Greatest guitarists of all time

[legend]

I know I will offend someone by leaving their favourite guitarist out but I thought we could run a poll and see who is most popular.

Now, before you vote, let me know if I have left anyone out and I'll add them in accordingly.

 

[The Colonel]

Chet Atkins

;-)

 

[legend]

Who dat?

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

I voted for Hendrix.

 

[The Colonel]

You have never heard of Chet Atkins? And this is supposed to be a Music Forum?

Chet Atkins, known as ''Mr. Guitar'' and considered the most-recorded solo instrumentalist in music history, died at his Nashville home yesterday morning after a long battle with cancer. He was 77.

Mr. Atkins was a Country Music Hall of Fame producer, executive and instrumentalist whose studio musicianship allowed his string-tickling work to grace the records of dozens of other Nashville legends.

His style influenced such pop greats as Mark Knopfler, Duane Eddy, George Harrison, The Ventures, George Benson and Eddie Cochran, as well as thousands of country pickers. He won nine CMA musician of the year awards, four Playboy jazz poll honors and 14 Grammys.

As the Nashville head of RCA Records, he propelled an entire generation of country stars to fame. Dottie West, Waylon Jennings, Bobby Bare, Hank Snow, Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton, Jim Reeves, Jerry Reed, Skeeter Davis, Charley Pride and Eddy Arnold all were either signed or produced — and some of them both — by Atkins.

He built RCA Studio B, said to be the most hit-generating studio in the history of Music Row. The name Chet Atkins is synonymous with The Nashville Sound.

''There's nobody like him, and he'll never be replaced,'' Jennings said.

http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/01/04/06213301.shtml

 

[Dean Moriarty]

Robert Johnson

Paco Pena

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

well i have a video of steve vai jamming with head and munky from korn.. It is just so f**king awesome, 2 contrasting styles of guitaring, steve vai being flashy, with head and munky more heavy, it totally goes off, they do some pretty awesome riffs.. I love it..

I am not familliar with the older guitarists... But from my era i have always thought tom morello from rage against the machine and now audioslave has a lot of talent

 

[frank]

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Freddie, Albert and BB King

 

[The Colonel]

Aside from that the top fibve is quite easy

1. Hendrix
2. Duane Allman
3. Robert Johnson
4. BB King
5. Stevie Ray Vaughan

 

[legend]

I think 15 is the max number of poll options.

Those two scrubs you mentioned are ont he cutting room floor Dean.

Does Flamenco count as music. Let me grab my castanettes!

*cha cha cha*

 

[Dean Moriarty]

Those two scrubs you mentioned are ont he cutting room floor Dean.

I was kidding with Paco Pena, but you can't call Robert Johnson a scrub. He would have influenced a lot of those guys already on the list.

 

[Simo]

Great thread Legend, I love a bit of guitar talk!!!

Firstly i must ask are we saying the best 'technical guitarist i.e. who can play the fastest (usually solo artists) or the best 'musical' guitarist i.e. the person whos guitar work is most enjoyable to listen to and adds to whatever song it is involved in (usually in bands)?

The best technical guitarists in your list in my opinion is:

1. Steve Vai - amazing abilities, i doubt there is anything he cant do on the guitar.

2. Satriani - Another very versatile player, if only his fingers were as long as Vai's!

3. Yngwie Malmsteen - Very good but VERY repetative, loves the same Harmonic Minor run over and over and over on any rock run. Just watch G3 live in Denver and you will see what i mean.
4. Eddie Van Halen - A special mention to him here as he does what he does within the constraints of a band and is still just about as flash as those other guys, but has a song to enhance not just an instrumental (yes i know the others have all been in bands but they are most famous for there solo work) where he can try anything for as long as he wants!

The best muscial guitarist in my opinion from your list:

1. Slash - Amazing ability to take a song somewhere with great soulful solos. Doesnt always need to be fast like some players yet can be when the song needs him to be. Anyone who has heard, Nighttrain, Sweet Child, Rocket queen, Estranged, November rain, Dont Damn, Back and fourth again, i hate everybody but you, serial killer etc etc will know what i mean.

2. Eddie Van Halen - As i said before has the brilliance of a solo artist combined with the ability to use the material within a band. Some brililant and innovative stuff from EVH.

3. Randy Rhoads - RIP..had the ability to be a great unfortunately died way way to young.

So my overall Winner is SLASH.


Some other technical players of note are:

Michael Angelo (Batio)
Chris Impelliteri
John Petrucci
Simo

 

[frank]

Going to have to disagree there Simo.

I think Hendrix was by far the most musical guitarist there's been. He really did pave the way for the modern rock guitarist.

I'll give you EVH even though I'm not a fan. He changed the way people played.

Slash is an excellent guitarist, but I think he regurgitated a lot of stuff with GNR. Let's just say he's probably got a few Jimmy Page and Joe Perry posters on his wall.

 

[Jimbo]

Mark Knopfler deserves a mention. So does Gary Moore

 

[millersnose]

Dave Gilmour is gods own Guitarist - Leo Fender inventor of the solid body electric guitar

Tony Iommi for the plastic finger extensions as he cut the tips of his fingers off in an accident when he was young - thats how he gets that unique sliding sounds on the triplets

 

[Penelope Pittstop]

José Feliciano

 

[Samwise]

nathan cavileri :lol: :lol: only joking, i voted hendrix

 

[CanadianSteve]

Feliciano - good call. But I'd vote for Carlos Santana. Listen to the classic album Abraxas.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

My top 5, not in order:

Jimmy Page- awesome guitarist, some of the Led Zepplin he plays some awesome solos

Eric Clapton- one of my influences in playing the guitar, I like some of his work in Cream and his acoustic stuff is pretty good

Richie Blackmore- well what can you say, without him what would Deep Purple be like. Definately in my top 5. Also a good centre for New Zealand. :lol:

Joe Satriani- very good guitarist, how does he do it.

Stevie Ray Vaughan- its a shame he's not around anymore, cause I reckon his songs are awesome, its the type of blues/rock feeling.

 

[Simo]

Going to have to disagree there Simo.

I think Hendrix was by far the most musical guitarist there's been. He really did pave the way for the modern rock guitarist.

I'll give you EVH even though I'm not a fan. He changed the way people played.

Slash is an excellent guitarist, but I think he regurgitated a lot of stuff with GNR. Let's just say he's probably got a few Jimmy Page and Joe Perry posters on his wall.

Frank,

I will agree that Hendrix is an awsome guitarist who really changed the way people played the guitar. He has great taste and soul in his music is was a great player.

A personal favourite of mine is 'little wing'. Such a beautiful intro that i just love to play.

The reason i personally went for Slash though is because i know just about every piece he has ever recorded. I loved his work from the gunners days, to the snakepit, velvet revolver these days, and the tonnes of guest appearances he has done. He makes no secret Jimmy page among others like Jeff Beck are his influences.

So it was more a personal likeing of Slashes music that gave him the edge for me, but you will get no disgareement from me that Hendrix is brilliant and has influenced millions in the way the guitar is played.

Its good that you can at least appreciate what Eddie Van Halen achieved even though not being into the music itself. Alot of people hate the music so therefor cant credit Eddie with the major part he played in re-inventing the guitar in the late 70's/80's and beyond. He went away from the more bluesy soulful playing Hendrix had spawned and took it into the flashy style that became the token style for alot of big hair bands of the 80's.

Just out of intrest what do you think of Randy Rhoads?