Exclusive: James Bay on guitar tones, his second album and why he’s so excited about his signature Epiphone ‘1966’ Century

When we spoke to James Bay last year, he described himself as a guitar player first and foremost, and as the man single-handedly responsible for the relaunch of Epiphone’s long-forgotten Century model, we can think of no artist more deserving of a signature model.

We caught up with James at the launch of his Epiphone ‘1966’ Century to get the lowdown on the process of making the guitar, how the Century has shaped his playing and the tones he’s exploring for his much-anticipated second album…

MORE INFO: Epiphone unveils James Bay ‘1966’ Century signature guitar

Michael Astley-Brown

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.