Total Guitar

And a happy new year to you all. In my time as Editor of Total Guitar it has been my pleasure to interview Brian May on several occasions. Once, when our readers voted him the greatest guitarist of all time. Again, when readers voted his solo in Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody as the greatest of all time. And again, with the passing of Eddie Van Halen, when Brian wished to pay tribute to his friend and reminisce about their collaboration in the 80s with the Star Fleet Project. Now, with this month’s cover story, I believe we have delivered exactly what we promised on the cover: the ultimate Brian May interview. He is celebrating another major milestone in the history of Queen – the 50th anniversary of the band’s debut album. And as he…

Though the world of rock ’n’ roll has never, and hopefully will never, prioritise the importance of winning awards over creating timeless, inspiring, rulebook-shredding music, it’s rewarding none the less to see contemporary artists carrying the torch for all things loud to receive plaudits. On February 6, the 65th Annual Grammy Awards will take place in LA’s Crypto.com Arena, and a number of TG favourites are up for awards. Nominated for the first time are Bristol post-punks Idles (whose guitarist Lee Kiernan is pictured here) and Baltimore hardcore crew Turnstile, both of whom have worked tirelessly to stop our humble six-string from sounding stale throughout their short careers thus far. The former are up for Best Rock Album with CRAWLER, while the latter’s Blackout is up for Best Rock Song and…

Sweden is a country well known for producing world-class metal acts, but few if any have been as globally influential as Gothenburg’s melodeath originators In Flames. Guitarist Björn Gelotte reveals how he achieved the huge tones on new album Foregone - and how he’s playing better with ex-Megadeth shredder Chris Broderick at his side. This new album feels more thick and metallic, and arguably less experimental than its predecessor... I think mostly that comes down the production. We never really know what’s going to happen, the writing sessions turn into demo recordings and then we end up in the studio, where we’ll carry on writing. It’s a very organic thing. I think our last album I, The Mask was more rock-sounding because of the mix. This time we wanted to sound big…

Zoom has announced a pair of new multi-FX pedals, both of which feature its brand new Multi-Layered IR technology. The new tech features on the Zoom G2 Four and G2X Four (which adds an expression pedal), and uses dynamic layers of impulse responses which are blended to respond to your playing, providing the “exact tonal characteristics and feel” of the classic amp models it houses. As well as the 250 on-board presets - made up of over 100 models - G2 Four units come sporting a rhythm machine and 80-second looper. Other neat functionality includes the cross key navigation - which allows menu navigation via your feet - and integration with the new Guitar Lab editing app. They’re available now, keep your eyes peeled for a review soon!…

After some seasick mojo from your next guitar? Take a look at these Cigar Box Electrics from noiseless pickup pioneers, Lace. They come in 3- and 4-string versions, with 10 retro finish designs available in both models. Electronically, they’re fitted with a specially-designed Lace ‘Matchbook’ pickup that uses Lace’s Alumitone tech to deliver noiseless performance. Each guitar is made of pressboard with a mahogany veneer, and internal Canadian maple bracing, and there’s a case available separately, too, priced at £109.…

IK Multimedia’s ToneX software launched earlier this year, putting AI-modelled “hyper-real” guitar tones at our fingertips. What’s more, it gives us the ability to model our own (or someone else’s!) hardware gear for use within the ToneX software. Now, IK has released an iOS version of the ToneX app, which runs in sync with the PC/Mac version, so you’ll have access to all of your tones (as well as purchasing more) on both platforms. ToneX for iOS is free, and works either in standalone mode or as a plugin within mobile DAWS, and you’ll get 10 free Premium Tone models on downloading it, plus IK iRig 2 owners will get a further 20 free Tone Models upon registering. Get it from the Apple App Store now.…