![Bonnie Raitt's Tips on Guitar for Melissa Etheridge]](https://backingtracksfullcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bonnie-Raitts-Tips-on-Guitar-for-Melissa-Etheridge-758x406.jpg "Bonnie Raitt's Tips on Guitar for Melissa Etheridge] 1")
Melissa Etheridge had no shortage of heroes growing up, and like any other young guitarist, those inspirations shaped the way she played the guitar.
In a recent interview with Guitar Player, Etheridge revealed who was on her pantheon of greats. It was easy. There were a trio of players that summed up everything she wanted to do with the instruments.
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Raitt told her straight up that she was too slight to be playing that big ol’ slab of mahogany night after night, no matter how thick her guitar strap was.
As anyone knows, Norman Harris’ store is the place if you want to make a serious trade. Etheridge had some considerable collateral. Given that Raitt took her to the guitar store it was no surprise that she returned with a Fender Stratocaster – though Etheridge does sound a note of regret.
“I traded in my Les Paul for a Strat… although I wish I still had that Les Paul, ’cause it’d be worth a lot of money now,” she says.
Etheridge actually went to the bother of trying to track the Les Paul down. But as with the whole missing Back to the Future ES-345 saga, the records were lost.
“If I knew where it was I’d go find it,” says Etheridge. “I’ve even asked Norm, but he doesn’t have any records of the things he sold from that long ago. But just recently somebody gifted me a 1979 Les Paul, so that makes up for a little bit.”
Etheridge has some new music, too. Her 17th studio album, Rise, will be released on March 27 via Sun Records. It saw her record at LA’s Sunset Sound studios, where she co-produced the album with Shooter Jennings.
And she remains a regular of Norman’s Rare Guitars, shooting the single for her latest single, Bein’ Alive at the store in Tarzana.
