3 Iconic Country Music Guitarists Who Could Shred With the Best of Them

When folks, including us, talk about the most influential guitarists in popular music, they often talk about rock ‘n’ roll guitarists. Why wouldn’t they, as the genre hosted the greatest, such as Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, and several others? However, what the public, and we, have failed to recognize regularly are the world-class guitarists who have resided in country music. That being said, here are three iconic country music guitarists who could shred with the best of them.

Videos by American Songwriter

Chet Atkins

In country music, the most influential guitarist is probably Chet Atkins. Not only was he a world-class guitar player, but also a world-class producer and sound engineer, as he helped co-create the iconic “Nashville Sound”. We could go on for days about how much of a vital role Atkins played for country music both as a musician and as a businessman, but that is not what this entry is about.

In essence, Atkins revolutionized and introduced new ways of thinking and playing when it came to the guitar in country music. With Atkins, it wasn’t basic one-two rhythm playing and tight-knit scale solos; it was exploratory and seemingly limitless.

Tony Rice

When it comes to speed and accuracy, we would bet on a bluegrass picker to outperform a traditional rock ‘n’ roll guitarist. Sorry, but that is just the way we see it. Arguably, the greatest bluegrass guitar picker of all-time is Mr. Tony Rice, as very few people, across all genres, have been able to perform with the persistence and energy with which he did.

While not strictly country music, bluegrass certainly falls under its genre umbrella. Nonetheless, to hear and watch Tony Rice play is equivalent to watching a master of jiu-jitsu. In country music, and all of its subgenres, there are only a special few who truly know their instruments as intimately as Rice did.

James Burton

James Burton‘s legacy as a musician is not that of a frontman; it is that of a sideman, but as a sideman who could easily take over a show with one lick. During his career, Burton played with Elvis, John Denver, Emmylou Harris, Merle Haggard, and many, many others. Furthermore, he was part of this iconic group of session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew, which featured Glenn Campbell, Hal Blaine, and Leon Russell.

Other than being one of the architects of the “Bakersfield Sound,” Burton was generally a player who infused different forms of music into country music via the guitar. He kept things fresh, lively, modern, and timely, and for that, we country music fans can’t thank him enough.

Photo by David Redfern/Redferns