Guitars

Is anything more brooding than an old Les Paul in a dark place? Wonderful shot. I kept coming back to this one. So much so that it had to be #1. It stands there like some high priest waiting to unleash a vintage riff. I want to know the back story of this guitar.

Well, this is the 5th Les Paul I have chosen for the top ten. I may have a bias. But how could I not put this photo in the top 10? That is a great guitar and looks like it is about to come alive with some Delta blues. Maybe some Texas blues. I would love to hear it.

Subtle is right. Graceful as well. I love the dark background and a single light source. Two tones bisected by the black curve is beguiling. Even the strings tied to the bridge being slightly out of focus works. Great textures and tones. Bravo.

I have seen and voted favorably on this photo before. I believe that it was beautifully tortured or lovingly abused. That is what it looks like. The guitarist working out his demons on the instrument. This picture captures that feeling and mood perfectly.

This is one of the best creative photos in the contest and deserves a top 10. It is the ghost of the player and implies that the guitar is still alive without the guitarist. One day I am going to steal this idea and photograph it myself. Very inspiring.

Let's get this Les Paul out of the case and play it. Great texture and light reflections. A beautiful instrument and photograph to boot. I really love the wood grain and close up angle. This photo makes me want to play. Well done.

How could this not be in the top ten. What a great shot of a great Les Paul. The guitarist looks like an epic rockstar riffing a one-handed solo (Ala Jimmy Page). This is a great shot. I didn't even notice that it is in a room and not a stage until much later. That means you are drawn completely into the subject. Well done.

I love the Les Paul and I love the angle in which this one is shot. Definitely deserves a top 10. The reflection on the bridge is almost a bokeh effect. The detail of the wood grain under the red paint is subtle and delightful. The texture of the volume and tone pots in the clear knobs is very cool. Especially with the delineation from the smooth tops and rounded sides. Nice effect and captured very well.

Well, I wouldn't call it a slut. But it is a finely crafted instrument. Looks like a modern work of art. I can imagine the sounds that it makes. You have captured the texture of the wood and the smoothness of the metal. I want one. :D

I have seen this photograph many times and I am always drawn to it. There is something about an orthodox jew playing a Yamaha Pacifica that gets to me. I have owned and played that guitar. I believe that I saw him in Jerusalem a few years ago. This is a very interesting picture to me.

What a great shot of Johnny Marr! He is one of the best guitarists of the past 40 years. How did you ever get so close to him? There is no metadata on the camera or settings. Great shot of his custom Jaguar.