The guitar-playing songwriter compares the emotions of "the spirit entering the church" and first hearing the guitar god's hypnotic, ragged cover. (And he admits "the steps" riff has seeped into his own jams.)

Hooked: Joey Landreth on Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Texas Flood"

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The Canadian guitar slinger recalls the moment that cemented his passion for playing thanks to SRV's evocative delivery and compelling chord voicings.

Emmure Guitarist Josh Travis Talks Meshuggah Polyrythms

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The thoughtful guitarist crowns Chaosphere because of how the Swedes' pummeling polyrhythms and dynamically-heavy approach challenged his approach to playing.

Andy Timmons on the Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There"

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Thanks to an older brother, the instrumental star became fascinated with the Fab Four who's early B-side introduced him to the guitar solo.

Dopapod's Rob Compa on Phish's "Punch You in the Eye"

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The fourth-dimension rocker recognizes the importance this riff played in opening his mind to jazz and starting the chase of musical breakthroughs.

Sweetwater vs. Reverb

Video

Which one do you prefer?

Rhett and Zach unpack the big news for secondhand guitar sellers and buyers: Sweetwater has launched their new Gear Exchange. How does it compare to Reverb, Craigslist, and Marketplace? To find out, Zach takes the site for a spin and buys a pedal. He calls the process both “very easy” and “normal.” They discuss the pros and cons of the various used-gear outlets and share tips for not getting got when buying gear. Plus, Zach grew a mustache, Mythos Pedals is moving, and he talks about his forthcoming line of Strat pickups inspired by Hendrix’s reverse-stagger setup.