Which guitarist should every beginner listen to?

Picture this: someone you know has just picked up the guitar for the first time – a friend, loved one, student. They come to you and ask: which guitarist should I listen to and really study? Who can I learn the most from?

Obviously, there's the consideration of the genre the aspiring player is partial to, but some lessons are universal. Equally obvious is that you probably wouldn't want to just pick one, but shhh, that's not the point!

Let your own musical taste and playing journey guide your answer – don't tell us who you think you should recommend, we want to know what you think personally based on your own experience.

Are you a jazzer who thinks that young guns who want to play speed metal can learn from your Blue Note favorite? Are you a speed metal guitarist who thinks your skull-and-crossbones idol has something to teach to jazz players? Speak your mind! There's no right or wrong answer. The obvious names and the unexpected ones, from the 1920s or the 2020s, we wanna hear them all.

So, gun to your head (for legal reasons, this is a metaphor), which guitarist above all would you recommend as essential listening and studying for beginners? Let us know in the comments below.