The 40 Greatest Guitartists of All Time
Submitted by podizz on Thu, 10/16/2008 - 10:37
Tags:
- Jimi Hendrix
- Eric Clapton
- Jimmy Page
- Stevie Ray Vaughn
- Duane Allman
- Carlos Santana
- Jeff Beck
- Eddie Van Halen
- Steve Vai
- David Gilmour
- Jerry Garcia
- Chuck Berry
- Warren Haynes
- Trey Anastasio
- Frank Zappa
- Pete Townshend
- BB King
- Slash
- Joe Satriani
- Keith Richard
- Joe Perry
- Tony Iommi
- Tom Morello
- Randy Rhoads
- Kirk Hammett
- John Frusciante
- Ritche Blackmore
- Eric Johnson
- George Harrison
- John Petrucci
- Yngwie Malmsteen
- Angus Young
- Mick Ronson
- Buddy Guy
- Robert Johnson
- Robert Randolph
- Steven Van Zandt
- Neil Young
- Brian May
- Kurt Cobain
Author Comments:
Comments welcome...
Have to disagree with David Gilmour, he was a guitarist in a great band, but not really a great guitarist...he was not really very technically talented at all.
If I were to make this list it would be:
Jimi Hendrix
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Duane Allman
Robert Fripp
Steve Howe
John McLaughlin
Michael Karoli
Frank Zappa
Tom Verlaine
Dean Ween (really!)
guess we'll hafta agree to disagree....to each his own
You can't really judge how good a guitar player is unless 1. You play yourself (and of a high standard, most people can't differentiate between a good guitarist and an excellent one), and 2. You've heard them play the most technically difficult composition and judged them against their peers who would also have to play that piece.
Gilmour might be amazing, but just never have gone truly mental in the way that Hendrix or Page did back in the day while performing a solo. Also, some music lends itself to showing off more than others and so making a list like this is very hard, and usually just ends in people recommending the well known 'greats' who have long solos on their tracks.
fair enough...call it my 10 favorite then...
Technically difficult != good guitar playing. That reduces guitar playing to a mere academic exercise which it really is not. Otherwise I guess Yngwie Malmsteen is technically the greatest because he can play really fast and accomplish difficult pieces. The problem is nobody likes to listen to him. Same goes for Dragonforce. I think the 'best' guitarists are the ones who treat the guitar as an extension of their body (or soul), and you don't need to play in order to judge that. So Hendrix definitely qualifies. I'll just throw it out there that technique is arguably more important than actual skill, which is why Tom Verlaine and even Ricky Wilson (of the B-52's) did so well.
agreed. well put.
Glen Campbell and Roy Clark are very accomplished from what guitarists tell me. Just because they are associated with Country music, does not make them ka-ka. Campbell was once part of Beach Boys before he struck out on his own.
I agree that "greatest guitar" could best be defined by guitarists, which leaves me out. I'm easily wowed!