Way back in October 2024 (it feels like a lifetime ago), I had the privilege of attending a Fender press preview event in New York, at which the company was giving us muckrakers a first glimpse of its soon-to-be-released American Ultra II line.
Nursing a glass of red, I took a seat for the evening's central occasion, a panel discussion about the American Ultra IIs featuring Fender's Justin Norvell and, among other killer players, John Mayer sideman and session great Isaiah Sharkey.
Now, Sharkey is no longer a Fender man, but that's neither here nor there. The point is, given the genial environs, and, admittedly, my lack of familiarity with the man's playing, I wasn't expecting this occasion to be one where I witnessed some of the best live guitar playing I've ever seen.
Sharkey didn't play a full set – it was an extended demo of the American Ultra II Stratocaster more than anything – but his touch, smoothness, and sense of melody were divine. It was effortless. And of all the settings!
Do you have a story like that? Was the best live guitar playing you've ever seen someone you'd been dying to see for years, a hero? Or someone out of the blue, who you weren't as familiar – or familiar at all – with at the time?
Tell us the story! Who were they? Was the gig at a club, a stadium, or something in between? What was the crowd reaction? What was the highlight of the set? (You can also just say the name, don't worry).
Let us know in the comments below.
