Roy Nichols

One of my all-time favorite country pickers is Merle Haggard's former lead guitarist, Roy Nichols. He was a pioneer in the hybrid-picking technique (playing with a pick along with picking with your middle and ring fingers) and had a string bending style all his own. Nichols was famous for pre-bending notes, sounding them, and then lowering them to their natural pitch, the opposite of what comes natural to most guitarists. He was also a Telecaster player. One of his biggest musical influences was Django Reinhardt, an early Gypsy jazz guitarist, which probably contributed to Nichols' highly improvised, stream-of-consciousness style.

To hear Nichols, check out any of Merle Haggards stuff between 1966 and 1987. Listen to his rhythm on Workin' Man Blues, or Honky Tonk Night Time Man. These are great examples of his hybrid-picking technique in a rhythm guitar context. The hybrid-picking technique is part of what gives the Telecaster it's country sound, which is where the technique got it's slang name, "chicken' pickin.' "

Roy Nichols passed away in 2001. He has an image of a Telecaster engraved on his headstone.