“When we first started, in the early Eighties, we had some crappy guitars - Japanese knockoffs that wouldn't hold standard tuning. Later, we'd shove drumsticks or screwdrivers under strings to scheme new noises, sure. But initially, open tuning was a technique used to make our cheap guitars sound better. It wasn't academic or conceptual.”

American musician, singer and songwriter

Lee Mark Ranaldo is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known as a guitarist and vocalist in the alternative rock band Sonic Youth. He is part of the generation that helped define the band’s place in American rock. Ranaldo’s work with Sonic Youth made him a recognizable figure in alternative music, especially for his guitar playing and vocals. In 2004, Rolling Stone placed him at number 33 on its list of the greatest guitarists of all time, and in 2012 Spin ranked him and bandmate Thurston Moore together at number 1 on its staff-selected top 100 guitarist list.