Syd Barrett was a guitar player.
Syd Barrett . Best known as a founder member of the band Pink Floyd , Barrett was the lead singer , guitarist and principal songwriter in its early years and is credited with naming the band . Barrett was excluded from Pink Floyd in April 1968 after David Gilmour took over as their new guitarist , and was briefly hospitalised amid speculation of mental illness . Barrett 's innovative guitar work and exploration of experimental techniques such as dissonance , distortion and feedback influenced many musicians .