John Mayer Praises Chris Buck’s Guitar Bending

John Mayer has singled out Chris Buck for praise in a Guitar World interview, with the Cardinal Black guitarist’s string bending drawing particular attention. The magazine published the remarks on October 20, 2026.

Praise for the playing, not a ranking

Asked who he had been listening to, Mayer named Buck and described his ability to make the instrument feel less confined by its fretboard. That is a player’s assessment of another player—not a competition result or a claim that Buck is the only guitarist Mayer admires.

A listening challenge worth taking

Our suggestion: choose one Buck performance and listen once without watching the fretboard. Follow where each phrase begins, where its highest note lands and how long that note stays there. Then watch the same passage. Does the visual movement match the musical shape you heard?

For your own playing, take a short phrase you already know. Play it first with only fretted notes, then replace one movement with a bend. Aim for the same destination pitch rather than adding a bend simply because there is space. Finally, change the timing of that movement. These are listening and practice prompts, not a claim to reproduce Buck’s method or his sound.

The useful question is not whether you can copy someone’s fingers. It is whether you can make a short phrase communicate differently.

Where to go next

For an introduction to Buck’s band, revisit our Cardinal Black coverage of “Saving Grace” and Second Sign of Life.

Want to dig deeper into Mayer’s guitars and gear? Read our full John Mayer gear guide.

Interview source: Guitar World, October 20, 2026.