Country music is full of multi-talented artists. For one reason or another many of these artists get branded “country singers” and that becomes the top entry on their resume. However, through the years, several artists have emerged who never truly needed to step up to the microphone or sit down and write songs. Instead, those stars could have just let their guitar chops carry them to the top of the country world.
With that in mind, we’re going to look at some country stars from yesterday and today that exhibited insane guitar chops. While this isn’t a complete list, here are five legendary country pickers.
Merle Travis—The North Star of Country Guitar
Merle Travis seems like the natural pick for the first entry on this list. Travis wrote classics like “Sixteen Tons” and “Re-Enlistment Blues” and covered songs like “Wildwood Flower.” However, none of his songs had the same impact on the world of American music as his guitar playing.
Travis developed a style of fingerpicking in which he played the bass notes with his thumb while picking out the melody with his fingers. The result of this combination sounds like multiple guitars playing simultaneously. Today, that style of playing is called “Travis Picking” and listeners can hear it in a variety of recordings from a wide variety of artists.
Jerry Reed—They Called Him “Guitar Man” for a Reason
Jerry Reed was a country singer, movie star, songwriter, and guitarist. Many fans will remember him as the co-lead in the classic film Smokey and the Bandit. Others remember him for songs like “Lord, Mr. Ford,” “Amos Moses,” “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot,” and “Guitar Man.”
Reed was another player who was fond of fingerstyle guitar. He took the foundation that Travis laid down and expanded on it. His chord choices, use of complicated theory, and overall style made him one of the best guitarists to ever pick up the instrument.
Vince Gill—A Country Star with a Golden Voice and Versatile Guitar Skill
Vince Gill is the first living artist on the list. Many fans know him for his stellar songwriting and golden voice. Unfortunately, many overlook the country star’s versatile guitar chops. The guy can play just about anything.
Gill cut his teeth playing bluegrass. So, if the occasion calls for some Appalachian-flavored acoustic picking, he’s comfortable in that pocket. Tracks like “One More Last Chance” prove that he can play honky tonk lead with the best of them. At the same time, his current live work with the Eagles shows that he can tone things down, find the pocket, and play rhythm guitar as well.
One of the best examples of his unwavering skill is the solo he took while playing “Go Rest High on That Mountain” at George Jones’ funeral. He’s so emotional he could barely sing but has no problem taking a lead break. He even takes a beat to wipe a tear from his eye without missing a note.
Marty Stuart—A Telecaster Master
Many fans know Marty Stuart as a country star, historian, and songwriter but he’s also a guitar master. He started his career by touring with bluegrass legend Lester Flatt. Then, he became part of Johnny Cash’s road band before starting his solo career in the ‘80s. One doesn’t get a slot with greats like Flatt and Cash without having some serious chops.
His style consists of a combination of honky tonk, bluegrass, blues, rockabilly, and rock and roll. In short, Stuart can play it all—all at once if he needs to.
Zach Top—An Up-and-Coming Country Star with Guitar Chops to Spare
A list of country stars who can shred a guitar in 2024 isn’t complete without Zach Top. Earlier this year, he released Cold Beer and Country Music and caught the ear of countless country fans and critics alike. Every song on the album sounds like it would have been right at home on the radio in the early ‘90s. However, a closer listen will reveal the killer guitar work on the record.
Top didn’t start his musical career playing swaggering honky tonk tunes. Instead, he cut his teeth in a bluegrass band with his siblings. As a result, he learned to improvise solos at breakneck speed. The video below will erase any doubt of his six-string skill.
Featured Image by Everett/Shutterstock
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