Brian Setzer: How to Shred Like a Rockabilly Master

Rockabilly swinger Brian Setzer turns 60 today, so we figured it'd be a good time to revisit Reverb.com's three Setzer-themed lesson videos.

In the clips, Joe from Reverb grabs an attractive Gretsch 6120 and breaks down three representative (but not overplayed) Setzer riffs and/or solos:

• "Hillbilly Jazz Meltdown" riff (from 2011's Setzer Goes Instru-MENTAL!)
• "Hot Rod Girl" solo from (from 2001's Ignition!)
• "Ignition!" riff (also from 2001's Ignition!)

Be sure to also check out our guide to 10 essential rockabilly guitar solos and riffs, a list compiled with input from top players including Paul Pigat and TK Smith. Obviously, Setzer figures heavily in that list—even though his vocabulary borrows as much from jazz and blues as it does from rock and rockabilly.