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SHOCKING: John 5 - What They Never Told You

“John 5 was probably the only other dude who was playing a Tele in metal. By nature, it was designed for country and chicken pickin’”: Why Jim Root eschewed traditional metal guitars and made the Telecaster his main Slipknot instrument

The player reveals who first drew him to the now 75-year-old instrument – and it might surprise you

Guitar World

“He was a fireman, and he’s like, ‘I make guitars with my dad. I’ll make you anything you want.’ I was like, ‘How about a light-up guitar?’” John 5 on how he dreamed up an LED Telecaster – and coincidentally found the perfect partner to build it

John 5’s light-up and lava-lamp-inspired Telecasters are now part and parcel of his guitar arsenal – but how exactly did they come about?

Guitar World

“It’s heavy, cutting, psychedelic and very offthe cuff. It’s got the vibe of a madman”: Ace Frehley’s 6 greatest Kiss guitar moments

You wanted a list and you got a list but, oh boy, was it hard to whittle it down to six

Guitar World

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Tommy Lee compares Motley Crue to marriage

Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee has compared the band's relationship to marriage - insisting they are are all "closer now than we've ever been" after 45 years together.

BANG Premier

"Be it Eddie Van Halen, Mick Mars or anyone like that, I have such respect for the person that I'm stepping in for." Motley Crue guitarist John 5 reveals the secret to stepping into the shoes of some of the world's most respected guitarists

John 5 has picked up the axe for the likes of Mötley Crüe and Rob Zombie, and he's learned a few lessons along the way

Metal Hammer

“Ace was the reason... His image made me go, ‘This is what I want to do with the rest of my life’”: John 5 on his final conversations with Ace Frehley, working on Peter Criss’ new record, and the signature guitar so good he’s written a song about it

The Mötley Crüe guitarist reflects on losing his greatest influence, reveals what’s great about the former Kiss drummer’s upcoming album, and his hopes for another tour with Richie Kotzen

Guitar World

“He was excited about doing shows. He was in such a good place, and he literally had an accident”: John 5 discusses the tragic loss of his friend Ace Frehley –and confirms he was set to feature on the Kiss icon’s next album

5 previously lent his chops to Frehley’s Origins, Vol. 1 and Origins, Vol. 2 cover albums, and was set to play on the third before Frehley’s death

Guitar World

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“As soon as I've just finished a song, I'll double the lead part right away, while it's still completely fresh in my mind”: Four big-name guitarists spill their recording secrets

With insight from Paul Gilbert, John 5, Adam Dutkiewicz and Marty Friedman on their approaches to the recording process

MusicRadar

“It’s totally his fault. I just couldn’t take my eyes off his guitar”: John 5 on the unlikely player who started his life-long love affair with the Telecaster

John 5 has played with David Lee Roth, Rob Zombie, and Mötley Crüe, but the player that inspired his guitar choice is from a whole other world

Guitar World

“I have such horrible OCD. Ever since I was a little kid, if I couldn’t get something, I would stay home from school fake sick and play it over and over”: John 5 on staying true to the Crüe, pushing his playing and why he’s surrounded by ghosts

The virtuoso explains what made him the perfect fit for Mötley Crüe, how he’s channeling Paul Gilbert and Robert Johnson on his latest solo album, and what’s next for his signature Fender Telecaster

Guitar World

Original Kiss drummer Peter Criss announces first solo album in 18 years

The Catman's new album includes contributions from John 5, Billy Sheehan, Paul Shaffer and more

Metal Hammer

“No one does it better than him. That’s what inspired me to do what I’m doing today”: John 5 likes to push his playing to the limit – but says Ace Frehley does one thing better than any shredder on the planet

Kiss first inspired the Mötley Crüe guitarist to take up the instrument

Guitar World

“Eruption was my phone alarm for a while – we have a love-hate relationship because it woke me up every morning”: Sophie Lloyd names 10 guitarists who shaped her sound

The Machine Gun Kelly guitarist and Kiesel signature artist reveals what she learned from which players – and the techniques she’s still working on

Guitar World

“A guitar so playable that you might need to put the brakes on yourself and remember to play to the count”: Fender American Ultra II Telecaster review

The workhorse is newly shod for the modern player but still packs the tones that made it famous

Guitar World

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Metal Hammer

"I run this business like an iron fist and nobody can get in and f*** with our band": Nikki Sixx on making new music, replacing Mick Mars, work-life balance and learning when to say no

We catch up with Mötley Crüe legend Nikki Sixx

Guitar World

“I would pick this over a ’60s or ’70s model. It’s the perfect Telecaster in my eyes”: Tele obsessive John 5 provides the ultimate test for Fender’s new American Ultra II series

The versatile shredder owns over 100 different Telecasters, but he’s full of praise for the upgrades that have been fitted to its latest iteration

Guitar World

“He was like, ‘Come on down to rehearsals.’ I’ll never forget it. I was blown away”: John 5 on the time he got to watch Van Halen at an intimate reunion rehearsal – and played through Eddie Van Halen’s guitar rig

In a new interview, the Mötley Crüe guitarist also revealed another signature Fender Telecaster – dubbed 'The Phantom' – is in the works

Guitar World

“I had a ridiculously long, complex chord and key change solo section. And who comes to mind? Steve Vai!” How Billy Morrison assembled a guitar lineup that includes John 5, Steve Stevens and Steve Vai for his triumphant comeback solo album

Inspired by a basic signal chain and the “simplest guitar album on the planet”, Billy Idol’s right-hand man feels vindicated with the unplanned success of The Morrison Project

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Metal Hammer

"We're the bastards": listen to Mötley Crüe's spidery comeback single Dogs Of War

Exclusive: Vince Neil tells us all about Mötley Crüe’s first single since 2015

Guitar World

“The start of a brand new chapter”: Mötley Crüe share their first new single with John 5 – and as promised, it marks a heavy return

Headlined by a blistering solo from John 5, Dogs of War is the band's first new single since 2019, and the first to be released since their split with former guitarist Mick Mars

Metal Hammer

"We don't want to stagnate": Mötley Crüe sign with Big Machine Records – Vince Neil exclusive

Sunset Strip veterans Mötley Crüe join Scott Borchetta’s Nashville label, with new single Dogs Of War due later this week. Crüe vocalist Vince Neil gives us the dirt

Guitar World

“Gritty, fast-paced and hectic”: Billy Morrison recruits Steve Vai, John 5 and Ozzy Osbourne for his first solo record in 9 years

The Billy Idol guitarist is set to team with a stellar cast – including his co-guitarist Steve Stevens – for a record that sees him reflecting on a riotous world, and you can hear the first single, Drowning, now

Guitar World

“I chipped my tooth – my mom was so mad at me!” John 5 says playing a Jimi Hendrix-inspired version of Star Spangled Banner with his teeth as a kid led to a dental mishap – and shows he can still nail the tooth-picked tune

The Mötley Crüe member has appeared guitar in hand (and mouth) on the Howard Stern Show to demonstrate AC/DC, Queen and Rush riffs

Guitar World

Game-changers, taste-makers and trend-setters: here are 2023's guitarists of the year

We tip our hats to the players that made 2023 such a defining year in guitar history – and whose achievements we'll be talking about in years to come

Guitar World

"The whole vibe of Ace Frehley was really special to me. I was so small, and Ace was this larger-than-life figure… I didn't even think he was a real person": John 5 names the guitarists who shaped his sound

From shred titans to riff-masters to an obscure, blazing country picker he thinks every guitarist should listen to, the Mötley Crüe man names the players who forged his virtuosic, hard-charging sound

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