Steve Hackett

Genesis's guitarist from 1971 to 1977 and one of progressive rock's genuine innovators -- he was using two-handed tapping on Nursery Cryme years before it became a mainstream technique. His playing is defined by restraint and by sustain: long, vocal, violin-like lines built from a 1957 Les Paul Goldtop he bought in 1972, a Peter Cornish pedalboard full of period fuzzes, and an amp turned up until notes stopped decaying. The Firth of Fifth solo is the piece everyone cites, and it is a masterclass in playing fewer notes and holding them longer. He has recorded prolifically as a solo artist since 1975.