Revisiting a Guitar Classic: Guy Van Duser’s “Stars and Stripes Forever,” Now with Video

Guy Van Duser performing Stars and Stripes Forever fingerstyle guitar – YouTube video thumbnail

We’re thrilled to share a brand-new video from Guy Van Duser, a legendary fingerstyle guitarist — and a longtime friend of AcousticMusic.Org. This one’s extra special.

Back in 1976, Guy performed his intricate arrangement of “Stars and Stripes Forever” to a live audience….  a version that would later appear on his 1977 album Finger Style Guitar Solos. His fingerstyle arrangement, now considered a classic, was completely unknown at the time.

No cameras were rolling that night, but the audio recording captured every note, and the crowd’s reaction. Now, decades later, Guy has filmed himself playing along in sync with that original recording, creating a unique hybrid: a modern visual performance of a historic moment. For guitar lovers, seeing his fingers work through this arrangement adds insight into the artistry and difficulty it takes to pull it off. 

Guy has performed at our former Guilford shop with clarinetist Billy Novick, his longtime musical partner, as part of our original concert series. We’re proud to continue that tradition of live acoustic excellence with our new series:

 Art of the Guitar – Launching August 20

This season features three internationally celebrated acoustic guitarists:

  • Richard Smith – National Fingerstyle Champion
  • Tony McManus – World-renowned Celtic guitarist
  • Stephen Bennett – Harp guitar master and 2024 Fingerstyle Champion

Enjoy the video, and please share it!

©2025, AcousticMusic.Org

Written by acousticmusic

August 1, 2025

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