10 Greatest Guitarists From The '80s - The Guys Who Rewrote The Book

Paul Gilbert came to prominence in the heady heyday of shred in the '80s, recording for the home of all things shredtastic, Shrapnel Records, with his band Racer X. That got Gilbert respect from the hard-core guitar community, but once he formed Mr Big, with bass maestro Billy Sheehan, the Van Halen of the four string, he found worldwide mainstream success with a string of hits and a profile to match.

Not only is Gilbert an awesome guitarist, he has also always been a keen teacher, having featured in numerous instructional videos and written columns for all of the major guitar magazines. His picking technique is particularly celebrated, with an insanely clean, even attack at fret melt speeds, utilising a method which he has always been happy to share in his tutorial videos.

With an endearingly unassuming approach to his own gifts and the obvious sense of humour that he brings to everything that he plays, it is unsurprising that he is a player who appears on most of the axe heroes' own personal favourite lists.