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).
Well,my favourite band right now is the Archies,so I would have to say Jughead is my favourite axe-man.Or is Veronica the guitarist?I forget,got to go check.
Jimi Hendrix was and still is the most incredible master of guitar. Don't get me wrong I love other great guitarists too, but Jimi's playing is on a whole other level. Its a damn shame his life was cut so short. Wonder what else he would have come up with if he was still with us?
I have many favorites. Jimi is at the top, but I am amazed at Robin Trower, Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, SRV, Santana,Atkins, EC, John Mclaughlin, Jimmy Page, Pat Martino, Muddy Waters, Steve Howe, Al Dimeola, Les Paul, BBKing, Paco de Lucia, George Benson, Albert King and many more. One who I think is underrated however IMHO is Chuck Berry.... Not sure why.
Hendrix of course. Dick Wagner(who worked with Alice Cooper, and was on the mid 70's Lou Reed Live albums with another great guitarist Steve Hunter). Robin Trower would also be close to the top of my list.
I believe Wagner is coming out of the left speaker for those concerts, and Hunter from the right. Which would have Wagner playing the solo right before Lou starts singing on Sweet Jane.
If you don't have the "Lou Reed Live" album, by all means try to find it. It's from the same concerts. Hunter seems to be more prominent on Animal, while Wagner seems to have more solos on "Lou Reed Live". A couple of my favorite Wagner solos are on Satellite of Love from "Live".
Both of these guitarists are great rhythm players too, as showcased on both albums.
LARRY CARLTON... Well there are many to mention. However, how you choose the best guitar player? Perfect interpretation or an interpretation with feelings? MUSIC IS FEELING ITS NO PERFECTION. So I’m more into feelings what can a player make you feel when he is playing, or how that player can interpret a love song so make you feel romantic. Mmmm I think that Larry Carlton has both and is very good on both. And he can play anything. But there are many to mention: Al Dimeola, Paco de Lucia, Santana, Lee Returner, Pepe Romero, Eric Clapton, Angus Young, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Andres Segovia, Fernando Sor, Andrew Jork, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Randy Road, Eddie Van Halen and the list go on and on, but some of this player can do a perfect performance reading notes, but they don’t make me feel anything when they play. Without offending anyone Vai and Satriani are perfect example of that, from my point of view. Paulo
Eric Johnson...lightening fast, articulate fingerings, unmistakable tone and a great songwriter. I've only had the pleasure to see him live once, and will travel far to get the chance again.
Greg Carmichael and Miles Gilderdale of Acoustic Alchemy...great synergy between them and virtuosos individually in their own right
Mark Knopfler...nuff said
Joe Walsh...i dunno, just like the guy and he can squeeeze alot of music outta a few notes
Greg Lake...C'est la Vie, Lucky Man, Still You Turn Me On--best sounding acoustic guitar on my stereo
Pete Townsend...king of the power chord
Steve Howe...the guy must have six fingers on his left hand (Count Rugan had six on his right hand as I recall)
Frank Zappa...I remember (vagely--I was in college and toasted at the time) seeing a claymation of him playing where his left hand morphed out about 4 extra fingers and snaked their way up and down the fretboard...saw him in Montreal at the Forum once, and that is an even more distant and fuzzy memory...I do remember having a flat in the car we borrowed from the housefather (big yellow Buick) around midnight in downtown with a trunk full of Bradors...so we emptied the trunk full of beer onto the sidewalk and proceeded to change the flat when the lug wrench broke in half...what happened next is little foggy, but we did make it back to UVM with most of the beer...I swear to this day the drummer was in a gorilla costume for much of the concert
An old thread but very interesting guitarists mentioned. I thought will add one of my favourite player Hank Marvin of "The Shadows" the 1960's instrumental group from UK. Lots of guys in 60's wore thick framed Glasses and wielded Red Strats !! He had a clean style of playing with echo drenched Strat tone that can be instantly recognised.
So many greats have been named already! I have never been able to choose "favorites", but I would like to see that two more names make it to this list: Harvey Mandel - I am lucky to have a vinyl recording of "Games Guitars Play"; and Gabor Szabo - I remember him from my Chico Hamilton jazz recordings.
WOW! This thread has now been running over five years!!!
The interesting thing is Steve Morse is probably still my favorite overall guitarist. Especially when I go back and listen to some of the earlier Dregs... What If, Dregs Of The Earth, Unsung Heros..... Great music.
John scofeild(righton foster,mfsoa!)terje rypdal?yeah i can see it.Carlos montoya for shear techinic....amazing that someone can do two parts at the same time.
My top ten All Time list. They are selected because these musicians have moved the medium to a new place, and I have REALLY enjoyed listening to them do it, either live or on recordings. To get on this list they had to have the right combination of soul, melody, technical proficiency and creativity, and lucky enough to have played with the right side men (and women) at the right time in their careers.
1. Jimi Hendrix (reinvented electric guitar) 2. Django Reinhardt (tie, invented modern jazz guitar) 2. Buckethead (tie, reinventing electric guitar again) 4. John Mclaughlin (invented Fusion guitar) 5. Jimmy Page (went over like a lead balloon!) 6. Richard Thompson (perfected rock tinged folk guitar) 7. Jeff Beck (makes his guitar sing like no one else) 8. Stevie Ray Vaughan (The Sound of Texas) 9. Duane Allman (invented southern rock guitar) 10. Carlos Santana (invented Latin rock guitar)
Honorable mention:
David Gilmour (king of the long note) Adriane Belew (invented animal noises guitar) Steve Morse (invented Dixie Fusion) John Meyer (not just your daughter's favorite bad boy) John Frusciante (Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik) Martin Barre (perfected Gothic Rock guitar) Frank Zappa (what chord did you say that was?)
These guys are all over my collection and constantly in my cd players, car, Ipod
Caveat-Im a guitar player. Eclectic...lots of favorites depends on the mood.
Jazz-Kenny Burrell, Joe Pass (also good blues players), Martin Taylor, Wes Montgomery (early before the violins) Fusion-Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, Larry Coryell, Pat Metheny Latin-Santana, Charlie Byrd Rock-Clapton, Knopfler, Hendrix, Warren Haynes blues-SRV, Warren Haynes, the 3 Kings, Buddy, Muddy Waters Acoustic Steel-Laurence Juber, Ed Gerhard, Hedges Slack Key-Kapono Beamer Bluegrass-TOny Rice Classical-John Williams, Segovia,
Steve Hackett Andy Latimer Jimmy Page Steve Howe Kim Simmonds Ritchie Blackmore George Harrison Jan Akkerman Justin Hayward DaVID Gilmour Brian May Robert Fripp Frank Zappa
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