Whitesnake/uFO legend Bernie Marsden pays credit to the path of players who led him to greatness.
I’ve been fortunate to have a long career, but I can’t begin to imagine how many guitarists I have heard in the years I have been treading the boards. As a budding teenager I saw in my young eyes wonderful players every Friday and Saturday night, sometimes on Sundays at lunchtime pub gigs, but seeing people actually playing their Fender or Gibson was a joy on its own. I thought all of them were the greatest guitarists I had ever heard, and the truth is that some of them were. I played shows as a teenager with Mick Green, Mick Abrahams, Miller Anderson and I was in awe of them all. Turning professional really opened my eyes. I went from being the local hotshot in front of a couple of hundred people in a packed pub, to a real-life pro with UFO in front of 1,500 people at a festival in Germany. I soon realised that I had a way to go, I can tell you.
A guitar player asked a question at one of my clinics recently. It’s a question I am asked on a regular basis, and one I know a lot of people are curious about. He asked whom I thought was ‘the greatest ever guitarist’. I took a while to answer, and I think this frustrated me more than him. I have a problem with the question though, and that is that I believe there is no such thing as ‘the greatest’ or ‘the best’, but just players who make a sound that moves you and delights your ears.
Denne historien er fra July 2017-utgaven av Guitarist.
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Denne historien er fra July 2017-utgaven av Guitarist.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Sonic Shaper
Electro-Harmonix revisits the effect that launched the company with the LPB-3 Linear Power Booster and EQ
Platinum Blonde
PRS has updated its Texas-voiced David Grissom signature amp with more features, lower wattage and a more approachable price tag
TAN LINES
Many of us regard straps as a bit of an afterthought, but to find one that matches the quality of a custom or vintage guitar, Rod Boyes of Pinegrove Leather can help
ELECTRIC STRINGS
Your tone starts with your strings - strike a balance between sound, tuning and durability with six of our favourites
DIFFERENT WINDS
While there's no end to repros of all the classic pickup styles, more and more pickup makers are mixing things up to move forward - Cream T is a good example
Long termers
A few months' gigging, recording and everything that goes with it - welcome to Guitarist's longterm test report
Top Guns
Chapman's new factory move coincides with a bit of a rethink. We track down the key players all around the world
the Wishlist
Dream gear to beg, borrow and steal for...
Reach For The Star
Earlier this year Guild reorganised its 70s-era Polara range. We spent some time with this mid-range 2024 model: a modern pawn-shop prize or a copy too far?
HIGH FLYER
Adrian Thorpe of ThorpyFX remembers the flight path - and turbulence behind Chris Buck's Electric Lightning overdrive/boost, named after a fighter jet and packing a bona fide valve