Question of the Month: What's the first—or hardest—guitar solo you ever learned?

Pete Evick, guitarist, the Bret Michaels Band; producer

A: I started playing at such an early age, and tackling some crazy stuff for a 13-year-old with a phonograph, not YouTube. So the hardest solo would have been Randy Rhoads’ lead on “Over the Mountain,” from Ozzy Osbourne’s Diary of a Madman. But it’s relative to the time and tools—as an adult I’ve gone back and learned all my favorite Steve Vai licks, but I did it with the help of modern technology and over 40 years of experience, so it didn’t seem nearly as hard or frustrating. Saying all of that, I still think the hardest thing to execute is Jake E. Lee’s outro solo on Ozzy’s “Bark at the Moon.” Getting that clean and at the right speed is an exercise every guitar player, from any genre, should force themselves to do. It's a full workout for both hands.

Obsession: I’ve been producing music for an awesome guy that goes by the name Timules. It’s this really different, amazing spoken-word-type stuff. Reb Beach (Winger, Whitesnake), who’s a mind-blowing player, Eric Brittingham from Cinderella, and I have all been making this music with him, and it’s just super different and unique.

Tony Houston, reader; guitarist, the Primetime Blues Band

A: In 1971, when I was 21 years old and just starting to learn guitar, I struggled with finding the key of songs and understanding how solos were constructed, despite knowing some basic theory, string names, and scales. That year, I read a lesson in Guitar Player magazine where the author tabbed out George Harrison's solo on “Let It Be.” He explained how he found the key and detailed his process of recording the song from vinyl to a cassette deck so he could rewind it and practice.That single lesson completely transformed my approach to the instrument. Within a week, I began learning songs on my own, and I am still learning them today.

Obsession: I have two current obsessions: I’m back to learning to play better slide guitar. I recently found a Maestro resonator guitar at a yard sale for $25 and am currently perfecting my touch. Back in ’70, I was very fortunate to see the Allman Brothers Band perform in a very small venue, Pappaliski's, here in Dayton, Ohio. I knew about Duane Allman from “Layla,” and wondered how he achieved that guitar sound. I had just started learning guitar, too, and was captivated by his tone. I was gobsmacked to see him live using a small bottle, sliding it up and down his guitar neck.

My other obsession is perfecting the art of making focaccia.

John Bohlinger, columnist; host, Rig Rundown

A: My dad bought Dire Straits’ debut album for me in 1979, shortly after it came out. The “Sultans of Swing” solo became my Mount Everest. Something happens to your brain, spirit, and personality when you put a lot of effort into something that seems impossible at first. The exercise trained my ears, taught me that melodies lie in the chords more than the scales, and gave me confidence that I could actually be a guitar player. Forty-seven years later, I still don’t sound nearly as good as a 28-year-old Mark Knopfler did the day he recorded it.

Obsession: I’m still way into chord voicings. The way Wes Montgomery could pull such amazing melodies out of those color tones in his chords blows my mind.