We all know Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Neil Young; household names of course…these master guitar players changed music forever. But what about the thousands of guitarists out there who don’t always make Rolling Stone’s top guitarist lists? They certainly too deserve recognition! So we wanted to highlight a few of our faves here:

1. Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo

Via Wikipedia:

Ira Kaplan is the co-founder, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of the American indie rock band Yo La Tengo . Kaplan’s gear is a point of interest for many fans and aspiring guitarists.

Guitars:

• Candy Apple Red Fender Jazzmaster, with tortoise shell pickguard.
• Sunburst Fender Jaguar
• Natural Fender Stratocaster
• Sunburst Jerry Donahue Signature Telecaster
• Purple Sparkle Danelectro 12-string

2. Jane Wiedlin of the Go Go’s 

Via Wikipedia:

Jane Marie Genevieve Wiedlin (born May 20, 1958) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and actress. She is best known as the rhythm guitarist of the all-female New Wave band The Go-Go’s.

Guitars:

GIBSON SG STANDARD ELECTRIC GUITAR
CUSTOM SHOP MODEL

3. Robert Fripp of King Crimson

 Via Wikipedia:

Among rock guitarists, Fripp is a master of crosspicking, a technique often associated with the banjo. His compositions often feature unusual time signatures, which have been influenced by classical and folk traditions. His innovations have included Frippertronics following collaboration with Brian Eno, soundscapes, and New Standard Tuning.

Guitars

During the early years of King Crimson (1969–1974), Fripp used two Gibson Les Paul guitars from 1957 and 1959. The ’57 guitar featured three humbucker pick-ups (with one volume control on the pickguard controlling the middle pick-up). A signature model named for the guitarist (Crimson Guitars Robert Fripp Signature)^[features Fernandes Sustainer and MIDI elements, with a Les Paul Model Body. Another difference from the Gibson Les Paul is that Fripp’s guitar is built using a deep set neck tenon rather than a traditional set neck.

So we hope you enjoyed our little journey into some of our favorite guitar players that aren’t household names. If you have a suggestion for a guitar player that should be highlighted please leave it in the comments below!

-LAMA Staff