Steve made one of his many dreams come true when he released the Guitar Christmas album in 2003. The album sold well last year and into the new year but left us with a limited supply available to order in 2004. The information on this page was taken from the initial offering of the CD in 2003. To learn about how the CD came about and what is on it real below.

"From the very start, my theory was to record as if the listener were in the room sitting right next to the guitar player," said Wariner. "It takes me back to the days when my friend and mentor Chet Atkins would have some of the coolest get-togethers in his office around the holidays. Everyone would sing and play and remember those beautiful melodies from our childhood."

Among the holiday standards included on the CD are "White Christmas," "Silent Night," "Winter Wonderland," and "The Christmas Song." Wariner, who was born on Christmas Day, previously released one Christmas album on MCA Records, but this is his first all-instrumental holiday collection.

Award-winning guitarist Wariner played several different guitars on the CD, matching certain guitars with particular songs and musical styles to create a broad landscape of aural textures and colors. Among the guitars used are a handmade Hascal Haile classical guitar, the Gibson Chet Atkins Country Gentleman model (1989), which had belonged to Chet, an Olympia dulcimer, a Tacoma Papoose, and Wariner's own model Takamine acoustic guitar. Wariner also created the CD cover artwork.

Sometime around Christmas of 2002, I began, as I always do, re-working and playing some of my favorite Christmas songs and carols on the guitar.
I decided to record a few of these simply as gifts for friends and family. When the holiday season was behind us, and the decorations and tree long gone, I found myself still thinking about and working on Christmas songs whenever I had extra time in my studio. That was the beginning of Guitar Christmas.
From the very start, my intent was to record as if the listener were in the room sitting right next to the guitar player. It takes me back to the days when my friend and mentor Chet Atkins would have some of the coolest get-togethers in his office around the holidays. Everyone would sing and play and remember those beautiful melodies from our childhood. It was always so much fun! (Although I played one of Chetís guitars on a couple of tracks on this CD, let me say for the record there will never be another Chet!) So, almost a year later, here is Guitar Christmas. These songs were arranged and recorded on the fly with no accompaniment, ìclick track,î auto-tuning or studio ìtrickery.î I find it refreshing that you are able to hear breathing in a few spots, string squeaks, and quite honestly some imperfection here and there. I think those things just make it real. It truly is what it is.
It was so much fun getting out and playing some of my favorite guitars from my collection for this project. You will notice there are a lot of textures and colors due to matching certain guitars with particular songs, as well as styles. For all you guitar aficionados, I have listed my guitars used in making this album.
One of the neat things about being your own boss (so to speak) is getting to do some of the things youíve always wanted to do. On this project, I even got to design and do the art for the packaging (with a ton of help from my friend Colin Burch on Photoshop and lay-out). And of course, a major thanks to my production assistant (who happens to be my wife), Caryn, for the tireless work she always does.
I truly hope you enjoy Guitar Christmas and hope you and your family will continue to be blessed this and every Christmas.

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
I played a Laravee model OM 09. Itís a steel string parlor-size guitar recorded stereo (in open G) with a pair of AKG c451 b microphones.

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
This is my Kirk Sand classic electric with a touch of TC chorus. This was the first tune I did when I started this project around the Christmas of 2002.

White Christmas
What a beautiful melody thanks to Irving Berlin. I always loved some of the inflections Chet played on this song, so I ìborrowedî a few. This was played on my Chet Gibson Country Gent he gave me.

Medley: Away In A Manger, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, We Wish You A Merry Christmas
A fine gentleman and friend from Kentucky named Hascal Haile hand made this classical guitar many years ago. He made some beautiful furniture and only started making guitars later in his life. Iím lucky to have one since he didnít make many, and he is gone now. Itís the guitar pictured on the cover.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
I absolutely love the low-down sound this Jerry Jones baritone guitar makes. (Sorry ëbout the extra verse but it was too fun!)

Silent Night
As much as I love B-bender, I had to include at least one song on my trusty red Joe Glaser B-bender tele. I tried to subtly work it in as the song progressed. I always say, I think I was a steel guitar player in another life.

Medley: The First Noel, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
This is my model Takamine (SW341 sc). It was recorded stereo with one side being direct (with slight chorus) and the left side micíd non-affected.

Deck The Halls
I recorded this one with my Takamine classical guitar. Iíve had this guitar a long time and have used it on many recordings over the years. I used an open G tuning.

The Christmas Song
Again, this is my Kirk Sand classic electric, one of my favorite guitars. These instruments are custom-made out in Laguna Beach, CA. I believe Kirk makes around 40 guitars a year. This song just had to break into swing.

I Saw Three Ships
I recorded this Old World classic with the Chieftains on my MCA Christmas album and have always loved it. My buddy Ron Kingery let me borrow his Olympia dulcimer for this one. Itís made in Olympia, Washington, and played upright like a guitar, but other- wise, itís a traditional dulcimer.

Winter Wonderland
No one could ever do it like Chet, but I always loved the way he played this one in the '60s. Again, this is Chetís Gibson Country Gent with a dash of ìslap-backî delay.

Jingle Bells
Maybe just a bit of Hawaii here! I wanted to do something rhythmic and different on "Jingle Bells." I think my biggest challenge here was going from "drumming" on the body of my little Papoose guitar to actually playing it. (By the way, George Gruhn gave me this Papoose. Itís the one I played with my buddy Keith Urban on "Where The Blacktop Ends.")

Amps used: '66 Fender deluxe, Rocket amp; also Universal Audio 2-610 pre amp or Focusrite Red 8 mic preamp. Microphones used: Neumann u67, Royer r121, AKG c 451b, AKG c12, Shure SM 57.