TG209: John Lennon – Working Class Guitar Hero

Issue 209 of Total Guitar magazine is available on newsstands nationwide from today. Featuring John Lennon on the cover, TG is celebrating his contribution to guitar music and his oft-overlooked talent as a guitarist. Here's a quick look at what's in the mag and on the site this month...

In the mag

JOHN LENNON
TG honours the life and times of the working class guitar hero with help from 'Nowhere Boy' Aaron Johnson and 'Imagine' session guitarist Joey Molland.

Jackson Guitars 30th Anniversary
Metal in the blood: As Jackson celebrates 'the big 3-0', TG traces the evolution of its high-performance metal guitars.

Mark Tremonti
Guitar god in training: He's the envy of many a player, but Tremonti maintains he still has a lot to learn. TG finds out why.

Joe Satriani
Innovations in sound: TG probes the mind of Joe Satriani to discover the impact of his truly pioneering techniques.

Rocked & Rated
There's a packed reviews section this month featuring the EVH Wolfgang Special, Blackstar HT-1R, Ibanez Montage MSC350BK and Beryl Studio T, as well as a Group Test of modelling practice amps under £200.

Learn to play!
The Beatles 'Across The Universe', BB King 'The Thrill Is Gone', Slade 'Merry X'Mas Everybody', Avenged Sevenfold 'Buried Alive', The Allman Brothers Band 'Jessica' (part two), Babyshambles 'The Lost Art Of Murder' and five of the best Clash riffs!

On the site

Win an Epiphone Casino and Vox AC30 in our John Lennon comp!
The roots of John Lennon's guitar sound are centred around products by Epiphone and Vox and you can win an Epiphone Inspired By Casino guitar and Vox AC30 Custom amp in our latest competition.

John Lennon: A fortnight of features
Over the next fortnight TG will be publishing a selection of interviews, videos and quotes from some of the myriad guitarists who have been influenced by Lennon in some way.

Matthew Parker

Matt is a freelance journalist who has spent the last decade interviewing musicians for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.