Best Guitarists Evah!!!

[Winemaker]

I'm probably misunderstanding you.
I won't disagree as I was speaking in very general terms so don't be offended or think I'm dismissing the blues. I find it one of my favorite styles for guitar players and I usually prefer the blues based players over all others. There are exceptions but "feeling" is subjective, and I feel the blues. Therefore I love the style.

Classical IS schooled. Use your term, use another, I don't need to get into semantics. The majority of classical players go through some type of formal training. If you want to point out examples of self taught modern classical musicians, I'm interested and would love to know how they got interested in the classical style and how they learned it. I'd probably go buy their music as well if you link a good video track.

Usually for classical music, students go to a school and are taught proper technique, whatever that may be, and learn how to read music to play intricate pieces. Two of my cousins did it for piano. They played at Carnegie years back. One of my uncles was a professional sax player and was not a classical musician. The phrase "Classically trained" floats around quite a bit in the music world and usually the players that carry that label are well respected for their versatility.

This isn't the best example, but the movie CROSSROADS pits two blues players against each other. Everything goes down to the wire until the classically trained fella pulls out some magic from his "schooled" background. Steve Via and Ry Cooder were the actual players in that movie. The schooled musician won out that day. I know it is a movie but they tried to send a little message that a well schooled player can be very well rounded.


My earlier point was that I don't picture Muddy Watters, Buddy Guy, or John Lee Hooker opening up a music sheet and being able play Beethoven's 9th or anything similar to Malmsteen's neo-classical licks. I do picture a classical guitar player mimicking the blues however. Maybe without the same feel, but I don't see them hitting technical boundaries. I've seen Buddy Guy live several times and have always dug his vibe and feel but I never walked out thinking I witnessed the greatest guitar player ever.

Your Charlie Parker post was pure saxophone for 3 minutes 24 seconds. Did you wrongly assume I was generalizing about ALL blues players and all instruments? I failed to see the relevance of that in a guitar thread but maybe your point was missed.

If you can point out some players of that style (blues) that can easily crossover and play pure classical I'm all ears.

So again,

I would say the "best" guitar players if there is a such thing would be the players that can easily play ALL styles of music. From classical, to country picking, to blues, jazz and fusion and whatever else is out there. But mimicking styles is a lot different than coming up with your own music.

Earlier in the thread I cited the unknown studio musicians that show up in the credits of records we all love, or at least know that still remain a mystery, are some of the unsung heroes. If you can play it all without breaking a sweat you are probably pretty damn good. The studio musicians are the sleepers.

At the moment, I'm extremely into David Gilmore. He has something special in my opinion that goes beyond shredding. His solos are incredible and they compliment the music without saying "hey look at me", yet at the end of the solo, you are definitely looking at him.

There isn't a best IMO.

Have you tried listening to Matteo Mancuso? He's a young guitarist with astonishing versatility. They invite him to play jazz and he does it brilliantly, they ask him to play gipsy jazz and he's just as good, same goes for rock or metal, and then he effortlessly switches to flamenco. When I first discovered him, I was blown away by his unbelievable versatility (I'm completely obsessed with his playing). A lot of people compare him to Guthrie Govan, but in my opinion, he goes way beyond that—he's an absolute alien, definitely not human.

 

[Roland_606]

32 pages and I haven’t seen a mention of Bill Connors. Originally a blues player turned to Jazz/Jazz fusion great.

 

[Gio-G]

Have you tried listening to Matteo Mancuso? He's a young guitarist with astonishing versatility. They invite him to play jazz and he does it brilliantly, they ask him to play gipsy jazz and he's just as good, same goes for rock or metal, and then he effortlessly switches to flamenco. When I first discovered him, I was blown away by his unbelievable versatility (I'm completely obsessed with his playing). A lot of people compare him to Guthrie Govan, but in my opinion, he goes way beyond that—he's an absolute alien, definitely not human.

Yes,
We chatted about this on the forums somewhere and I direct messaged you a while ago.

He’s maybe my new favorite. I have his newest release and his earlier one on the way.

He’s also a very humble well mannered person.

I will probably buy anything he releases.

The Sicilian part is a bonus for me as well.

 

[Wesseling Audio Lab]

Bill Connors, right on! That Tony Williams pulse is captivating

Do you know how to improve, expand and elevate the sound of a rock band? Hire a Jazz drummer

 

[Winemaker]

Yes,
We chatted about this on the forums somewhere and I direct messaged you a while ago.

He’s maybe my new favorite. I have his newest release and his earlier one on the way.

He’s also a very humble well mannered person.

I will probably buy anything he releases.

The Sicilian part is a bonus for me as well.View attachment 548951

I’ve already seen 2 of their shows, and the last one was simply out of this world. There were just three of them on stage, but the sound was so massive it felt like a 10-piece band. The quality of the solos was remarkably clean—even when distorted, every single note came through crystal clear. And that goes for all of them, not just the guitarist, but also Oliva on bass and Gianluca Pellerito on drums. All three are truly great musicians making mature music as if they had decades of experience under their belts. They're a spectacular power trio—reminding me, in terms of sheer sound quality (though NOT genre), of Rush, who could completely fill the stage with just three guys.

And yeah, I have both CDs as well; the latest one definitely has better audio/production quality.


www.youtube.com/@MatteoMancusoofficial

 

[AdrianusG]

32 pages and I haven’t seen a mention of Bill Connors. Originally a blues player turned to Jazz/Jazz fusion great.

Ah yes, the one "that came before" Al Di Meola (to Return to Forever)

Great player (and solo) for sure, but the greatest? there are so many great solo's to choose from, from so many different styles of music, i think it's just as impossible to determine as to name the greatest player!
Is this really better than the guitar solo from Free Bird?, i don't think so.

Oh i see now, they mean it's just Bill Connors best solo ever? that would be entirely possible

 

[Robin L]

I'm probably misunderstanding you.

Yup.

I won't disagree as I was speaking in very general terms so don't be offended or think I'm dismissing the blues. I find it one of my favorite styles for guitar players and I usually prefer the blues based players over all others. There are exceptions but "feeling" is subjective, and I feel the blues. Therefore I love the style.

But it can and frequently is presented in a "schooled" fashion by such musical luminaries as the Ellington/Strayhorn band, Gil Evans and much, much more.

Classical IS schooled. Use your term, use another,

Sprezzatura is what happens after 10,000 hours of practice. Performance appears to be effortless because of the time the musician went into learning their part. I'm well over the 10,000 hour mark and I now sound EXACTLY how I want to sound like on the guitar.

And I can tell you right off the bat that I don't have much an opinion of Gilmore, if that helps any.

I've already said what I like. I guess that makes me a self-taught classical musician, eh?

I don't need to get into semantics. The majority of classical players go through some type of formal training. If you want to point out examples of self taught modern classical musicians, I'm interested and would love to know how they got interested in the classical style and how they learned it. I'd probably go buy their music as well if you link a good video track.

Ok:

Usually for classical music, students go to a school and are taught proper technique, whatever that may be, and learn how to read music to play intricate pieces. Two of my cousins did it for piano. They played at Carnegie years back. One of my uncles was a professional sax player and was not a classical musician. The phrase "Classically trained" floats around quite a bit in the music world and usually the players that carry that label are well respected for their versatility.

(Rolls eyeballs)

Right, sure, whatever:

Oh, forgot, KoKo isn't based on the blues, my bad:

I don't feel the need to say anything more, time for you to suss it out for yourself.

 

[Gio-G]

Wow,

You must really be something!

 

[bluefuzz]

It makes me wonder: does being a great guitarist mean having mind-blowing technical skill, or must it also include song-writing ability—one that doesn't necessarily rely on unachievable virtuosity, but can be simple and still hit you right in the heart and soul? Or can you be just as great having the latter without the former?

All of the above.

It seems to me, judging by the entries in this thread, that there are as many criteria for judging the worth of a guitarist as there are guitarists to judge. Almost everyone's choice of 'best evah' is first in a category of one. To take an example much discussed in this thread: David Gilmore. A middlingly competent blues-rock stylist with a few tasteful bends, but obviously and unequivocally the best guitarist in Pink Floyd since Syd Barrett. The same could be said of most choices: there's almost always something exceptional about great guitarists (or great artists in general) but that exceptional thing is unique to them and cannot be directly compared with any other artist. And that's how it should be.

 

[Multicore]

It makes me wonder: does being a great guitarist mean having mind-blowing technical skill, or must it also include song-writing ability—one that doesn't necessarily rely on unachievable virtuosity, but can be simple and still hit you right in the heart and soul? Or can you be just as great having the latter without the former?

What do you think?

The variety of opinion on these questions is interesting.

I mean I find it interesting that OP's question is what it is. Such a narrow conception. I mean, where does that even come from? And there's only one one the list I like, one I like a bit and the rest range from strong dislike to not interested. I'd rather listen to Jandek than half of them, and I don't like Jandek.

I recall I was still a teen, after an infatuation with John McLaughlin, that I started to wonder if scaling arpeggios at incredible velocity was really the bee's knees. Since then guitar playing has developed so much that arena seems irrelevant now, unless you're just in it for athletic medals. What's it for musically?

Well, an extravagant show of virtuosity can bring a certain thrill to things. In that case, after watching this I hope you can agree that Vlaskalic has at least as much claim to the title as the rockers usually mentioned.

Sabrina Vlaskalic​

Alberto Ginastera, Sonata Op. 47 for guitar

Sad she died so young.

 

[Gio-G]

What do you think?

The variety of opinion on these questions is interesting.

I mean I find it interesting that OP's question is what it is. Such a narrow conception. I mean, where does that even come from? And there's only one one the list I like, one I like a bit and the rest range from strong dislike to not interested. I'd rather listen to Jandek than half of them, and I don't like Jandek.

I recall I was still a teen, after an infatuation with John McLaughlin, that I started to wonder if scaling arpeggios at incredible velocity was really the bee's knees. Since then guitar playing has developed so much that arena seems irrelevant now, unless you're just in it for athletic medals. What's it for musically?

Well, an extravagant show of virtuosity can bring a certain trill to things. In that case, after watching this I hope you can agree that Vlaskalic has at least as much claim to the title as the rockers usually mentioned.

Sabrina Vlaskalic​

Alberto Ginastera, Sonata Op. 47 for guitar

Sad she died so young.

I like it!

I like most that have been listed here and will probably be a fan of some of the players I've only recently seen here.

Very interesting

 

[DanielT]

Have you tried listening to Matteo Mancuso? He's a young guitarist with astonishing versatility. They invite him to play jazz and he does it brilliantly, they ask him to play gipsy jazz and he's just as good, same goes for rock or metal, and then he effortlessly switches to flamenco. When I first discovered him, I was blown away by his unbelievable versatility (I'm completely obsessed with his playing). A lot of people compare him to Guthrie Govan, but in my opinion, he goes way beyond that—he's an absolute alien, definitely not human.

Matteo Mancuso.He’s incredibly good. I really like his 2023 album: The Journey, for instance. He blends various musical styles in a tasteful, appealing way. Accompanied by superb guitar playing. The songs themselves are great, too.

I like this video—especially the 80s aesthetic of the ski wear, heh (+their guitar playing, of course). It features another guitar virtuoso.

Jack Gardiner-The Snow Job feat. Matteo Mancuso:

 

[Multicore]

Almost everyone's choice of 'best evah' is first in a category of one. ... The same could be said of most choices: there's almost always something exceptional about great guitarists (or great artists in general) but that exceptional thing is unique to them and cannot be directly compared with any other artist. And that's how it should be.

I like it. And that being the case I am now unhesitating in saying that Best Guitarist Evah!!! is ... me (as in, myself)

 

[Mark609]

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

Al Di Meola, "hands down".

 

[wadude]

Maybe someone has mentioned Hank Marvin, if so I apologize for redundancy! I do know that many guitar slingers from the sixties and beyond have been pointed out. If you’re a fan of Peter Green, Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck and so many more, then I feel that you have to give Hank Marvin some credit, respect and time. Thank you.

 

[Gio-G]

Matteo Mancuso.He’s incredibly good. I really like his 2023 album: The Journey, for instance. He blends various musical styles in a tasteful, appealing way. Accompanied by superb guitar playing. The songs themselves are great, too.

I like this video—especially the 80s aesthetic of the ski wear, heh (+their guitar playing, of course). It features another guitar virtuoso.

Jack Gardiner-The Snow Job feat. Matteo Mancuso:

I loved that.

This one is pretty cool as well.

Matteo is a really nice kid and seems to enjoy other players.

Here's another fun one.

 

[Winemaker]

Matteo Mancuso.He’s incredibly good. I really like his 2023 album: The Journey, for instance. He blends various musical styles in a tasteful, appealing way. Accompanied by superb guitar playing. The songs themselves are great, too.

I like this video—especially the 80s aesthetic of the ski wear, heh (+their guitar playing, of course). It features another guitar virtuoso.

Jack Gardiner-The Snow Job feat. Matteo Mancuso:

What I like most about MM, first and foremost, is his humility and how he hasn't let success go to his head at all. When you bump into him around Palermo and ask for a photo or a chat, he stays completely grounded and is always happy to oblige.

On top of that, I love that—FINALLY—he doesn't need to dress in flashy outfits just to get noticed. The moment he starts playing, you take notice because of his talent, not his looks. He doesn't need tattoos either (you can't see a single one—though whether he has one on his butt, I wouldn't know!).

But what I truly love above all is his incredible taste for playing the right note at the exact right moment, which comes from a massive amount of musical knowledge, especially given his age. To think I only discovered him by chance while falling down a YouTube rabbit hole!

 

[Sal1950]

Matteo Mancuso.He’s incredibly good. I really like his 2023 album: The Journey, for instance. He blends various musical styles in a tasteful, appealing way. Accompanied by superb guitar playing. The songs themselves are great, too.

I'm listening to his 2026 Route 66 album now, my first time with him, very George Benson style jazz licks.
I've got the 24/96 High Rez mix that's on Qobuz, what a shame its so dynamically crushed to a DR7, hope this isn't the SOP for his label?

foobar2000 1.6.12 / Dynamic Range Measurement (DR) 1.1.1
Report date: 2026-04-29 19:21:15
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analysis: Matteo Mancuso, Antoine Boyer / Route 96 (1)
Matteo Mancuso, Steve Vai / Route 96 (2)
Matteo Mancuso, Valeriy Stepanov / Route 96 (3)
Matteo Mancuso / Route 96 (4-9)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR Peaks RMS Track Length
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR7 -0.51 dB -10.01 dB 4:46 ?-Isla Feliz
DR6 -0.51 dB -9.39 dB 5:39 ?-Solar Wind (feat. Steve Vai)
DR8 -0.51 dB -9.83 dB 4:59 ?-The Chicken (feat. Valeriy Stepanov) (Bonus Track)
DR8 -0.51 dB -10.44 dB 5:48 ?-Fire And Harmony
DR7 -0.51 dB -9.55 dB 4:49 ?-LA Blues One
DR8 -0.51 dB -10.38 dB 5:10 ?-The Great Wall
DR8 -0.51 dB -10.57 dB 3:28 ?-Warm Sunset
DR5 -0.51 dB -7.13 dB 4:37 ?-Black Centurion
DR9 -0.51 dB -11.42 dB 3:30 ?-In The Morning Light
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of tracks: 9
Actual DR values: DR7
Frequency: 96000 Hz
Channels: 2
Bit depth: 24
Bit rate: 2915 kbps
Codec: FLAC

 

[Sal1950]

I'm listening to his 2026 Route 66 album now, my first time with him, very George Benson style jazz licks.
I've got the 24/96 High Rez mix that's on Qobuz, what a shame its so dynamically crushed to a DR7, hope this isn't the SOP for his label?

I was just able to check the Journey 24/44.1 mix on Qobuz and it's a bit better but not great.
Too Bad,
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed by: Matteo Mancuso / The Journey
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR8 -0.30 dB -12.21 dB 4:33 01-Silkroad
DR9 -0.30 dB -11.34 dB 4:59 02-Polifemo
DR8 -0.30 dB -9.48 dB 3:02 03-Falcon Flight
DR11 -0.69 dB -16.28 dB 6:28 04-Open Fields
DR9 -0.30 dB -11.15 dB 4:47 05-Drop D
DR8 -0.30 dB -10.06 dB 3:31 06-Blues For John
DR12 -0.31 dB -14.62 dB 5:19 07-Time To Leave
DR8 -0.30 dB -11.34 dB 3:39 08-Samba Party
DR14 -0.52 dB -19.95 dB 4:24 09-The Journey
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of tracks: 9
Official DR value: DR10
Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 24
Bitrate: 1252 kbps
Codec: FLAC

 

[AdrianusG]

Maybe someone has mentioned Hank Marvin, if so I apologize for redundancy! I do know that many guitar slingers from the sixties and beyond have been pointed out. If you’re a fan of Peter Green, Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck and so many more, then I feel that you have to give Hank Marvin some credit, respect and time. Thank you.

Yes,

He should be on the list