22 guitar heroes who shaped the sound of '80s indie and alternative rock

Alternative reality | The 17-string bass Elwood Francis played during a ZZ Top show was a cheap Chinese knockoff of Jared Dines' 18-string Ormsby | Kurt Cobain’s stage-smashed 1973 Fender Mustang sells for nearly $500,000 at auction Created for sauuuuul.peliculas@blogger.com |  Web Version November 14, 2022 CONNECT WITH THE PICK       Handpicked stories from the world of guitar SIGN UP ⋅   SHARE ADVERTISEMENT Editor's Note Alternative reality While the '80s mainstream's attention was on hair metal and pop excess, a new guitar-led scene was emerging – one that would go on to spearhead the alternative movement of the '90s and introduce a multitude of guitar geniuses in their own right. '80s indie and alt-rock delivered some of the most exciting, trailblazing guitarists, even by today's standards – just take a look at our rundown of the genre's greatest players. Whether through their use of expansive effects (Robert Smith), jagged art-punk thrashings (Sonic Youth) or off-the-wall solos (Joey Santiago), these players changed our perception of how to approach the instrument. For my money, Johnny Marr remains the ultimate indie guitar hero. The Smiths man's progressions are rhythmic tapestries, and a wall of sound in their own right. And that's testament to the one thing these players have in common: an ear for how to make the guitar uniquely theirs, right down to the way they attack a note, voice a chord or effect a part. It's a sense of originality we should all hope to tap into in our own playing. Michael Astley-Brown – Editor-in-Chief, guitarworld.com     1 SPOT Pro - Quiet, Dependable Power! After years of being urged to create a power brick, Truetone's owner, Bob Weil, finally saw a need for their own design. With features that nobody else offered, the 1 SPOT Pro power supply became a reality. Today, it is one of the top-selling power supplies on the market! Learn More ADVERTISEMENT: Top Stories The 17-string bass Elwood Francis played during a ZZ Top show was a cheap Chinese knockoff of Jared Dines' 18-string Ormsby Dines called out the "ripoff" guitar on Instagram, to which Francis responded: "The joke's on me 'cause I have to play that bootleg POS!" Kurt Cobain's stage-smashed 1973 Fender Mustang sells for nearly $500,000 at auction The sunburst offset was smashed in 1989, and its remains were swapped for a Gibson SG after Cobain's guitar-destroying performance left him without an instrument to play Zakk Wylde has been using YouTube guitar lessons to learn Dimebag's parts for Pantera's upcoming tour The Black Label Society leader says he's received the setlist from Phil Anselmo, and has been putting work into learning a host of Dimebag Darrell classics 1 SPOT Pro - Quiet, Dependable Power! After years of being urged to create a power brick, Truetone's owner, Bob Weil, finally saw a need for their own design. With features that nobody else offered, the 1 SPOT Pro power supply became a reality. Today, it is one of the top-selling power supplies on the market! Learn More ADVERTISEMENT Features 22 guitar heroes who shaped the sound of '80s indie and alternative rock The '80s proved to be a pivotal and eclectic time for the electric guitar – one defined by its role in coaxing new sounds from the instrument. From The Smiths and The Cure to Pixies and R.E.M., here are some of the era's biggest guitar stars Why the Marshall JCM800 2203 was the amp head of choice for a generation of rock and metal guitar players As the '80s demand for crunch spiked, the JCM800 2203 cemented its position as a backline classic From Guitar Player Here's how guitarists revolutionized music in the mid-'60s From 1965 onwards, rock 'n' roll was never the same Largely considered a career mistake, Todd Rundgren's 'A Wizard, a True Star' is now a celebrated work. Here's why… Fortified by psychedelic mushrooms and Ritalin, the artist abandoned his career as "the male Carole King" and began recording the music of his mind Buyer's Guides Best online guitar lessons 2022: remote learning platforms for guitar players, tested by us Develop your guitar skills from the comfort of your home, with the help of these online lessons services – options for all levels and budgets Full Story: Guitar World (3/10)  Lessons Learn the essentials of 12-bar acoustic blues It's time to dig out the flattop and learn the blues with this exercise that combines elements of Eric Clapton, Robert Johnson, and Skip James Reviews PRS HDRX 20 review This affordable compact head joins PRS's Jimi Hendrix-inspired HDRX range, which aims to reproduce Holy Grail late-'60s tones with modern design and components for improved tone and reliability LEARN MORE ABOUT The Pick: Guitar World  |    Guitar Player  |    Guitarist Total Guitar  |    Bass Player  |    Guitar Techniques Sign Up  |    Update Profile  |    Unsubscribe Privacy Policy  |    Cookies Policy  |    Terms and Conditions CONTACT US: FEEDBACK  |    ADVERTISE Future US LLC © 1100 13th St. NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005