Guitar.com Live: 16 highlights from the virtual guitar show

Three days, five virtual exhibitions and over 60 events – Guitar.com Live was a bold first look at what guitar shows of the future may resemble. And what a ride it’s been. From masterclasses led by legends to celebrations of vintage gear to a showcase of emerging guitar talent, these are the top 16 highlights of the virtual guitar show.

Oh, and if you missed any of the sessions, you can catch all the replays right here. See you again next year!

A Guitar Building Masterclass With Paul Reed Smith

The master luthier, musician and all-round guitar legend presented a back-to-basics masterclass for those looking to upgrade or repair their electric or acoustic guitars. Starting with the premise that everything on a guitar contributes to its tone, the PRS founder went through the details of his guitar-building philosophy and neverending quest for tone.

Joe Bonamassa’s Guitar Safaris: A Vintage Guitar Show And Tell

The world’s leading blues-rock guitarist invited us into his Los Angeles home to see and hear some of the jewels of his astonishing guitar collection, including a 1951 Fender Nocaster, 1955 Gibson Les Paul and one of his most prized possessions, the Tommy Bollin Burst.

The Art Of The Signature Model With Ernie Ball Music Man

Ernie Ball Music Man’s artist roster is one of the most diverse in the industry. In this session, some of the brand’s most famous names – St. Vincent, John Petrucci, James Valentine, Steve Morse and Jason Richardson – lifted the lid on the collaboration process behind an artist signature model.

Perfecting Your Pedalboard

In this panel discussion presented by Mono, Eirik from Living Room Gear Demos, Grant Klassen from Goodwood Audio and Emily from the Get Offset podcast outlined the ins and outs of building your perfect pedalboard. If you’re still settling on your ideal ‘board or are new to the stompbox game, you don’t want to miss this one.

Third Man Records Showcase

The Nashville-based record label has established itself as one of contemporary rock’s most adventurous setups. And in this special showcase, Third Man demonstrated just why it’s earned that reputation. Featuring North Americans, Luke Schneider, Silver Synthetic, Miranda And The Beat, and Heather Trost.

Exclusive Premiere: Taylor Unveils The GT

Designed entirely from the ground up, the new Taylor GT and GTe promise to inspire people in a whole new way – it might just be a game-changer for many players. Listen to the architects of the instrument, Andy Powers and Bob Taylor, delve into the design and build of the small-scale acoustic guitar.

Every Guitar Debate Ever, SOLVED

Kirk or Slash? Analogue or digital? Relic’ing: yes or no? The answers you seek to guitardom’s eternal questions can be found in our irreverent live panel discussion, where Ryan Burke of 60 Cycle Hum, Instagram influencer Mike Adams and popular YouTuber Jay Leonard J, among others, duked it out.

Jason Isbell & The Magic Of The Burst

The multi-Grammy winning guitar superstar invited Guitar.com Live into his rehearsal barn in Nashville to get up close and personal with his guitar collection, including Redeye and his 1959 Gibson Les Paul.

Holly Humberstone Exclusive Guitar.com Performance

After all the in-depth discussions and technical lessons, Holly Humberstone’s haunting, sparse and intimate performance was the respite we all needed.

Cosmic Country Masterclass With Daniel Donato

The Tele-toting gunslinger and one of Nashville’s hottest guitarists unpicked his trademark ‘Cosmic Country’ playing style in this live masterclass.

225 Parsons Street Factory Tour With Masterbuilder Pete Farmer

Pete Farmer, masterbuilder at Heritage Guitars, guided Guitar.com Live on a tour of the 225 Parsons Street factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan. From wood-carving to spray-painting to applying bindings, watch the craftspeople at the iconic factory honour the traditions of luthiery and build some of the finest US-made guitars around.

She Shreds, Respect And Revolution

The music industry is changing. Diversity and inclusion are hot topics that deserve debating, and She Shreds Media has been doing so since its founding in 2012. Fabi Reyna, the guitarist and publisher behind She Shreds, gathered three of her peers for an insightful – and empowering – chat on the ongoing revolution.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd On Creating His New Stratocaster

The acclaimed blues virtuoso discussed his latest collaboration with Fender: the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature Stratocaster.

Exclusive Masterclass With Marty Friedman

Beamed live from Japan, Marty Friedman‘s hourlong masterclass was everything you’d expect from the guitar hero – and then some. The veteran musician went through composition, solo techniques, harmonising and more, with plenty of shredding in between.

The Guitar.com Live Virtual Jam: Next Gen

The guitar is certainly alive and well, as these under-20 guitarists – Jasmine Star, Asher Belsky and Brandon ‘Taz’ Niederauer – proved in one of three virtual jams held for Guitar.com Live.

Inside The Chicago Music Exchange Vaults

Chicago Music Exchange brought Guitar.com Live back in time with its selection of jaw-dropping vintage guitars from the 50s and 60s. Just for our virtual guitar show, CME’s Nathaniel Murphy tore things up on a 1959 Burst, 1956 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop, 1968 Fender Paisley Tele, 1960 Gibson ES-335, 1959 Gibson EMS-1235 and a 1968 Martin D-45.