In the 1980's there emerged an extreme type of guitar playing, often referred to as 'shred'.

This over-the-top style was characterize by impossibly swift picking, two-handed tapping and crazed whammy-bar manipulation. Such pyrotechnics necessitated specialized instruments. In the late 80's, Guitar hero Steve Vai collaborated with the Ibanez company to produce the JEM - a 'Superstrat' based upon...

* Born: 27 November 1942
* Birthplace: Seattle, Washington
* Died: 18 September 1970 (drug overdose)
* Best Known As: Performer of "Purple Haze"

Name at birth: Johnny Allen Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix grabbed electric guitar by the neck and wrestled it into a new era. His feedback-heavy solos and hallucinogenic...