In this fifth episode of Tone Chasers & String Benders, co-hosts Chaz Charles and Dr. Porifera Glund continue their alphabetical expedition through the world of legendary guitarists—and somewhere between psychedelic San Francisco, Delta bottleneck blues, British canal boats, and Spanish nylon-string seduction… things get gloriously strange.

There are debates about what actually makes a guitarist legendary, stories from the Fillmore East, deep dives into the roots of slide guitar, and a spontaneous detour into why the Gibson SG was originally supposed to be a Les Paul model… until Les himself hated it.

And somewhere in the middle of all that?

Janis Joplin hands Dr. Glund a rose through the window of a Cadillac in the dead of winter.

Featured guitarists in this episode:

Sam Andrew – Psychedelic San Francisco survivor and longtime musical partner of Janis Joplin, remembered for his work with Big Brother and the Holding Company and the Cosmic Blues Band. A rhythm player, arranger, and essential side man whose story becomes one of the emotional centerpieces of the episode.

Joan Armatrading – Acclaimed singer-songwriter whose subtle acoustic playing and introspective songwriting sparked spirited debate between Chaz and the Doctor about what qualifies someone for “legendary guitarist” status in the first place.

Kokomo Arnold – Delta blues bottleneck pioneer whose raw National Steel slide guitar work reminds everyone that the guitar is as much a percussion instrument as it is melodic. Dirty, rhythmic, hypnotic blues from the roots of everything that followed.

Alice Artzt – Classical guitar virtuoso and recital circuit master whose nylon-string precision, dynamic touch, and elegant phrasing bring an entirely different kind of intensity to the show.

Eddie Van Halen – Not officially “up” yet in the alphabet… but impossible to ignore. A surprise detour into Spanish Flyturns into a full-blown reverent discussion of the third great innovator of electric guitar alongside Les Paul and Leo Fender.

Featured recordings include:

• I Need a Man to Love – Janis Joplin with Sam Andrew
• Selections from Joan Armatrading’s 1970s acoustic era
• Dirty Mistreater – Kokomo Arnold & Casey Bill Weldon
• Classical recital performances – Alice Artzt
• Spanish Fly – Eddie Van Halen

Along the way, Chaz and Dr. Glund wrestle with the difference between technical brilliance and historical importance, debate whether some artists belong on the list at all, and accidentally create the show’s newest recurring segment:

“Uh-Oh.”

A sound effect. A judgment. A guitar court of appeals.

This week’s episode proves the list is becoming more than a countdown—it’s becoming a living argument about tone, influence, feel, and the weird roads guitar music has traveled to get here.

Five more guitarists down… nine hundred and seventy-five to go.

Hosted by Chaz Charles and Dr. Porifera Glund.

Only on the Boneless Podcasting Network.