New Jersey derives much of its water from New York’s Catskill Mountains. Low in calcium and magnesium, it’s a naturally soft water that’s ideally suited for bread flour. And, of course, that means it’s also a crucial component in the making of New Jersey pizza, which everybody knows is the best in the United States. (Oh, you wanna argue about it? How about this? Fuggedaboudit!)
Compiled by Guitar World Staff Words by Joe Bosso
Ask any New Jerseyan why the state is number one and you’ll get a variety of responses. Its beaches — there’s Stone Harbor, Cape May, Point Pleasant, Ocean City and Sea Bright, to name just a few. Why, you can drive down practically the entire 130 miles of the state’s coastline and call it “the Jersey Shore.” Its produce — blueberries, corn, tomatoes, apples, asparagus and anything else that grows from the ground (there’s a reason New Jersey is called “the Garden State”). And the state has not one, but two football teams. Okay, technically they’re the New York Giants and the New York Jets, but they play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, so New Jerseyans can rightfully claim dibs. BTW, the same goes for the New York Red Bulls, the local Major League Soccer team that, of course, plays in Harrison.
In terms of sheer geography, New Jersey isn’t large — it accounts for only 7,352.9 square miles, making it the 46th largest state by area. But in terms of its impact on modern music, it’s enormous. Hoboken’s own Frank Sinatra got his start singing in New Jersey social clubs, and over the years the state has been a breeding ground for the sounds of doo-wop, garage rock, soul, jazz, punk, funk, hip-hop, blues and heavy metal.
Perhaps more than any other state in the Northeast, New Jersey has been home to a staggering number of notable guitarists. That said, when we crafted the following list of New Jersey guitarists, we had to consider what actually constituted a “New Jersey guitarist,” and our criteria was based on anyone born there, raised there or made their greatest impact there. There were, however, certain qualifiers that could be seen as subjective. Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio was born in Texas; his family moved to Princeton when he was 3, but he famously relocated to Burlington, Vermont, the birthplace of Phish, a band that will forever be associated with Vermont. Hey, when we do our Vermont guitarists roundup, Anastasio will be front and center. Meanwhile, the Eagles’ Joe Walsh attended Montclair High School. Is he “a New Jersey guitarist”? Get outta here!
As you’ll see from the 30 playe
