Tommy Emmanuel’s percussive, expressive style of playing, perfected over decades, has earned him a devoted following. He is frequently cited as one of the greatest living acoustic guitarists, if not one of the best all-time. Unsurprisingly for someone of his virtuosic ability, Tommy’s musical career started at a very young age. Emmanuel, an Australian, was …
George Harrison and his band, The Beatles, has influenced entire generations of musicians, winning 12 GRAMMY awards, being nominated for 39, won 16 NME awards, earned an Oscar, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (twice), and is ranked 11th on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Guitarists list. Although he might have been …
If you compile a list of the greatest bass players to ever live, Geddy Lee would easily end up toward the top of the list. Lee’s sound was so unique that he inspired countless musicians, including Metallica’s Cliff Burton, Primus’ Les Claypool, Rage Against the Machine’s Tim Commerford, Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris, and Dream Theater’s …
Long before the advent of rock and roll, and high-speed shredding was a key part of any lead guitarist’s arsenal, there was jazz. Bold techniques, inspirational improvisation, and encyclopedic knowledge of music weren’t just desirable for post-war jazz musicians. They were a minimum requirement. Among the kings and key innovators in the genre was Wes …
Chris Stapleton wasn’t always going to be a musician. Born into a family of coal miners in Kentucky, far from the bright lights of Nashville, Tennessee, he was a high school football player. Stapleton actually enrolled in Vanderbilt University to study engineering, when his prolific songwriting habit led him to leave for Nashville. Upon arriving …
Few guitar players have managed to redefine the boundaries of the art of guitar like Polyphia’s mastermind Tim Henson. Even fewer managed to do so in the twenty-first century, when it seemed like all that could be said on the electric guitar was already said. After all, didn’t Eddie Van Halen already redefine guitar as …
Bruce Springsteen, aka The Boss. Frontman of the E Street band, sleeves rolled up, leading nightly worship at the church of rock and roll. No singer or songwriter before or since has so relentlessly and so wholeheartedly documented the distance between the American dream and American reality. Armed with his Fender Esquire, a book brimming …
The world of heavy metal has its share of guitar virtuosos, but very few have the ability to stand out like Mick Thomson. Not only does he play with skill and precision, but his unorthodox style has helped influence the sound of modern metal in a rather innovative way. Recognized on stage by his iconic …
The blues is much more than just a genre of music. It’s a tool of expression that taps mankind’s very most powerful emotions. The powerful, authentic, and honest quality of the blues comes largely from its humble roots as “work songs” and “hollers” by African American men and women in the United States of America’s …
Billy Corgan is an avowed music fan and remains devoted to the pursuit of the ultimate guitar tone for his unparalleled sonic vision. He owes much of his buzzsaw-like tone from the classic Smashing Pumpkins era to his Lace Sensor-equipped Stratocasters, which subsequent guitars have attempted to either improve on or recapture. As an unparalleled …