Greatest Guitarists of all time

My top 5 would be something like this.

1) Jimi Hendrix
2) Stevie Ray Vaughan
3) Robert Johnson
4) Jimmy Page
5) B.B King
 
BAMSOLA said:
Suprised to see two black artists on stage with Clapton considering some of his past comments.

Still excellent rifts.
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Musicians/artists past a certain calibre usually benefit from extremely open minds, as they channel impulses that come from a universal place that doesn't have things like skin color.

Plus they also know what it's like to be drunk on Crowd.
 
MUFC1902 said:
I have to give a shout to the man Total Guitar named as the best guitarist of the past 10 years and the "first great guitarist of the 21st century".

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See, for me the trouble with him and many other guitarists mentioned is that while they are technically brilliant, their music is self-indulgent wank. Surely the ability to combine your guitar-playing ability with song-writing ability and a bit of originality is what makes a "great".
 
decorativeed said:
See, for me the trouble with him and many other guitarists mentioned is that while they are technically brilliant, their music is self-indulgent wank. Surely the ability to combine your guitar-playing ability with song-writing ability and a bit of originality is what makes a "great".
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Muse are a great band.
 
hungrywing said:
Musicians/artists past a certain calibre usually benefit from extremely open minds, as they channel impulses that come from a universal place that doesn't have things like skin color.

Plus they also know what it's like to be drunk on Crowd.
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Drunkeness doesn't quite excuse it as people genrally say whats really on their mind when they are drunk, they certainly don't make full political statements off the top of their heads.

You also face the problem with the fact that he still openly defends those views. Personally I have no problem with an Enoch Powell supporter perse, I do have a problem with hipocracy however and I think the open letter in Melody Maker and NME says it all really:

"Come on Eric... Own up. Half your music is black. You're rock music's biggest colonist"............ "P.S. Who shot the Sheriff, Eric? It sure as hell wasn't you!".

Again I have no problem with him being named as one of greatest rock guitarist as on talent alone he deserves it. I'm simply saying if I was B.B. King i'd have twatted him.
 
You should have called this "the greatest rock guitarists of all time" I have not read through the whole thread but what I did read I saw no mention of John Williams which is just silly 90% of the guitarists mentioned here couldnt lick this guys boots
 
hungrywing said:
Everyone probably assumed they'd been mentioned, which, considering the sinful amount of overlap that's already going on, means they'd been criminally overlooked.

Vaughan, by the way.
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Stevie has been mentioned
 
datura said:
I think a lot of people seem to pick the flashier guitarists who are at the forefront of a band, with solos etc.

I tend to veer towards those who innovate and and aren't quite as 'individual'. People like Santana bore me.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Jonny Greenwood, Kevin Shields, Thurston Moore/ Lee Ranaldo etc. Ali Farka Toure is incredibly good too.

I've been listening to a lot of the Kinks recently and Dave Davies was a great guitarist, some really heavy riffs in the earlier songs particularly.
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recorded by page believe it or not
 
:lol: I love how he goes cross-eyed as he tries to hit the high note at 43 secs
 
Surprised to have seen only one mention of John Petrucci (Dream Theater) in this thread. He's one of my favorite guitar players of all times. Up there with people like Vai and Satriani if you ask me.

 
The Flying Potato said:
In general, well, pretty much everyone my age where I live loves them, might be different in other places though.
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Alot of people where I live love them aswell. I tend to stay away from discussing them though, it seems that with Metallica you are seen as either a fanboy if you like them, or an elitist if you dont.

On topic, Alex Lifeson if he hasnt already been mentioned is a great guitarist,
 
Mason Williams - Classical Gas is a fantastic piece of guitar work.
 
When I was little I thought Nuno Bettencourt was the shit 'cause he played really fast and struck a mean pose. Luckily I grew out of it. A great guitarist for me is someone with a distinct, original sound, creativity, the ability to write great guitar songs rather than solos, the ability to stay in the background or take center stage depending on what the situation requires and plenty of dynamism. Someone like Slash, Jack White, Neil Young or even Graham Coxon. But if I had to pick just one, it'd easily be Hendrix.
 
Just been through the thread and I havent seen one mention of Yngwie Malmsteen. I know he is more focussed on guitar wankery in most of his songs, but he is too good to not get a mention in this thread. He does have some really great songs that arent instrumentals aswell



 
Scholesgoals said:
recorded by page believe it or not
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his contributions were limited to some songs on the first album and mostly just some rhythm guitar....most of it is dave and ray davies and they certainly wrote the riffs anyway.
 
Randy Rhoads had the potential to be unbelieveably good if he hadn't died so young.

I can't really argue with most of the recommendations in this thread and it has inspired me to check out some of Jeff Beck's stuff.
 
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