Who Is The Greatest Guitar Player

[scratch]

I was just wondering who do you think is the best guitar player of all time? This came to my mind after the Led Zeppelin reunion show this past week.

Back in my younger days, I used to camp out on the sidewalk overnight so I could get good tickets at the box office to see my favorite rock bands. I remember listening live to Jimmy Page of Led Zep, Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, Pete Townsend with the Who, Duane Allman and Dickie Betts of the Allman Brothers Band, and Paul McCartney. There were so many others I can't think of right now, I need to pull out my stack of old ticket stubs. And what about the ones no longer with us, like Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain? Who do you like?

[govols019]

Got a kid that can play a mean Guitar Hero.

[JustTired]

There are a few whom I consider some of the best. Although most may not be familiar. Such as Steve Hackett of early Genesis fame, Jan Akkerman (Focus),Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Andy Latimer (Camel).

Hendrix is great and (in my opinion) pretty much set the bar for all to follow.

There are others. Heck, I know a guy locally that could jam with the best of them. He chose another career path, unfortunately (or not).

[moreluck]

I know people laugh at her, but Charo plays a mean classical guitar.

[BigBrownSanta]

Newer - Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen

Older - Ric Emmett, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Tony Macalpine

[satellitedriver]

David Gilmour, Pink Floyd.
PAX

[satellitedriver]

Originally Posted by moreluck

I know people laugh at her, but Charo plays a mean classical guitar.

Charo's real name;
MarÃa del Rosario Pilar MartÃnez Molina Baeza de Rasten.
"Chuci-Chuci"
PAX

[satellitedriver]

I have no idea why Charo's real name was censored.
There is nothing vulgar about it.
PAX
PS the censored parts were maria and martinez.

[moreluck]

Maria del Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza de Rasten......born March 13, '41

[wkmac]

Originally Posted by JustTired

There are a few whom I consider some of the best. Although most may not be familiar. Such as Steve Hackett of early Genesis fame, Jan Akkerman (Focus),Dave Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Andy Latimer (Camel).

Hendrix is great and (in my opinion) pretty much set the bar for all to follow.

There are others. Heck, I know a guy locally that could jam with the best of them. He chose another career path, unfortunately (or not).

Steve Hackett! Oh Yeah! Been a huge Hackett fan since he joined Genesis after the Trespass album and a huge thanks to a Jethro Tull roadie in 71' who turned me on to Genesis. Gilmour IMO is an under rated guitarist because he doesn't use a lot of flash and pop and his suttle mastery of the whammy bar is beyond belief. I think it would also be remiss to not mention Robert Fripp of King Crimson whose work not only with Crimson but also Flippertronics with Brian Eno IMO is ground breaking. Steve Howe of Yes and Allan Holdsworth of Soft Machine and UK fame (I'm a huge fan of UK and epsecially Eddie Jobson). I'd also add Brian Setzer to the guitar mix as I just love his big band/swing sound as I'm a huge fan of that music era.

On the pure virtuoso side, obviously Satriani and Via but I would also add in John Petrucci of Dream Theater. I saw G3 earlier this year with Petrucci and he is an awesome guitarist and talent. John and keyboard wiz Jordon Rudness (Dixie Dregs, Liquid Tension Experiement and DT) did a concert together of John on guitar and Jordan on keys and other than some basic conceptual ideas they had going on stage, the entire concert was improvisation and it was amazing. It is on CD and there is tons of purely classical influence in their music.

On the pure metal side, I was there in the beginning of Black Sabbath and the dark tones and triads of Tony Iommi. I'm still a huge fan of his and what most people don't know about Tony is his love of jazz and being a player of it. In fact, Tony for 2 months in 1968' was the guitarist for Jethro Tull which was very jazz influenced. Coming into the present, 2 guitarist I admire from the metal scene are Micheal Akerfelt of the Swedish death metal band Opeth (yeah they do death vocals too and it took me a while to develope an appreciation of it and how it works in a musical context)of whom I'm a huge fan and Brian Haner aka Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold. Saw Sevenfold last month with my 16 year old guitar shredder and they really were good. Brian is not only a good jazz player (his background) but also incorporates elements of Joe Pass into his metal riffs and leads by just supercharging the tempo. Most metal music is Baroque music period influenced anyway but the guitar shredding is an offshoot of the influence of the great virtuoso Paganini who was a virtuoso violinist and guitarist of the Romantic era of classical music. Kirk Hammett of Metallica speaks often of the Baronque and Paganini influence on his music and guitar work.

I think you also need to mention guitarists from the jazz realm like Al DiMeola, Joe Pass, Pat Metheny. From country you have many greats like Chet Atkins and Roy Clark but don't overlook Jerry Reed. He's funny, a good actor and can write a funny song but the guy can pick a guitar just as well. I''d also add in Keith Urban and Brad Paisley and blue grass has some awesome guitarist as well. Go to a blue grass festival and you'll see guitarists that can hang with any metal virtuoso.

I would be remiss to not mention 3 others that were oh so important to what we hear to day from the guitar world and I have to consider these guys almost at the top of the heep but not for the most obvious reasons. I'll start with Ike Turner who dies this past week who without him, it's possible distorted electric guitar in music as we know it may never have happened. Ike recorded a song with Sam Philips in 1951' called Rocket 88 which first off gets good debate as being the very first Rock and Roll song but it is the first known recorded use of the distorted electric guitar. I saw Ike and Tina Turner in 1972' on a bill with Uriah Heep and Wishbone Ash and let me say that Ike can play a guitar period. Tina was awesome but Ike just blew folks away that night and he was up against Heep's Mick Box and the twin guitar sounds of Wishbone Ash. Ike is not the best in husband material but he does IMO hold special place in music.

The next is the great one Les Paul. Not only inventing the solid body electric guitar but most important was multi track recording which changed music forever IMO as it relates to being recorded but it also moved over into the processing of live sound in the 1960's as well with individual channels devoted to single point sources giving a better quality balance and sound to live playing. But Les is also a great guitar player as well and a real guitar hero IMO.

And lastly and depending on who and how you ask, maybe the greatest of them all, Django Reinhardt. Not only could the guy play but he was the pioneer of using the guitar as a lead instrument and also as a percussive instrument as for a time he had no percussion section. IMO, you can argue that had there been no Django, there might be no jazz, rock and roll or Soul/R&B as we know it.

I've seen tons of great guitarist over the years from Hendrix in 1968' (yes Scratch I really did) to Duane Allman to the many I listed above and as great in their own right as they are, I'm not sure if they would even be if not for Ike Turner, Les Paul and the great Django Reinhardt so IMHO, those 3 names get top billing over the greats we all grew up with and listened too. Don't sell yourself short and not look across all lines of music for great players and great music. It comes from all quarters IMO.

Hell I even love the voice of Karen Carpenter who had incredible pipes, Donna Summer the same and IMO some of the best production work ever recorded was from the band ABBA.

From a 50 something who likes swedish death metal!

[wkmac]

Originally Posted by moreluck

I know people laugh at her, but Charo plays a mean classical guitar.

Not me Moreluck. You are 100% correct. She can play but she also incorporates comedy into her act. Although on piano, Victor Borga does the same thing and that guy can play as well. And don't forget Liberace! Under all that over the top stuff, the guy was a genius when he played that piano and you da#n right I'd go see his show if given a chance.

Don't let comedy and satire overshadow the genius of the player. Frank Zappa was a master of comedic satire in music but he was a genius composer first and foremost. I saw Zappa and the Mothers of Invention in 72' and that is the only rockband I've even seen whose compositions were so complex that they had music stands and sheet music. I thought the tons of progressive rock acts of the day that I saw were complex until I saw Zappa and heard it live. From that point forward I always saw Zappa as a composer first and musician second.

[moreluck]

Les Paul & Mary Ford

YouTube - Les Paul & Mary Ford Live Part 3 Of...

[satellitedriver]

Chet Atkins, one of the first solo guitar artists.
PAX

[satellitedriver]

Originally Posted by wkmac

Not me Moreluck. And don't forget Liberace! Under all that over the top stuff, the guy was a genius when he played that piano and you da#n right I'd go see his show if given a chance.

Liberace was a master at his craft. Pure showmanship, backed by practiced talent.
Also, he was a warm,genuine human being.
My aunt trained the white doves that would circle the stage as he walked out.(circa 1957)
After every show he would stand at the back stage door and sign autographs, shake hands and stay there until the last fan left.
I was only 4yrs old when I met him, but I was impressed with his show and more impressed that he and all the backstage crew were so friendly and open.
He was one of the last old style "troopers" of show biz.
PAX

[Brown Dog]

Leo Kotke Carlos Santana

[local804]

Jimmy Hendrix/Page

[DS]

Its really impossible to nail down who the "best"guitar player was,as each great one differs in so many ways.Nobody has mentioned Eric Clapton.In his heyday he was truly amazing.When I was young I used to play one particular riff in"I`m sittin' on top of the world"off the live cream album over and over,trying to figure it out.I never did.Not many people realize that the dreamy guitar work in "while my guitar gently weeps" is Eric. Another noteworthy genious was Frank Zappa,he had a unique sound and style that young people try to emulate today.My wife suggested Pete Townsend and I guess he deserves a spot on the list of guitarists that influenced us with his own sound and ground breaking ideas.

[BLACKBOX]

Blue's Guitarist B.B. King....so soulful.

I remember going to a Led Zeppelin concert. I don't remember coming out. I do remember the music was loud, the crowd was crazy and there was a lot of smoke!

[satellitedriver]

Originally Posted by BLACKBOX

Blue's Guitarist B.B. King....so soulful.

I remember going to a Led Zeppelin concert. I don't remember coming out. I do remember the music was loud, the crowd was crazy and there was a lot of smoke!

Ya should have tried a Ten Years After concert.
PAX

[Channahon]

Can't really name a favorite, but some talent I've seen at concerts. And I am dating myself here:
Joe Walsh - Jimmy Paige - Keith Richards - Carlos Santana - Eric Clapton