Best Guitarists Evah!!!

[ahofer]

it is almost as if having prodigious chops is inversely proportional to actually being able to make interesting music.

There's some truth to this. That was why improvisational fluidity/musicality was my first criterion.

My nephew is becoming a guitar hero in his own niche ("symphonic deathcore"!). Can't say I dig the music.

 

[bluefuzz]

Another example of using your limitations to good effect. Stuart Adamson of The Skids And Big Country.

 

[bluefuzz]

Another oft-forgotten 70s guitar hero: Bill Nelson.

 

[bluefuzz]

The folkies could play guitar too. Here Davey Graham's arrangement of 'She moved through the fair' famously appropriated by a certain Mr. J. Page ...

 

[JRS]

I always liked the understated style of Peter Green, nice vocals too:

Was just about to add him. Clapton is misplaced here and overrated. Knopler plays rings around him. Albert King is worth a mention as is Nils Lofgren for all round versatility. Leo Kotke not half bad either.

 

[JRS]

Oh lest I forget, Alvin Lee of TYA.

 

[TSB]

There are so many guitarists I love and so many styles or guitar, it’s impossible for me to pick a top ten let alone a single player. I’ve been lucky enough to have seen so many of the great ones in this thread play live (SRV, Clapton, Gilmore solo and with Floyd, Paco when he played with Al Dimiola and John McLaughlin, Steve Morse with the Dregs and opening for the Al Dimiola show, classical great Christopher Parkening, Buddy Guy, BB King, Kenny Wayne Sheppard when he opened for BB, and I’ve been to at least a dozen Blues Fests in my hometown of Chicago, Mark Knopfler solo and Dire Straits, EVH, Larry Carlton, Carlos Montoya, Pete and The Who, Angus Young, Paul Gilbert, Jake E Lee, and so many more. Unlike sports, I can’t rank musicians/artists.

In recent years I’ve become a bit obsessed with Gypsy Jazz which means I’m a huge Django fan of course. One of my favorite players is Jimmy Rosenberg. Jimmy is a gypsy from The Netherlands, a former child prodigy who is a master of improvising. In the video clip, he breaks a string and is having trouble with a guitar he borrowed for the show. He switches to his electric and lays down some beautiful melodic stuff played in Jimmy’s 1000 mile and hour style. Please note, in gypsy guitar there are only down strokes on single note playing. Watch his right hand, it makes the playing even more mind boggling. I love the little two note chords he throws in like Django. Jimmy has suffered from mental health and substance problems on and off for the past fifteen years but he is a special player if you like gypsy music. There is a documentary about him that is free on YouTube and is worth watching. Some great playing in the doc but it also explains the tragic up and down career he has had. This clip is pure Jimmy.

One more of Jimmy showing off with Frank Vignolo in a hotel in NYC after his Carnegie hall performance. Impromptu playing with drummer using the yellow pages as a snare.

Second that for Jimmy Rosenberg. There's something special about Jimmy. I was gonna post that exact same hotel clip with Frank Vignola. I feel like he discovered a new level there.

BTW, he is back to playing. I saw him in Amsterdam a few weeks back. Technically not completely on his own level but the originality and pathos are still fully there. Recommended also to have a listen to his new album, "For Jimmy".

Others that come to mind in no particular order:
Paco de Lucia
Julian Bream
Django Reinhardt
Baden Powell
Andres Segóvia

 

[akamatsu]

Ask the guitarists:

Eric Clapton says Prince.

John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers) says Vini Reilly (The Durutti Column).

 

[bloodshoteyed]

i was pretty sure i posted those two here already, but it seems it might have been in the "whatcha listening to now"

a small add-on:
if i was there when Henson mentioned boomer-bends i'd slap some crap/teeth out of the kid, tho i can appreciate his style of playing (with all the other YT kids and not so young ones, too..)

 

[ahofer]

i was pretty sure i posted those two here already, but it seems it might have been in the "whatcha listening to now"

a small add-on:
if i was there when Henson mentioned boomer-bends i'd slap some crap/teeth out of the kid, tho i can appreciate his style of playing (with all the other YT kids and not so young ones, too..)

Yeah, Dawes and Emmanuel are incredible, although stay mostly in their stylistic lane (as noted in my criteria above).

I was just thinking, Eliot Eastman of the Cars is another great rock guitarist. Awesome solos.

 

[Sonny1]

Second that for Jimmy Rosenberg. There's something special about Jimmy. I was gonna post that exact same hotel clip with Frank Vignola. I feel like he discovered a new level there.

BTW, he is back to playing. I saw him in Amsterdam a few weeks back. Technically not completely on his own level but the originality and pathos are still fully there. Recommended also to have a listen to his new album, "For Jimmy".

Others that come to mind in no particular order:
Paco de Lucia
Julian Bream
Django Reinhardt
Baden Powell

Very happy to hear! I was worried about Jimmy’s health to a long time. He was dealing with some serious health and substance issues and it wasn’t looking good for him. Glad he’s healthy and playing again. It’s a true blessing.

His playing from the era of the video clip was special. His single note phrasing was always so melodic and insanely fast. Gypsy style picking is strange because it only uses down strokes. All of his fast playing in that clip was downstrokes (single note playing). They use a “stone” pick, thick and inflexible and Jimmy used high action on his guitar to get volume. His playing is impossibly good and effortless. A child prodigy and Gypsy virtuoso. I’ve been a fan for a long time.

 

[AlexHRider]

 

[JayGilb]

John 5 - He likes to experiment with a lot of sounds, but is a very skilled guitarist.

 

[Benatalaya]

Buddy Guy.

 

[Galliardist]

13 pages and no mention of Jan Akkerman?

 

[Galliardist]

Segovia is the best of all time -- at least those who have been recorded. Bream, Williams, and good many others are wonderful but not quite as wonderful.

But then I feel it is generally inappropriate to group Classical guitarists with other genres, certainly not Rock.

Pavel Steidl?

 

[earlevel]

Another oft-forgotten 70s guitar hero: Bill Nelson.

Bill Nelson had that style of weaving guitar leads between his vocal lines. I'll never forget seeing him live, singing the intricate vocal line perfectly, executing the guitar lines with precision, while adjusting the tuning of the guitar between notes as he sang. And made it all look so effortless.

 

[NiagaraPete]

Plini
David Maxim Micic

 

[FlyingFreak]

Only guitarist I make sure to go see if he comes around is Estas Tonne.

 

[diddley]

King of feedback and grunge: Neil Young!