Tim Montana grew up without electricity or running water. Now he’s recorded with Jerry Cantrell, Slash and Billy Gibbons

The useful part

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How it works

• It's still a marked improvement on how he grew up while learning to play guitar.
• "I'm very fortunate now, but a single-wide trailer with no electricity and an outhouse is how I spent most of my life," he says of his rural upbringing.
• Back then he kept himself occupied with a nylon-string acoustic and a Squier while learning how to fret the grungy guitar riffs he still favors today, and making a deal with his maker: if music didn't pan...
• Drown, a work-in-progress that's a highlight of the album.

What to take from it

"Jerry was like, 'You got something for me to shred on?' I was like, 'Yeah, actually, I do.' I was kind of nervous that he was gonna be like, 'Are you ripping off my sound?' I fixed that problem by having him play it! Explore Explore New Gear Discover guitars, pedals and amps with expert reviews. Explore Members Exclusive Guitar World Magazine Save on subscriptions to the world's best-selling guitar magazine.

Example or evidence

• It wasn't mapped out in advance: "I had one or two collabs in mind but it wasn't intended to be a giant collab album.
• The two are also building a street rod together, a '42 Ford, fitted with a pair of Magnatone amplifiers in the back.
• Lodging in his tour vehicle is only temporary while he renovates his family's nearby permanent lodgings.
• Todd Lund) Then, at 39-and-a-half, his song Devil You Know became his first bonafide hit after nearly two decades of grinding.

Details worth keeping

Keep earning badges Explore ways to get more involved as a member. Discover Guitar Lessons Explore techniques, riffs and playing tips. He's enjoyed some big moments before reaching that golden age, like performing his song Butte, America on Letterman in 2008, scoring co-writing credits with Gibbons on his 2016 album Tim Montana and the Shrednecks, and touring with ZZ Top and Kid Rock.

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