INNOVATIONS ONLY MATTER if someone puts them to use, and in the world of the electric guitar, there has always been a player or two eager to put the latest piece of gear to work, all in the hope of taking performance and tone to the next level. Ever since Charlie Christian moved the electric guitar from the back of the orchestra to the forefront with his blade pickup–equipped Gibson ES-150, players have been exploring new ways to make the guitar speak what is inside of them, whether through pickups, hardware, amps, effects or newfangled accessories that can spark the imagination.
While the bulk of these innovations have been the handiwork of enterprising inventors like Ray Butts, Seth Lover, Jim Marshall and Roger Mayer, many of them were pushed along their path by guitarists unsatisfied with the sound of their instrument, amplifier or effects. A few remarkable individuals — like Les Paul and Tom Scholz — wore both the hat of performer and inventor.
All of which is to say the electric guitar would be nowhere today if it weren’t for the players who we celebrate in this issue.
CHARLIE CHRISTIAN
HE BROUGHT THE ELECTRIC GUITAR TO THE FOREFRONT OF MUSIC
This story is from the April 2022 edition of Guitar Player.
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This story is from the April 2022 edition of Guitar Player.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
PRS
PREVIOUSLY PART OF PRS's Maryland-built guitar line, the SE NF3 was recently reissued in the company's offshore-produced SE series. The SE NF3 is so named for its Narrowfield Deep Dish (a.k.a. DD) \"S\" pickups. These unique PRS-design units have deeper bobbins to accommodate more windings and extra metal pieces between the magnets to yield a more powerful \"single-coil\" tone, while remaining noise-free because they are in fact humbuckers. A control set consisting of master volume, tone and a five-way blade switch allows the usual selections of bridge, middle and neck pickups by themselves and the neck-plus-middle and bridge-plus-middle combinations that allow the SE NF3 to veer into Strat-like territory in switch positions two and four.
EPIPHONE
Inspired by Gibson Custom 1963 Firebird V and 1959 ES-355
Dobro 101
A look at the iconic bluegrass slide box.
CERTIFIED GREATNESS
Fingerstyle master Tommy Emmanuel combines unique musical instincts and breathtaking technique to become an acoustic tour de force.
MASTER OF HIS OWN JOURNEY
For more than 50 years, David Lindley graced albums and concert stages with his singular talent on a vast range of stringed instruments. In this Guitar Player exclusive, his musical friends — including Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder and Bonnie Raitt - pay tribute to an original.
TRANSCENDENTAL MAN
Luther Dickinson interpreted a priceless work of art in music. In the process, the blues guitarist wrote his own next chapter.
THE BEAT GOES ON
Together with Tony Levin, Adrian Belew and Steve Vai join forces for a Robert Fripp-endorsed revival of King Crimson's groundbreaking 1980s music.
I'M 100 PERCENT HAPPY WITH THE WORK I'VE DONE WITH PINK FLOYD. BUT...'MY FOCUS IS DIFFERENT RIGHT NOW'
Leading a rock group and being a solo artist were \"not what I asked for,\" David Gilmour says. For Luck and Strange, he assembled a team that shared the weight of his creative efforts. The result? \"The best album I've made since The Dark Side of the Moon.\"
DOUG GILLARD IS INDISPENSABLE
His six-string genius has proved vital to the music of Guided by Voices, Nada Surf and other indie-rock favorites. But all he really wants is to make good music.
Sol Salvation
The genius of Sol Hoopii is preserved in 16 timeless cuts on Master of the Hawaiian Guitar.
