The Blagger's Guide

David Quantick presents the ultimate guide to one of the world's most popular instruments - the guitar.

As part of BBC Radio 2's Guitar Season, David Quantick presents the ultimate guide to one of the world's most popular instruments - the guitar.

"Guitar groups are on the way out," said the man from the record label to Brian Epstein in 1962. However, guitars proceeded to stomp the charts into the ground and take over music for ever. Even in the sampled-up 21st century, guitar bands are still going strong, but why?

The Blagger's Guide To The Guitar answers that question and more, taking an accurately informed but always wildly irreverent look at the history of guitars in music, from the delicacy of the Spanish guitar to the epitome of rock that is the Flying V.

From the folk starkness of Bert Jansch to the punk thrash of Steve Jones. Great guitarists are dissected, from Hendrix to Johnny Marr. But why are guitars so male? In 2014, are groups of guitars finally on the way out? Quantick explores.