Favourite Guitarists

flynehome -- Love your choices.

What can I say? As much as I enjoyed the Mothers of Invention I never much cared for Zappa's guitar playing. Just too mechanical for this guy.

I remember enjoying the hell out of David Gilmore when I saw Pink Floyd live.

Off the top of my head.  Electric lead players only.

Eric Clapton

Tom Verlaine

Robby Krieger

Jimmy Page

I'm not a fan of shredders, players who choose to play at the speed of light. I value a melodic sense and the player's ability to display a variety of intensities and emotions. I'm also a sucker for good tone.

I enjoyed Mick Ronson a whole lot. Superlative tone. One of the best practitioners of the one note lead guitar solo ever to strap on a guitar. I'm not putting him down with that remark, either. Just as Bruce Springsteen once sang, Ronson learned how to make his guitar talk. Or more accurately, scream.

Maybe I've mentioned this before, but I continue to appreciate Joan Baez, Judy Collins and Joni Mitchell -- all major influences on my own guitar playing. Joan Jett was fun if perhaps a bit sloppy. One of the punk bands I played in had a female lead guitarist, too. She was horrible. I got to say, though, that her ineptness had little to do with our own lack of success. Even by punk band standards we were horrible.

I think I remember Clapton (or was it George Harrison?) praising J.J. Cale once upon a time. Naturally, I went straight to the record store and bought the guy's album. The only words I could think of after listening carefully to the record for about a week were "low wattage" and "anonymous." It wasn't long before I brought the LP to the used record store. What can I say?

mszmsi --  I have a John Renbourn guitar book. For a time I could play several of his solo tunes on my acoustic guitar. Then again, I probably haven't attempted them since the turn of the century. Have I mentioned that I saw Pentangle at the Troubadour?