This book showcases the 25 players who made the greatest impact on rock and roll history. Meet rock and roll's party crashers. They are the guitar-wielding heroes who came into an established musical framework and changed the rules. Chuck Berry, for example, the first guitar player to jumpstart rock and roll, left audience amazed when he blasted them with his patented intro. A few years later, Jimi Hendrix, inspired in part by Chuck, made a lasting impression on rock and roll in so many ways, leaving us all in a purple haze, and sending guitar players scurrying to take a new look at their instruments. The ripple-like effect of Hendrix continues to this day."Guitar Gods" showcases the 25 players who made the greatest impact on rock and roll's long and winding history. All the players profiled in this book entranced fans and their advancements in music left the genre in a different place than when they arrived. Among the featured are Duane Allman, Jeff Beck, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, Kurt Cobain, The Edge, John Frusciante; Jerry Garcia, David Gilmour, Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, Slash, Pete Townshend, Eddie Van Halen, and Frank Zappa.Enhanced with numerous sidebars on such topics as landmark albums, this volume guides readers to an understanding of the players' early influences, technique and style, equipment, and legacy. Also included are a number of resources for students, researchers, and anyone interested in the history of rock music: sidebars on related musicians and landmark albums; discographies of seminal and bestselling recordings; a resource guide of recommended print and Web resources; and, a comprehensive index.