Guitar heroes Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck play Garden

Between the teaming of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarists Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, who play Madison Square Garden tonight and tomorrow, and the Experience Hendrix Tour, which stops in the area next month - and features Billy Cox of the Band of Gypsys and Jimi Hendrix Experience's Joe Satriani, Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd - guitar masters are certainly heating up arenas this winter.

The timing couldn't be better as 2010 marks the 80th anniversary of the development of the electric guitar by George Beauchamp, who figured out how to translate the vibration of the strings into an electric current. In 1931, Beauchamp teamed with Adolph Rickenbacker to create the Rickenbacker International Corp., which produced the first electric guitars.

What better way to celebrate all these guitar heroes than counting down our six favorite kings of the six-strings.

ERIC CLAPTON

WHEN 1963-present

WHY Clapton stood out in every great group he was in from The Yardbirds to The Bluesbreakers to Cream to Blind Faith to Derek and the Dominos - not because he hogged the spotlight, but because the spotlight was drawn to him. Combining a love of blues simplicity with a keen sense of melody, Clapton, at his best, had an incredible knack of offering two melodic themes - one through the vocal and one through the lead guitar lines - that complemented each other instead of battling for supremacy.

HOW Whether it's the epic "Layla" or the deceptively simple "Wonderful Tonight," Clapton proves that whoever started the whole "Clapton Is God" graffiti business was not far off.

JIMMY PAGE

WHEN 1964-

WHY Well, "Stairway to Heaven," for starters. Actually, that's the unsung half of Page's appeal, the ability to build intricate, memorable melodies with Led Zeppelin that will outlast us all. The other half is in the power chords of "Black Dog" or "Whole Lotta Love" - the kind that perfectly describe rebellion, sex, swagger and an inherent need to play songs very loudly.

HOW From "Dazed and Confused" to "Fool in the Rain," Page taps into the teenage boy in everyone, with a unique mix of rock and blues that helped build heavy metal, glam and punk.

JIMI HENDRIX

WHEN 1967-70

WHY That he was able to accomplish so much in the three years between the release of his debut "Are You Experienced?" and his still-mysterious death only solidifies his greatness. Hendrix combined classic blues guitar with genre-busting experimentation, along with incredible showmanship. Hendrix made sounds with his guitar that no one else had before - corralling feedback, distortion, fuzz and other effects into his own personal symphony - while making it sound and look natural.

HOW All three of his studio albums - "Are You Experienced," "Axis: Bold As Love" and "Electric Ladyland" - are classics, offering a spectrum of virtuoso playing from the sexy grind of "Foxy Lady" to the tender "Little Wing" and the masterful epic "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)." (A new album of unreleased tracks "Valleys of Neptune" arrives March 9.)

B.B. KING

WHEN 1951-present

WHY By creating his own string-bending style of play, King introduced vibrato - which many call a "weeping" sound - to the blues, rock and R&B. His solos refine the rawness of the blues with elegant jazz touches and the uplifting chords of gospel.

HOW Best known for "The Thrill Is Gone," King continues to adapt to changing times, keeping up with U2 or the Rolling Stones.

GEORGE HARRISON

WHEN 1962-2001

WHY Though there are far flashier players, Harrison's strength was in his restraint. To suit The Beatles' varied styles, Harrison introduced rockabilly, country, jangle-rock and Indian sitar music to wider audiences.

HOW The seeming simplicity of "Here Comes the Sun" or "Something" only makes the precision and economy of his songwriting and playing more impressive.

EDDIE VAN HALEN

WHEN 1972-present

WHY By combining new sounds and new techniques - including "tapping," where both hands play on the guitar neck, with his fast, flashy style of playing, Van Halen inspired generations of guitarists to play smarter and better to try and match him.

HOW "Eruption" and "Cathedral" make him a hero to musicians, while "Jump" and "Right Now" make him a rock star.

WHO Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck

WHEN | WHERE 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Madison Square Garden, 4 Penn Plaza, Manhattan

INFO $64.50- $254.50; 800-745-3000, thegarden.com