Chet Atkins: The Country Guitarist You MUST Know

100 Guitarists · 2025-06-09

38:11

If you were to only know about one country guitarist, you’d want to know about Chet Atkins. On this episode, we’re talking about the man people called “Mr. Guitar”—the Country Gentleman himself—and how he developed his style and transformed the way we approach our instrument.

Atkins’ recognizable eloquent sound is full of punchy bass notes, jazzy chords, cascading righthand patterns, and cleanly articulated melodies, and it can be heard all over the history of electric guitar music. How did he create his style? How can you fake it on your own? And was Chet Atkins responsible for the second most popular signature model guitar of all time?

100 Guitarists

Premier Guitar editors Jason Shadrick and Nick Millevoi are arguing over which 100 guitarists you should know. Together, they dig deep into each player’s catalog to uncover what makes them unique, influential, and important. Will Robert Quine make the list? Probably not. Trey Anastasio? Definitely. Listen each week as they break down iconic tracks, legendary tones, and even let the occasional guest air their grievances.

No. of episodes: 55

Latest episode: 2025-06-09

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