Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Bon Jovi guitarist Phil X joins Paul Riario at the Guitar World studio to talk about his new Gibson signature SG, 13 years in Bon Jovi, the Triumph 50th anniversary tour, and a session career that took in Alice Cooper, Tommy Lee, Avril Lavigne and Daughtry. He digs into Van Halen, why modelers still sound fake to him, the hand injury that nearly ended his soloing, and the work behind what looks like a charmed life.

0:00 Intro
1:10 Fretted Americana, and being reckless on camera
4:05 The signature SG, and the neodymium P90
8:37 In-ears, wedges, and Angus Young's amp tech
10:43 Three things that scream fake to him
12:47 The gig with a broken tube and a dead battery
14:52 Van Halen, and where Eddie got his licks
28:02 Elvis at eight, and Ted Nugent at eleven
30:32 Toronto to LA, and being told they were too old
35:10 The session years, and the money going away
40:09 Triumph, Bon Jovi, and the year he's having
45:12 Playing with your heroes
54:16 Hard work, plateaus, and the ulnar nerve

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