AND THEN THIS RIFF CAME OUT. AND I THOUGHT, ‘ WHOAH, THAT WORKS!’”

A flash of inspiration from guitarist Kirk Hammett was the key to the reinvention of Metallica on The Black Album. Now, on the 30th anniversary of its release, he tells the story of the album’s creation

“ THE NEVER-ENDING QUEST FOR THE HOLY GR AIL OF GUITAR SOUNDS!”

Metallica frontman James Hetfield on guitars, tone, riffs, tuning -and the journey from Lars Ulrich’s bedroom to The Black Album

APOCALYPSE DAWN…

THE TOTAL GUI TAR ME TALLICA DEEPFA KE TRACK

50 SHADES OF BLACK

Celebrating 30 years of The Black Album, more than 50 artists have contributed to the biggest tribute album ever recorded – The Metallica Blacklist. TG speaks to Cage The Elephant guitarist Nick Bockrath and Gabriela Quintero of Rodrigo y Gabriela about the art of covering a Metallica classic. Plus: St. Vincent does Sad But True – and other key tracks analyzed

“METALLICA IS INGRAINED IN US”

Gabriela Quintero – one half of Rodrigoy Gabriela – on capturing the intensity of a Metallica song and developing her own technique for metal on nylon strings

“ST VINCENT OFFERS AN INSPIRED TAKE ON SAD BUT TRUE ”

The best of the Blacklist – featuring Nile Rodgersstyle funk guitar and tremolo-soaked country!

WE GOT YOU COVERED

Inspired by The Metallica Blacklist and more, TG presents ten tips for successful cover versions

AC/DC T.N.T.

Learn the iconic riffs, driving feel and blistering lead work on this dynamite AC/DC classic

NEWTON FAULKNER TEARDROP

Take your techniques to a new level as TG and Rockschool unpick New ton’s hypnotic cut from 2007’s Hand Built By Robots

GREEN DAY

WAKE ME UP WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS

THE GAS STATION

REAL WORLD REVIEWS OF THE BEST NEW GEAR

START ME UP!

Five awesome new products to get your gear engine revving this month…

FENDER NOVENTA SERIES

Single coils, hardware and electronic tweaks offer a different take on classic Fender shapes. Time for something a bit different?

LINE 6 POD GO WIRELESS

A do-it-all floorboard that you can use without a cable

EVH 5150 SERIES DELUXE

An EVH guitar with crossover appeal

BOSS HM-2W

Boss’s best-loved metal pedal gets the Waza Craft treatment

BARTEES STRANGE

Photo Julia Leiby It’s hard to place