Robert Fripp

The sheer breadth of Robert Fripp's range is overwhelming and covers countless genres, from his virtuosic crosspicking in King Crimson, to his dazzling, achingly melodic runs as a guest guitarist on records like David Bowie's "Heroes" and Talking Heads' "Fear of Music", and his own pioneering work in the field of ambient loop-based guitar improvisations - with and without Brian Eno. Though all of Fripp's work is deeply embedded in my musical DNA at this point, it's these peaceful so-called Frippertronics that enchant me on a nearly daily basis.

Nile Rodgers

One doesn't have to be a disco enthusiast to appreciate the seismic impact Nile Rodgers has had on popular music. Any guitarist, regardless of discipline, would do well to study the intricate right-hand technique and gracefully muted chords that snake their way through every Chic song.

Graham Coxon

A somewhat under-heralded master of the instrument in recent decades, Graham Coxon rarely steps into the spotlight with show-offy leads (though he's more than capable of doing so). A consummate craftsman of layering, Coxon instead chooses to buttress even the most simple three-chord pop song with playful filigrees of creative guitar work that dance around the arrangement with a near-classical level of sophistication. The sheer amount of inventive playing going on in the background of Blur's "Chemical World", to name just one command performance, gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. 

David Gilmour

I don't have much to add to the literal books full of prose spilled about David Gilmour, but learning his leads as a teen imparted a lesson that's stuck with me since: it's not about how many notes you can play per second, but about how much heart and soul and lyricism you can put into the notes you ARE playing. It's hard to pick just one performance that sticks out, but the middle section of Pink Floyd's "Pigs" is something I keep coming back to. 

Peter Buck

Another legend that doesn't really need any introduction. As with Graham Coxon, I've always adored Peter Buck's incredible ear for arrangement. So many REM songs feature two or three guitar parts that not only perfectly complement each other, but elevate the song to celestial heights. Sometimes I feel that "Fall On Me" is my favorite song by anybody, ever.

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