Master of downstrokes

In this special feature, Jason Sidwell asked 15 top guitarists what insights they could offer to improve your memorisation skills.

PUNK ROCK HERO AND GEN Z SUPERSTAR YUNGBLUD IS NOW L AUNCHING HIS F IRST SIGNATURE GUITAR. “I SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS RE ADING TOTAL GUITAR, LE ARNING ABOUT THIS STUFF,” HE SAYS. AND HE’S ALRE ADY PLOT TING HIS NEXT MOVE: “A CLASSIC ROCK ALBUM FOR 2025!”

For five decades, his raw, instinctive guitar lines have helped Aerosmith become the kind of rock act whose songs an entire generation can sing. But as the band g rew from funk-fired upstarts into megastars, Joe Perry made sure never to lose one vital thing: curiosity. As Aerosmith call time on their stellar 50-year touring career, Joe joins us to reflect on what he’s learned about guitar along the way...

RIGHT AROUND 700. That’s how many issues of Guitar Player reside in our archive, from our debut publication to our last. (We tried running the numbers several times, but we’d lose count after being di