The Sydney-based instrumental powerhouse Plini must be a busy guy ahead of the July 27 release of his new EP Sunhead, so we were grateful to have him take some time out to share with us five of his favourite guitarists that people should pay attention to. Read on for the list!

1. David Maxim Micic

I've known David on- and off-line for about 4 years now, and he is one of my favourite people on Earth. He's a totally wicked guitar player but rarely shows it, knows more music theory than most people may ever realise, is absolutely hilarious, and just crafts beautiful music. We've toured Europe, North America and India together, so it will be a blast for me to get to show him around my home turf in September!

2. Javier Reyes (Mestis, Animals As Leaders)

Also joining me on tour in September, mi tío. Many people may think of him as the side-man to Tosin Abasi in Animals As Leaders, but he's an insanely inventive and skilled guitarist in his own right. His combination of classical techniques, low tunings and growing up playing in metal and hip hop bands makes him one of the most uniquely styled players I've ever heard in my life. The forthcoming Mestis material, that he's playing on tour, is especially innovative.

3. Jakub Zytecki (Disperse)

Jakub might be my favourite player of this generation. As a technician, he can play literally anything, and manages to do it in some almost-spiritual way, with emotion in every note. For me, the songs he writes with his band Disperse, and for his own solo project, are some of the most inspiring examples of where prog-metal guitar playing and composition can be taken in the 21st century.

4. Yvette Young (Covet)

I first came across Yvette thanks to Strandberg Guitars (the company that we both play and endorse). It didn't take long for me to realise that she has more talent than there is time for in a day. As well as being a wickedly-creative songwriter and guitarist with her band Covet, she sings, writes solo piano music, sings, plays violin, draws and paints... She has likely mastered something else in the time it's taken me to write this sentence.

5. Horace Bray

The first time I saw Horace was as a session player at a show at the famous 'Blue Note' club in NYC. He was playing all kinds of wild fusion lines and fast-moving chords. The second time I saw him, it confused the hell out of me. He was performing solo, playing his own singer-songwriter material, keeping his guitar playing subtle and minimal. He's since become one of the most versatile players I know, and his upcoming solo material is sounding amazing - a fresh blend that comes from someone who knows his way around the guitar, but wants to use it to complement lyrical songs. His instagram (@horacebray.music) is also a treasure trove of mini-lessons and awesome ideas!

Plini's new EP Sunhead will be out on July 27 and you can catch him and his band on tour around Australia on the following dates:

Friday, September 7 - The Zoo, Brisbane

Saturday, September 8 - Manning Bar, Sydney

Thursday, September 13 - Badlands Bar, Perth

Friday, September 14 - Jive, Adelaide

Saturday, September 15 - The Corner, Melbourne

Listen to Plini now.