It's time once again for the About.com Readers' Choice Awards, where you can nominate your top guitarist choices in a variety of categories, then cast your vote to decide an actual winner.
Nominations for the 2012 Readers' Choice Awards will begin on January 18 and end on February 15, 2012. Voting will run from February 22 - March 21, 2012 and the winners will be announced March 30, 2012. There’s no prize -- just the bragging rights that come with getting recognized by the readers of Guitar at About.com.
Best Guitar Blog
Over the past several years, dozens of really insightful guitar blogs have popped up. Some of these blogs highlight new guitar/gear releases, others contain photo galleries of vintage guitars, and still others feature guitar tab, teach licks and suggest technique exercises. Is there a particular blog you tune in to regularly? Nominate your favorite guitar blog here.
Best Guitar Pedal
Whether it's an Ibanez Tube Screamer or the Boss DD-3 Digital Delay pedal, most guitarists have their favorite effects. Now is your chance to share your opinions on what the best guitar effects pedals are. Take a moment to nominate your choice for the best guitar pedal. Please keep your nominations to single effects - no multi-effect pedals or rack effects.
Best Guitar Playing on an Album in 2011
Last year's releases included some really great guitar work - including albums from industry heavyweights like Robbie Robertson (featuring Tom Morello, Eric Clapton and more) and Wilco to new bands like Wild Flag. Nominate your pick for the best guitar playing on an album released in 2011 here. Note that this isn't just the best rock and roll guitar playing - feel free to nominate country, blues or jazz albums here.
Best Guitar Playing on a Song in 2011
If you had to whittle it down, and choose just one track in 2011 that you feel had the best guitar playing, what would it be? Nominate your choice for the best guitar playing on a song in 2011 here. Feel free to base your nominations on a guitar solo, a killer riff, or just an all around great guitar-based track.
Best Acoustic Guitar Manufacturer
Despite the human tendency to always look back and imagine how much better they used to do things in the "old days", there is undeniably no shortage of beautiful acoustic guitars being made right now. Have a favorite? Nominate your choice for the best acoustic guitar maker in 2012 here.
Best Dual-Guitar Band of All Time
Some bands out there do a particularly great job of using two guitarists to their fullest - by creating harmonized guitar riffs, interesting counterpoint, or just really thick chunky rhythm parts. Nominate your choice for the band with the best one-two guitarist combination here. Note that this is a "best-of-all-time" nomination.
Best Young Guitarist
The typical "greatest guitarist" list is usually largely made up of the usual suspects - Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, etc. - players who have been recording for many decades. To mix things up a little, nominations for this award should only include guitarists who as of January 1, 2012 had not yet celebrated their 40th. Nominate your choice for the best young guitarist here.
