Poll: Best guitar player of all time?

[Emos]

Eric Johnson and Alex Lifeson are my favs.

 

[fir3wir3]

I dont know if I'd say any of those...but the ones I do like nobody here has heard of

on that list I think clapton is the best

 

[yakko]

amb#cog,

Yes Prince. He would run circles around most of the people listed so far. Also where is Al Demiola(sp?) and Tom Morello. You can't have a greatest guitar player of all time since there are so many different styles of music.

 

[bcterps]

My vote goes to Phil Keaggy.


--Ben

 

[8ball]

No way to pick. Each is the best in his own right (most of them anyway). Satriani taught Hammett. Hendrix invented almost everything guys do today. Van Halen invented finger tapping (practally). Can't vote in this one.

 

[dartblazer]

Steve Vai.(yes period)

 

[datalink7]

Tough call. I ended up voting for Eric Clapton, because I have been listening to him lately.

 

[jacobnero6918]

List:

Jimmy Page
Jimi hendrix
steve vai
eddie van halen....in his early days he could rock
satrini
KK downing and glenn Tipton......best duo
sammy hagar
eric clapton....before he wimped out
Randy Rhoads
Tony Iommi.......Black Sabbath

 

[Midnight Rambler]

<< Most influential in rock would have to be a toss-up between Eddie Van Halen and Hendrix.
Clapton it right up there too.

If you take all the newer players on that poll and ask them, they will all mention Van Halen and Hendrix.
Remember, all the faster, more pyrotechnic-type modern playing started with Edward, and in retrospect, also can be traced to Hendrix. >>

This is totally incorrect. First off, Clapton would rank before Van Halen (every interview of VH I have ever read, he notes Clapton as his only major influence ...). But Clapton does deserve mention because he emphasized the blues, yet his most significant contribution is probably popularizing recording &quot;open miked&quot;. When he did the Bluesbreakers album with John Mayall, the engineer walked off the job because Eric insisted on using an open miked setup. However, the real point I take is saying VH started the &quot;faster&quot;, &quot;'pyro&quot;, &quot;modern&quot; type of guitar playing, or even saying that Jimi is responsible. NO WAY! Jeff Beck is the father of it all, traceable back to '64. He also pioneered many effects, and even the &quot;voice box&quot;.

If you wanna see the best guitarist alive, bar none, then you are in luck - Jeff Beck will be starting his new US tour in February. In fact, his new CD will be out this Tuesday (some of us have it already on import, it is tasty ... ).

Also in the works, Beck, Clapton, &amp; Santana to tour together in 2003.

Finally, can't believe hardly anyone rates SRV. In my book, SRV and Hendrix are tied for 1st place ... One of the best shows I've ever seen was SRV with Jeff Beck. A total guitar assault. For his final encore, SRV brought out a prized wahwah that was Jimi's ... close your eyes and you couldn't tell the difference. Recommend the video &quot;SRV &amp; Double Trouble: Live at the El Mocambo&quot; for reference. And as awesome as SRV was in that show, it was when he was a &quot;mess&quot; - he got even better once he got off the drink and drug.


PS. - As for Buddy Guy, don't underestimate the man. He definitely is one of the best around, when he's serious about it. He taught both Hendrix and Clapton a lot, and deserves the credit. Not just anybody could play lead for Muddy Waters ...

 

[yakko]

Forgot to mention it but Junior Brown kicks ass too.

 

[dennilfloss]

If we disqualify Segovia, then I choose Frank Zappa, followed by Robert Fripp, John Abercrombie, and Ritchie Blackmore.

21st Century Schizoid Man (King Crimson)

 

[Philosopher]

You don't listen to much jazz do you?

 

[dennilfloss]

Definitely been a while. I'm stuck in the 70s as far as jazz is concerned.

Spaces (Larry Corryel)

 

[DefRef]

My list was of guitarists who WERE influential, not who I'd necessarily consider the BEST.

Kirk Hammmett is a trouser monkey and a lame guitarist. Take away his wah-wah pedal and he'd freeze in terror. Tom Morello bites too. Making weird sounds and recycling Led Zep riffs while using an Allen wrench as a pick is NOT the mark of excellence so peeps may think it is.

 

[BDawg]

Add John Petrucci.

 

[SirFshAlot]

my vote goes to Steve Howe of YES

 

[KrackerJack]

ME!

yeah right,

Kracker

 

[BarryMcCockinner]

To all you people who say Hammett sucks, all you ever mention is the wah pedal. The wah doesn't make his solos or playing any better or worse. It's just an effect to enhance the sound. He is a damn good guitarist. I wouldn't say he's the best, but he's really really good. He's better than pretty much any rock/metal guitarist out there right now. The only one up to his caliber right now is Dimebag Darrell of Pantera. Just face it: kirk is good. You all probably just don't like him because many other people do, or because you don't like his sound.

As for Tom Morello, he is actually very very talented. He's a musical genius if you will. Just because he doesn't have complicated riffs in his songs, doesn't mean that it's all he can play. He's just not a show off, and his band didn't require any complicated riffs. If you've ever heard him play anythign else (like with people from different bands), you'll know that he's very good. He's just not as flashy as Steve Vai, who tries to show everyone that he's amazing (which he is).

Personally, even though the new guys (eg. Kirk and Morello) aren't as good as the older guys (Satch, Vai, Clapton), i still prefer their music.

Jimi Hendrix, in my opinion is way over rated. I mean he is an amazing guitarist who pioneered all this stuff, but he's not the best. Definitely one of the best, but not THE best. Same thing with Jimmy Page. He's good, but very sloppy when playing live. He's written some great riffs/songs, but he too is overrated.

I would say the 6 best guitarists are (in no particular order):

Vai
Satch
Clapton
Randy Rhodes (absolutely amazing guy)
Jeff Beck
Stevie Ray Vaughan

EDIT: Sounds like Triumph is a Dave Mustaine fanatic.

 

[tinneric]

In this order:

Stevie Ray Vaughn
Jimmi Hendrix
Eric Clapton

 

[psykohog]

Frank Zappa
Jeff Beck
This is the end of the poll.
Thank-You.

 

[Rudee]

Ingwie Malmstein
Joe Satriani
Eddie VanHalen
Steve Vai

 

[zogar]

what about chet adkins! phil keaggy is good though not many have heard of him. My dad has an album of a band named Glass harp that phil was the lead guitarist for back in the 70's.

 

[Mem]

Jimmy page
Hendrix
Richie Blackmore(Deep Purple,Rainbow,for those young Members here) &amp;
Angus young.

 

[Moving Target]

George Lynch
Randy Rhodes
Ace Frehley
Jake E Lee
Steve Vai

 

[classy]

Hendrix, Hendrix, Hendrix. I don't think there will ever be another like him.