Neil Young - Guitarist

I haven't seen the list (of course ;-), but I'm going to guess Danny Gatton isn't on it. Danny who?

Finnaly something I can contribute to you all. I thought I was a 63 year old expert regarding music. Learning so much, but here is a Neil Young story. Seen CSN & Young about 12 years ago in Milwaukee. I paid big bucks to be close to the stage. Picked the 12th row over the 2nd row for the same price. $750.00 for the two tickets. First time seeing one of the most influential groups that shaped and addicted me to the joys of music. Near the end of the show they played some of their individual stuff. Neil did Rocking in the Free World, still can see his rocking back and forth style. He ended up finishing the song with only 3 strings, just fricken nuts. That show broke down to about $3.00 a minute, the best money I ever spent. Thanks to you all for your valuable info regarding gear. Here is a good one, one of my Infinity Kappa 8's was sounding funny the other day, I first checked the speaker cable, and I go what is this wire, turned out to be electrical cord, pulled out the Infinity Manuel and it said that wire is fine for a 12' distance. I had some Audioquest Cable that I hooked up. A whole new experience. Running a reworked Thorens TD 160, Adcom GFA 555 II, and a B&k PT -3 which I just got to replace my Adcom GPT 500 II that just started a balance problem. Ordered a new NAD in box C 165BEE for a little under $800.00 with shipping. 

Neil has a unique style which is not for everybody.  It's easy to parody but impossible to really duplicate.   If you didn't like it 50 years ago you're not going to like it any better now.  Personally I liked it then and now.  He's no great technician but he plays with a lot of feeling and intensity. 

Personally, I think Rolling Stone died by the endless, pompous, derivative, purposely-argumentative, dated lists.

Like Charlie Watts, Neil is one of those players whose decades of playing constantly did absolutely nothing to improve his skills.  He is as bad now as when he was when he was screeching out single note guitar solos with Buffalo Springfield.  If every other guitar player in the world died tomorrow he still wouldn't make the top 100 list.

IMO: He’s an excellent acoustic player. Electric is more idiosyncratic but I still like it. Been listening for many years. Neil be the man! (and Daryl be the squeeze)

+1 onhwy61 +1 jrpnde
If you play the guitar fairly well and understand the instrument, the RS top 100 greatest guitarist of all time list seems a jumbled mess. Some folks have no business being on the list. Other truly great guitarists are buried under flotsom. Neil Young at number 17 is an example of a great songwriter that plays a decent guitar getting uber grade inflation. Mark Knopfler is number 44? You ever tried to play like MK? You can't. He plays both rhythm and lead basically simultaneously. Clapton has MK play at his concerts. You ever tried to play like Neil Young? Well, lots of people can...he is easily covered. That doesn't mean he isn't really good. But lots of people are really good. Johnny Ramone at number 28? Thousands of people can cover Johnny Ramone. You don't even need to know any scales. John McLaughlin at number 68? I'm fairly confident McLaughlin can play all of Neil Young's stuff and NY can't cover much of JM's catalog, if any. I really like Neil Young, but I never put him on to listen to serious guitar prowess. 

A Rolling Stone musician ranking carries as much weight with me as the same in People magazine.

His playing works well within the context of his music but I never considered him a great player. Huge fan though his opinions grate on me at times. 

Neil is a great musician, top 100 guitarist of all time is a stretch is a very good guitarist 
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A top 100 Musician absolutely.   Jeff Beck which I have seen and have a signed magazine.
Probably the most complex UNDER RATED guitarist alive ,but does it so effortless.
He lost a lot of support when he took years off in the 80s  just to get his head straight .he was playing in several great bands since the 60s.

While I do like Neil Young's music I don't see anyone, especially Rolling Stone, ranking him in even the top 100 guitarists. There are many artists that accompany their singing with a guitar and many do it very well. Like Jackson Browne, Willie Nelson, and others.
But, the original post asked the question about Young's skill as a guitarist. Best 100 guitarists??? That's a broad question. You would have to include those who just play the instrument in a band or in a recording studio. The most praised musicians are those who sing, write songs, and even those who play decent guitar. Rolling Stone has a narrow focus on the true sphere of music.
There are too many names I can list here but there are ones that, in addition of singing, are excellent guitar players. Here's just a few........
Leo Kottke, David Bromberg, Steve Goodman, Glen Campbell, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Al Collins, Dickey Betts, and many more.
No rap on Neil Young but, as a guitarist myself, when I listen to or buy music the first thing I tune into is how the guitar sounds if there is one in the particular song.
 

Don't take those Rolling Stone rankings seriously.  Neil Young is a fine musician, but he's only a great guitarist in the sense that Mick Jagger or James Brown are great vocalists.

I recall Dylan remarking that the strength of Neil's playing is his intuitive sense of melody.  Interpret those wild distorted solos as simple melodies and it all makes sense.        

@bdp24 , do we really want to get Quincy started again?

Let's ask Quincy Jones.

Define "underrated". I’d put him somewhere in the #50-100 range. Or lower.

+1 dodgealum, though I would add that I agree with a comment I read on another forum that his guitar sounded out of tune on Cellar Door as compared with Massey Hall. 

So for me the thing about Neil's guitar playing is the sense of time he keeps. This became even more clear to me with the release of the "Massey Hall" and "Live at the Cellar Door" LPs. His playing is great on both these albums--not the kind of pyrotechnics you see on "Cortez" (which is one of my favs)--but just an incredible rhythmic consistency that few can touch. 

When I saw this, I knew, again..that Neil is a superb guitar player. A mature player, one well seated into his skills. Which are very much on display.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skJddbSJQjA

At first mention, 17 seemed way high on the list of guitarist but then I stopped to think about who I would rather listen to and that raw emotion thing took over and now 17 seems kind of low. I can not go very long without getting me some Neil Young in my rotation. That 9 fingered gal is lucky to have him.

Songwriting skills...he's got Daryl Hannah now!  Multi talented genius.

I'd say Jeff Beck off the top of my head.