What's coming in issue 289…

We've just sent issue 289 to the printers. It's on sale 12 April, but until then, here's a glimpse of what's in store:

Neville Marten explores Chuck Berry's licks in Blues Headlines and gives away a secret that all good blues players know:
"Here's that famous T-Bone lick. Notice how well it sits in this laid-back context, but imagine it between a set of furious doublestops and it's straight out of Johnny B Goode. You see, often it's the context of a lick that makes it work - and it's surprising how you can disguise some old chestnuts with a bit of judicious placement."

Tele addict John 5 takes time out from showing us his amazing vintage guitar collection to explain his love for his dog:
"Jasper is a Jack Russell and one of the smartest dogs ever. Boy, what her eyes have seen, I feel sorry for her! That poor dog. She is a very smart, smart dog and is a great companion. Jasper is not on record anywhere. Jasper is so sweet to people, I mean she's the nicest dog you'll ever meet, but when she's around any other kind of dog, she's a complete pitbull. She hates other animals."

Eagles Of Death Metal's Jesse Hughes talks Guns N' Roses controversy, and distils his own unique take on guitar:
"What I do is I steal, rob and rape from the greatest rock albums in the world, put it through the Bachman Turner Overdrive machine and then, as my mother says, I Quentin Tarantino-ise classic rock guitar."

Simon Bradley fails to control himself when reviewing the new Gretsch White Falcon:
"What a gorgeous pair of guitars these are and we can declare that, after years of teasing, our love affair with Gretsch guitars has been wholeheartedly reaffirmed. The fact that both are made in Japan means absolutely nothing these days and the construction values here are nothing short of magnificent: the White Falcon especially is a work of art."

And will Washburn's new ranges of electrics solve the 'I like rock, so what shall I buy?' conundrum?
To cut a long story short we genuinely couldn't catch it out tonally and, with relevant amp and effects settings in tow, we found we could go from ultra-clean Chic funk to nose-breaking metal crunch with effortless simplicity: show us a Telecaster that can do that!"

Issue 289 of Guitarist is on sale 12 April. Don't miss out! Click here for great subscriptions offers, and to secure your copy first…