Tonight's guitar summit features three true virtuosos. They all explore different facets of the instrument in their work, but what they have in common is that the are players other guitarists (even the big names) study and look up to.

Austinite Eric Johnson's career dates back to the 1980s, when Guitar Player featured him in an article called "Who Is Eric Johnson, and Why Is He on Our Cover?" He can make a Fender Stratocaster or a Gibson ES-335 sound like a violin, and all of his playing marries brilliance to musical art. Says the Memphis Commercial Appeal: "He's an extraordinary guitar player accessible to ordinary music fans."

Topeka, Kansas fingerstyle guitarist Andy McKee has attracted more than 78 million YouTube views. His live shows display his stringsmanship and his talent for engaging repartee. Andy employs altered tunings, syncopated rhythm guitar taps, and polyphonic tones and drones, both on standard acoustic guitars and a unique hand-built 12-string harp-guitar. He won Acoustic Guitar magazine's worldwide silver medal award in December of 2008.

The fans of Italian steel-string guitarist Peppino d'Agostino include Leo Kottke, who says, "Peppino writes wonderful guitar pieces. He's one of my favorite composers for this cranky instrument. Plus, he's a tone player. I love his sound . . . gets the resin and the wood." Peppino is a guitar genius with a lyrical spirit, spinning memorable melodies that incorporate influences as diverse as flamenco-jazz player Paco de Lucia and the Beatles. Another fan is Tommy Emmanuel, who simply calls Peppino's music "deep and beautiful."