NationStates Jolt Archive

Who is the greatest guitarist?

Me.

Ph34r my 133+ powerchords. Haha.

There are so many great guitarists that you probably have to separate them by genre and even then, there's no one undisputed greatest IMO.

For me, the first name that comes to my mind is Jimi Hendrix.

Other names include Joe Satriani and (in the underrated category) Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac. Stephen Stills of Crosby, Stills and Nash is also an incredible guitarist. And let's not forget Keith Richards.

Guitarist - Issac Albinez
Bassist - Cliff burton or Les Claypool
Drummer - John Bonham
Singer - Me

Trey Azagaroth, just to be different.

For me, the first name that comes to my mind is Jimi Hendrix.

Disagree there. He was undoubtebly very good, but he wasn't the greatest ever. His songs aren't as complex as people think.

Richie Sambora - hand down. The. Best. Ever.

Django Rheinhart - nobody else played quite the same role in the history of the guitar. He was basically the man responsible from changing it from a rhythm instrument to a lead instrument, and manged to do this with two crippled fingers on his fretting hand.

Other forgotten pioneers? Lets add Charlie Christian to the list, why not? Pretty much the first electric guitar player to take the instrument seriously as something other than a fretted slide guitar (which is how it was treated in its early days in Country & Western music). His playing may not strike you immediately listening to it now, but he was more of an innovator than just about anybody on the list above.

Robert Johnson? Once again, his playing may not have been the most pyrotechnic or explosive, but it defined the blues for many years, and laid the foundations for rock and roll.

Bert Jansch? English folk guitarist that played a lot with John Renborn and in the band Pentangle. Never heard of him? Basically this is the guitar player that Jimmy Page learnt at the feet of. Jansch's playing remains remarkable, and he continues to pull dazzling notes and melodies out of thin air.

Mahavishnu John McLaughlin: jazz-fusion guitarist that played with Miles Davis and the Mahvishnu Orchestra. His early stuff really needs to be heard to be believed. I will however admit that he will never play one note when twenty will fill the same space.

All the above are guitarists that excel not just in technique, but also in taste, and I think that is something which can't honestly be said for all those in the initial list. Eric Clapton? The last time he played an interesting note was 1967 with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. Chuck Berry? One riff wonder and generally acknowledged to be a complete asshole to everybody that he works with to the extreme detriment of the music they are trying to produce.

Guitarist - Bo Diddly
Bassist - Me (though props go to Flea)
Percussion - Neil Pert
Vocalist (male) - Lenny Kravitz
Vocalist (female) - Etta James
Songwriter - Prince

Though my opinion changes from time to time.

Chuck Berry and Jimi Hendrix were the most *important* guitarists in terms of changing music history and being influential. But that doesn't make them necessarily "the best" - that's too hard to say objectively.

Some of my favourite guitarists whom everybody who appreciates great, innovative playing needs to check out are Steve Howe, Robert Fripp, Jan Akkerman, Jeff Beck, Richard Thompson, Phil Manzanera, Steve Hackett, Henry Kaiser, Jerry Garcia, and Steve Morse.

bop

How about Robby Krieger? He's a very talented guitarist.

Eddie Van Halen

Jan Akkerman, Jeff Beck, Richard Thompson, Henry Kaiser.


Yay! For the above who have built their careers on more than just pointless fret wanking.

I can't believe you guys have forgotten greats like Yngwie!

I voted Satarni but there's so many different genres out there and techniques that they all excell in their own ways.

Yah I was suprised that wasnt on the list didnt eddie van halen win some prize that goes to worlds best guitarist when he was pretty young?? Haha I figured somebody was going to put down Kurt Cobain and I was going to make fun of them. Maybe I just thought somebody was gonna put that cause I just moved from his home town and everyone up there loves him. Well except for the people his age and older they hate his guts.

Hendrix is by far the best ever, he made it into the artform it has become. Best current day, I'd have to go with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave.

Guitarist - David Gilmour of Pink Floyd
Bassist - Jaco Pastorius, of course.

It completely depends on what kind of musical genre the guitarist plays. I mean, Hendrix was an amazing rock guitarist, but could he play the blues? was he as good as B.B. King or Eric Clapton? And what about classical guitar? Andres Segovia isn't even on that list. Neither is George Harrison. It's impossible to say who's the greatest guitarist of all time. If maybe you said "who is the greatest rock guitarist of all time?", then you could come up with an answer, but not just "who's the greatest guitarist of all time." It's impossible.

I saw a thread like this here only maybe two months ago. But oh well.

I'll still go with Iommi.

I can't believe that Yngvie is on there, but not David Gilmour. Props to the posters that mentioned Gilmour, Lindsey Buckingham, and Robby Kreiger. Also can't believe that no one's mentioned Mark Knopfler (sp?) of Dire Straits.

I'm probably going to catch flak for this, but to me greatest means the one I like to listen to most. So, since he's a big part of my favorite band, I vote for Alex Lifeson of Rush.

Yeah i might wanna say Django Rheinhart, but in rock- its got to be either malmsteen or (and i cant believe no ones mentioned him!!) John petrucci!! come on guys

mark knopffler (dire straits) is an amazing slow-hand player

also check out ry cooder (this guy almost invented, then perfected every slide technique known to man)

I've been a KISS fan since 1977, so consider this a shout-out to the original Space Ace, Ace Frehley! :D

also check out ry cooder (this guy almost invented, then perfected every slide technique known to man)

By 'almost invented' you mean didn't invent, but instead travelled around and learnt techniques from many different players around the world, of course?

By 'almost invented' you mean didn't invent, but instead travelled around and learnt techniques from many different players around the world, of course?
i dont recall anyone else doing what he did during his time - this guy put that shit on the map, he is to slide guitar what bob marley is to reggae.

Rory Galagher

i dont recall anyone else doing what he did during his time - this guy put that shit on the map, he is to slide guitar what bob marley is to reggae.

If anyone is commonly seen as the father of electric slide guitar it is Elmore James. If we look at slide guitar playing in rock we can see Brian Jones with the Rolling Stones, (Mick Green's) Fleetwood Mac, Johnny Winter and others playing slide prior to Ry Cooder coming onto the scene. He certainly wasn't the first slide guitarist in rock and crediting him with 'almost inventing' the basic technique that had been in use by blues players since at least the 1920s is somewhat fluffing the issue. Certainly he is an amazing technical slide player and a very inventive one, but if anything his major contribution to new ways of playing has been to track down off-beat sources, such as the Hawaiian slack-stung guitar method and to bring them to the attention of a wider public.

It completely depends on what kind of musical genre the guitarist plays. I mean, Hendrix was an amazing rock guitarist, but could he play the blues? was he as good as B.B. King or Eric Clapton? And what about classical guitar? Andres Segovia isn't even on that list. Neither is George Harrison. It's impossible to say who's the greatest guitarist of all time. If maybe you said "who is the greatest rock guitarist of all time?", then you could come up with an answer, but not just "who's the greatest guitarist of all time." It's impossible.
I agree that it really depends on genre, but I think that Segovia did more for the instrument than anyone else.

If anyone is commonly seen as the father of electric slide guitar it is Elmore James. If we look at slide guitar playing in rock we can see Brian Jones with the Rolling Stones, (Mick Green's) Fleetwood Mac, Johnny Winter and others playing slide prior to Ry Cooder coming onto the scene. He certainly wasn't the first slide guitarist in rock and crediting him with 'almost inventing' the basic technique that had been in use by blues players since at least the 1920s is somewhat fluffing the issue. Certainly he is an amazing technical slide player and a very inventive one, but if anything his major contribution to new ways of playing has been to track down off-beat sources, such as the Hawaiian slack-stung guitar method and to bring them to the attention of a wider public.

kind of like marley did for reggae? almost invented doesnt propose invention, perhaps to simplify i should have said re-invented the use of or something...

the point is, that guy did things with a slide guitar that still make me sit back and go... WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT! What the hell was that!

and as far as your references to rock musicians, i dont think you realize how long Ry Cooder has been playing, Brian Jones was in diapers bud (as far as using slide that is).

I think Slash (Guns N' Roses, Slash's Snakepit, Velvet Revolver) is the greatest guitarist ever.

No heavy metal guitarists? How about Kerry King or Adrian Smith? Or maybe 'Fast' Eddie Clarke?

For the best it has to be Angus Young from AC/DC. A unique blend of old style rock'n'roll, blues and the power of heavy metal.

"Gonna tell you ba story. Bout a guy I know. When it comes to plucking. He steals the show. He ain't exactly pretty. He ain't exactly tall. But when his fingers pluck, at that guitar, you could say he's got it all..." (Ok, so not the original lyrics.)

Bassist has to be Lemmy from Motorhead. No question.

and as far as your references to rock musicians, i dont think you realize how long Ry Cooder has been playing, Brian Jones was in diapers bud (as far as using slide that is).

Eh? Rolling Stones 'Little Red Rooster' with Brian Jones playing slide guitar - released 1964. First appearance of Ry Cooder on vinyl - 1965 (and I don't know if he was playing with a slide on that one).

So, certainly Jones was earlier playing slide on a released recording: he was certainly playing slide guitar in public in 1962 as part of Alexis Korner's band.

As far as working out when Ry Cooder started playing slide, I can't seem to manage that right now, but bear in mind that Brian Jones was born 5 years earlier than Cooder...


(I am reminded of the quote from one of the guitarists from the mock band Bad News here - " I could play 'Stairway to Heaven' when I was 12. Jimmy Page didn't actually write it 'till he was 22. I think that says quite a lot"...)

the point is, that guy did things with a slide guitar that still make me sit back and go... WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT! What the hell was that!
Oh yeah, definitely, and I'm not trying to take that away from him.

i wonder why no one has mentioned Dick Dale??

Richie Sambora - hand down. The. Best. Ever.
:| Richie Sambora? Really? Is there sarcasm there that I didnt get? (I've had a long day, I'm not at my smartest...) I mean, I'm the hugest Bon Jovi fan in the world, but even I wouldnt vote for Richie...

I was torn between Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen and Carlos Santana...went for Satriani in the end merely because of his "Flight of the Bumblebee" (I'm addicted to it :P)

As is the way I am undecided as of yet. Naturally Hendrix is the one you'd expect to be No.1, and he is, but Clapton and Page are both great aswell. I think Page's Double Necks and Stairway to Heavens maaassterpiece acoustics probably topped Hendrix's Fire Playing stunts [Don't Laugh Asshole]. Also Knowing Nods to Layla [Clapton] and Nirvanas "Smells Like Teenage Spirit".

Dimebag Darrell. The man really knows how to shred and not just through brute force. My taste in guitar music is as broad as it is long and would be very hard to pin down a singular musician or genre.

Billy Gibbons

Not only was he good but he Looked good to :p

I can't believe people forgot Duane Allman. Layla (and Derick & the Dominoes) would have sucked without his work.

Also James Burton who pretty much is the greatest country-rock guitarist and is one of the best finger pickers out there.

Also Les Paul, a great jazz artist and of course an inventor.

That he's missing is a crime.
I also cast a vote for that wanker, Chris DeGarmo of Queensryche. GET BACK IN THE BAND ALREADY!!

Bassist? My vote is for Stu Hamm!!

:eek:

AHHHH!!! Some one has gravedug oine of my my old threads and has turned it into a zombie thread.

:::glares sucpiciously at cousin eddie::: ;)

What did I do?

two words: Steve Vai

Eddie Van Halen

Yup.

DAVE NAVARRO!!!

in his early days with jane's addiction and with the chilis.

Django Rheinhart - nobody else played quite the same role in the history of the guitar. He was basically the man responsible from changing it from a rhythm instrument to a lead instrument, and manged to do this with two crippled fingers on his fretting hand.

Mahavishnu John McLaughlin: jazz-fusion guitarist that played with Miles Davis and the Mahvishnu Orchestra. His early stuff really needs to be heard to be believed. I will however admit that he will never play one note when twenty will fill the same space.
Yes, I agree! You really know what you're talking about, no more "jimi iz teh bezt cuz teh magazeen said so!"

Slash

Yes, I agree! You really know what you're talking about, no more "jimi iz teh bezt cuz teh magazeen said so!"

Following on from the Mahavishnu Orchestra it is also worth tracking down the Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Band Live LP from '77, after Hammer left the Mahavishnu boys. The same kind of spirit pervades the LP, but Beck is a somewhat more restrained player than McLaughlin, but certainly not without his pyrotechnic flourishes, and it is good to hear early Jan Hammer doing more than just filling space in the background.