Latest Players

Son House performing circa 1960

Here’s How Bottleneck Master Son House Set a Precedent for What Blues – and, in Turn, Rock and Roll – Could Be

By Guitar Player Staff published

A part-time preacher, the blues legend – born Edward James House Jr. – influenced generations

Lead Belly playin 12-string acoustic guitar

He Escaped From a Chain Gang, Charmed His Way out of Prison, and Was Immortalized in Music History: How Lead Belly Became a Guitar Legend

By Guitar Player Staff published

The forefather of rock and roll was charming and dangerous in equal measure

Howlin' Wolf (1910 - 1976) performs at the Cafe Au Go Go in New York City, 6th December 1967.

Watch Howlin’ Wolf’s Electrifying “Smokestack Lightning” Performance Featuring Hubert Sumlin on Guitar

By Guitar Player Staff published

Video The biggest, baddest voice of the Chicago blues scene, Wolf was a far-reaching inspiration

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Sister Rosetta Tharpe photographed at Wilbraham Road Station in Manchester, England, while filming the Granada Television special Blues And Gospel Train, on May 7, 1964.

Watch Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s Iconic "Didn't It Rain?" Live Performance

By Guitar Player Staff published

Video The guitar heroine blazed a trail for Chuck Berry and the first wave of rock and roll

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Kaki King performs at the Everest Awakening: A Prayer For Nepal And Beyond at City Winery on May 17, 2015 in New York City.

Five Reasons Kaki King Is a Guitar Legend

By Guitar Player Staff published

In King’s hands, the guitar becomes a canvas for a revolutionary reassertion of the instrument’s role in music and art

Lonnie Mack's 'The Memphis Sounds of Lonnie Mack' album artwork

On ‘The Memphis Sounds,’ Lonnie Mack Shreds and Displays a Virtuosity That Could Humble Blues Breaker-Era Eric Clapton

By Jim Campilongo published

His Gibson Flying V played through a Magnatone 460 amplifier sounds truly iconic

Harrison with his Rickenbacker 360/12 on the set of the Beatles’ 1964 film, A Hard Day’s Night. (From left) Actor John Junkin, Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, director Richard Lester and Ringo Starr

“People Always Say I’m the Beatle Who Changed the Most”: The Incredible Story of How George Harrison Became a Guitar Legend

By Christopher Scapelliti published

While all the elements of Harrison’s guitar style were falling into place, the Beatles were falling apart. Here’s what happened…

13th December 1969: George Harrison (1943 - 2001) of the Beatles at a concert in Copenhagen with Eric Clapton and Delaney and Bonnie.

10 of George Harrison’s Best Tracks

By Christopher Scapelliti published

These deep cuts showcase a confident artist at their creative peak

Keith Richards (right) and American musician Waddy Wachtel of the X-pensive Winos perform on stage during their 'Main Offender' tour, early 1993.

“I’ve Been Privileged to Play on so Many Great and Important Records”: Session Veteran Waddy Wachtel Reveals His Top Six Career-Defining Tracks

By Joe Bosso published

From Linda Ronstadt, Warren Zevon and Stevie Nicks to Steve Perry, Keith Richards and the Rolling Stones, here are the six of the best from the “rock and roll specialist”

Devendra Banhart with 1965/1966 Fender Jaguar

“The Essence of the Song Is Not Just the Notes but the Space Between Those Notes”: Devendra Banhart Talks Songwriting and the Importance of Silence

By Richard Bienstock published

“The guitar is terrain for endless exploration,” says the Venezuelan-American maestro

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