Saundra Kane Traveller in the arts
Posts: 44
(4/22/02 2:01 pm) Reply
Best guitar players
I saw a list online that listed Jimmy Hendrix as the best guitarist in the last 30 years. I am not sure I agree. I would probably tend more toward Carlos Santana. Any opinions on the best?
Traveller in the arts
Posts: 17
(4/22/02 9:58 pm) Reply
Re: Best guitar players
There are too many types to mention one best for me. How about Steve Howe from YES? Those fingers of his are incredible!
PW Earsman Traveller in the arts
Posts: 9
(4/23/02 2:51 am) Reply
Re: Best guitar players
I'm gonna have to disagree with you guys.
Whilst I admire the technical skills (ie speed) of a number of guitarists like Hendrix (a little known Brit guitarist Bert Weedon was faster) I prefer a little more emotion in guitar playing than these luminaries offer.
Therefore, I would have to go for two Americans, Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel.
If you haven't heard 'Moonlight in Vermont' by Herb Ellis, and 'A Foggy Day' by Barney, then you haven't heard a guitar. (Both played (I think they're both gone now) big ol' Gibsons.
But then, who am I to say? I'm still struggling after 30 years. I'm on my 7th set of fingers.
Re: Best guitar players
To answer the question in any objective sense we'd have to define the criteria; technical proficiency, emotiveness, musicality etc...
Hendrix would be the most influential on rock music as a whole, and one of the greatest. Jimmy Page's influence has been huge on musicians but not really recognised by the general listener. Eddie Van Halen has also had a massive influence, but more on the 'flash' image of rock guitar than as a musician.
People like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, Eric Johnson are technical wizards but for many reasons, most of their playing leaves me cold and if you take away all the massive distortion and sustain from their electronic gizmos their playing is hardly much more adept than great country guitarists like Albert Lee, Jimmy Bryant or Chet Atkins, just much LOUDER. Actually I should qualify that in Eric Johnson's case, he has a beautiful sense of the emotive core of blues.
Some of the jazz monsters like Tal Farlow, Joe Pass, Howard Roberts or more recent maestros like John McLaughlin and especially Allan Holdsworth are waaay advanced of some of rock's technical titans.
As for speed; Holdsworth probably reigns in jazz, Malmsteen or Satriani or Michael Angelo in heavy rock and Alvin Lee (from Ten Years After) in blues.
Buddy Guy and Albert King are my personal favourite guitarists, though their playing is/was very simple. I always had the impression that every note was 'from the heart.' I was fortunate enough to see both in concert, and to see men in their 50's (or 60's in King's case) who had lived very hard lives, search for personal truth and even redemption via a hunk of wood and bits of metal, were deeply moving experiences.
Carlos Santana also has great emotional spirit in his playing.
So my personal pantheon;
Buddy Guy, Albert King, Jimmy Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Allan Holdsworth, Johnny Winter, Jimmy Page, Albert Lee, Alvin Lee.
I seem to recall Steve Howe won the Guitar Player Magazine poll for the 'World's Best Guitarist' several times back in the 70s, maybe 4-5 times in a row. He would certainly be one of the few rock guitarists who could pause in the middle of a solo and segue into an Old English madrigal.
(Maybe Ritchie Blackmore would be the only other one I can think of who could, as he was always into the whole wizards/sorcery/knights of yore thing.)
Soho Traveller in the arts
Posts: 11
(4/23/02 10:21 am) Reply
Re: Best guitar players
Dunno who might be best, but I love the first two Jeff Beck albums ("Truth" and "Beckola"). My own taste leans towards acoustic blues. My hero in this genre is Jorma Kaukonen (who once played lead for Jefferson Airplane, then formed the bluesy, rootsy band, Hot Tuna). Jorma's finger-picking style is based (as he happily admits) on the Rev. Gary Davis, whom he met in N.Y. in the early 60s.
Traveller in the arts
Posts: 20
(4/23/02 12:16 pm) Reply
Re: Best guitar players
I feel like I am out classed guys. I love the guitar and listen to a fair amount of classical as well as all the other genres. I say that I hate country music but have been known to enjoy James Taylor and Steve Miller... so forgive me if I read and not post here too much. I am interested but not in your league musically speaking.
Best Guitar Player
The best overall guitar player has to be Eric Clapton. He can play a variety of types of music, to include country, blues, rock, jazz, pop, etc. He has inspired a long list of fans and guitar players for over 40 years, probably more than anyone in his generation. He is the only 3-time inductee in the Rock-in-Roll Hall of Fame. He may not be the fastest guitar player around, but if you really listen to his playing he can really make a note sound like no one else around. I don't many guitar players that can hold a vocal tune and play at the same time as well as Clapton. If you look at the overall player and his impact on the instrument, Clapton has to be in the Top 5 players all-time.
Traveller in the arts
Posts: 1
(12/10/02 1:40 pm) Reply
Re: Best Guitar Player
I hate to interject, but. . . you guys are forgetting one PETER GREEN!
- Hugh
DRod Traveller in the arts
Posts: 1
(4/15/03 7:50 am) Reply
Re: Best Guitar Player
I know this is a bold statement, but have any of you ever heard of Monte Montgomery? The statement is that Monte is just as good if not better than any of the above mentioned guitarists. He's most of them wrapped into one. You should [b]see[/b] for yourselves.
Guitar
I've read all of the above and want to note that their are many fine guitar players, I was kinda supprised no one mentioned Yngwie Malmsteen, or John Petrucci. But it is my opinion that some of the best guitar players in the world have never been heard of and will probobly ever be. Just last week I went to a jazz festivile, I saw a man there who had technical speed(and i mean this man had chops for days) and played the most beautiful melodic music I think I've heard. He is one, if I said his name you probobly wouldn't know who he is. So I don't think you can narrow it down to just one great guitar player.
Actually I should qualify that in Eric Johnson's case, he has a beautiful sense of the emotive core of blues. 
Re: Best guitar players
Re: Best guitar players
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