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Who is your overall favorite guitarist?

At 44 years of age, I personally feel fortunate to have lived in an era along with some of the finest guitarists who have ever lived. I have always had an overwhelming love of music. As I look back to my earlier years of music appreciation (I took formal piano training for 17 years) I remember how my instructor would suggest exposing myself to the many different styles and disciplines of music.

These were such valuable words of wisdom. Considering the fact that this suggestion, more or less, forced me to be more open to musicians other than those that played in strictly rock and roll bands.

Wow, was I surprised to find that I could be as entertained by Chet Atkins and Les Paul as I could be by Ritchie Blackmore or Carlos Santana. Just think about some of the finest from our time. Jimi Hendrix, John McLaughlin, Robin Trower, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Johnson, Steve Howe, Al DiMeola, the list could seem almost endless. All such incredible musicians.

Although it's very hard to pick one person or style in particular, let's remember the key words, "overall favorite".
I would probably have to say that my overall favorite would have to be Steve Morse (from Dixie Dregs fame).

Who is your favorite?
buscis2

Showing 3 responses by stuartk

stuartk
3,334 posts
 
I don't have an overall favorite... how could I?  When I'm in the mood for  Hendrix, he's my favorite. Likewise, Freddie King, Grant Green, Ralph Towner, Jeff Beck, Otis Rush, Emily Remler, Richard Thompson, Peter Green, Sonny Sharrock, Duane Allman, Tony Rice, Pat Martino, J. Garcia, Santana, Jimmy Raney, Ronnie Earl, Philip Catherine, Roy Buchanan, Wayne Krantz, J. McLaughlin...  

It would make sense to me to ask us to name a favorite guitarist in one genre, but this, I don't understand. . . 
stuartk
3,334 posts
 
It's certainly very interesting to see what qualities people most admire in their favorites and which adjectives they employ when describing these qualities. "The best", "The Greatest", "Perfect", etc. do more to express the poster's enthusiasm than to inform others about the player's actual attributes. We tend to deeply identify with our favorites. 






stuartk
3,334 posts
 
... which renders us deeply vulnerable to confusing subjective and objective. 

We'll say "He/She's the best" when it would be more accurate to say  "They appeal to me the most". 

The two can become very easily conflated. . . 
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