Joe Perry found fame as a guitarist in Aerosmith, who started around 1970 and went on to become one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time. Perry is a master of the catchy guitar riff: Walk this way and Sweet Emotion are just two examples.

Perry started playing the guitar around the age of 15, after trying other instruments. His first guitar was a house brand Silvertone, he then progressed to a semi-hollow body Guild with f holes. In 1968, after seeing Jeff Beck perform, Joe was inspired to get a Gibson Les Paul, and went out and bought a gold top reissue model.

As far as his early influences go, Joe cites Roy Orbison, Ike and Tina Turner, Elvis and just about anything on the radio. Joe is modest when it comes to his playing:

“I always consider myself a song player, not so much a guitarist’s guitarist, that kind of thing. It’s all about the songs to me. That’s where its at.”

Sources :

• Wired for Sound: a guitar Odyssey. Melhuish and Hall, 1999