About us

Launched in 1994, Total Guitar is Europe's best-selling guitar magazine. A market leader, TG covers all musical genres ranging from funk, electro, drum 'n' bass and jazz, through to acoustic, rock, pop, metal, blues, hardcore and world guitar. In short, we're open to anything!

TG regularly secures exclusive interviews, reviews and features for our readers, and we have a team of dedicated guitar-loving folk who work hard to make TG the best guitar magazine around.

Why we rock!

If you want a guitar magazine that offers diversity, then TG is the mag for you. We champion young bands and guitarists from their early days, and we're always on the front line, bringing you the very best in new guitar music.

It's fair to say we know our onions when it comes to guitar players, and TG is jam-packed on a monthly basis with informative yet fun interviews from the biggest and best guitarists in the world who offer you insight into their playing style and favoured techniques, their latest guitar releases and how they started out on the instrument that we all love.

Our Learn To Play section is sizzlin', offering TG readers clear, concise tabs of great guitar tunes that suit beginner and intermediate guitarists with a wide range of interests. We have simple strum-alongs that you can master in 20 minutes, dedicated beginners columns for acoustic and electric fans, full transcriptions of songs from a huge variety of genres, plus in-depth tuition on the more advanced techniques and tracks we publish.

If you're looking for the latest reviews of the guitar world's coolest products, TG is where it's at. We scour the market each month to make sure you have a killer selection of the best gear out there, within a price range that's affordable and realistic during these financially tough times.

Can I have a sneak peek of the mag?

Sure thing! You can check back here every month to see what's going on in our latest issue, and you can also check out a PDF sample of the mag by visiting www.zinio.com and typing Total Guitar into the search button.

You can also sign up to our newsletter, to find out the latest goings-on at TG Towers and what we have coming up each issue. It's simple to do and will keep you up to date on what's hot in Guitar Land.

Meet 'Team TG'

Stephen Lawson - Editor

As Editor of TG for nearly six years, Steve is well versed in all things guitar - he's signed off a whopping 78 issues of the mag and counting! Steve loves meeting readers at various festivals and shows and getting feedback on the mag and how we can serve you best.

Favourite guitar player: Jimi Hendrix
Favourite guitar: PRS SE singlecut
Favourite riff: Led Zeppelin 'Black Dog'
Favourite solo: Eagles 'Hotel California'

Claire Davies - Acting Editor

Responsible for features, cover features and new bands, as well as holding the forte in the boss' absence, Claire is continuously on the scout for new music and cool feature ideas. Some of her favourite interviews so far have been with Tony Iommi, Lamb Of God, Machine Head, Newton Faulkner and My Passion.

Favourite guitar player: Angus Young
Favourite guitar: Gretsch White Falcon
Favourite riff: Slayer 'Angel Of Death'
Favourite solo: My Morning Jacket 'Dondante'

Lucy Rice - Production Editor

Don't mess with The Riceinator. TG's resident grammar tyrant gets awful grumpy if you miss a deadline, misplace an apostrophe or use the dreaded phrase 'spice up'. Wanna know which issue of TG a particular feature was published in? Just ask Ricey. She's got the memory of an elephant!

Favourite guitar player: Brian Setzer
Favourite guitar: Fender Telecaster
Favourite riff: The Cult 'She Sells Sanctuary'
Favourite solo: Lynyrd Skynyrd 'Free Bird'

Stuart Williams - Reviews Editor

As TG's Reviews Editor, Stu spends his time sniffing out the hottest gear on the market for our Rocked & Rated section, while his taste in music would suggest that he's trapped in the nineties. Rarely seen without coffee, Stu has a mind for useless trivia and recently retired undefeated as the self proclaimed South-West Thumb War champion.

Favourite guitar player: Tom Morello
Favourite guitar: ESP Eclipse
Favourite riff: Deftones 'My Own Summer (Shove It)'
Favourite solo: RATM 'Take The Power Back'

John Blackshaw - Deputy Art Editor

Total Guitar's art guru. Half human, half Macintosh. Running on a diet of Caffeine and KFC, John can be found making all of the Total Guitar heroes and latest gear look super sexy with his Photoshop wizardry. Favourite TG memory: giving Zakk Wylde his first Strongbow

Favourite guitar player: Zakk Wylde
Favourite guitar: Gibson Zakk Wylde Bullseye Les Paul
Favourite riff: Down 'Stone The Crow'
Favourite solo: Van Halen 'Eruption'

Matt Parker - Staff Writer

Matt sorts out our online content as well as the magazine's news, albums reviews and occasional features. He particularly likes music of the loud, three-chord variety, weird guitars and colourful effects pedals with stupid names. He will form a band with anyone after two pints.

Favourite guitar player: Jimmy Page
Favourite guitar: Fender Mustang
Favourite riff: The Stooges 'I Wanna Be Your Dog'
Favourite solo: Led Zeppelin 'Good Times, Bad Times'

Where can I buy Total Guitar?

As Europe's best-selling guitar magazine, you can pick up a copy of TG from all major retailers and supermarkets, so next time you or your parents have to do the dreaded food shop, stick a copy of TG in your basket to make it worth your while!

If you don't fancy leaving the comfort of your home, you can also buy TG online: check out www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk or www.zinio.com. Just type Total Guitar into the search area on either site, select your issue and job done! It'll be posted direct to your house (or inbox) with no fuss.

Of course, the best way to ensure you never miss an issue of Total Guitar is by subscribing. Click on our Subscriptions link for more details.

Back issues

We've all done it: misplaced a copy of TG and for the life of us we don't know where it's gone. If you ever find yourself in the same boat, you can get a back issue of TG from our dedicated Back Issues department. They hold issues as far back as six months from the current issue on sale, and they will post direct to your door too. Call us on 0844 848 2852 and don't forget to have the number of the issue you need at hand.

Subscriptions

Each month we offer a killer free gift when you take out a subscription to TG, and it also means that you get your copy of the mag ahead of folks who buy Total Guitar from the supermarket or newsagents, as well as saving save oodles of cash (35 per cent) on the cover price.

If that's not enough to turn your head, have a read of what our pals Slash and Synyster Gates have to say about TG…

"Total Guitar is one of, if not the best, rock guitar magazines around. It is entertaining, but also informative and comprehensive, without taking itself too seriously. It has everything for the up and coming guitarist without being intimidating and everything for the professional guitarist, without being too predictable. Good stuff."
Slash

"I'd like to thank Total Guitar for its amazing support, not just for Avenged Sevenfold or myself, but for music and musicians. There's a certain magic about playing an instrument with such passion and undying devotion that only a player will ever get to feel or know, and to have a magazine specifically for those people in the industry as well as the 14 year old kid at home who just wants to develop his craft, is a wonderful gift."
Synyster Gates, Avenged Sevenfold

Click on our Subscriptions link for more information on subscribing to TG or visit www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk or call 0844 848 2852 for UK readers and (+44) (0) 1604 251045 for international readers.

How to advertise in TG

So you want to advertise in Europe's best-selling guitar mag? Of course you do! We have one of the best advertising teams in the business, and are on hand to discuss all your advertising needs and queries in a friendly, informative manner.

To place or discuss an ad in TG, or to get a media pack and current rates card, call us on 01225 442244 and ask for one of the following:

James L'Esteve

Martin Hughes

Alison Watson