guitars
Just two years shy of its 60th birthday, Guitar Player magazine will cease publication of its print version and go digital only, its editor has announced. The 58-year-old magazine dedicated to guitars, gear and the musicians who play and love them, publishes its final print issue this week with Jimmy Page on the cover. “What better way to wrap up our history than to have [the rock legend] help us do what we’ve always done best — bring you the finest interviews with your favorite players,” wrote Christopher Scapelliti, who’ll stay on as digital editor.
Founded in 1967 by Bud Eastman, Guitar Player was the first publication dedicated solely to all things guitars. It went on to inspire other singularly-focused magazines like Bass Player and Keyboard, as well as axe-specific competitors like Guitar World, Premier Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar for the Practicing Musician (RIP). The magazine is owned by Future US, an NYC-based publisher with other titles including PC Gamer, Electronic Musician and Guitar World.
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In his final editorial for the magazine, Scapelliti acknowledged the challenges faced by the print edition, citing the seismic shift of advertisers to preferring online platforms as a key factor.
“The ‘why’ will be obvious even if you don’t keep each issue tucked away chronologically on shelves,” he wrote. “These increasingly slim volumes demonstrate our almost heroic efforts to persist in an era where advertisers find greater opportunities online. Throughout the ups and downs of these years, we’ve appreciated the support of those readers and advertisers who have kept Guitar Player’s print edition a going concern.”
He also expressed gratitude to readers and advertisers who supported the magazine through its ups and downs, and said subscriptions would automatically be transferred to Guitar World unless a refund is requested.
Scapelliti also thanked colleagues, including managing director Stuart Williams, content director Scott Rowley, and head of design Brad Merrett, as well as art editor Philip Cheesbrough and music editor Jimmy Brown, and expressed deep appreciation for the writers and editors who contributed to the print magazine’s longevity.
“While longtime readers will lament this change, there’s much more to come in Guitar Player’s future,” Scapelliti said. “As for this final issue, what better way to wrap up our history than to have Jimmy Page help us do what we’ve always done best — bring you the finest interviews with your favorite players.”
From the blues to jazz to rock to folk to country, the guitar is probably the most pivotal instrument of the 20th century, serving as a centerpiece for a variety of genres that changed the course of culture in America and around the world.
In honor of the stringed instrument that has amped up audiences for centuries, we present Billboard’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitars of All Time.
No, that’s not a typo. This is not a list of 100 guitarists – though each item on this list is associated with a particular guitar slinger. And it’s not a list of guitar brands or companies. This is a list of actual guitars, played by great guitarists. It puts the shine on guitars throughout modern history that have been a part of the evolution of popular music. Instead of focusing on guitar playing style, we’re looking at the instrument itself as handled by various luminaries across everything from bluegrass to heavy metal.
What is “the greatest”? Iconic, influential, inventive, famous, game changing? Unusual, oddball, beautiful, even whimsical? Just plain cool? It’s all of that and more. Some of the guitars that follow are standard models with minimal modifications; others are one-of-a-kind pieces that have been endlessly tinkered with. Some are technical and auditory wonders; others have been beaten to hell over the years by overzealous owners. But all are important to the guitar’s history and ongoing evolution.
This was a big undertaking that we didn’t want to do alone. We invited a panel of ace guitarists across a variety of genres, as well as journalists and experts, to peruse a lengthy list of guitars, compiled by Billboard, and vote on them. We invited our voters to submit their own picks. After tallying their responses, we sent it back to the voting panel, solicited additional feedback and incorporated that into a final list of the 100 Greatest Guitars of All Time.
In addition to a few voters who wished to remain anonymous, the voting panel included: Duane Betts, Nick Bowcott of Sweetwater, Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket, Larry Campbell, Joanna Connor, Michael Doyle of Guitar Center, Alejandro Escovedo, Pete Evick of Bret Michaels Band, Damian Fanelli of Guitar World, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Slim Gambill of Lady A, Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge and Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr, Dave Mason, Scott Metzger, Bob Mould, Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, Orianthi, Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Joe Satriani, Chris Scapelliti of Guitar Player, Peter Stroud of Sheryl Crow’s band, Matthew Sweet, Mark Tremonti of Creed and Alter Bridge, Seth Walker, Erika Wennerstrom of Heartless Bastards, Jack White, Andy Wood and Oliver Wood.
This week, we’re rolling out the first half of the list (guitars 100-51), and next week, we’ll unveil the full 100 (for now, the image above will serve as a hint).
This list is far from exhaustive. There are so many legendary guitars that even a list of 100 fails to encompass all of them. Regardless, we hope what follows spurs some excitement, debate, discovery and even, perhaps, someone to pick up a guitar and start playing.
100. Johnny Thunders – ca. 1959 Les Paul Junior TV Model
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