Saturday, August 9, 2025 /10AM-5PM at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater.

Sign up today! Registration deadline is Friday, August 1, 2025, at 2:30pm for free t-shirt and strings.

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To Qualify

  • Must be an Arkansas resident.
  • Must provide own guitar.
  • Must be an amateur player (no guitar teachers or professional musicians, please).
  • Must not be related to an event judge or sponsor.
  • Must not make more than 20% of their annual income playing the guitar.
  • All competitors under age 18 must also provide signed parental consent to participate.

2 brackets to compete in: Youth (up to 17 years old) and Adult (18 years old +)
Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced competition in each bracket.

$35 registration fee includes: free T-shirt and one pack of guitar strings.ALL skill levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced are eligible for prizes.Contact Dave Dunavant with any questions: 501 291-1171 or davedunavant@gmail.com.

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Performance Rules

  • We will be providing a Marshall half stack amplifier. You will not be allowed to adjust the settings on the amplifier other than switching from clean to distortion. For the sake of consistency, all competitors will play through the competition amp. If you have any questions regarding how to switch the emcee will let you know.
  • You must bring your own tuner and be in tune before you enter the backstage area. Contestants must be in tune and ready to play BEFORE they are called to the stage (there will be a test amp backstage for competitors to test gear before taking the stage).
  • Competitors may bring their own pedal board or effects to plug into the competition amp. Your pedal board must be completely set up the way that you want it to be before you enter the backstage area. You must bring an extra cable for backup!
  • If a looper pedal is used, you will be judged in the backing track bracket. Links to backing tracks are under this section.
  • Remember that you will have five minutes once you walk on the stage to play your guitar and exit the stage. There will be a timer set, and you will be cut off if you exceed the time limit.
  • Competitors may play acoustic or electric 6-string, 7-string, or 12-string guitars (all other variations are NOT permitted).
  • Solo guitar performances may not exceed 5 minutes in length.
  • Competitors may choose to play in standard tuning or in any alternate tuning of their choice.
  • Competitors may only play fingerstyle, with a pick, or with a slide.
  • Contestants will be called in alphabetical order by the judges.
  • Any substantial delay (other than breaking a string) once on stage will result in points deducted at the discretion of the judges.
  • Late arrivals will be eliminated from the event at the discretion of the event organizers.
  • Any inappropriate behavior from a contestant will result in immediate disqualification at the discretion of the judges and/or event organizers.
  • We are here for two reasons: to support each other and have a good time! Please stick around after you finish for the rest of the contest if possible to support your fellow contestants.

Blues in A Hard Rock in D Minor Country/Honky Tonk in G Rock/Pink Floyd Style in A Minor Country/Brent Mason Style in D Major Slow Blues in D Minor

Due to legal/licensing restrictions, these are the only backing tracks that can be used for the Guitar Wars event.

Judging

All judges are established professional musicians/music educators in the Little Rock, Arkansas, area. If the judges determine a competitor has registered in the wrong division, they will recategorize the competitor in the appropriate category to reflect his or her skill level.

Competitors will be judged on the following criteria worth 100 total points:

  • Technical Ability/Accuracy 25pts
  • Musicality (Dynamics/Tone) 25pts
  • Overall Difficulty 25pts
  • Rhythmic Ability 25pts

2025 Judges

2025 Sponsors

David Dunavant / Guitar Wars Inc. Founder

A Little Rock native, David Dunavant received a degree in music from UALR and a masters degree in guitar from Bowling Green State University. David taught guitar at four universities over the course of 19 years. He now exclusively teaches private music lessons to adults and teenagers at Little Rock Music Academy and is the founder/executive director of Guitar Wars, a nonprofit organization.