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- Art Thompson
- Muriel Anderson. Besides being a badass finger-stylist, harp guitarist, stylistic adventurer, and the first woman to win the National Fingerpicking Guitar Championship, Anderson gives back to the community through her Music for Life Alliance and her hosting of Muriel Anderson’s All-Star Guitar Night.
- Badi Assad. Due to her astounding technique and impassioned performances, GP readers voted Assad the Best Acoustic Finger-stylist in 1995, unaware that, three years later, focal dystonia would nearly destroy her abilities.
- Chet Atkins. Though Chester Atkins helped introduce the electric guitar into popular music, his stunning fingerpicking and counterpoint translated to the acoustic version as well.
- Pierre Bensusan. This French-Algerian guitarist is widely recognized for his ability to fuse musical influences from many cultures and present them in his compositions with uncanny skill, using his guitar to drive the melody and rhythm, while often bringing in vocal improvisations to create the impression of a “group” performance for his audiences.
Jun 25, 2024 · From virtuoso instrumentalists to culture-changing singer-songwriters, there is no end of players that could be included. Whittling the entire history of the acoustic guitar down to the 21 greatest and most influential acoustic guitar players ever has been tough.
- Tony Rice
- Django Reinhardt
- Jerry Reed
- Billy Strings
- Eric Clapton
- Tommy Emmanuel
- Doc Watson
- Del McCoury
- Jimmy Martin
- Andres Segovia
As far as bluegrass goes, Tony Rice was one of the most influential guitar players in the genre. With a career spanning over 40 years, his contributions remain to be reflected upon by generations of guitarists. Throughout his career, Rice had many collaborations with some of the most well-known musicians in bluegrass. In fact, Rice was instrumental...
If you thought playing with a full set of fingers on your fretting hand was hard, try working with 2. Django Reinhardt has proven that he could do with 2 fingers what most people can’t do with a full set. When he was younger, this jazz guitarist lost most of the function of his fretting hand fingers in a fire. He was left with an index finger and a...
In the 1960s, the guitar was starting to be utilized in a number of different ways. Artists were discovering how to push the instrument in different directions. Jerry Reed was a Georgia native who developed a very unique swamp country style. His playing was completely mind-bending, although Reed made it look like it was easy. In some ways, Reed was...
Billy Stringsmight be one of the youngest players on this list, but don’t let that fool you. This guitarist has shown the world that he can play the guitar just as well as the greats. Before he was even 30 years old, he was invited to play with the biggest names in the industry. He is starting to become a household name with some of his more recent...
For most of his career, Eric Clapton has been seen primarily with an electric guitar in hand. In fact, he is probably better known for being an electric player. However, when he released his infamous MTV Unplugged album in the 90s, he showed he was a competent acoustic player. This album remains to be one of the best albums of all time and helped C...
If you ask anyone who the most influential fingerpicker of all time is, they’d most likely answer Tommy Emmanuel. It’s a safe bet to say that this is a common belief amongst most guitarists. Listening to any Emmanuel piece will blow your mind with his complex fingerstyle patterns and use of rhythm. Emmanuel is by far one of the most virtuosic acous...
As far as traditional styles of bluegrass and country music go, Doc Watson is one of the best. His legacy remains to be extremely influential and his name is synonymous with bluegrass music. While he might have been blind, Doc Watson employed a masterful touch on the guitar. His flatpicking skills were otherworldly for the time, prompting many guit...
Del McCoury is another name that is synonymous with bluegrass music. Since 1958, he’s been actively pushing the boundaries of what is capable in the genre. While you might recognize him by his iconic hairstyle, Del’s playing is truly the star of the show. His stage presence is calm and he’s not afraid to shout if one of his bandmates plays some sli...
Most music genres seem to have their own kings. Blues has B.B. King, rock has Elvis, but who is the king of bluegrass? That distinction would have to go to Jimmy Martin, who spent a great deal of time working with Bill Monroe. Martin’s contributions helped to push Monroe’s sound in a different direction, which was highly successful. Eventually, Mar...
The name Segovia is often synonymous with the classical guitar style. He has done more for this style of guitar than just about anyone else in modern history. Segovia was truly a virtuosic player, but he was kind enough to share his talents with the world. Quite a few professionals in today’s industry actually studied under Segovia as a guitar stud...
- Rob Power
- Tommy Emmanuel. Don't Miss. The 30 best acoustic songs of all time. There are many emulators, but there is only one Tommy Emmanuel. Has he ever dropped a note?
- Django Reinhardt. We all know the Django story, but the actual recorded evidence is something else altogether. The hot jazz genius was a formidable speedster, yes, but his playing was also full of life and love, a romanticism that belongs to another century.
- Paco de Lucía. Not sure where to start with flamenco? Check out Paco de Lucía and have your mind blown. Paco casts a huge shadow over the flamenco world, and is arguably the finest exponent of the Spanish style, well, ever.
- Chet Atkins. Chet Atkins was the man. Beloved of the generation of guitarists that went on to be the generation of the ‘60s, Chet was the titan of country music whose flatpickin’, acoustic-ripping playing would give anyone pause to stop, listen and admire.
Jan 16, 2023 · A comprehensive rundown of the best guitarists of all time, featuring the trailblazers, the early innovators, the best jazz, rock, indie, blues, metal and acoustic players – and the top guitarists around today...
1 day ago · 50. The Entertainer – Chet Atkins 49. Shape Of My Heart – Sting 48. Somebody That I Used To Know – Mike Dawes 47. The River – Bruce Springsteen 46. Cross Road Blues – Robert Johnson 45. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning – Richard Thompson 44. Spanish Fly – Van Halen 43. Just Breathe – Pearl Jam 42.
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Feb 22, 2024 · Fast forward a few decades and today, Andy McKee is considered one of the best acoustic guitarists in the world because he can magically transform a steel string guitar into a full orchestra using his signature two-handed technique.
