10 Rock Guitarists That Are Impossible To Imitate

The idea of the guitar hero was still starting to find its legs back in the late '60s. Whereas the first wave of rock artists may have centered around a frontman like the Rolling Stones or even Little Richard, the guitar was still bubbling from underneath the surface, looking to take the world by storm. While many guitarists have come and gone since rock's inception, it's virtually impossible to find any guitarist of the past 50 years who hasn't pulled from Jimi Hendrix.

Even though Hendrix was steeped in the blues traditions from an early age, what he actually did with the instrument is unparalleled on both the technical and melodic sides of the spectrum. Approaching the guitar almost like a piano, his melodic flourishes in his rhythm guitar playing gave even his ballads like the Wind Cries Mary some form of movement, as he toyed with the chords from one bar to the next.

When he actually went to solo though, all bets were off, as he tore through every sound barrier imaginable, almost like he was in communion with his instrument. Aside from the massive amount of effects coming through, there was never a moment where Hendrix looked lost, as every note fell at the exact right time it should have. For as little time as we had Hendrix with us on this plane of existence, there still hasn't been another guitarist who has made the guitar an extension of their soul than him.