2025 has been a fantastic year for the guitar. We've seen arguably the biggest reunion tour of all time, one of the world's biggest guitar heroes (and analog loyalists) team up with Neural DSP to create a signature plugin that brings his sought-after tones to the masses, and the emergence of a whole host of incredible new players, to name just a few tantalizing developments.
However, we've also had to sadly say goodbye to dozens of guitar greats, from many eras, and every imaginable genre. Each of them impacted the instrument in their own way, whether as luthiers, hitmakers, session players, or air guitar-inspiring soloists.
