Monte Montgomery was always captivated by music, but it wasn't until he got hold of his mom's guitar that he knew acoustic strumming would be how he'd spend his life.

"I started playing music when I was 13 with my mom; she was a folk singer and played guitar," he said. "I pretty much always knew music is what I wanted to be involved with."

Dubbed a "guitar hero" and "shred master," and named one of the Top 50 All-Time Greatest Guitar Players by Guitar Player Magazine, Montgomery has a way with the acoustic guitar that others only dream of attaining on the electric. His gift of finger picking wasn't something that he felt pressure to do, it simply felt right.

"Even before I played an instrument, I was fascinated with music in general and the radio; anything I could get my hands on. I was always so driven to do that."

Dropping out of high school, Montgomery has been performing for a career for almost his entire life. And though he had the talent and opportunity to take the high road - living an easy, well-off life as a lead guitarist for several bands - he chose with his gut.

"Over the years, people would hire me to play lead guitar, usually electric. I'd usually play for about a year with these bands and that's all I could take," he said. "I just really missed the acoustic and wanted to get back. I just wanted more of a close relationship with it again. To me, is just a bit more expressive for what I do. So, I just ended up using that. Plus, I don't have to carry both guitars and more amps. I just simplified things and it really works."

And what Montgomery actually "does" ends up sounding like a melting pot of genres and styles all powered by his six-string. His eight studio albums, including his latest self-titled album released in 2008, offer smooth voice and lyrics his fans can ground themselves to.

"My music is acoustic based pop/rock with elements of folk, jazz and reggae; a little bit of everything. If you like a good pop song that's really guitar driven, then you're getting close to what you'll get if you hear me."

But, if you really want to experience Monte Montgomery, the only place to do it is at his live shows.

"It's a lot of in-your-face acoustic guitar; it's kind of an electrifying thing. And, the live show really speaks for what I do more than anything I've recorded because it's an experience."