By John Anderson

Davis Guggenheim, the Oscar-winning director of "An Inconvenient Truth" moves from global warming to global rock with "It Might Get Loud."

The electric guitar has dominated rock music. The principals here, however are strictly hands-on, explaining and demonstrating what it is they do: Achieving a singular sound that is distinctive and personal amid the clangor of mainstream musical traffic.

While the "what" of their sound is set out plainly enough, it's the how and why that don't quite come across quite as clearly. During what is one of the film's more revealing moments, the Edge plays some thunderous U2 riff and then demonstrates, the utter simplicity of what he's playing. How exactly did he get that Edge sound, and why? Trade secret, apparently. Where each guitarist has arrived in seeking his trademark tone is clear enough.

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