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Best Guitarists Evah!!!

Charlie Christian's importance today goes on even though he's long gone from tuberculosis at the age of just 25 in 1942.
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For studio guitarists, it always pays to see who gets hired by Steely Dan, Paul Simon, and Joni Mitchell-

Dean Parks
Michael Landau (both studio legends)
Steve Khan ("My Rival")
Jay Graydon ("Peg")
Connor Kennedy (touring with Steely Dan now)
There’s a great video of Graydon demonstrating his solo on ‘Peg’ to his colleague Tim Pierce, on Pierce’s YT- channel. I must have seen it at least a dozen times:
 


Italiano:

take a look at these videos and then let me know.

 
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Shawn Lane is one of my favorites. Gray Pianos Flying for example:
 
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Ok. So slightly going stir (bat s*it actually) crazy here in Malaysia. Listening to some of my fav albums, which sparked a search on " Best Guitarists Ever". Rolling Stone has several lists that seem slightly dubious to this old guy. Other sites actually have Slash and Willie Nelson in the mix, while ignoring Carlos (Santana for for the Luddites in the crowd). I thought it may be interesting (probably wrong) to see where ASR denizens stand. So, being new, ill informed here are MY top ten. Care to Contest???

1.0 Tie between Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix
3.0 Joe Satriani
4.0 Jeff Beck
5.0 Carlos Santana
6.0 David Gilmore
7.0 Keef (Keith Richards)
8.0 Jimmy Page
9.0 Stevie Ray Vaughn
10.0 Pete Townshend
On this side of the pond, It's mostly Albert Lee and Richard Thompson.
 
On this side of the pond, It's mostly Albert Lee and Richard Thompson.
Richard Thompson, really? What's "your side" of the pond?
Not attacking your choice, but that's the first I can remember his name floating around any "best guitarist" list ?
 
Richard Thompson, really? What's "your side" of the pond?
Not attacking your choice, but that's the first I can remember his name floating around any "best guitarist" list ?
In England if you look at back issues of the Melody Maker or The New Musical Express, early 80's they voted for the best guitar players in the UKevery year, the top 3 were always Eric Clampton, Albert Lee, and Richard Thompson. All still alive and playing better then ever.
In the US my vote goes to Eddy Van Halen, Joe Bonamassa, and Steve Lukather.
 
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One of my fav's, don't remember it being mentioned here is
Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
A really kick as-s blues guitar, I've seen him live twice now. Hope he comes thru
the Central Fl area again soon.
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but that's the first I can remember his name floating around any "best guitarist" list ?

Well, he's been mentioned a couple of times in this thread – not least by me ;-)

Thompson rarely tops 'best guitarist' lists – probably too idiosynchratic for that – but he's usually up there somewhere. The archetypal 'gutarist's guitarist'. Also reportedly one of the few guitarists to jam with Hendrix and not get totally blown offstage ...
 
I may have said this before, but the criteria for "best" fluctuate. Some guitarists invented new sounds or ways of using the guitar. I'd give George Harrison credit for that, even though technically he's not that great with his instrument. Carlos Santana is on a lot of people's lists, but he has one mode of playing that I've heard, and I find it boring after a while. But it is definitely his, and he added it to the rock vocabulary.

I do value originality and indelibility of style, but to be 'greatest', technical competence and style versatility counts. Generally some of the band greats, like Santana or The Edge or Clapton, have one great style of soloing, whereas some of the session guys can do anything. Some of the greatest guitarists play tiresome music (Vai?). John Mayer has proven himself very versatile..to the point of being a mimic. Guthrie Govan can play just about any style of electric guitar as well or better than those who invented it (see below), and has developed his own wah/picking/tapping styles. Players like Lukather, Dean Parks, Larry Carlton, etc., are technically versatile and can improvise or back in a way to suit a myriad of artists. To me that's someone who is "the greatest" on their instrument, but I'd admit i doesn't necessarily make them an original. Jeff Beck is an interesting combination - definitely created a style with the wammy and was pretty versatile.

 
I may have said this before, but the criteria for "best" fluctuate. Some guitarists invented new sounds or ways of using the guitar. I'd give George Harrison credit for that, even though technically he's not that great with his instrument. Carlos Santana is on a lot of people's lists, but he has one mode of playing that I've heard, and I find it boring after a while. But it is definitely his, and he added it to the rock vocabulary.

I do value originality and indelibility of style, but to be 'greatest', technical competence and style versatility counts. Generally some of the band greats, like Santana or The Edge or Clapton, have one great style of soloing, whereas some of the session guys can do anything. Some of the greatest guitarists play tiresome music (Vai?). John Mayer has proven himself very versatile..to the point of being a mimic. Guthrie Govan can play just about any style of electric guitar as well or better than those who invented it (see below), and has developed his own wah/picking/tapping styles. Players like Lukather, Dean Parks, Larry Carlton, etc., are technically versatile and can improvise or back in a way to suit a myriad of artists. To me that's someone who is "the greatest" on their instrument, but I'd admit i doesn't necessarily make them an original. Jeff Beck is an interesting combination - definitely created a style with the wammy and was pretty versatile.

I have to agree with most of that, I had forgaten to mention Guthrie Govan, amazing player with Steven Wilson. However George Harrison and the Edge can't play at all realy. They would not qualify to play in a good bar band of today.
 
#1- David Gilmour has made beautiful music that will stand the test of time.

Others on my list-
Al di Meola
Mark Knopfler
Jimmy Page (does he get enough credit as a producer?)
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Eric Clapton
Slash
Johnny Marr
Robert Cray
Randy Rhoads
Allen Collins
Larry Coryell
Don Felder
BB King
Paco de Lucia
"David Gilmour can do more with one note than most other guitar players can do with the whole fretboard" ;)
Don't recall who said that... Dave Mustaine? James Hetfield?
 
However George Harrison and the Edge can't play at all realy. They would not qualify to play in a good bar band of today.

Remember the Beatles were one of the most popular bar bands in their day on the Hamburg circuit. Much of their popularity due to being able to play any genre required. Nowadays 'good bar band' is something of an oxymoron ...
 
I may have said this before, but the criteria for "best" fluctuate. Some guitarists invented new sounds or ways of using the guitar. I'd give George Harrison credit for that, even though technically he's not that great with his instrument. Carlos Santana is on a lot of people's lists, but he has one mode of playing that I've heard, and I find it boring after a while. But it is definitely his, and he added it to the rock vocabulary.

I do value originality and indelibility of style, but to be 'greatest', technical competence and style versatility counts. Generally some of the band greats, like Santana or The Edge or Clapton, have one great style of soloing, whereas some of the session guys can do anything. Some of the greatest guitarists play tiresome music (Vai?). John Mayer has proven himself very versatile..to the point of being a mimic. Guthrie Govan can play just about any style of electric guitar as well or better than those who invented it (see below), and has developed his own wah/picking/tapping styles. Players like Lukather, Dean Parks, Larry Carlton, etc., are technically versatile and can improvise or back in a way to suit a myriad of artists. To me that's someone who is "the greatest" on their instrument, but I'd admit i doesn't necessarily make them an original. Jeff Beck is an interesting combination - definitely created a style with the wammy and was pretty versatile.

Do yourself a favor, watch this video.....

 
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