I am the polar opposite of Zaikesman regarding his comments about the limited expressiveness or significance of the guitar compared to the horn or piano. I agree that there are more great horn players than great guitarist, but that's because there are more horn players (good and bad) than any other instrument. I also agree that the guitar can't compete with a piano as far as producing multiple musical lines simultaneously, but then again what other instrument can? So I guess I agree that the standard guitar (six strings covering 4 octaves) has certain design limitations, but that makes no nevermind when the instrument is in the hands of a great artist. The fact is a number, albeit small, of guitarist have attained the stylistic significance and are held in as high regard as any horn or piano player (of course excepting Louis Armstrong - he is the king). Two examples, Charlie Christian and John McLaughlin. Billie Holiday said that Charlie (an ex-piano player) would play all night, never play the same thing twice and every note would swing. The only other musician she ever raved about like that was Lester Young. Mr. Christian was also there at the birth of be-bop and was said to have influenced Monk and Diz. Miles Davis is generally considered a pretty good judge of talent and when Dave Holland brought McLaughlin to the "In A Silent Way" session it's reported that Davis was blown away. On later Davis albums there are tracks titled "John McLaughlin" and "Go Ahead John". The only other musician so honored by Mr. Davis was John Coltrane ("Trane's Blues"). So here you have two musicians who as guitar players who appear to be held in as high artistic regard by other musicians as any horn or piano player.
Just my opinion. BTW, I've owned guitars for 30 years, but I would hesitate to call myself a player.
