50 Greatest Guitarists?

[Savant]

Originally Posted by cricketchorus

I see your point and I am pretty sure you see mine. So instead of furthering our debate of apples and oranges, out of curiosity, who are some of your personal favorite players/bands?

I like a lot of bands and artists; Genesis, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Electric Light Orchestra, Toto, Steve Winwood, Chicago, Dire Straits, Sting, etc, but my personal opinion is entirely pointless in any discussion of guitar players.

While certain players may be very good, they can't touch the virtuoso session musicians. Jay Graydon, for example, could easily play anything that Eric Clapton can play, and just as well, with just as much feeling, but the thing that separates them is fame. Clapton is a major name, but while he is a great guitar player, what has he really done that some of these other guys haven't?

Song writing? Clapton has written some absolutely great songs, but here are some he didn't write: Cocaine, After Midnight, Forever Man, Blue Eyes Blue, I Shot the Sheriff, and Promises.

So, what is it?

Singing.

Think about it, in most cases only the singers are famous. Hendrix, Clapton, Gilmour, Knopfler, Vaughn, Lynne, Harrison, Petty? There are a few exceptions, like Keith Richards and Jimmy Page.

What's even more funny, is that these guitar players will all agree that they can't even begin to touch the unknown session players. I was reading something about someone claiming that Van Halen was such a great player, and how these "unknown idiots" named Michael Landau and Steve Lukather could never match him.

Well, it turns out that Van Halen was in a band with Landau, and considered him one of the best players on earth, and when asked, "What is it like to be the best guitar player in the world", he answered, "I don't know what it's like to be Steve Lukather."

[abigugeek]

IMO:
jimmy page-led zeppelin
paul gilbert-mr.big
lale-march(indonesia)
russel lissack-bloc party
graham coxon-blur
johnny greenwood-radiohead

not 50 but those what i like hhe

[fat-robot]

Nels Cline
Marc Ribot
Blixa Bargeld
Mick Harvey
Luther Perkins
Huddie Ledbetter
Kevin Shields
Django Reinhardt

That's probably about it for me...there's not a lot of guitarists who really inspire me...it's mostly about the whole for me. Guitarists are just a part of the picture, and I'm kind of bored with most of them anyway.

[Michael Evrard]

Here are some guitarists that I think have been influential, great musicians, composers, and have a combination of techinque, artistry, tone, etc. These are not in any particular order

Tommy Bolin
Joe Satriani
John McLaughlin
Randy Rhoads
David Gilmour
Andre Segovia
Christopher Parkening
Tony Iommi
Ritchie Blackmore
Eric Johnson
Eric Clapton
Jimmy Page
Jerry Garcia
Chet Atkins
Les Paul
Kirk Hammet
James Hetfield
Alex Scholnick

Those are the folks that jump to mind. I am sure there will be more that I think...dang I should have included them. Cool beans fellow axe slingers.

[Michael Evrard]

Ok...I feel really stupid for not adding a few people...

Carlos Santana
Steve Vai
Stephen Stills

[Michael Evrard]

Feel even dumber for leaving these off my list...

Eddie Van Halen
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Jimi Hendrix
Angus Young
BB King
Tom Scholtz
Alex Leifson
Jeff Beck
Buddy Guy

[Hurricane Hunt]

alright i personally think these are the top ten alotta people will disagree but its my opinion so here it goes

1. Charlie Christian
2. Kirk Hammet-Metallica
3. Jimmy Page-Led Zepplin-Yard Birds
4. Chuck Berry
5. Eric Clapton
6. Randy Rhodes-Ozzy Ousbourne- Quiet Riot
7. Jimmi Hendrix
8. Angus Young-AC/DC
9. Wesly Patrick- The Loud
10. Matt Tuck- Bullet For My Valentine

thats my list and im sticking to it until more great guitarests come along

[Savant]

Originally Posted by Hurricane Hunt

1. Charlie Christian

That's an interesting pick. Most people these days don't seem to remember him much. He is, after all, the father of the guitar solo. I suppose he should go on my virtuoso list.

Another name to add is Zakk Wylde. So, to relist some:

Top Echelon:
Dann Huff
Larry Carlton
Tim Pierce
Lee Ritenour
Steve Lukather
Jay Graydon

Second Echelon:
Daryl Steurmer
Dominick Miller
Bruce Gaitsch
David Williams
Michael Landau
Paul Jackson Jr.
Steve Vai
Andy Fairweather-Low
Zakk Wylde
Andreas Segovia
Charlie Christian
Dean Parks
Waddy Watchel
Danny Korchmar

So, who are the other technical virtuosos to add to this list? I'm trying to throw in more. I know that there are a few names that I cannot determine exactly how high up they belong, like Waddy Watchel, who may belong in the top group, as should Dominick Miller perhaps?

[Michael Evrard]

Ok here goes...narrowed to top ten
I can not rank them in any particular order

Randy Rhoads
David Gilmore
Jimmi Hendrix
Carlos Santana
Tommy Bolin
Tony Iommi
Ritchie Blackmore
Joe Satriani
John McLaughlin
Kirk Hammet

[jayjay]

Nobodies mentioned John Frusciante or Johnny Marr. Not the flashiest guitarists I know but in my opinion they (as artists) really know how to play the instrument and have unique playing styles.

My top ten would be...

David Gilmour
Johnny Marr
Jimi Hendrix
John Frasciante
Jimmy Page
Adam Jones
Pete Townsend
Jerry Cantrell
James Hetfield (yes, that's right, not Kirk)
Tom Morello

As you can see from my list, I feel "unique style" is more important than "ability" and I'm not big on "shredders".

edit: I forgot about Jazz

George Benson
Wen Montgomery
Ronnie Jordan
Pat Matheny
John McLaughlin

[Welladjusted]

Here's some guitarists I think should be considered great:

Ty Tabor
John Frusciante
Warren Haynes
David Gilmour
Steve Vai
John Scofield
Trey Anastasio
Jeff Buckley
Alex Lifeson
Charlie Hunter
George Harrison

Stray observations:
- I think jam band guitarists best exemplify the art of guitar playing. In addition to their chops, taste, tone, and improvisation skills, they just seem to be making music for the sheer joy of it.
- I think it's possible that Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton are the Citizen Kane of the rock guitar world. Everyone recognizes they were great, so they ought to be retired from "greatest ever" lists.
- I still don't really like Eddie Van Halen. I think this is due to my inability to properly imagine what the guitar playing world would be like without his contributions and because I don't really care for the songs (or at least the lyrics) themselves. Although it makes me chuckle that "Hot for Teacher" has transformed from a song about a 16-year-old catching a glimpse of teacher cleavage in second period math to a song about a PTA meeting gone horribly awry as they continue to play it in their fifties.
- I have significant blind spots in my musical awareness that have a lot to do with why all but two of these guitarists fits relatively cleanly into the rock genre.

[fullmetalfunk]

Well I don't know that I'll name 50 but I'll name some that I like and respect and that I think are great guitar players in no particular order.

John Frusciante
Matthew Bellamy
Jimi Hendrix
Dimebag Darrel
Tony Iommi
Tom Morello
Stephen Carpenter
Eddie Van Halen
Daron Malakian
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Stone Gossard
Mike McCready
Johnny Rzeznik
Kyle Gass
Frank Black
Joey Santiago
Todd Lewis
Darrel Herbert
Nick Zinner
Omar Rodriguez Lopez
Robert Johnson
Rodrigo Sanchez
Gabriella Quintero
Chet Atkins
Daniel Baker (Unknown Hinson)
Kevin Cadogan
Rivers Cuomo
Hillel Slovak
Dave Navarro
Bradely Nowel
Sawao Yamanaka
Yoshiaki Manabe
Randy Rhoads
Stanley Jordan
John Lennon
George Harrison

Not the biggest and flashiest but I like them. Nobody mentioned Matt Bellamy, go watch a video of a live Muse show and you'll see why I think he deserves to be in the top 50. I know I'm going to get crap for Johnny Rzeznik and I'm really not a huge Goo Goo Dolls fan, but seriously go listen to the album "A Boy Named Goo." That's some good guitar work.

[Uome]

Originally Posted by fullmetalfunk

Kyle Gass

Is that the guy from The Pick of Destiny?

[Welladjusted]

Originally Posted by Uome

Is that the guy from The Pick of Destiny?

Indeed it is. The whole "he studied guitar at Julliard when he was a teenager" thing is just a joke, but the dude's got chops.

[Savant]

Originally Posted by Welladjusted

Indeed it is. The whole "he studied guitar at Julliard when he was a teenager" thing is just a joke, but the dude's got chops.

He's actually very talented. He is a fine actor, but his guitar skills are what brought him to note on the HBO series Tenacious D. He could probably blow away most of your modern popular guitar players in a heartbeat. Watch some old Tenacious D episodes and listen to the stuff he plays. It's far from easy.