Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Drums Week 25
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Guitar Amps
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Artist news
  • Drums
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • Santana on Beck
  • Friday, I'm in Love
  • Knopfler's 4-note secret
  • 95k+ free music samples
Don't miss these
Otoha holds a blue Fender Strat in a staged setting with neon pink and blue lights overhead.
Artists IDLES, Wet Leg and Sam Fender all graduated from the Fender Next programme – meet its Class of 2025
Orbit Culture's guitarists
Electric Guitars Orbit Culture show us their ESP guitars – and tell us why the EverTune bridge is a game-changer
A Fender Player II Stratocaster and Telecaster on a white piece of wood with lots of holes in it
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars under $1,000/£1,000 in 2025: My top picks for players of all styles
Close up of Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars under $500/£500 in 2025: Affordable electrics
Yungblud
Artists Yungblud reveals his secret to making acoustics sound massive – and hints at future signature model
Brent Hinds plays a bespoke ESP offset live in Mexico as he performs with Mastodon in 2022.
Artists “My mind’s the most cosmic place I could ever visit. All I have to do is zone out and play the guitar, and before you know it, I’ve visited places unheard of”: Remembering Brent Hinds, the maverick who trampled metal guitar underfoot with Mastodon
Haim
Bands Haim push back again against people who question their songwriting, production skills and musicianship
Kirk Hammett plays his Mummy ESP onstage with Metallica. In the middle of this comp'd image is the Thinline custom Triplecaster Hammett commissioned then gifted to White. On the right, White plays his Fender Triplecaster with the yellow pickguard.
Artists Kirk Hammett orders up custom version of Jack White’s Triplecaster – and gets one for White, too
Gretsch Electromatic CVT: The bolt-on double-cut assumes a familiar form to the Jack Antonoff signature model, and features dual humbuckers, a wraparound tailpiece, and some neat vintage finishes.
Guitars Like the Jack Antonoff signature Gretsch? Then you are going to love the CVT Electromatic
Dickey Betts [left] and Warren Haynes trade licks onstage with the Allman Brothers Band at the 1993 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Haynes's Strat would soon be stolen in New York.
Artists How Warren Haynes turned to Les Pauls after his favourite Strat was stolen
Close up of Gibson and PRS left-handed guitars on a green background
Electric Guitars Left-handed guitarists have been overlooked for too long, but Thomann’s up to 20% off Lefty Deals sale changes that
native instruments
Music Production Tutorials "As nuanced as the real thing, but only if you know what you're doing": The ultimate guide to plugin guitars
“The most talked-about guitar of the summer is coming to the Gibson Garage London”: P-90s, Light Aging from the Murphy Lab, handwritten Oasis lyrics… The Gibson Custom Noel Gallagher Les Paul Standard has been unveiled and is here photographed in the Gibson Garage, with a variety of close-ups to show every detail.
Artists Gibson unveils Custom Noel Gallagher Les Paul: hand-signed, limited run – the ultimate Oasis guitar?
Jackson X and JS Series Surfcasters: the long-awaited offset electric guitar is now being offered in white, satin black and metallic black, and and at the entry-level JS price point and the mid-priced X Series.
Guitars “A bold new take on a classic metal machine”: Having ridden the wave of popular demand, Jackson’s Surfcaster offset has landed – and it’s built for speed
A composite image of Steve Vai [left] playing his green PIA Ibanez signature guitar onstage with the Satch/Vai band, and right, the late, great Allan Holdsworth playing an S-style with a cigarette smoking wedged on the strings.
Artists Steve Vai on why Allan Holdsworth – the fusion virtuoso who wrote his own rules – was the GOAT
  1. Artists
  2. Guitarists

The 12 best alternative guitarists in the world right now

News
By MusicRadar Team ( Total Guitar ) published 3 December 2018

Meet the guitar superstars of indie and alt-rock

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

10. Courtney Barnett

10. Courtney Barnett

The Total Guitar MusicRadar Best in guitars 2018 polls received an astonishing 126,000 votes, and we're now ready to roll out the winners. The nominees were what we considered to be the guitarists and guitar gear that have excelled in 2018. Here, we present the best alternative guitarists of 2018. 

Taking up positions 12 to 11 are:

12. Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak)
11. Jack Bottomley, Sam Macintyre (Marmozets)

Kicking off the top 10 we have Courtney Barnett...

2018 highlight: 2018 was Courtney Barnett's year. The release of the Australian indie rock guitarist's second album Tell Me How You Really Feel brought with it many deserved plaudits. For us, it was her quirky playing on tracks like City Looks Pretty and Need A Little Time that really made her stand out from the pack this year.

The MusicRadar Best in guitars awards are brought to you in association with Ernie Ball. #colorsofrocknroll

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
9. Ben Howard

9. Ben Howard

2018 highlight: Noonday Dream was the third studio album from everyone's favourite left-handed Brit guitarist and was filled to the rafters with contemporary indie folk, including some of his most ambitious compositions yet. As we've come to expect, Howard's acoustic guitar work was lush, dream-like and incredibly moorish.

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
8. Dustin Kensrue, Teppei Teranishi (Thrice)

8. Dustin Kensrue, Teppei Teranishi (Thrice)

2018 highlight: Following a long break, the Californian alt-rockers bounced back in 2016 with the excellent To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere. Rather than sit on their laurels, they quickly got to work on a follow-up. The result was Palms, the band's first release on Epitaph Records. The album picked up where its predecessor left off, evolving the band's sound and challenging listeners alike. Guitarists Kensrue and Teranashi once again proved that they bring power and intricacy in equal measure.

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
7. Ben Gibbard, Dave Depper, Zac Rae (Death Cab For Cutie)

7. Ben Gibbard, Dave Depper, Zac Rae (Death Cab For Cutie)

2018 highlight: The complimentary guitar trio of Gibbard, Depper and Rae sounded fantastic on lush new album Thank You For Today, following the departure of long-time guitarist Chris Walla. Every last note was perfectly placed and the songs are amongst some of the band's finest. Not bad for an outfit that has been doing the rounds since 1997. 

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
6. Ritzy Bryan (The Joy Formidable)

6. Ritzy Bryan (The Joy Formidable)

2018 highlight: Ritzy Bryan kicks things straight into overdrive on the opening track of new album AAAARTH, with a pummeling, grooving riff. This sets the tone for the rest of the album, which is a thumping, alt-rock ride. What's more, the band hit the road in North America with none other than Foo Fighters. Not bad for a band from a small town in North Wales.

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
5. Joe Gosney (Black Peaks)

5. Joe Gosney (Black Peaks)

2018 highlight: Gosney is the mastermind behind Black Peaks' twisting, mesmerising, hard-hitting riffage. If debut album Statues wasn't enough to stir your senses (what's the matter with you), 2018 album All That Divides surely turned you on. On this album, Gosney took his Mastodon and Dillinger influences and shook them up to make a style all his own, particularly prominent on Electric Fires and Home.

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
4. Johnny Marr

4. Johnny Marr

2018 highlight: British guitar legend Marr has enjoyed a prolific career since ditching Morrissey in '87. From session work with The Pretenders and Modest Mouse, to his own celebrated solo material, he's remained in demand. This year's Call The Comet was his third solo outing. Full of deep, rich music and stellar guitar playing, the album proved, once again, that there's no need for a Smiths reunion just yet.

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
3. Anna Calvi

3. Anna Calvi

2018 highlight: Anna Calvi earned immediate acclaim from critics, music fans and guitar players alike with the release of her eponymous debut album in 2011. Seven years and two additional albums later, and Calvi has really refined her art. Newest album Hunter is a broad palette of light and shade, and feature some truly blissful guitar moments.

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
2. Emma Ruth Rundle

2. Emma Ruth Rundle

2018 highlight: Emma Ruth Rundle is one of those artists with such a deep-seated, personal aesthetic that it runs like a coal-seam throughout all her work, whether that’s jamming with Dylan Carlson, playing in post-rock trio Marriages, or on her darkly ambient solo records. 2016’s stark second solo album Marked For Death provided a breakthrough. In 2018 she returned with On Dark Horses, a grounded but unguarded collection, recorded in her newly adopted Louisville, Kentucky. On it Rundle creates a beautiful narrative with guitar tone and uses the acoustic guitar to great effect on her weighty songwriting.

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
Winner: Timothy Henson, Scott LePage (Polyphia)

Winner: Timothy Henson, Scott LePage (Polyphia)

2018 highlight: Formed in Dallas, Texas, eight years ago by teenage guitarists Timothy Henson and Scott LePage, Polyphia have become one of the most exciting names in the world of progressive instrumental music. Originally rooted in heavier metal, their more recent recordings - including this year’s third full-length New Levels New Devils - have drawn inspiration far beyond the conventional planes of guitar noise, from the subdivided hi-hats and subterranean low-end of trap music to the more hard-hitting punch of modern hip-hop and rap.

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
Categories
Guitars
MusicRadar Team
MusicRadar Team
Social Links Navigation

MusicRadar is the number 1 website for music makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, djs or producers...

  • GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high- quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts.
  • TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars.
  • STARS: We talk to musicians and stars about their creative processes, and the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the actual craft of music making that no other music website can.
Stay up to date with the latest gear and tuition. image
Stay up to date with the latest gear and tuition.
Subscribe and save today!
More Info
Read more
Otoha holds a blue Fender Strat in a staged setting with neon pink and blue lights overhead.
IDLES, Wet Leg and Sam Fender all graduated from the Fender Next programme – meet its Class of 2025
Orbit Culture's guitarists
Orbit Culture show us their ESP guitars – and tell us why the EverTune bridge is a game-changer
A Fender Player II Stratocaster and Telecaster on a white piece of wood with lots of holes in it
Best electric guitars under $1,000/£1,000 in 2025: My top picks for players of all styles
Close up of Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster
Best electric guitars under $500/£500 in 2025: Affordable electrics
Yungblud
Yungblud reveals his secret to making acoustics sound massive – and hints at future signature model
Brent Hinds plays a bespoke ESP offset live in Mexico as he performs with Mastodon in 2022.
“My mind’s the most cosmic place I could ever visit. All I have to do is zone out and play the guitar, and before you know it, I’ve visited places unheard of”: Remembering Brent Hinds, the maverick who trampled metal guitar underfoot with Mastodon
Latest in Guitarists
Biran May and friends
"It's a classic... one of the best rock songs ever”: Which 2013 track could Brian May be talking about?
Jackson Pro Series Limited Edition Phil Demmel KV King V: the V-style electric is finished in black-and-white polka dots, and looks good in all settings, against a white background or barroom scene alike.
Jackson and Phil Demmel salute Randy Rhoads with limited run Pro Series King V in polka dot finish
John McLaughlin plays his PRS live onstage. He wears a black tennis wristband; the guitar has a highly figured flame maple top and he wears a blue shirt. On the right, Jimi Hendrix plays his Gibson Flying V with the psychedelic paint job.
John McLaughlin on how his first encounter with Jimi Hendrix ended in “disaster”
MXR Randy Rhoads Special Edition Distortion+: A black and white shot of Randy Rhoads with his Jackson Concorde; on the right, the new signature distortion from MXR in a finish inspired by the guitar.
Good news for Randy Rhoads fans – his MXR Distortion+ is back, and you have got to see its supersonic finish
Nigel Tufnel grimaces as he plays an Ernie Ball Music Man electric guitar onstage with UK rock legends Spinal Tap, who return to the big screen soon.
Spinal Tap’s Nigel Tufnel is open to swapping his guitars for cheese but here’s why you won’t sell him on amp modellers
Gene Simmons at the funeral of Chuck Berry
“Without Chuck Berry there wouldn't have been The Beatles or Stones”: Gene Simmons' eulogy for a rock ’n’ roll legend
Latest in News
warm audio
Warm Audio promises studio-quality sound without the price tag with three new vintage-inspired condenser mics
David Bowie On Set of Jump They Say Music Video
“London presented so much that he found fascinating": David Bowie’s lost theatrical project set in 18th-century London
Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit performs onstage during Leeds Festival at Bramham Park on August 24, 2025 in Leeds, Englan
"Please don't put it on the internet": Limp Bizkit tease new song with the help of a young social media drummer
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: With a whopping $600 off a Gibson Les Paul, $500 off a stunning Guild Starfire and $400 off the modern Strandberg Boden Metal NX 6, it's all about guitars this week
Kelly Hansen and Bruce Watson of Foreigner
“We know what love is”: Foreigner make formal offer to play at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding
Gibson Custom SJ-200 Monarch #100: this stunning one-of-one jumbo is replete with all kinds of rococo flourishes, from the diamond and gold crown inlay on the headstock, to the 14k gold rope binding, Gibson calls it the "ultimate custom" acoustic and not without some justification.
Gibson gives the “King of the Flat-Tops” a whole new meaning with the $99,999 SJ-200 Monarch #100

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...