Steve Howe

• Multiple guitar types are essential — Howe uses different instruments for different musical roles. You cannot replicate Yes guitar parts on a single instrument
• The ES-175 provides the jazz archtop tone — neck pickup, clean amp, thumb-plucking technique for the warmer jazz sections
• Telecaster for rock crunch sections — bridge pickup into a slightly pushed amp for the rock/country-influenced passages
• Classical right-hand technique influences the picking — the fingers are close to the strings, rest stroke on single notes for the same percussive attack
• Chord voicings are jazz-influenced — Howe uses extended chord shapes (7ths, 9ths, 13ths) in rock contexts, adding harmonic sophistication
• Study "Roundabout," "Mood for a Day" and "Clap" — these represent acoustic and electric in equal measure
• The rhythmic approach is orchestral — guitar parts fit within an arrangement, not on top of it. Study how guitar interacts with Jon Anderson's voice and Rick Wakeman's keyboards
• Country steel-string technique (hybrid picking) appears in some Howe passages — the country influence from his work with Asia shows
• Vibrato is minimal — unlike blues players, Howe uses very controlled, precise vibrato in keeping with his classical training

Steve Howe of Yes is the most versatile player in progressive rock — moving between jazz archtop, acoustic steel-string, Spanish classical and electric guitar within a single concert, with mastery in each style.