Greatest Guitar Players ever! (top 10)

[Times Roman]

This is how Rolling Stone magazine sees it:

1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Eric Clapton
3. Jimmy Page
4. Keith Richards
5. Jeff Beck
6. B.B. King
7. Chuck Berry
8. Eddie Van Halen
9. Duane Allman
10. Pete Townshend

http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/amplifi...181042395.html

What's wrong with this picture?

[auslifta]

Whats eddie van halen doing there?

[auslifta]

Call me biased but I think Angus young should replace EVH, and for accoustic Tommy emmanual could be on there somewhere. Carlos Santana????

[JimmySidewalk]

Hendrix is top dog.

[auslifta]

1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Eric Clapton
3. Tom morello
4.Carlos Santana
5.Jimmy page
6.Angus young
7.John frusciante
8.Neil young
9.Pete townshend
10. Tommy Emmanuel

How I see it

[jimmyinkedup]

Chuck Berry ,Kieth Richards and Pete Townshend need to go. While they have entertainment abilites and are great showmen they are far from what I would consider great guitarists. Even Townshend - who thinks he is great btw - and is the best of the 3 I mentioned that have to be removed - isnt a great guitarist. He's a goood , entertaining, rythym guitarist. I cant think of a great lead solo townshend ever played off the top of my head. Clapton , Beck and Paige are like the English Guitar Gods trilogy from the late 60's - all 3 need to be on the list., Hendrix goes without saying. BB King im ok with. EVH i'm ok with - he brught a whole new styl with fingertapping into the picture. Plus he is amazingly talented. He and someone else (Brian May from Queen I believe) did a song "A tribute to EC" (Eric Clapton) - simply amazing. Duane Allman im ok with - amazing slide work. How is it that Stevie Ray Vaughn isnt on this list ???? Perhaps more thoughts on this later....

[ghettoboyd]

you all need to go to you tube and serch and experiance warren haynes from gov't mule and the alman brothers band...listen to his shit and tell be honestly he isnt in the top ten...he number one on the most overlooked/under rated guitarists imho...check him out youll be glad you did...

[alexISthrowed]

1. Yngwie Malmsteen
2. Buckethead
3. John Petrucci
4. Steve Vai
5. Jimi Hendrix
6. Randy Rhodes
7. Eddie VanHalen
8. Kirk Hammet
9. Stevie Ray Vaughn
10. Eric Clapton

[jimmyinkedup]

^^^ Some good additions there...I saw a concert it was Eric Johnson , Steve Vai and Joe Satriani - Guitar Gods tour I beieve it was called....amazing....absolutely amazing....
Correction G3 tour ....

[alexISthrowed]

I would have killed to see one of the g3 tours. I need to start playing again.

[gbrice75]

I'll have to give it some thought and come back. I've been playing guitar for over 20 years, so this is a good one for me!

[dec11]

1. Yngwie Malmsteen
2. Buckethead
3. John Petrucci
4. Steve Vai
5. Jimi Hendrix
6. Randy Rhodes
7. Eddie VanHalen
8. Kirk Hammet
9. Stevie Ray Vaughn
10. Eric Clapton

if we're going metal then Kerry king for the win, Hammet doesnt come close

[dec11]

the original list isnt too bad, except for Van Halen, thats just a joke lol. after seeing Townsend live i'd personally rate him higher. Clapton is also amazing live.

Slash and Lenny Kravitz deserve to be in there also imo

[The Bear 79]

Tony Iommi

[alexISthrowed]

I just listened to some buckethead for the first time in forever, and I think I'm gonna have to put him at the top of my list. To me there's too many great guitar players to pick just one or ten for that matter. Yngwie was my favorite for a long time, but there's not much emotion in his music. Bucketheads music on the other hand gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it.

[gbrice75]

Shame Nobody's mentioned David Gilmoure or Jimmy Page...

[The Bear 79]

Shame Nobody's mentioned David Gilmoure or Jimmy Page...

Who? HA!! J/K!

[dec11]

Tony Iommi

was just about to stick tht in lol.

randy rhoads deserves a mention also

[dec11]

Shame Nobody's mentioned David Gilmoure or Jimmy Page...

jimmy page is in the OP mate

[dec11]

gary moore

[alexISthrowed]

was just about to stick tht in lol.

randy rhoads deserves a mention also

Especially considering he was missing the tips off 2 of his fingers.

[dec11]

Especially considering he was missing the tips off 2 of his fingers.

yep thats correct, he glued the tops off washing up liquid bottles to the stumps so as he could hold down strings. he also re-taught himself in his own style to be able to play again, amazing!!!

he briefly left sabbath in the early days to go play with jethro tull, but he hated ian anderson and went back (thank fvck!!!)

[dec11]

hardly a top 10 guitar player, but the way Lemmy plays a bass in the style of a lead guitar is fvckin epic lol

[The Bear 79]

was just about to stick tht in lol.

randy rhoads deserves a mention also

Defiantly!

[terraj]

Seen Buddy Guy? Without him there those top 10 lists would be missing many names.


Jimi Hendrix himself once said that "Heaven is lying at Buddy Guy’s feet while listening to him play guitar"

[gbrice75]

jimmy page is in the OP mate

Damn, my bad... but thank God!!

I can't really give a top 10, but I can give some who I think are great off the top of my head:

Jimmy Page
David Gilmour
John Petrucci
Alex Skolnick
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Dave Mustaine
Eric Johnson
Yngwie Malmsteen
Johnny Winter
Jimmy Hendrix
EVH (you people claiming he's no good are fvcking nuts... and i'm not much of a fan of Van Halen the band btw)
Joe Satriani
Steve Vai
Clapton

Many more, will add as I go along.

[Times Roman]

Finally!

Someone mentioned Joe Satriani!!!!!!!

Thanks GB

[Sc0rch]

Just noticed Malmsteen, Warren DeMartini (RATT), and George Lynch (Dokken) aren't even on the list at all.

[ConArmas]

SRV and Joe Satriani gotta be there with Hendrix!

[Times Roman]

Went to a Bone Bash with my kid several years ago. Several bands, then Joe Satriani, then ended with Deep Purple. Satriani was absolutely amazing, he was a whole new level above anyone i've ever seen before (and i've seen hundreds of bands). Deep purple followed Joe, (nobody should have to follow JOe) and they seemed barely noteworthy after witnessing Joe.

[Times Roman]

and the other thing i'm curious about. How does Rolling Stone define "Greatest"?

technical abilities?

if so, then how in the hell does Keith Richard makethe list?

[gbrice75]

Add Ritchie Blackmore and Brian Setzer to my list. Setzer is fvcking awesome and way underrated!

[musclestack]

Too hard to say top 10, but Zack Wylde needs to be mentioned.

[musclestack]

Too difficult to make a top 10 list, but Zack Wylde needs to be mentioned.

[jimmyinkedup]

and the other thing i'm curious about. How does Rolling Stone define "Greatest"?

technical abilities?

if so, then how in the hell does Keith Richard makethe list?

So true. Thats why I said what i did in my first post. Hell he will tell you it himself. Half his songs were palyed in an open g tuning. A direct quote from him " To play in open g all you need are 5 srtrings (yup he only used 5 sometimes) , 3 chords , 2 fingers , and one asshole to play" Dont get me wrong im a huge stones fan...but Kieth in top 10 guitarists of all times ? No way...unless like u say they are factorng in entertainment value or is his case survival ability *LOL*

[jimmyinkedup]

Its very difficult - it almost like the lust should be categorized. Its like ciomparing sports teams from different eras. I mean like terraj pointed out there are guys that laid the groundwork for guitar as we know it today - mostly staright up blues guys.; Then you have the blues rock transitions like clapton, beck, paige etc. Then you move to Hendrix who, whileblues based opened the door to whole new realm. Then you enter the hard rock guys like EVH and Randy Rhoades (sorry to those i offend by mentioneing them in the same sentence). You have the freaks of nature like the malmsteens(sp). Then you have almost a whole new genre in the satirnais and the vais and eric johnsons. You can even eneter jazz with guys like Stanley Jordan. Its too hard to pick 10 - esp without well defined criteria.

Ill say this of all I have seen in person heres my thoughts :
Satriani , Vai and Eric Johnson (g3 tour) were so amazing I dont even put them in the catgory of the other rock guitarists. Its like guitar note flow out of them directly thorugh the amo and the guitar is merely an extension of them.
Ive seen tons of live concerts but the 2 most noted guitarist were Clapton and Paige. IU saw Clapton and to be honest (whie i love Clapton) was thoruoughly dissappointed. He palyed every song note for note which was great - but I wanted to see Eric Clapton jam....and he never did! I saw Paige on the Outrider tour - Paul Rogers did the vocals. I had low expectations - at the time whike he was an all time fav - his balttleds with addition had reduced him and you never knew what u would get. I was literally blown away - the concert started with him , center stage , with an accoutic guitar...from that point forward I was simply floored.
The "surprise" guitarist to those who may not know more of him or the music of "Yes". I saw Steve Howe a coupld times - moat notably on tour as Anderson , Buford , Wakeman , Howe. Steve Howe is a claiisclly trained rock guitarist that plays things many guitarists touted as "all time greatest" could never hope to touch. I was blown away and he is one iof my personal all time favs.
Ive seen many others , some mentioned here like Townshend - I was unimpressed - but then again always have been. Great showman but really just a very accomplished rythym guitarist imo. Entertainer - Amazing - guitaristgreat rythym guy - thats about it.
OLh 2 others i saw that were very impressive - Robert Cray and Kenny Wayne Sheppard ..they were both impressive.
*L* I guess this could go on and on...

[Times Roman]

I saw Led Zeppelin in 78. It was amazing to see Paige play a guitar with a violin bow. This was around the time they cut the album "Song Remains the Same". They played Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, and most of the songs off the album. It was an epic concert, and Paige was at his best.

[jimmyinkedup]

^^^ it seems to me Paige at his best could stand side by side with anyone. Even the newer guys that seemingly transcend what a guitar can do all would prob be honored to share the stage with him and would have loved to stand side by side jamming with him at his technical best.

[dec11]

Its very difficult - it almost like the lust should be categorized. Its like ciomparing sports teams from different eras. I mean like terraj pointed out there are guys that laid the groundwork for guitar as we know it today - mostly staright up blues guys.; Then you have the blues rock transitions like clapton, beck, paige etc. Then you move to Hendrix who, whileblues based opened the door to whole new realm. Then you enter the hard rock guys like EVH and Randy Rhoades (sorry to those i offend by mentioneing them in the same sentence). You have the freaks of nature like the malmsteens(sp). Then you have almost a whole new genre in the satirnais and the vais and eric johnsons. You can even eneter jazz with guys like Stanley Jordan. Its too hard to pick 10 - esp without well defined criteria.

Ill say this of all I have seen in person heres my thoughts :
Satriani , Vai and Eric Johnson (g3 tour) were so amazing I dont even put them in the catgory of the other rock guitarists. Its like guitar note flow out of them directly thorugh the amo and the guitar is merely an extension of them.
Ive seen tons of live concerts but the 2 most noted guitarist were Clapton and Paige. IU saw Clapton and to be honest (whie i love Clapton) was thoruoughly dissappointed. He palyed every song note for note which was great - but I wanted to see Eric Clapton jam....and he never did! I saw Paige on the Outrider tour - Paul Rogers did the vocals. I had low expectations - at the time whike he was an all time fav - his balttleds with addition had reduced him and you never knew what u would get. I was literally blown away - the concert started with him , center stage , with an accoutic guitar...from that point forward I was simply floored.
The "surprise" guitarist to those who may not know more of him or the music of "Yes". I saw Steve Howe a coupld times - moat notably on tour as Anderson , Buford , Wakeman , Howe. Steve Howe is a claiisclly trained rock guitarist that plays things many guitarists touted as "all time greatest" could never hope to touch. I was blown away and he is one iof my personal all time favs.
Ive seen many others , some mentioned here like Townshend - I was unimpressed - but then again always have been. Great showman but really just a very accomplished rythym guitarist imo. Entertainer - Amazing - guitaristgreat rythym guy - thats about it.
OLh 2 others i saw that were very impressive - Robert Cray and Kenny Wayne Sheppard ..they were both impressive.
*L* I guess this could go on and on...

when i saw him he jammed, which i hate, id rather hear all the songs. the rolling stones did this for about 30mins the last time i saw 'em aswell. i fvckin hate that, think of how many great tunes they could have played instead.

[gbrice75]

Add Dimebag Darrell. Not everybody's favorite style, but no doubt he had chops.

Jake E. Lee as well. Ozzy always picks awesome guitarists!!!