Guitar Masters

Book excerpt: (Book). The guitar, particularly in its electric form, is the most influential instrument of the past 60 years. Guitar Masters spotlights the players who made it that way: the visionary talents and living legends who developed the sound and style of the electric guitar as we know and love it. This book traces the life stories and assesses the musical legacies of such superstar guitarists as Jeff Beck and Keith Richards as well as anonymous but influential sidemen and behind-the-scenes stalwarts such as James Burton. Veteran music journalist Alan di Perna draws on three decades' worth of experience as a writer and interviewer to extract the essence of what makes these gifted guitarists so influential and unique. Their stories are as diverse as they are inspiring. Yet what all these guitar masters share is an unshakable dedication to their craft and a deeply intuitive connection with their chosen instrument. Whether you're a fan, a player, or a master in your own right, Guitar Masters will give you new insights into the lives and music of the players to whom we owe our very notion of what a guitar sounds like and its extraordinary power to move people like no other instrument.