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Sitting at number four on Rolling Stones greatest 250 guitars list for his innovative use of the three finger tapping technique, tremolo picking, creative use of the floating whammy bar and emulating wild animal noises (The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, 2023), Eddie Van Halen is an iconic player that reinvented the guitar (Hudson, 2020), not only through his playing, but the way guitars and amplifiers are built today, allowing for high gain distortion. (Wylde, Z. as cited in Blabbermouth.net, 2021).

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Jimi Hendrix was the first guitar player to incorporate an extensive amount of tone altering effects such as fuzz, controlled feedback, distortion, wah and uni-vibe, and is a strong influence for how the guitar and tone is perceived today (The Technology of Jimi Hendrix — The JHS Show, 2022). With his music, Hendrix also aimed to uplift, challenge, and bring people together while advocating for racial equality, peace, and modifications to the 1960s cultural output (Alexandre, 2023).

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Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 2021 for musical excellence (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 2021), Randy Rhoads utilized his strong classical music background to play melodically fluid and harmonic riffs and solos. His interesting use of double and triple tracking his guitar tracks allowed for a unique sonic and characteristic to his tone, allowing certain notes flange and bounce off one another, creating texture (Bowcott, 2022).

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Zakk Wylde first became a strong influence of mine after listening to his second album released with Ozzy Osbourne, "No More Tears". His use of fast pentatonic licks and high gain pinch harmonics have made him an iconic player within the heavy metal genre (Hobson, 2022). For his lyrics, he writes what he feels is  real in life and current events, ie. his mother dying, god, etc. (Wylde, Z. as sited in BLABBERMOUTH.NET, 2009).

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Saul Hudson, better known as, Slash, is an artist I have always thought of as the standard of rock and roll guitar, his unique voicing of the instrument, impressive improvisation and classic hard hitting solos have made him an international rock and roll icon (Leonard, 2020). Influenced by guitarists, Eric Clapton, Joe Perry and Jimmy Page, Slash was drawn to the Gibson Les Paul and Marshall sound that is an essential part of classic rock and roll (Russell, 2023).

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Known for his swinging blues riffs, vintage style and catchy hooks, Aerosmith's Joe Perry was the reason Slash picked up the guitar (Bowcott, 2019). With his experimental, loose, vintage rock and roll roots sound and effects, Aerosmith are considered one of America's greatest rock bands through their sleazy 70s sex appeal and hard hitting love songs. (Jensui, 2015).

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Jimmy Page, co-founder of Led Zeppelin, influences guitarists internationally through his legendary mastery of the guitar, infamous riffs and solos, as well as his studio production methods and perfectionist attitude. Famous for the controversial argument of birthing heavy metal and dealing with the devil, Led Zeppelin's smash hits, riffs and solos have made them the epitome of Rock and Roll (Jensui, 2015).

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Three time Rock Hall inductee (Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 2000), Eric Clapton is highly ranked as one of the best guitar icons amongst Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix (Taysom, 2022). His fluid use of vibrato, unique blues phrasing and multi genre songwriting demonstrates his innate knowledge and mastery of the guitar that has labeled him a god of British blues (Hopper & Studna, 2023).

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References

The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. (2023, Octoober 13). Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 20, 2024, from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-guitarists-1234814010/jeff-beck-11-1234814194/

Alexandre, G. (2023, September 5). Jimi Hendrix and The Black Panther Party: A Counterculture Movement. Musiclipse. Retrieved February 26, 2024, from https://www.musiclipse.com/2023/09/05/jimi-hendrix-and-the-black-panther-party-a-counterculture-movement/

Bowcott, N. (2019, September 10). Joe Perry on Aerosmith: "We were the garage band that really made it big – the ultimate party band". Guitar.com. Retrieved February 27, 2024, from https://guitar.com/features/interviews/aerosmith-joe-perry-interview/

Bowcott, N. (2022, August 1). Producer Max Norman recalls recording Randy Rhoads' remarkable solos: “You could see it in his face... he was steeling himself, getting ready to pounce”. Guitar World. Retrieved February 20, 2024, from https://www.guitarworld.com/features/max-norman-randy-rhoads

Hobson, R. (2022, September 20). Zakk Wylde picks the 10 songs that have defined his career. Louder Sound. Retrieved February 20, 2024, from https://www.loudersound.com/features/zakk-wylde-picks-the-10-songs-that-have-defined-his-career

Hopper, A., & Studna, C. (2023, August 10). Why is Eric Clapton Called Slowhand. American Songwriter. Retrieved February 26, 2024, from https://americansongwriter.com/why-is-eric-clapton-called-slowhand/

Jensui. (2015, March 26). Aerosmith: The Greatest American Rock & Roll Band. Medium. Retrieved February 27, 2024, from https://medium.com/jennifermcdermott/aerosmith-the-greatest-american-rock-roll-band-19c55ebf0b4c

Leonard, M. (2020, July 28). Guitar Legends: Slash – the cat in the hat who saved hard rock guitar from itself. Guitar.com. Retrieved February 26, 2024, from https://guitar.com/features/guitar-legends-slash/

Rock Hall. (2021). Randy Rhoads. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 20, 2024, from https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/randy-rhoads

Russell, C. (2023, March 18). Slash reveals the influence of Jimmy Page on his career. Far Out Magazine. Retrieved February 27, 2024, from https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/slash-reveals-he-wanted-to-play-guitar-after-hearing-led-zeppelins-whole-lotta-love/

Taysom, J. (2022, March 25). The guitarist Eric Clapton called the greatest in the world. Far Out Magazine. Retrieved February 26, 2024, from https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/guitarist-eric-clapton-called-the-greatest-in-the-world/

The Technology of Jimi Hendrix — The JHS Show. (2022, April 8). The JHS Show. Retrieved February 26, 2024, from https://thejhsshow.com/articles/the-technology-of-jimi-hendrix

The World According To ZAKK WYLDE - BLABBERMOUTH.NET. (2009, May 27). Blabbermouth. Retrieved February 20, 2024, from https://blabbermouth.net/news/the-world-according-to-zakk-wylde

ZAKK WYLDE: EDDIE VAN HALEN Was 'The Second Coming Of Christ' On Guitar. (2021, November 19). Blabbermouth. Retrieved February 20, 2024, from https://blabbermouth.net/news/zakk-wylde-eddie-van-halen-was-the-second-coming-of-christ-on-guitar