Famous Guitarists: Read about all time famous guitar players, their works and their guitars. There are some musicians who can speak a lot better through their music instruments, compared to what many do using words & text. Here are guitarists/musicians who were masters of their work.
Angus Young
Guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC
Carlos Santana
Mexican rock guitarist. Genres: Latin, rock, blues, and jazz fusion
Eric Clapton
Grammy Award winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, composer and one of the most successful musicians.
Jimi Hendrix
American guitarist, singer and songwriter. One of the greatest and most influential guitarists in rock music history.
Jimmy Page
English guitarist, composer and record producer. Founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin
Joe Satriani
American guitarist
Keith Richards
English guitarist, songwriter, singer, producer and founding member of The Rolling Stones
Kirk Hammett
Lead guitarist in the band Metallica
Slash
English-American guitarist. Former lead guitarist of Guns N’ Roses and current lead guitarist of Velvet Revolver.
Yngwie Malmsteen
Swedish guitarist, composer and bandleader. Neo-classical metal genre
Guitar Masters Tour with Andy Mckee and Preston Reed, Astra in Berlin
Just look at the dexterity of Andy Mckee and Preston Reed, these guys can make the acoustic guitar sound so cool. Just sit back in amazement and enjoy their performance.
You definitely have to place these percussive style guitarists at the top with the names of other guitar players, who play in other styles.
Guitarist Chuck Berry: Rock ‘n’ Rolls first true superstar
Chuck berry, one of the pioneers of Rock n Roll, died recently. Chuck Berry was the man behind the songs “Roll Over Beethoven”, “Johnny B. Goode”. Many say that Mr. Berry’s unique created sound and style made him the genre’s first true superstar.
During the 50s and the 60s, berry’s music signaled a new era in Rock n Roll.
The singers ability to seamlessly blend music styles like RnB and Rock music had a powerful influence on other bands like The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, to name a few.
Berry experienced a career resurgence in the mid-eighties and the nineties. His music entered pop culture in films such as Back to the future and Pulp Fiction.
In 1984, Berry received the Grammy Lifestyle Achievement award and a year later he became the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame’s first inductee.
Chuck berry’s remarkable contribution to music will forever remain a part of Rock n Roll culture.
Chuck Berry – Guitar Style
Want to learn how to play rock’n’roll on guitar, just hear Chuck Berry’s playing. His licks were unique that subsequently influenced guitar players for years.
The Chuck Berry guitar sound relies a lot on his use of ‘doublestops’ or two-note licks on the top two strings, punctuated by third-string bends (checkout “Johnny B Goode”, “Rock And Roll Music” or “Roll Over Beethoven” for Chuck Berry’s typical playing style).
Berry, despite his lean build, had large hands, which may have helped him use those talented fingers all over the fretboard.
Ted Nugent: “If you don’t know every Chuck Berry lick, you can’t play rock guitar.”
Chuck Berry has been seen using the following guitars:
- 1956 Gibson ES-350TN
- Gibson ES-335 Dot Plain-top Electric Guitar
- Gibson Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar
- Gibson ES-350T
- Gibson ES-355 Electric Guitar
- Gibson B.B. King Lucille Electric Guitar
- Gibson Flying V Electric Guitar
- 1959 Gretsch 6120
- Gretsch G6136DC White Falcon Double Cutaway
- Gibson 1964 ES-345 TDC Maestro
Carlos Santana, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, and Paul Reed Smith on Guitars
Conversation among great musicians, featuring Carlos Santana, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, and Paul Reed Smith.
If you are an aspiring musician or a guitar player wanting to improve, there’s a lot to be learnt from here.
While Santana and the Allman Brothers were on a recent tour, Paul Reed Smith sat down with this group of highly-respected guitarists to have a casual conversation about tone, finding your voice, and being a musician.
As they say, you may be able to play a million notes, but it won’t mean a thing if you don’t feel it. Listen to what these greats feel about guitar, and music in general.
Warren’s observation about young people not knowing the difference between performing from the heart, and not performing from the heart, because they have nothing to refer to is just SPOT on!
Watch this video for these musicians who continue to enlighten the younger generations, and ensure that the power and emotion we feel in music is never lost.
Life Lessons Straight from Bob Dylan
We all agree that Bob Dylan is a legend, and how can you ignore a legend? We had to include this as homage to the great man — Bob Dylan and His Acoustic Guitar.
“Bob Dylan poses for a portrait with his Gibson Acoustic guitar, Sept. 1961, in New York City. Jon Friedman Forget About Today Singer. Songwriter. Poet. Visionary. Genius. Bob Dylan, 71, has been characterized many ways, but rarely as a career coach or …TIME”
http://entertainment.time.com/2012/09/05/life-lessons-from-bob-dylan/
We believe that the guitar makes the man, and that he or she who dies with the most guitars wins. Okay…not really.
In the case of this legend, Bob Dylan would have been a phenomenal songwriter and acoustic guitar guru even without this popular tool.
Where Did The Beatles Buy Their First Guitars?
The Beatles are among the most popular bands in the history of music; find out where they bought their guitars and other music equipment from.
Because the UK had been ravaged by the Second World War, British teenagers did not have much money in the mid-’50s.
That is why teenagers formed their own skiffle (music genre) groups to earn some spare cash, but they still owed to the instrument stores. The teens played cheap acoustic guitars, tea-chest basses, and washboards with thimbles. As they earned more money in their day jobs, they could buy electric instruments and amplifiers, crank up the volume, and play rock’n’roll. They still wouldn’t be able to afford them outright but they could sign up and pay by instalments. That was the career path of so many UK bands.
Liverpool is where it all started for the Beatles. The Beatles bought instruments at Hessy’s and Rushworth’s. They heard new US singles they wanted to cover at NEMS. They signed their first management contract at NEMS and Pete Best was sacked there.(NEMS and Rushworth’s were on Whitechapel while Hessy’s was only a few steps from Whitechapel on Stanley Street.)
Situated only a few hundred yards across the street from Rushworth’s, Hessy’s were Liverpool’s other main supplier of musical instruments. The shop was run by Frank Hessy, ably assisted by Jim Gretty. After becoming the Beatles’ manager, one of Brian Epstein’s first tasks was to settle the outstanding credit due to Hessy’s for the group’s instruments. The sum amounted to £ 200 – thousands of pounds by today’s standards.
Ron Wood’s Guitar Collection
Ronald David “Ronnie” Wood is an English rock musician, best known as a former member of the Jeff Beck Group, Faces, and a member of the Rolling Stones.
He began his career as a professional musician when he joined the Birds on the guitar.
Though guitar is his primary instrument, Wood also can play harmonica, and on several occasion has helped with the vocals and bass for their band’s recordings.
Ron wood is a top lead player but then most of his fans think that he has done amazing work with the Faces, and his talent seem to get wasted with the ‘Stones’.
Nevertheless, many musicians would die to be a part of the Rolling Stones (you’re offered guaranteed legend status right away). Woody was a perfect fit for the band, and he’s partly responsible for helping the band get through some of the bad times.
Here’s a video where Ronnie Wood shows off his guitars.
What Does Jeff Beck’s Guitar Collection Looks Like?
If you’re fond of rock music and love guitar, there’s no way you may not have heard about Jeff Beck. A guitar legend (although not as successful commercially as his peers Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page), Jeff Beck is definitely among the most talented guys to have played the guitar, and someone who inspires all the guitar players to be better at their craft.
Jeff Beck (Geoffrey Arnold Beck) is basically an English rock guitarist, and is one of the three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds. Beck also formed The Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice.
Here’s a video where Jeff shows off some of his favorite guitars. If you have ever owned one of these guitars, I’m sure you would be eager to see how the same guitar sounds in the hand of a true Guitar God.
Like most experienced players, even Jeff has traded guitars, which he wish hadn’t sold (he still misses his Esquire).
I’m sure there are many guitar players out there who would trade all their guitars to get a fraction of the talent Jeff Beck has.
Watch Blues Rock God ‘Dan Auerbach’ of the Black Keys, sharing his secrets of how to play slide guitar, on the popular show ‘Guitar Moves’.
Dan is one of the few modern day musicians, who can play really soulful music.
Dan discusses music and also play licks, riffs, and some solos. I wish the interviewer was more skillful and could make the most out of this opportunity with Dan Auerbach.
There’s a lot you can learn, in terms of techniques used, just by watching these great guitar players perform.
Watch ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons share their music secrets on the popular show ‘Guitar Moves’. “Billy” Gibbons is an American musician & actor, best known as the guitarist of the American rock band ‘ZZ Top’. Guitar Moves is a show where the viewers gets an opportunity to interact with famous musicians.
Watch Billy Gibbons discuss guitars & music, and he also shows his skills on the guitar and also explains more about their style & sound.
Top Female Guitarists with Amazing Guitar Playing Skills
So you thought most females end up as singers or playing the piano? Take a look at these talented female guitar players who know how to get the party rolling.
Watch them play the lead, rhythm, solos, counterpoint lines, and occasionally showing off the chops.
More great female guitar players include Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Nancy Wilson, Donita Sparks, Kelley Deal, Carrie Brownstein, Poison Ivy, Ruyter Suys, Marnie Stern, Bonnie Raitt.
Top 10 Female Guitarists of All Time
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
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