Tony McManus is a Scottish steel-string guitarist of Irish descent born in Paisley, Scotland.

“The best Celtic guitarist in the world.” says English guitarist John Renbourn.

His first self-titled album was released in 1996 on Greentrax Recordings. His second album, Pourquoi Quebec?, was recorded in Quebec, Canada and released on the same label in January.

His third album, Ceol More, was released in 2002 and achieved widespread critical acclaim. It includes a version of Charles Mingus’s Goodbye Porkpie Hat. He has recorded duets with noted Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser and an album with bassist Alain Genty, titled Singing Sands.

In Guitar Player magazine, Jimmy Leslie wrote, “A clever use of unusual tunings and a knack for authentic ornamentation allow the fingerstyle steel-stringer to incorporate much of the sound and feel of traditional instruments such as fiddles and bagpipes into his guitar playing.”