The Greatest Guitarist Ever...

[Pow R. Toc H.]

I personally think Hendrix.

anybody else......

[Y Chwyldro Comiwnyddol Cymraeg]

Either Hendrix, Santans, Clapton(dont go into his political belifes), BB king(seen him live at 80 yrs old lol), Stevie Ray Vaughan, George Benson

[Coggeh]

hendrix .... clapton ....page and morello :)

[Pow R. Toc H.]

Yeah Im glad you guys agree. Except Morrello. He is ok at best. But fuckin page or clapton or HENDRIX they kick so much fucking ass its unreal.

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

Hendrix, Clapton, Fripp, BB King no doubt, Santana, Gilmour
This has been done in the past a lot

[chimx]

oh i'm sorry. i thought this thread was for most talented guitarist, not the most popular.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Hendrix. Period.


Clapton(dont go into his political belifes)

What's up with him? I've heard he's a racist before, but never bothered to research it.

[Blue Collar Bohemian]

Dave Matthews is a pretty amazing Acoustic/Rhythm guitarist..

I'd say Django Reinhardt is pretty fucking amazing too.

[Invader Zim]

Originally posted by Compañ[email protected] 18, 2006 08:22 am
Hendrix. Period.


Clapton(dont go into his political belifes)

What's up with him? I've heard he's a racist before, but never bothered to research it.
Hendrix... if you read bog roll such as 'Rolling Stone' and have never heard of: -

Fripp,
Gilmour,
Satriani,
Vai,
Malmsteen,
Hunter,
Petrucci
and so on.

Especially the like sof Malmsteen, Satriani, Vai and John Petrucci who have made careers out of just instrumental music because they are so damn good.



What's up with him? I've heard he's a racist before, but never bothered to research it.

The mans a bastard of true proportions who supported an even bigger bastard Enoch Powell.

[Y Chwyldro Comiwnyddol Cymraeg]

O yeah steve vai -talented guy. Chuck Berry,Robert Johnson, Ry Cooder

[Exovedate]

Yeah Im glad you guys agree. Except Morrello. He is ok at best.

Okay? that dude could make the most insane sounds ever on guitar. I have to say he knew his instrument better than anyone else i'v ever seen or heard.

AS for other greats i'd say Stevie Ray Vaughn, Malmsteen, Hendrix, B.B. King.

I'd also recommend ppl check out this vid
Dragonforce - Through the Fire and Flames (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRtlG5Bs1R0) the music is a little weird but the two guitarsists rip off this mind numbing solo around 3:28. Faster than anything i'v ever seen.

[Invader Zim]

Dragonforce - Through the Fire and Flames the music is a little weird but the two guitarsists rip off this mind numbing solo around 3:28. Faster than anything i'v ever seen.

Dragonforce are hilarious - but they were better when nobody had heard of them.

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

I posted the guitarists whose music I like best. Satriani, Vai, Petrucci, Malmsteen, and those guys can fuck off with their lame bullshit. They have no clue what popular music is.

[BreadBros]

Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Pat Metheny, Clapton, etc.

[The Grey Blur]

In tribute to the guy who started this thread I'd have to say...Varg Vikernes ;)

[Invader Zim]

Originally posted by Dr. [email protected] 18, 2006 06:16 pm
I posted the guitarists whose music I like best. Satriani, Vai, Petrucci, Malmsteen, and those guys can fuck off with their lame bullshit. They have no clue what popular music is.
Dr, they do make popular music, popular enough for them to be well known at least within their scene and have a fan base - and since when has popular music been better than any other form of music?

Oh and Petrucci, with his band Dream Theatre are popular.

I will take their 'lame bullshit' any day over Tom Morello, Jimi and Eric Clapton all of whom make boring music.

[Pow R. Toc H.]

Originally posted by Invader Zim+November 19, 2006 02:35 am--> (Invader Zim @ November 19, 2006 02:35 am)
Dr. [email protected] 18, 2006 06:16 pm
I posted the guitarists whose music I like best. Satriani, Vai, Petrucci, Malmsteen, and those guys can fuck off with their lame bullshit. They have no clue what popular music is.
Dr, they do make popular music, popular enough for them to be well known at least within their scene and have a fan base - and since when has popular music been better than any other form of music?

Oh and Petrucci, with his band Dream Theatre are popular.

I will take their 'lame bullshit' any day over Tom Morello, Jimi and Eric Clapton all of whom make boring music. [/b]
That is such bullshit. Just cuz they can fuckin play like 3000 notes a minute doesnt make them like super awesome. It just means they had no lives and practiced alot. But jimi hendrix! He felt the music and there is so much emotion in everything he does. You cant even compare malmsteen or anyother shredder to Hendrix because shred is just bullshit speed sweep picking and realy fast leading.

Oh and as to the comment about Varg. He is a true artist but his compare playing was mediocre.

[Invader Zim]

That is such bullshit.

Not really.


Just cuz they can fuckin play like 3000 notes a minute doesnt make them like super awesome.

Have you actually ever heard any of their music, or are you just chatting out of your arse? I suspect the latter as a lot of it isn't even that fast. Go and listen to Fire Garden or the Ultra Zone by Steve Via or Crystal Palace by Satriani, it is better than anything Hendrix ever released, in my opinion. But its called an opinion, you maybe able to find some kind of emotion within Jimi's music, but I do not, at least not to the same extent. Thats not to say that I don't like his music or I only like instrumental music or only ridiculously proficient guitarists, I like all sorts ranging from stuff like portishead to Children of Bodom to Aphex Twin to Sage Francis. But diferent artists do dofferent things for me, but Steve Via and co are technically better and they do a shit load more for me than Jimi, and i find a lot of his music boring.

In fact, anyone who has performed in G3 is amazing.

[atlas]

Buckethead. Larry LaLonde. Slash. Todd Huth. Jimi Hendrix. Steve Vai. and anyone who can play a classical guitar well has to be pretty damn good.


A picture of buckethead:
http://cache.kotaku.com/gaming/buckethead.jpg
He plays mostly on solo albums, but played with Guns n Roses as slash's replacement for a while, and then played in les claypools bucket of bernie brains. his technical skills are amazing. his solos flow in their own demented way, and theyre so blindingly fast at the same time.

he's also a big lefty. so you gotta love him.

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

Originally posted by Invader [email protected] 18, 2006 11:35 pm
and since when has popular music been better than any other form of music?
It hasn't. But the pretense of these musicians is that they play popular music with extreme tachnical proficience. What I object to is the fact that they totally missed the purpose of popular music.

If you think Jimi Hendrix is boring, not only do you not know shit about popular music, you also don't know shit about rock. Stop listening to it.

Manic Street Preachers is one of the most mundane and boring bands that I've ever heard, by the way.

[Invader Zim]

But the pretense of these musicians is that they play popular music with extreme tachnical proficience.

No, the only pretense here is that you know what you are talking about. Vai and Satriani, etc do not play 'popular music' nor music that is designed to appeal to mass audience - and no one even begins to pretend that they play the style of music or even an attempt at the style of music that is going to shift albums in bulk.


If you think Jimi Hendrix is boring, not only do you not know shit about popular music, you also don't know shit about rock. Stop listening to it.

Finding one of the most over hyped act in the history of rock to be boring; means I know nothing about rock music or popular music? Oh well, I guess I'll hang my self and listen to Ian Curtis while choke to death.



Manic Street Preachers is one of the most mundane and boring bands that I've ever heard, by the way.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions - however I do think its worth noting that my opinion of Jimi is based on owning all three studio albums produced while he was still alive, while your opinion of the manics is undoubtedly based on hearing about four songs out of around 200.

[Pawn Power]

For the last month I have been listening to a lot of Alberto Luis Spinetta, so I am going to go with him.

[Angry Young Man]

MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! !!!!!! MWUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

[Don't Change Your Name]

Originally posted by Revolution is the [email protected] 19, 2006 12:18 pm
For the last month I have been listening to a lot of Alberto Luis Spinetta, so I am going to go with him.
You mean Luis Alberto Spinetta, I suppose.

Quite an interesting songwriter by the way

[Louis Pio]

Gonna go for Hendrix, always had a very soft spot for him

[gilhyle]

Get real : Robert Johnson - lest we forget

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

Originally posted by Invader [email protected] 19, 2006 07:01 am
No, the only pretense here is that you know what you are talking about. Vai and Satriani, etc do not play 'popular music' nor music that is designed to appeal to mass audience - and no one even begins to pretend that they play the style of music or even an attempt at the style of music that is going to shift albums in bulk.


If you think Jimi Hendrix is boring, not only do you not know shit about popular music, you also don't know shit about rock. Stop listening to it.

Finding one of the most over hyped act in the history of rock to be boring; means I know nothing about rock music or popular music? Oh well, I guess I'll hang my self and listen to Ian Curtis while choke to death.



Manic Street Preachers is one of the most mundane and boring bands that I've ever heard, by the way.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions - however I do think its worth noting that my opinion of Jimi is based on owning all three studio albums produced while he was still alive, while your opinion of the manics is undoubtedly based on hearing about four songs out of around 200.
You're ridiculous.
The purpose of all music is to appeal to an audience. "Mass" of otherwise.
If they don't play popular music, what do they play? Classical? Folk? Jazz? Sorry to burst your bubble, but rock is popular music by any standard. And my personal opinion is that these men don't understand what popular music is supposed to be about.

And I've heard about half a dozen MSP songs. =D

[RebelDog]

You are saying that music is about popularity. What about creativity, passion and the power of music. Should Napalm Death give in and produce what will appeal to the masses or carry on enjoying themselves producing music they like? I'm also confused about your views on MSP. They are very popular, their music goes straight in to no1 in the charts.

[Comrade_Scott]

Jimi hendrix hands down

[atlas]

Ohh and don't forget Townes van Zandt.

As for you Hendrix haters, you will be among the first to be shot during the revolution.

:)

[Invader Zim]

You're ridiculous.

No, you are the one being ridicuclous getting into discussion in which you clearly know nothing about the artists.



The purpose of all music is to appeal to an audience.

And? That doesn't mean that it must appeal to a mass audience - and have popular appeal - but rather has cult appeal and a fan base.


but rock is popular music by any standard.

No, its not. Just because rock as a very wide genre has produced a good deal of popular music does not make it popular music. Just because electronica has produced a good deal of popular artists who appeal to wide audiences does not make all electronica an attempt at popular music.


I'm also confused about your views on MSP. They are very popular, their music goes straight in to no1 in the charts.

Actually they have only had two number ones out of 33 singles and I don't think either of them went straight to number one.

[metalero]

Cuban guitarrist Leo Brouwer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Brower)

[RebelDog]

Invader Zim

Actually they have only had two number ones out of 33 singles and I don't think either of them went straight to number one.

I was thinking about albums. Singles are not a real reflection of popularity these days. They have sold millions.

[Invader Zim]

Originally posted by The [email protected] 20, 2006 02:14 am
Invader Zim

Actually they have only had two number ones out of 33 singles and I don't think either of them went straight to number one.

I was thinking about albums. Singles are not a real reflection of popularity these days. They have sold millions.
Yeah, they have, but again they have only had one number one album - This is my truth tell me yours. Their best album, Holy Bible (in my opinion) got to number 6, but didn't sell that well.

I don't know how many albums they have sold, but I am guessing that over the years all their albums have gone Platinum, with the possible exception of the latest one.

[Pawn Power]

Originally posted by El Infiltr(A)do+November 19, 2006 11:30 am--> (El Infiltr(A)do @ November 19, 2006 11:30 am)
Revolution is the [email protected] 19, 2006 12:18 pm
For the last month I have been listening to a lot of Alberto Luis Spinetta, so I am going to go with him.
You mean Luis Alberto Spinetta, I suppose.

Quite an interesting songwriter by the way [/b]
Yes I do.

I saw a Jazz ban the other night cover his songs, it was intense, some of the best jazz I have heard.

[anarchista feminista]

Jack Johnson.

[Janus]

Jimmy Hendrix.

[C_Rasmussen]

Dimebag Darrell (R.I.P)
Slash
Zakk Wylde
Randy Rhodes
Dave Mustaine

Myself -_-

[BreadBros]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20, 2006 03:31 am
Jack Johnson.
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/9441/pukebk3.gif

[anarchista feminista]

Originally posted by BreadBros+November 20, 2006 03:22 pm--> (BreadBros @ November 20, 2006 03:22 pm)
[email protected] 20, 2006 03:31 am
Jack Johnson.
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/9441/pukebk3.gif [/b]
I am entitled to my own opinion, if you disagree you have the right to do so. As long as you are acknowledging that it is my opinion :)

[rebel_heart]

Chuck Schuldiner (RIP)

John Petrucci

Alexi Laiho

Michael Amott

:)

[Louis Pio]

Michael Amott

How could I forget him. He played some exellent guitar when he joined Carcass. And Carcass went to make some of their best albums, especially Necrotism-Descanting the Insalubrious

[rebel_heart]

I like Michael Amott in Arch Enemy :P though I liked them more when his brother was with them too

[MiniOswald]

Whats with the Hendrix vs Vai and all that going on in here? Why even compare them? Personally, I love both, and I think that both people like Hendrix and Clapton and that play with the same level of emotion that people like Satriani and Vai do, if you listen to the stuff off any of them its clear enough to see, especially with someone like Vai who, as you go through his albums you realise hes very open to exploring new styles and techniques, not so much with someone like Malmsteen but I guess if you're a large scandinavian guitarist who became big in the 80s you're bound to get stuck with....well viking shred I think is the only way to describe it.

Its kinda stupid to compare them, they're completly different. Hell my fave band are the clash but I dont compare Vai to them, thatd be stupid, they're too different. Ones punk and the other is experimental guitar hero stuff.

There is one thing which annoys me though, Hendrix was a fantastic guitarist, without question, and revolutionised the music, fair enough,but whenever theres a best guitarist type of thing anywhere, does he automatically have to come first, always? Its kinda like when people put the Beatles as best band of all time, it grows kinda old.

[Ricardo]

Hendrix definately, but Clapton and BB King are both sick too. And there is this Portuguese guy he plays Fado music, he's really good to.

[Vanguard1917]

Don't forget Paco de Lucia (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHwjimTD_f8) and the rest of those crazy flamenco guitarists.

[Vanguard1917]

Who the fuck is Eric Clapton next to these guys (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVwYMay2i6E&mode=related&search=)?

[Hit The North]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20, 2006 04:31 am
Jack Johnson.
Ha, ha, yeah right.

Hendrix is head and shoulders higher than everyone. He did things with the guitar that no one had thought of before him.

After Hendrix everyone else might as well have been playing the banjo.

Nevertheless, a few excellent guitarists none of you suckers have mentioned:

Bill Nelson (Be Bop Deluxe, Red Noise)

Andy Gill (Gang of Four)

Whoever the dude who plays guitar for Radiohead is

BTW, Clapton is a racist bloodsucker who made millions regurgitating the blues and contributing squat to it and can go fuck himself.

[gilhyle]

BB King is not no great guitarist and he admits it himself, happily. You ask Eric Clapton - he'll give you my answer.

[Hit The North]

Eric says, "BB King is an ok guitarist for a black guy. But everyone knows you've got to be a white, middle class suburban kid from England in order to really play the blues."

:rolleyes:

[anarchista feminista]

Johnny Cash.

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

Originally posted by Invader Zim+November 19, 2006 10:04 pm--> (Invader Zim @ November 19, 2006 10:04 pm) No, you are the one being ridicuclous getting into discussion in which you clearly know nothing about the artists. [/b]
Bullshit.


IZ
And? That doesn't mean that it must appeal to a mass audience - and have popular appeal - but rather has cult appeal and a fan base.

I didn't say that it did have to appeal to a mass audience. Anywhere.
Popular music isn't music that is designed to appeal to a mass audience. Don't get panties in a bundle because you don't understand what popular music is.


No, its not. Just because rock as a very wide genre has produced a good deal of popular music does not make it popular music. Just because electronica has produced a good deal of popular artists who appeal to wide audiences does not make all electronica an attempt at popular music.

See above.

[anarchista feminista]

There are really bad guitarists, obviously. But I think it all comes down to personal taste and opinion.

[The Grey Blur]

I side with Dr.RP on this; the best guitarists aren't those with the most technical proficiency but those who create the best sounding music and maybe convey some emotion as well.

[LuXe]

Yeah, there was this guy called Michael Angelo or something. He is bloody fast, and is technically a genius in guitar playing. But his songs all suck. Therefore I would hesitate to call this guy "the best", I would call him a good player, but a BAD musician.

[Joby]

Originally posted by [email protected] 18, 2006 06:33 am
oh i'm sorry. i thought this thread was for most talented guitarist, not the most popular.
Yeah, I know. If you wanted to get technical, the best guitar player is probably Jeff Beck.

But if you wanted to talk about most influential...

Probably Hendrix and Page for starting the wailing solo, guitar heavy rock...

...and Kurt Cobain for killing that movement once it was so extremely watered down by Guns N Roses and Motley Crue.

It's easy to forget how refreshing pure, unaltered noise was in the early 90s.

[Exovedate]

Eric says, "BB King is an ok guitarist for a black guy. But everyone knows you've got to be a white, middle class suburban kid from England in order to really play the blues."
Ha! I hope he was joking. Otherwise I'd like to see him say that to Muddy Waters, or Albert King, or Freddie King, or Ted Hawkins, or Leadbelly, or one of the many other great black blues musicians.

[ahab]

clapton, page, and herman lee

[Comrade J]

Hahaha, Herman Lee is so fucking overrated.

[Phalanx]

Although I'm a bassist through and through, I'll add my two cents. Leo Kottke is a pretty damn good guitarist, but it's next to impossible to say who's the greatest in the world.

Steve Vai, Satriani, and Malmsteen are so overrated it makes me want to puke. I'm not interested in hearing someone play scales super fast. Hendrix was so much better than them it's no contest.

[Pow R. Toc H.]

Originally posted by Tatanka [email protected] 25, 2006 04:24 am
Although I'm a bassist through and through, I'll add my two cents. Leo Kottke is a pretty damn good guitarist, but it's next to impossible to say who's the greatest in the world.

Steve Vai, Satriani, and Malmsteen are so overrated it makes me want to puke. I'm not interested in hearing someone play scales super fast. Hendrix was so much better than them it's no contest.
YEAH! Hey if you really want to check out some really good Hendrix, check out some of his live shit like:
Jimi Plays Berkeley

Jimi Live at The Filmore East

Jimi at the Monterey Pop Festival

Jimi Plays Woodstock

He conveyed so much emotion when he played live. I think him at Woodstock was his best.

[Zero]

That guy from Dragon Force, or Tom Morello.

[ahab]

Originally posted by Comrade [email protected] 25, 2006 01:33 am
Hahaha, Herman Lee is so fucking overrated.
dude herman lee is fucking amazing (the guy from dragonforce to answer the other ones querry)

[ahab]

oh and i almost forgot putrucci or however you spell it from dream theatre

[Y Chwyldro Comiwnyddol Cymraeg]

Crying Orc, you likw Blues and Hendrix....Check out this Hendricks blues album, he covers old Blues songs and includes a few of his own, its good.

http://www.amazon.com/Blues-Jimi-Hendrix/dp/B000002OSK

[Angry Young Man]

Nobody's said Johnny Marr. Everyones just regurgitating the original post! So there. Johnny

[Epoche]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX_KUlZ_MHk

[Free Left]

I just have to say Rory Gallagher because I've listened to a lot of his stuff but Hendrix was god-awesome.

[Invader Zim]

Originally posted by Permanent [email protected] 24, 2006 07:59 pm
I side with Dr.RP on this; the best guitarists aren't those with the most technical proficiency but those who create the best sounding music and maybe convey some emotion as well.
In that case, I stand by my view that there are better guitarists than Hendrix; Dave Gilmour being one of the first who springs to mind who made much better sounding music with a high technical proficiency.

But, if it is just the sound which makes a good guitarist, I can think of a fair few of people who I think have written and played songs better than anything Hendrix ever made.

There has got to be a point when you reject the ability to write a catchy track and accept that technical ability must take the for in a 'greatest guitarist' discussion.

[Epoche]

I think the definitions here for the greatest guitarist are faulty. For one thing, Shawn Lane (the link I posted) could play anything Hendrix ever wrote without breaking a sweat, while Hendrix would literally have to lock himself in a room with a guitar for years to even begin playing the scales that Lane could play.

You seem to think that the guitar virtuoso can't play a touching and emotional piece, when in fact he can but chooses not to, usually because, well, he has passed those simple stages.

Hendrix was good, of course, but what makes him great is not his playing (outside of the pentatonic blues he was completely lost), but rather the media atmosphere surrounding him-- one of the first to play distorted rock guitar, a black man, plays left handed, wore gypsy clothes and did acid, ect., etc. These theatrics are responsible for a larger percent of his popularity. George Benson, for example, who was blooming at the same time, could play circles around Hendrix, but was in the jazz scene and so wasn't recognized by most music consumers.

Zappa once quipped "the business is so mundane that anything outside of a 4/4 meter is considered a radical idea", and he was right.

Once again, the music industry has won over the consumers by feeding them simple, mass produced music styles that are sold as easily as they are created. This is why I consider "hip-hop" to be the apex of this tragedy. It's not even music. Its poetry with sounds in the background usually generated by machines.

This is a decent metaphor for what capitalism is doing to aesthetics. Art is becomming more and more mediocre as the decades pass.

[Rage]

B.B. King, Jerry Garcia, Tom Morello, Travis Stever, Alex Lifeson, Claudio Sanchez.

There are so many styles of guitar playing it is hard to pick just some top guitarists.

/,,/
Rock on!

[JRR883]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Michael Angelo Batio.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FaEsE0qoehM

As much as I love Hendrix, Page, Mustaine, etc., they all pale in comparison to Batio.

[refuse_resist]

My top picks would have to be...

Jimi Hendrix

Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)

K.K. Downing (Judas Priest)

Eddie Van Halen

Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)

Angus Young (AC/DC)

Waaaaaaaaaay too many to be named. :P

[Folk The System]

syd barrett!


to all you people who listed clapton, i have a question:


what do eric clapton and coffee have in common?


Answer: THEY BOTH SUCK WITHOUT CREAM

[Rollo]

Steve righ?

He may not be the best but he has heart. And stomach.

http://www.msifan.com/pictures/gjgyiasrvms.jpg

[kjt1981]

Django was the man - only had two fingers, beautiful!

Love Hendrix to death - definitely one of the most soulful players of all time, although ive always found Johnny Marr more technically challenging to play than Hendrix. So far as pop music goes Johnny Marr's got to be one of the best.

Never really got into cult guitarists such as Satriani etc - a mate of mine was mad about satriani a few years ago and forced me to listen to him for a couple of days, but i really didnt like it at all. Thought he was very self indulgent, to the point of making horrible music.

[Epoche]

Django was the man

Agreed.

The same goes for marathon runners with one leg. They are by default the best.

[kjt1981]

yeah i should probably qualify that a little better - im not saying Django was the greatest BECAUSE he only had two fingers - he was the greatest anyway, the fact that he only had two fingers (which i found out after first getting into his music) makes the stuff he played that much more mind blowing.