Who is the greatest guitarist ever?

[GammaShred]

is it Steve Vai? Is it Steve Hackett? Is it Steve Lukather? Is it Joe Satriani? Is it Kirk Hammett? what do you think?

lol kirk hammett are you kidding?!



I have a load of favorites who are obviously going to be the best in my opinion, its obvious the likes of Hendrix and Page are contenders , but im not a fan of either so i couldnt care less


my favorites

Yngwie Malmsteen
Jason Becker
Marty Friedman
Steve Vai
Satch

 

[starskreem]

Greatest Guitarist

The greatest guitarist is not who you think it is. When someone tells you who their favorite guitar player is, do not be offended. If they tell you who the best player is, be very very offended.

My favorite is Slash
There is no greatest

 

[Hookpunch]

The greatest guitarist is not who you think it is. When someone tells you who their favorite guitar player is, do not be offended. If they tell you who the best player is, be very very offended.

My favorite is Slash
There is no greatest

Point taken, music is art, not science - these things cannot really be quantified.

 

[Victrola]

The greatest guitarist is not who you think it is. When someone tells you who their favorite guitar player is, do not be offended. If they tell you who the best player is, be very very offended.

My favorite is Slash
There is no greatest

exactly. there is really no 'greatest'. But favorite? It's fun to debate or compare 'favorites'.

 

[GHWelles]

Ritchie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, Robin Trower, Gary Moore, Yngwie Malmsteen

 

[Colin]

Tommy emmanuel has an excellent DVD out called Live at the Sheldon.

Excellent. Just him and an acoustic. I ordered it off his website. Well worth the $40 (which seemed high before I watched it! Not after though.)

I got that dvd just the other day it is good. If you ever get a chance to see him live you wont be dissappointed. I guess I'm lucky cause I've seen him many times and spoken to him at length and he's a great guy too. If you think he plays well with an acoustic you should see him with an electric. Wow!

Colin

 

[Steve 65]

Frank Zappa
Allan Holdsworth
Bill Frisell

 

[Victrola]

Same here. When I was in Cali, kbaim gave me a CD of his. Awesome stuff. But, I must add a new one to my list.

After the show on April 9, Steve Morse is one of my favorites. I never really listened to him before......where have I been? Simply awesome.

Welcome to the Church of Steve.

Tommy and Janice know what I mean.

 

[shamus63]

Greatest Guitarist?

How about just plain-tasty guitar in any style?


Here's a few not mentioned:

Brian Setzer
Skunk Baxter
Tony Iommi
Pat Simmons
Derek Trucks
Warren Haynes
Danny Spitz
Joe Messina
Robert White
Eddie Willis


There's a whole bunch more to add to the list...give it a while to come to mind. Or throw in a few unmentioned yourself.

 

[Lucious]

Best ??

Ask a blind person who is the best looking girl in the room??
Answer..the one with the biggest T*ts. hahah
I am a fan, ALL of the cats you gave love to are my faves as well. I am VERY honored to have been even mentioned but yet I am not worthy. Thanks and God Bless. The fact IS I am still on the never ending quest to find the REAL sound, the REAL chops and the great thing about being middle aged is to realize music is a never ending quest.. NO ONE will wake up one day and say "I Know it all, I got it all together, I can play anything"...NOT!
If my dear brother Eric Johnson , who plays like no other, can worry about batteries and PLAY like he does..in ALL styles, what do *I* do?? Snort battery acid?? haha ****??
My son plays, not like me or anyone else, but because he is not "taught" he plays weird chords and tunes the guitar in weird ways, gets better chicks than I did, and i DID pre marrige and KILL the super model-Playboy centrfolds hahaha BUT I digress.
At my age I care more now than ever. Its gift I got from the "big cat upstairs" ( Sammy D voice)..
What you guys may not know is that Sterling has a VERY small roster of "signature guys" and its a GREAT honor to be one. Of course he COULD sign every "flavor of the month cat" BUT he doesn't. Oh he sends strings BUT to be a MM sig cat, means you gotta play! I am the Jr. cat on the team. You Got Morse, 'Trucci, Big Al, Vinnie f*ck.. I am humbled. Thank God I am funny and can pull one out when I need to. Believe me, playing "Country Boy " with Morse and Albert is humbling. Any asswipe that thinks playing thru MAJOR chords that fast is easy is LYING! haha Its the country "Giant steps" And big Al and Morse eat this sh*t for breakfast. Its a GREAT honor to be a part of a family that is hard to get into. Sterling and family have that kind of class and dont just sign up a "flavor of the month" cat..sure MM has to be current and Brian and Scotty keep the sh*t up like that but how many CEO's of a major guitar co. play better than most of their artists? Biff does? The cat can play upside down and thats when he plays Ukelele. hahaha
Sorry to rave, it only my 4th Martini. hahaha BUT I love my life and my friends I get payed to play guitar?? Go ahead..kick me! hahaha
My best groove today.. I went to see Deuce Biggalo with my son Trev ( my wife would never go see that with me, actress and all) haha Soooo I am hangin and all THEN I hear one of my old songs in the movie : She's a Beauty" by the TUBES, Its in TWICE..
so i get PAID twice.. ahahaha LOVING life. After goin thru a 7 figure divorce 15 years ago its like getting a first "reach around" and NOT from your gym teacher. hahaha
I some how have found the "lucky button", I dont mean sexually, well I do.. hahaha
You get the rave.
OK, My 5th martini..haha
Life is good and forgive my ramblings but I mean well. Here's to MM-EB and what will be THE hippest hang in years cause its about YOU guys.
Nothin but love and respect.
Lets have many beers
L.

 

[Big Poppa]

Classic Post

I have posted various times the latest was the Jack Marshall post about the purity of the great players. It isn't high school. The guys get to a certain point where they get it. They do their stuff and love someone else who can do it differently. You also wont get very far if you dont eventually get it.

If Steve Vai didn't love the guitar would he have started favoured nations?

If luke didnt love the guitar would he post here?

Look at this collection of talent for the open house. They are coming because they respect each other, I hope that part of it is because they really do feel part of the family and will support us when asked but I think that they are really coming to enjoy the chance to hang and play tell stories and create new memories. A little fact you should all appreciate. NOT ONE GUITARIST OR BASS PLAYER IS ACCEPTING ANY MONEY TO COME TO THE OPEN HOUSE! I am paying their airfare and hotel only.

Steve is very kind regarding my playing. I play well enough to play a little bit with these guys if I control the set list. I also know that one of the most valuable tools is the volume control. If its in my kitchen I go for it, if not lay low with subtle backing and even turn the guitar off and let these guys do it.

IF you get anything out of the Open House Forum there is no best, they are all great and different. I will never say who the best guitarist is, I will say who is my favorites or favorite.

Sometimes you will hear a player and you miss it with them, formulate an opinion only to be proven wrong later. I just didnt get it the first time. I had that happen to me with Satriani at first. Now I have a deep respect for him.

It is like when someone posts PRS vs. AXIS. the "vs" has no part in the thread. It isnt was they are diferent. "or" would be a better way. It isnt Morse vs petrucci. You will see first hand.

 

[shamus63]

I don't believe in the "greatest" either, which is why I've been posting my favorite guitar/bass/drums.

That approach keeps it from becoming a debate, rather than sharing an opinion.

IMHO.

 

[NorM]

1. Ask a blind person who is the best looking girl in the room??
Answer..the one with the biggest T*ts. hahah
2.I am a fan, ALL of the cats you gave love to are my faves as well. I am VERY honored to have been even mentioned
3. its about YOU.
4. Nothin but love and respect.
5. Lets have many beers
6. L.

1. Blind or not I think that's true (and funny)
2. I'm glad you are mentioned there too. I'm even gladder that you are here for me to tell you so.
3. YOU 2 Dude
4. If I didn't do that BP have to "adjust" me. I like it when he does that. the steam turns me on
5. For you I might consider drinking again
6. N.

 

[shamus63]

...THEN I hear one of my old songs in the movie : She's a Beauty" by the TUBES, Its in TWICE..

That just reminded me...what a great (and under-rated) album that was on!

The Tubes "Outside/Inside"...classic!

Headed to Tower now.

 

[Dcareaga]

I would cut off both my balls to be able to play like Mike Landau

 

[samuel_js]

Over the rest .

I really like a lot of guitarist like Satriani, Vai, Petrucci, etc... but I thik there's two of them that are just way over the rest of the guitarist of this planet:

1: Allan Holdsworth.
2: Shawn Lane (rest in peace).
Check this out
http://www.noproblemhere.com/Sneaky-Petes.avi


Just amazing!!

 

[Roubster]

I agree with what a lot of the people said, that no one is really the best or better when it comes down to giants as mentioned. You also just CAN NOT compare guitarists from the 70's and than the 90's, because if it wasn't for those guys back then, we would not have the other great players who learned from them. For example if there was no Morse, I doubt we would have the Petrucci that we know. Well, saying that, MY favorite guitarist is Steve Morse due to the same reason some of the other guys stated. To me personally that is the ultimate music that appeals to me on such a spiritual emotional level. That is exactly the music I would play if I could, but I am on my own path to find my own voice with this pure and beautiful instrument we all play here. So don't disrespect any other players just because you dont have a personal connection with what they are doing. The best thing to do is appreciate and learn from what they do and what they can do, because no one is the same. PEACE
-Rob

 

[Zon]

Steve Morse

 

[Peter]

i have recently been impressed by buckethead's solo stuff.....i never thought he'd be able to write structured music after hearing primus. talented chap i reckon.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Hank Marvin 'cos that was the first time I had seen an electric guitar [a competition on the front of a kellogs pack - I thought you could plug it into the 240 V mains !!!!]

Bert Weedon for his tutorial book.

Gerge Harrison for his simple sounding melodies - damn that George Harrison, simple ?

Tony Iommi for getting me into heavy Guitar.

Paul Kossof - cos he was just so full of feel.

Lowell George for his great slide playing.

Sonny Landreth ditto

Jeff Beck (cos he's into cars as well ;-)

and finally

Danny Gatton - man why did ya have to blow ya brains out ????