Eric Clapton once called him “the greatest guitar player in the world.” Who are we to argue with God?

Heavily influenced by Buddy Holly, Cliff Gallup, Scotty Moore and Jerry Reed, Lee’s unique blend of fingerstyle, hybrid and chicken pickin’ - the man can play with dazzling speed and shift to slower, pedal-steel-like passages at the drop of a hat - has made him an in-demand player since the ‘60s.

His peerless technique coupled with an ‘aw, shucks’ lack of ego has led to gigs with a Who’s Who of popular music: Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, The Everly Brothers (whom he helped to reunite), Jerry Lee Lewis, The Crickets, Emmylou Harris, Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, not to mention the all-star Hogan’s Heroes. (Here he's pictured with drummer Rod Morgenstein, with whom he played while cutting a track with Steve Morse.)

Although now a Music Man endorsee, Lee’s seminal recordings were played on Telecasters with maple necks. Models from 1952, ‘53 and ‘60 were his favorites. On occasion, Lee has been known to employ a B-bender, a mechanism he still uses today on some Music Mans.