Joe Bosso
Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.
Latest articles by Joe Bosso
Eric Johnson’s Top Five Tips for Guitarists
By Joe Bosso published
The maestro reveals his five guidelines to improve practice, technique and music knowledge
Listen to Stephen Dale Petit’s ‘2020 Visions’ – One of the Most Exciting Guitar Records We’ve Heard This Year
By Joe Bosso published
This fascinating interview tells the story of a career that has seen the U.S. expat cross paths with everyone from Randy Rhoads to Albert King to Eric Clapton and Mick Taylor
“Finally, We Went Back to the Guitars I Played on the Demo, Which Went Through a Kemper Profiler”: Zach Myers Does More With Less on Shinedown’s Latest
By Joe Bosso published
The Florida outfit’s seventh studio album, ‘Planet Zero,' showcases choice digital amp tone
Marshall Crenshaw Reveals Gene Vincent’s Role in His Signature Hit “Someday, Someway”
By Joe Bosso published
From ’50s rockabilly and ’60s pop to ‘70s punk and ‘80s new wave, this 1982 smash encapsulates decades of inspiration
"I’ve Had an Amazing, Unbelievable Career”: Elton John Guitarist Davey Johnstone Names His Top Five Tracks
By Joe Bosso published
With a new solo album – 'Deeper Than My Roots' – under his belt, Elton’s primo axe slinger picks out the deepest cuts from his glittering musical legacy
“You Hear These Guys Noodling Around and Playing Fast. It’s Like Listening To Somebody Type”: Joey Santiago Makes It Clear Why He Hates Guitar Solos.
By Joe Bosso last updated
The Pixies’ secret weapon on finding the band’s pioneering alt-rock sound.
Joey Santiago Picks Five Career-Defining Cuts From the Pixies Catalog
By Joe Bosso last updated
He’s the first to admit that his playing style probably wouldn’t fit most other outfits – and that’s just the way he likes it!
Joe Satriani's Top Ten Tips for Guitarists
By Joe Bosso published
These simple pointers can seriously improve your practice, playing and performance
Chris Stein: My Career in Five Songs
By Joe Bosso last updated
He’s a huge Flatt & Scruggs fan, but Blondie’s Chris Stein put his signature on the punk era with these five tracks.
“I Was Like a Mad Scientist, Always Refining”: Steve Morse Reveals How He Wrote “Take It Off the Top”
By Joe Bosso last updated
The Dixie Dregs songwriter opens up about the band’s long-running fan favorite.
Rev Up Your Rig with Joe Satriani
By Joe Bosso last updated
Find out how to get the tone of your dreams in this essential in-depth interview.
“We Didn’t Sound Like Anybody Else”: Andy Summers Talks Five Career-Defining Songs
By Joe Bosso last updated
As 'The Police – Greatest Hits' returns in a deluxe edition, the guitarist reflects on five classics from the band’s timeless catalog.
Robin Trower: My Career in Five Songs
By Joe Bosso last updated
From his Jimi Hendrix tribute to his latest blues track, here are the cuts that make Robin Trower proud.
George Benson: My Career in Five Songs
By Joe Bosso last updated
From “Breezin’” to “On Broadway” – George Benson reveals the stories behind his most significant tracks.
Lita Ford: "I Don’t Know Why Power Ballads Have Such a Bad Rap, I Think They’re Badass. And ‘Close My Eyes Forever’ is as Badass as it Gets"
By Joe Bosso published
The glam metal guitar icon reveals how a few games of pool (and a shared bottle of wine) with Ozzy Osbourne played a role in the writing of their smash hit duet.
Tom Bukovac: "The Firebird is a Great Nashville Guitar, Because it’s Got the Midrange That Can Cut Through a Big Band. It’s Like a Big Giant Tele"
By Joe Bosso last updated
One of Nashville's top session guitarists discusses his new LP with Dean DeLeo, the vintage guitars he brings to every session, and what sets him apart from his Tele-slinging peers.
"A Record Like This Was Destined to Be Made, and We Wanted to Be the Ones Making it”: Steve Howe on 50 Years of Yes's 'Close to the Edge'
By Joe Bosso published
Yes's longtime axeman details the intense rehearsals, rare Gibson archtops, and inspired improvisations that formed the band's masterpiece.
"It’s the Basis for Everything I Do Because it Tells the Truth": How Joan Jett Combined Punk Toughness and Ear-Candy Pop Smarts on “Bad Reputation”
By Joe Bosso published
The rock icon reveals how a stint touring with the Ramones inspired one of her most enduring hits.
Jeff “Skunk” Baxter: "I Wanted to Put Some Muscle in 'My Old School'"
By Joe Bosso published
The session guitar great explains why he chose to re-work two Steely Dan classics, “The Rose,” and more for his adventurous solo debut album, 'Speed of Heat.'
How "25 Bucks and a Six-Pack of Bud" Got Jeff “Skunk” Baxter the Guitar He Used on Donna Summer's “Hot Stuff”
By Joe Bosso published
The session guitar king also revealed the cheaper-than-you'd-expect "star guitar" of his new solo album, 'Speed of Heat.'
Jeff “Skunk” Baxter: "Whether it’s a Guitar or a Missile-Defense System, There’s Always a Way to Make it Work Better"
By Joe Bosso published
The Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers guitarist talks the "My Old School" solo, how he helped Jimi Hendrix acquire his first Strat, and the key role his mom’s sewing machine plays in his tone.
John Petrucci: "There Are Moments that You Can Pinpoint and Say They Were Truly Life-Changing, and for Me, Hearing Steve Morse Play Guitar Was One of Them”
By Joe Bosso published
In conversation, the two Ernie Ball Music Man-wielding titans of shred reveal how they've inspired one another to go the extra mile in practice, technique, guitar design, and sticking to their musical guns.
“I Hate the Way I Play Guitar. I Hate the Way I Sing”: Joe Bonamassa Opens Up in His Most Brutally Honest Interview Ever
By Joe Bosso published
Find out why "the man in the suit" thinks he is understood and misunderstood in equal measure.
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