Psychedelic Rock Guitars: The Best of the Best
Contents
From Jimi Hendrix to Carlos Santana, these are the best psychedelic rock guitarists of all time.
Jimi Hendrix
No other guitarist has influenced rock music like Jimi Hendrix. His psychedelic style of playing defined a new genre of music and inspired a generation of guitarists. Hendrix’s unique sound was the result of years of experimentation with different guitars, amps, and effects. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best psychedelic rock guitars used by Hendrix and other famous guitarists.
The Experience
The Experience was a psychedelic rock band formed in London in 1966. The band was fronted by Jimi Hendrix and featured bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell. The band released three studio albums, “Are You Experienced”, “Axis: Bold as Love”, and “Electric Ladyland”. The Experience were one of the most popular bands of the late 1960s and their live performances were legendary. Sadly, the band disbanded in 1969 after Hendrix’s death.
Electric Ladyland
In 1968, Hendrix released his third and final album with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Electric Ladyland. The double album was experimental and featured a wide range of guest musicians, including many of Hendrix’s friends from the New York City music scene. The album’s lead single, “All Along the Watchtower”, included a guest appearance by Bob Dylan on harmonica and became one of Hendrix’s most popular songs. Electric Ladyland was a commercial success, reaching number one in the US, UK, and Canada. The album’s unorthodox approach extended beyond its collaborations: it was also one of the first rock albums to be recorded entirely on eight-track tape.
Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana is a Mexican and American musician who first rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana. His style of playing, which is a combination of rock, blues, and Latin jazz, has influenced many other guitarists. Santana’s guitars have been used on some of the most iconic rock albums of all time, including Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.”
Abraxas
Abraxas is the second studio album by Latin rock band Santana, released on September 1970 by Columbia Records. The album’s title, with its connotations of mystique and ancient history, alludes to a vision that came to Santana bandleader Carlos Santana while under the influence of Bryson’s “purple haze” at a party. It peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and has been certified twelve times platinum by the RIAA, with sales exceeding thirty million copies.
Santana
Carlos Santana (born July 20, 1947) is a Mexican and American rock guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of rock,Latin music, and jazz. The band’s sound featured his melodic, blues-based lines set against Latin and African rhythms featuring percussion instruments such as timbales,congas, and tablas. Santana continued to work in these forms over the following decades. He experienced a resurgence of popularity and critical acclaim in the late 1990s. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked Santana at number 20 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists.
Eddie Van Halen
Arguably one of the most influential guitarists of all time, Eddie Van Halen changed the sound of rock guitar forever. Van Halen’s style was a perfect blend of technical ability and raw emotion, and his sound was totally unique. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best psychedelic rock guitars out there, and see how they compare to Eddie’s sound.
Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen (born Edward Lodewijk Van Halen, January 26, 1955) is a Dutch rock musician, songwriter, and producer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist and one of the founding members of the American hard rock band Van Halen.
1984
1984 is the sixth studio album by American rock band Van Halen, released on January 9, 1984. It was the last Van Halen album to feature lead singer David Lee Roth until he rejoined the band in 2006.
The album was listed as one of The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time by Guitar World magazine and ranked 8th on VH1’s Greatest Hard Rock Albums of All Time. In 2007, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan is one of the best psychedelic rock guitarists of all time. His style was a mix of blues and rock, and he was known for his virtuosity and showmanship. He influenced a generation of guitarists, and his playing was a major force in the revival of blues in the 1980s.
Texas Flood
The album Texas Flood is the debut studio album by American blues rock band Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, released on June 13, 1983 by Epic Records. Recording sessions took place between March and May 1983 at Jackson Browne’s personal recording studio in Los Angeles; it was the only album the band made with producer John H. Hammond.
The album was an immediate success, reaching number 38 on the Billboard 200 chart and selling over half a million copies. It received positive reviews from critics and was voted one of the 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time by Guitar World magazine. The single “Pride and Joy” peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Vaughan’s only solo single to appear on that chart. The album remains Vaughan’s most successful release and has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Couldn’t Stand the Weather
Stevie Ray Vaughan’s second album, Couldn’t Stand the Weather, was recorded in just two weeks during the summer of 1984. It was a commercial and critical success, reaching #31 on the Billboard 200 and eventually being certified double platinum by the RIAA. The album’s title track and lead single, “Couldn’t Stand the Weather”, peaked at #45 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Tom Morello
Many know Tom Morello as the lead guitarist of the rock band Rage Against the Machine, but did you know that he’s also an incredible solo artist? In this article, we’ll be discussing Tom Morello’s best psychedelic rock guitars. From his iconic “Soul Power” Les Paul to his “Fury” Stratocaster, Morello’s guitars are as unique as his playing style.
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine, sometimes abbreviated as RATM, is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1991. The group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. They draw inspiration from early hip hop, punk rock, and heavy metal. Rage Against the Machine is well known for the members’ leftist political views, which are expressed in many of the band’s songs. As of 2010, they had sold over 16 million records worldwide.
Evil Empire
Psychadelic Rock is a genre of music that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The sound is characterized by heavy use of electric guitars, often with effects such as feedback, distortion and wah-wah. The style often incorporates elements of other genres, including blues, soul, funk, reggae and Latin.
Tom Morello is one of the best known exponents of Psychedelic Rock guitar playing. He first came to prominence as the guitarist with rap metal band Rage Against the Machine. Morello is known for his innovative and imaginative playing style, which makes extensive use of feedback, distortion and effects pedals.
Morello’s style was influenced by a wide range of artists, including Jimi Hendrix, Randy Rhoads, George Clinton and Eddie Van Halen. He has said that his “primary musical influences were Public Enemy, Bob Dylan and Metallica”. Morello has also cited classical composers such as Bach and Beethoven as influences on his playing.
