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Topic: Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times (Read 48245 times) previous topic - next topic
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Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #75 –
It's hard to believe no one here listed Stanley Jordan (unless I missed it).  I saw him live many years ago, and I can say it's even more thrilling than hearing a top-notch recording of his work.  I was simply entranced with the way he could seemingly make the strings do exactly what he wanted.  And his rendition of Dixie and Yankee Doodle played at the same time on one guitar is astonishing.  Even several of the other songs he played sounded like there were two, and sometimes even three, guitars going, when it was only him.  THAT takes a special kind of mastery.

But he's not my favorite guitarist - that title belongs to David Gilmour.  And of all his work, what stands out the most to me are several of Pink Floyd's unpublished live recordings, where the band tended to explore "uncharted realms" more than they did in the studio:

> "Embryo" on Bytes of the Talisman
> "Any Colour You Like" on Dark Side of the Moon - Live (Soundboard)
> "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" on The Great Gig on the Moon (although the general recording quality is poor on this one, you can still tell the guitar work is top shelf)
> Of the many wonderful, live "Blues" renditions, my favorite is the one on Stranger Than Fiction
> The whole of Echoes in the Gardens, the content of which was a recap of DSotM, bits of WYWH and a very exciting precursor to Animals, represents an outstanding synopsis of Dave's abilities with a Stratocaster.

And Pink Floyd's more accessible 1975 release, Wish You Were Here, presents some of Gilmour's finest guitar work throughout.

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #76 –
Trying not to duplicate too many of the choices (why echo what others have already said well?), but I have to agree with the following...  limited to guitarists I'm extremely familiar with, so not to disrespect many others' choices:

Fripp
Zappa
Holdsworth
Legg
Kottke

And a man who sadly died at the peak of his ability, yet still not as widely known as he should have been:

Michael Hedges

If you're not familiar with his work, check it out.  His style combined hammering, tapping, sliding, percussive transients, alternate tunings and un-fretted "harp" string playing (using specially constructed instruments) to create a unique approach to the acoustic guitar.  I think sometimes he even used a pick. 

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #77 –
Favourites:

Frank Caruso (Arachnes)
Katsu Ohta (Ark Storm)
Yngwie Malmsteen
Greg Howe

Also:

Borislav Mitic
David Valdes
Joe Kopecky (Kopecky)
Joy Basu
Kelly Simonz
Kuroki Masahiko
Michael Harris
Prashant Aswani
Richie Kotzen
Satoshi Miyashita (90s game soundtracks)

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #78 –
What about Jerry Garcia !!!!! (rip)

Tonni IOMI  (this guy invented metal)
Zak Wylde
Crosby
Dimebag Darrel
Jimmy Page
Robbie Krieger!!!
Scott Wino
Josh Homme!!!
David Gilmour

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #79 –
Iomi is certainly a legend, and as already mentioned, pretty much invented metal on his own!

I've scoured all 4 pages so far, and have not heard Tom Morello mentioned.

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #80 –
I will stick with Joe Satriani, I like the type of his records, totally instrumental and he writes very good songs and arrangements. Also, he is way better than Noel Gallagher (hey Noel I guess you're no genius after all), and a very humble and simple guy that will talk to anyone in the street. That's Joe.

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #81 –
Eric Clapton
Jimi Hendrix
Terry Kath
BB King
Carlos Santana
Eddie Van Halen
I'm angrykeyboarder and I approved this message.

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #82 –
Right now (it changes...), these guitarists hold up after repeated listening (in no particular order!):

Jerry Garcia (timbre, pace, tone, variety, experimentation; he was a musical scholar of impeccable taste!)
Joni Mitchell (not many females in this thread - and her style is also instantly recognizable)
Mark Knopfler (moreso early in his career...)
Neil Young (just because he does it his own way - beautiful acoustic melodies and harsh, yet melodic, over-driven tube distortion).
Taj Mahal (pure soul - you've got to feel it!

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #83 –
Quote from: dyneq on
Right now (it changes...), these guitarists hold up after repeated listening (in no particular order!):

Jerry Garcia (timbre, pace, tone, variety, experimentation; he was a musical scholar of impeccable taste!)
Joni Mitchell (not many females in this thread - and her style is also instantly recognizable)
Mark Knopfler (moreso early in his career...)
Neil Young (just because he does it his own way - beautiful acoustic melodies and harsh, yet melodic, over-driven tube distortion).
Taj Mahal (pure soul - you've got to feel it!

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #84 –
There's also;

Dickie Betts - Allman Brothers
Duane Allman - Allman Brothers and Derek & Dominos with Clapton

The Beatles Boys - John, Paul and George

Hank Marvin of the Shadows

Al De Meola of Return To Forever

Gary Moore of Thin Lizzy

Jaco Pastorious of Weather Report

Peter Green - Fleetwood Mac
Lyndsey Buckingham - Fleetwood Mac

Paul Kossoff - Free

Rory Gallagher
Roy Buchanan
Buddy Guy

Bonnie Raitt - Another Great Lady

Robin Trower

Frank Zappa

Prince

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #85 –
These are some of my favourite guitarists. I think it's ludicrous to label any one person as "the Greatest of All Time."

Chuck Berry
Eric Clapton
Nick Drake
The Edge
George Harrison
Jimi Hendrix
Tom Morello
Jimmy Page
John Petrucci
Pete Townshend

...and, of course: Skwisgaar Skwigelf

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #86 –
Quote from: heyho on
Iomi is certainly a legend, and as already mentioned, pretty much invented metal on his own!

I've scoured all 4 pages so far, and have not heard Tom Morello mentioned.

I didn't read anything past the first 2 or 3 posts on the thread until after I posted. So there you go. 

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #88 –
Although this list seems very rock-orientated it's a shame and it once more shows what a wrongful world we live in (), that one name hasn't been mentioned yet at all:

Bert Jansch

Founding member of Pentangle, having the greatest influcence on both 60 and 70 folk music as much as on rock music (Jimmy Page imitated his style as well as Nick Drake did...). He very much elaborated the style

Davey Graham

had invented - merging the former different styles of english folk and blues guitar.

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #89 –
Dimebag Darrell
Neil Young
John Lennon
George Harrison
Andreas Kisser
Max Cavalera
Kurt Cobain
Johnny Greenwood
Gary Moore
Mark Knoffler
I could go on and on really...

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #90 –
hendrix
gilmour
knopfler
clapton

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #91 –
Quote from: ozmosis82 on
These are some of my favourite guitarists. I think it's ludicrous to label any one person as "the Greatest of All Time."

Chuck Berry
Eric Clapton
Nick Drake
The Edge
George Harrison
Jimi Hendrix
Tom Morello
Jimmy Page
John Petrucci
Pete Townshend

...and, of course: Skwisgaar Skwigelf


    Another Metalocalypse fan!

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #92 –
If you would ask most of your favorite guitar heroes like Jimi Hendrix, stevie ray vaughan, knopfler who their guitar hero's would be you're sure to find the name "Django Reinhardt" on the top of their list.
Playing the guitar masterfully with only two working fingers on one hand this is my number one.

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #93 –
Quote from: Sabre on
It seems like everyone is listing the same sorts of guitar heroes as the greatest players. What about the innovators who radically changed the genre?

Andres Segovia made the guitar a recognized performance instrument, and without him there's no telling what the instrument would be used for today. His classical work is amazing. Also, Spanish and flamenco guitarists from that time used the tapping technique... just a wee bit before Van Halen came around.

[...]

And last of all, why haven't more people mentioned David Gilmour? The Pink Floyd guitarist has covered nearly all of the styles mentioned and has done so with a sense of style and class that is almost unheard of. Very few shred and prog guitarists actually speak with their guitars, much less on the level that Gilmour did.

I don't write this to say that a lot of the guitarists mentioned so far aren't worthy, but I am surprised that there is such a strong focus on guitar heroes instead of true innovators that seek to communicate with their music. And yes, I know  I'm not the first to mention some of these guitarists, but they don't seem to be getting their due credit.


I do get your point, but get mine in return. We must mention here the guitarists that brought our emotions outside our bodies, for the amazing music they play. Not someone who invented or whatsoever. Or else we should thank the first man who had the brilliant idea of strumming a string.

Anyway, it's hard to put a top. In no particular order,
Joe Satriani
Kirk - Metallica
Slash - Guns N Roses (how come no one mentioned him?!)
Sonata Arctica's guitarrist - not the best skills, but the best emotion
Mathias - Scorpions
Eagles's guitarrist - Never heard his name, but the reality is that anyone who composed and played Hotel California deservers being mentioned
Steve Vai - don't like him much, actually. But I must mention.
Jimi Hendrix - comment needed? The man even has his own freaking chord! Hendrix chord, google it.
Chuck Berry
Aerosmith

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #94 –
I seem to be a little bit late on this thread. But, it was fun reading, bringing back memories.

All of my candidates have already been mentioned at least once.

But, let's not forget the many anonymous, but wonderful studio guitarists.

Not much mention of current players - I'll throw in John Mayer. 

One inovative old timer - Bo Diddley.

Did anyone watch the Grammies? Cary Underwood's back up band had a female lead guitar player who was world class. Tried to find out who she was with no success. She was both ear and eye candy.In accordance w/ TOS #8, I need to find her and perform a double blind ABX. 
Carbona not glue.

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #95 –
I love how Jon Finn doesn't bore me to death with multiple minutes of pointless guitar solos/speedy shrieking like a lot of guitar players do (especially those usually adored by metalheads eg Herman Li).
Of course a lot of the guitar players mentioned here do not fall in this category. I just wanted to give you a feeling why I like Jon Finn so much.
Danny Godinez is also worth a mention. Very nice music.

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #96 –
I don't know much... But I like Gilberto Gil's guitar.

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #97 –
Chuck Berry
Tom Morello
gilmour

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #98 –
One for all................J I M I!!:)

Greatest Guitar Players Of All Times

Reply #99 –
1. Prince
2. The Edge
3. Jeff Lynne
4. Tom Morrello
5. Jimmy Page

6. Les Paul