TG PICKS...

CHET ATKINS

Almost his every touch displayed astonishing technique, but if you didn’t try to play his toe-tapping tunes, you’d never know.

MERLE TRAVIS

Do you have an entire technique named after you? Country, folk and rockabilly would all be unimaginable without Travis picking.

CARL PERKINS

He fused country and blues, wrote Bluesuedeshoes and recorded the definitive version. Rockabilly guitarists still learn all his licks.

BO DIDDLEY

The ‘Bo Diddley rhythm’ has been used by Guns n’ Roses, George Michael, the Stones, U2 and hundreds more.

DUANE EDDY

When someone asks for a ‘twangy’ guitar sound, they’re (perhaps unknowingly) the latest to be inspired by Eddy’s tone.

LINK WRAY

Wray – and his knackered speaker – invented distortion. Think about that and be thankful next time you plug in your guitar!

DICK DALE

More than just the Pulpfiction connection, Dale brought new scales to rock, while his unbelievably physical attack inspired SRV.

JAMES BURTON

The Elvis sideman took what Merle Travis and Carl Perkins started, stuffing the King’s songs with tasty guitar licks.

MAYBELLE CARTER

This chord-melody country pioneer was a leading star of the Grand Ole Opry, which inspired every subsequent country star.