THE HOTTEST NEW GUITARISTS IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW

AS VOTED BY YOU

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YOU HEAR IT all the time in some circles: "The age of the guitar hero is dead" or "They just don't make guitar heroes the way they used to." It's all very interesting, and, in the end, all very false. The reality is, there's a whole new generation of "heroic" players out there people who gleefully (and with great, unmatched skill) spread the gospel of the guitar on a daily basis, people who inspire untold numbers of would-be guitarists to pick up that strange, six-stringed thing that sits in a darkened corner of Uncle Henry's living room. Anyone with interest and with access to a smartphone or a semi-smart computer - knows there are hordes of new guitar heroes out there, and for this issue we here at Guitar World proudly shine the spotlight on them. Our editorial staff, with help from the gang at Guitar World.com, crafted a list of nearly 75 "new generation" guitarists, i.e. talented players who weren't on our radar, say, six to eight years ago and who have had time to make a name - if not an entire online empire for themselves. [Editor's note: Obviously, someone like Wolfgang Van Halen has been appearing in GW's pages for years, but not as Mammoth MVH, who is essentially a new artist.] We then put the list to a vote on GuitarWorld.com - a poll that collected thousands of votes in the spring (and even let voters fill in their own picks). In this issue, you'll find the results of our poll. We highlight the top 22 vote earners and then present the rest of the top 50 in list form. Dive in!

1 JAKE KISZKA