In any discussion concerning the greatest alternate pickers to walk the earth, names like John Petrucci, Paul Gilbert, Al Di Meola, Jason Becker, Chris Impellitteri and Shawn Lane will never be far from guitarists’ lips.
These are the players that set the bar impossibly high with their near-perfect storm of precision, dexterity and control – at times often sounding like they’ve beamed in from a different planet altogether.
If there’s one name out of the younger generation that could undoubtedly sit among the ultimate pickers and super shredders, however, it’s 26-year-old Chilean guitarist Bastian Martinez, better known to the online community as Baxty.
Having already inked up deals with Neural DSP, Jim Dunlop and Ernie Ball, this year he announced his debut signature model through Kiesel, and he’s now adding the final touches to a debut album featuring high-profile guests such as Joe Satriani.
It only takes a quick scroll online to see the likes of Tosin Abasi, Misha Mansoor and Rick Graham praising Baxty’s incredible musicianship and flawless delivery, and – having been invited to teach at John Petrucci’s Guitar Universe camp last year – it would be fair to say the Santiago-based prodigy now has a lot of friends in high places.
It was perhaps inevitable that Baxty, whose father and grandfather played guitar, would one day pick up the instrument. By age six, he’d grown accustomed to hearing the music of Ozzy Osbourne, Symphony X and Yngwie Malmsteen around the house.
The greatest education came in the form of a G3: Live in Tokyo DVD that he’d watch religiously, basking in the magnificence of Satriani, Petrucci and Steve Vai – three musical magicians who each had their own otherworldly quality when it came to touch and feel.
“I fell in love with how they made their guitars sound,” Baxty says from his home studio. “Steve had all these whammy tricks while Joe had this strong melodic voice. John was even more out there technically, which made me want to work harder.”
I love how Fredrik Åkesson from Opeth plays; there’s so much feeling and intensity in his lines, especially in the note choices and bends
Besides those guys, who else ended up influencing you?
When I was 15, I saw Guthrie Govan on YouTube. It was inspiring to see how far he had taken the instrument, and it made me want to practice more. Later on, I got into Nick Johnston, who likes to blend piano with guitar on tracks like Gemini.
He doesn’t just write guitar music, which is why I find him interesting. I also love how Fredrik Åkesson from Opeth plays; there’s so much feeling and intensity in his lines, especially in the note choices and bends.
A guitarist of your caliber could pick any company in the world for an endorsement deal. What made you choose Kiesel?
They sent me a guitar in 2024, and I knew straightaway how well it suited me in terms of comfort and sound. I visited the factory in 2025 and Jeff Kiesel handed me a guitar.
I think they were like, “Let’s see if this internet guy can play!” I’m not faking anything because my dad always told me to be myself. Give me any guitar and I’ll be happy. It’s like a disconnect from the world. Playing guitar makes me feel alive.
It must be wild to see players like Misha Mansoor and Tosin Abasi saying how brilliant you are.
The first mind-blowing moment was when Joe Satriani commented on a post in 2022. I also couldn’t believe it when Tosin sent me a guitar and started sharing clips of me. Then John Petrucci inviting me to Guitar Universe was insane.
He and his wife Rena had seen my masterclasses online and thought I’d be a great fit. I thought it was someone impersonating John; I didn’t fully believe it until I saw my photo on the Guitar Universe website.
At the camp, I met Chris Broderick, who is guesting on my album. All these guitar legends are paying attention to what I’m doing. I don’t know why! It feels weird, but I’m happy about it.
Joe Satriani will also be appearing on your album. What can we expect?
I’d written one track that represented a dream, which felt like a good place for Joe – because of his 1989 album [Flying in a Blue Dream] and the fact that it’s a dream come true. What’s interesting is that it’s almost what Dream Theater would sound like with Joe on guitar.
This album will be like a natural connection between ambient stuff and heavier ideas. I love songs with a melodic climax. Sometimes simplicity can blow your mind more than the technicality. It’s great if you can alternate-pick crazy lines, but if you can’t bend, you’re a bad player.
You’re playing in real time on your videos, but you still get accusations of faking it.
People say things like, “This is sped up,” but I’m kinda grateful because it means they find it impressive. One guy commented on every post saying I was a Petrucci copy that didn’t have my own sound. I’m still trying to find my own voice, but if someone thinks I sound like John Petrucci, I’m fine with that.
What’s the secret to alternate picking so fast?
I’ve seen some Cracking the Code YouTube videos [hosted by Troy Grady] and felt stupid after watching them. I didn’t understand. I’m not reading a biology book. What I will say is that alternate picking is a 3D movement from the wrist rather than straight up and down.
If you want to go fast, you need to test your body. New things will feel uncomfortable, but keep pushing. See where the tension is, slow down, then eventually build back up. It takes time.
What exercises would help people build up speed and precision?
Try playing a line that goes up the 16th, 19th and 22nd frets of the G-string followed by the 15th fret of the high E and back. Once you have that going, occasionally add in the 19th and 22nd on the E. It’s good because you are mixing stretches with fast alternate picking and string-skipping.
- This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.
