Searching for a list of the world’s best country guitarists of all time? In this guide, we’ll explore some of the greatest country guitar players both past and present.
Throughout this compendium of chicken pickers and behind-the-nut benders you’ll find all of the heavy hitters that helped to influence the country music genre as we know it.
In addition, I’ve made sure to include a few fresh country artists that you might not be familiar with yet. This new generation of the country guitar players is currently bust taking the genre to all new levels.
For each musician, I have included a brief bio exploring their play styles and achievements. In addition, I’ve added a video featuring some of their best work so that you can get a quick flavor of their playing.
Note that this list of country artists is in no particular order of greatness!
Best Country Guitarists In The World
1. Brad Paisley
A master of both emotive playing and precise technique, Brad Paisley is the ultimate modern-day country guitar hero. His ability to effortlessly mix complex melodies, impressively technical solos, and often hilarious lyrics has earned him 3 Grammy’s amongst numerous other accolades at the time of writing.
His signature style of blending traditional country music elements tinged with a modern and fresh edge has led to him being regularly named one of the greatest country guitarists of all time.
Personally, I would rate his mainly instrumental sixth studio album ‘Play’ as being one of the best guitar albums ever. It is also a country guitar fan’s absolute wet dream, featuring guest spots from greats such as James Burton, B.B. King, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Vince Gill, and many more!
Fun Fact! One of Brad’s biggest hits is the song ‘Alcohol’ from his album ‘Time Well Wasted’. Funnily enough, he doesn’t actually drink, instead preferring a slightly more innocent Yoo-Hoo.
2. Keith Urban
Since the video above features Keith Urban along with Brad, it seems to make sense to add the Australian guitar-slinger next! Keith was actually my first real introduction to the world of country guitarists, and it was soon after that I made it my goal to master chicken pickin’.
Keith is an undeniably talented guitar player, known for his superb showmanship and an incredible ability to fuse his country music roots with other genres such as rock and pop. Whether he’s simply strumming an acoustic, or unleashing high-energy riffs, he is a true icon in the world of country guitar players.
Fun Fact! Although Keith grew up in Australia, he was actually born in New Zealand – a Kiwi!
3. Merle Travis
Ever heard of ‘Travis Picking‘? Well, this country music legend invented the fingerpicking technique that revolutionized the guitar and inspired countless generations of musicians!
When hearing Merle Travis for the first time it was surprising for many to discover that there wasn’t a second guitarist playing along with him. His new technique was so innovative that he managed simultaneously to sound like two musicians playing separate parts.
A monumental influence on not just country musicians, but on guitarists as a whole! He has been named one of the most influential guitarists of the 20th century and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1977.
4. Chet Atkins
Like Merle Travis, Chet Atkins was the inventor of some of the most important fundamental country guitar techniques. And like Merle, he has also influenced countless musicians worldwide – arguably more so!
So good was Chet at the instrument that he was regularly referred to as ‘Mr. Guitar’. His style combined elements of country music, jazz, and pop, and his use of harmonics, alternating bass lines, and complex chord progressions took guitar playing to new levels.
Rolling Stone magazine has credited him with inventing the Nashville sound, and almost single-handedly bringing country music back into the mainstream. So, yeah, an unbelievably important figure for country musicians the world over!
Fun Fact! Chet was invited to play at the White House by every U.S President from John F. Kennedy to George Bush.
5. Vince Gill
Vince Gill‘s incredible country music chops have been inspiring players for almost half a decade and over 20 phenomenal studio albums.,
He has been awarded an incredible 22 Grammys (at the time of writing), has sold over 26 million albums, and even has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Quite the achiever!
Vince can shred with the best, but is also known for his versatile and emotive vocals. His masterful guitar abilities coupled with his singing capabilities have made him one of the most sought-after players in the country music scene and beyond.
Fun Fact! Vince is also skilled at bass, mandolin, dobro, and fiddle!
6. James Burton
Referred to by Keith Richards as ‘the master of the Telecaster’, James Burton is known for being one of the finest pickers in country music and rock. Indeed, he invented the chicken pickin’ playstyle that has since become a staple technique for country guitar players.
He has toured and recorded with an almost endless list of artists including Elvis, Ricky Nelson, Johnny Cash, John Denver, Emmylou Harris, Roy Orbison, and many more!
His parents bought him a Fender Telecaster in 1952 for his 13th birthday, and T-style guitars have been his primary instrument ever since. James mixes the best elements of country, blues, and rhythm and blues together, making him one of the most versatile players on this list.
Fun Fact! James was so talented at guitar that at the age of just 14 the local police station granted him a special permit to allow him to play at the town bars and clubs.
7. Johnny Hiland
Johnny Hiland has been setting stages alight with his incredible fusion of chicken picking and rock pyrotechnics for decades. He is definitely one of the fastest country guitarists of all time on the list, and from watching his interviews and live shows, one of the friendliest to boot!
Legally blind, and unable to do most of the things that other kids were doing, Johnny started to play guitar at just age 2. He won various local talent shows, made his first TV appearance at age 7, and got his big break when he won the ‘Talent America Contest’ when he was just 10 years old.
Johnny is currently touring the world with his band, giving guitar masterclasses, and has recently unveiled his new signature Kiesel model.
Learn From Johnny! You can also head over to TrueFire.com where you can check out his various country guitar tuition lessons and courses.
8. Albert Lee
While the majority of country musicians are American, British-born virtuoso Albert Lee bucks that trend. Eric Clapton has referred to Albert as being ‘the ultimate virtuoso’ – high praise indeed!
His hit song ‘Country Boy’ has been credited by many as being responsible for reinventing country music. Watch the video below to hear this track and enjoy one of the finest masterclasses in fast and clean chicken pickin’ around.
Guitar Player magazine has awarded him the title of ‘best country guitarist‘ five times in a row – more than any other player!
Fun Fact! For a long time, he was referred to as ‘Mr. Telecaster’ due to his preference for and mastery of T-type guitars. Although, he now has his own signature model with Music Man!
9. Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton is one of the most iconic singers in country music history. However, she is also an excellent multi-instrumentalist, with the guitar being her main instrument of choice.
When Dolly exploded onto the country music scene the genre was very much a male-dominated one. Her distinctive voice, unique look, and tasteful guitar playing helped to break the hold that male artists had on the industry.
She also helped to bring country music to the masses thanks to her unique country-pop style, and was one of the earliest stars of the genre to achieve mainstream success.
Fun Fact! Dolly’s family was so poor that when she was born they had to pay the doctor that delivered her with a bag of grain!
10. Willie Nelson
At 90 years old at the time of writing, Willie Nelson has become one of country music’s longest-performing artists. In 1993 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, cementing his status as one of the genre’s biggest stars.
Willie’s guitar playing is easily identifiable due to his unique play style which involves ferocious strumming, big bends, and fretting chords with his thumb.
Named after Roy Rogers’ horse, Willie’s guitar ‘Trigger‘ is one of the most iconic and legendary guitars ever. He has been rocking stages with this bruised and battered acoustic since 1969!
Fun Fact! In 1990, Willie owed the IRS $32 million in unpaid tax. To repay the debt, he recorded an album where the government would receive at least 15 cents for each dollar made.
11. Danny Gatton
Although Danny Gatton was capable of playing a myriad of different genres, he was mainly known as a country and rockabilly guitarist. He combined elements of country music, jazz, blues, and rockabilly to create a style of music he coined ‘redneck jazz’.
Steve Vai once described Danny as being “the closest anyone ever came to being the greatest living guitarist”. But despite his phenomenal guitar playing abilities Danny tended to stay in the shadows, earning himself the moniker of ‘the world’s greatest unknown guitarist’.
Sadly, Danny committed suicide in 1994 via gunshot. It is believed that he had suffered from depression for many years.
12. Johnny Cash
Although the ‘Man in Black’ wasn’t known for his virtuoso guitar abilities, it was his simple guitar-playing style that became an integral part of the very DNA of country music.
Johnny Cash‘s trademark guitar sound was a slow chord progression played in a distinctive ‘boom-chucka’ rhythm. Similar to the sound of a freight train, this playstyle is copied by country guitarists to this day.
With his genre-defining guitar playing and trademark baritone vocals, Johnny is undoubtedly one of the most influential musicians of all time.
13. Maybelle Carter
With over 300 songs recorded, Maybelle Carter was the backbone of the Carter Family, country music’s first ‘superstar’ vocal group.
Maybelle developed a style of guitar picking where she played the melody on the bass strings and simultaneously strummed rhythm on the treble strings. This technique came to become known as Carter family picking (or the Carter scratch) and helped to turn the guitar into a lead instrument rather than purely a rhythm machine.
Before Maybelle arrived on the scene the guitar wasn’t actually a very common instrument to find being played in country music. So, to call her an important player in the history of the instrument would be a massive understatement!
Fun Fact! Maybelle Carter became Johnny Cash’s mother-in-law after he married her daughter June.
14. Brent Mason
Brent Mason is one of the most sought-after session players ever, having contributed to over 1000 albums throughout his illustrious career. You’ll most likely find his guitar work on pretty much every album to come out of Nashville since he burst onto the scene.
His innovative style and masterful playing have led to him being named the Academy of Country Music’s Guitarist of the Year a phenomenal 12 times. He was so dominant in this award category that his name had to be ‘retired’ to give other country guitarists a fighting chance!
When quizzed about his longevity he claimed that the key was that “I was always reinventing myself – not playing the obvious, thinking a lot more deeply about the song. I think that’s the key to longevity.”
Learn from Brent! Check out Brent’s course Nashville Style Guitar where he’ll teach you all of his best tips and tricks to improve your country music playing.
15. Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell was a key member of the ‘Wrecking Crew’, a revered group of Los Angeles-based session musicians that appeared on thousands of records throughout the 1960s and 70s.
He was especially adept at lightning-fast scales and licks and often performed elaborate instrumentals for his captivated audiences. Like artists such as Dolly Parton, he found great commercial success by mixing elements of country music and pop to appeal to a wider audience.
Glen released 64 albums and sold over 46 million in total worldwide. After his death in 2017, many of players paid their respects, calling him the greatest country guitarist of all time.