Top Ten Rock Guitarists List

[socksoff]

Okay,since we've been fooling around with Best Albums and Best Songs let's get some lists going for this.

1.Jeff Beck - this guy can do anything and everything with a guitar and,yes, the most talented of all the Yardbirds axemen
2.Ritchie Blackmore - The Man in Black that looked good with a Rosewood Strat
3.Jimmy Page - What can be said that's already been said.He looked the best playing his sunburst Les Paul
4.John McLaughlin - The fastest guitar player on earth.(See:Mahavisnu Orchestra circa 1973)
5.Robert Fripp - A true original and the most eccentric.So many great incantations of King Crimson,Guitar Graft and Soundscapes
6.David Gilmour - Best Slowhand Guitarist.(Sorry Clapton fans).Syd Barrett thankfully started The Floyd and David took it to greater heights
7.Steve Howe - Yes wouldn't be Yes without him
8.Eric Clapton - The one guy I would still like to see Live
9.Frank Zappa - Did it all!
10.Steve Hackett - Play in Genesis when it "was!" Genesis.

 

[leafstk]

Cool 😎

1. David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
2. Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits)
3. Eric Clapton (Cream)
4. Jimmy Hendrix
5. Angus Young (AC/DC)
6. Steve Hackett (Genesis)
7. Alex Lifeson (Rush)
8. Walter Becker (Steely Dan)
9. Martin Barre (Jethro Tull)
10. Roger Hodgson (Supertramp)...what can I say, a sentimental favorite 😉

 

[socksoff]

leafstk wrote:


10. Roger Hodgson (Supertramp)...what can I say, a sentimental favorite

Supertramp......Ohhohohoho! Cringe(Making that shuttering posture done by certain characters on "The Simpsons")

 

[leafstk]

LMAO!! 😛 I just knew you'd get a kick out of that, lol 😎 Hey now, Crime of the Century was fantastic! 😀 (And I"ve seen him live a few times and met him once because I worked where he was playing, so I may be a little biased, lol)

 

[socksoff]

leafstk wrote:

Hey now, Crime of the Century was fantastic!

Being a teenager in the 70's I always thought they were A Poor man's "Yes" Or Yes wannabees.(Roger Hodgeson's voice kinda graded on me..much like the lead singer of Styx...OOhohohoho!! I did it again!)

 

[leafstk]

Oh for pete's sake 😛 LOL Hey, I've seen people talking about ELO on those other threads and I managed to hold my self back from ing 😉 Anyway, I'm talking about his guitar playing, not his voice, lol 😛

 

[cloudgazer2k]

STEVE VAI!!

 

[Goatboy]

OK, this is a pretty kick ass category! I'm assuming you are limiting this to "rock" guitarists, so people like BB King and Wes Montgomery wouldn't qualify. But here my top 10 favorite guitarists (not necessarily the "best." There are other guitarists who are technically better, but these are the ones I listen to most often):

In no real order:

1. Jimmy Page: the king of the blues rock riff. Plus, some of his solos are truly inspired.

2. Eric Clapton: Fantastic blues based guitar in a rock setting. Can go from lighting quick to slow and soulful.

3. Jimi Hendrix: I may get flamed for this, but I feel some of his stuff is over-rated. I think about 80% of his work is outstanding, and 20% just sounds like noise to me. But the 80% that I think is great, is just plain fantastic.

4. Randy Rhoads: An all too brief career. Could have been the greatest heavy metal guitarist ever, if he was still around.

5. Carlos Santana: Before he was crafting pop hits with Rob Thomas (Not that there's anything wrong with that) he was playing some incredibly soulful music.

6. Prince: not often mentioned in discussions like this, but those who have seen him in concert can attest to the fact that the man can flat-out play the guitar!

7. Zakk Wylde: Although his most famous work is considered by some to be just riff bashing and feedback, some of his lesser known work is extremelly intricate, and a lot of it is acoustically done. His cover of Zeppelin's "Going to California" is great, as is a lot of the playing on his "Book of Shadows" album.

8. Jeff Beck: The musical force behind the Yardbirs when they were at their peak. A great player who sadly didn't really have a sound that led to commercial success.

9. Bobby Krieger: Wrote most of the Doors best songs, while that pretentious drunken fool got all the credit. (Morrison lovers, feel free to bash away. i think he sucks).

10. Stevie Ray Vaughn: Another guitar hero who died too soon. Great Texas style rock and blues work.

 

[paul]

please, please don't forget Duane Allman, Jerry Garcia and Michael Hedges.

thank you.

 

[TickledToDeath]

1. David Gilmour(Pink Floyd)
2. Stevie Ray Vaughn
3. Ritchie Blackmore(Rainbow)
4. Steve Howe(Yes)
5. Eric Clapton
6. Steve Hackett(Genesis)
7. Carlos Santana
8. Neil Young
9. Eddie Van Halen
10. Mark Knophler(Dire Straits)

TTD

 

[featherfan2]

No-one mentioned the Hairy One yet? Surely Brian May deserves a place in the top ten? 😉

 

[Haltickling]

My all-time favorites are Carlos Santana and Mark Knopfler, the best I've ever heard. Ah, Samba pa ti...

 

[tkrexx]

Can anyone say "Pete Townsend?" Or his professed "Favorite Guitarist," Mr. Joe Walsh? After watching Fleetwood Mac's "The Dance" concert I'm completely impressed with Lindsey Buckingham, and Mac alumn Bob Welsh always impressed me. Joe Satriane, Yngwie Malmstein and Steve Vai put out the same type of albums at the same time in the 80's, and all are Masters. It took far too long for Carlos Santana to be inducted into rock's Hall of Fame ("HAL" of fame?). No one can sing and play at the same time like Mark Knophler...If ya can call that Dylanesque noise singing.

And I'll probably get my butt kicked for this, for obvious reasons, but...In his day, Roy Clarke was the best on the planet.

Ducking for cover,
Rxx

 

[MrMacphisto]

1. The Edge (U2)
2. Jimi Hendrix
3. Eric Clapton
4. Jimmy Page
5. Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)
6. Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains and his solo work)
7. Adam Jones (Tool)
8. Stevie Ray Vaughan
9. Mark Knopfler
10. David Gilmour

 

[giantfan121262]

Although Rush is my favorite group, I think the guy that makes the group is Neal Peart. He is an awesome drummer. There are the founders like Jeff Beck and stevie Ray but my all time fave has to be Jimmy Page. A close second is Van Halen. Try doing Euroption. It's not easy

 

[Lttg]

5. Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)

how can you mention Kim Thayil and not mention Tom Morello 😱( many people here might not share me enthusiasm for his work in Rage Against the Machine, but playing in Audioslave he showed that he can pretty much do anything with a guitar 🙂 he'd be way up there in number 2 or even 1 for me, deffinately an unsung hero

 

[paul]

Any Phish fans on Board????

How about:
in no order....

1. Trey Anatasio
2. Billy Corgan
3. Neil Young
4. George Harrison
5. John Scofield
6. Ani Difranco
7. Keller Williams
8. Carlos Santana
9. Warren Haynes
10. Frank Zappa

 

[MrMacphisto]

I forgot about Santana.... Hmmm... he should be in there somewhere... BTW, Tom Morello is very good, but I never really liked him much. Audioslave is good and so was Rage, but to me, it was the combination of Rage's members that made that band, and Chris Cornell strikes me as the most talented member of Audioslave.

 

[natural tickler]

in no particular order,

Jimi Hendrix
Eddie Van Halen
Prince
Kurt Cobain
Billy Corgan
Eric Clapton
Jimmy Page
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Frank Zappa
Carlos Santana

However, the greatest of all time is Jimi Hendrix, the founder and innovator. Right under him is Eddie Van Halen

 

[daddy]

Although Rush is my favorite group, I think the guy that makes the group is Neal Peart. He is an awesome drummer. There are the founders like Jeff Beck and stevie Ray but my all time fave has to be Jimmy Page. A close second is Van Halen. Try doing Euroption. It's not easy

1) Eddie
2) Satriani
3) Page
4) Me

Eruption??? piece of cake!!!

peace out,
daddy

 

[leafstk]

Eruption??? piece of cake!!!

🙄

 

[TummyDragon]

yeah, "Eruption" really is a piece of cake.. I played it note for note in '79 when I was 16, then only thing I did incorectly then was to use the whammy bar on the final note rather than twisting the flanger knob. I see 12 and 13 year olds pulling it off regularly today. What I do think Van Halen excelled at was his innovative rythms and harmonic tapping patterns.

My top ten would be (no specific order)

-Ace Frehley/Kiss (simply because Kiss inspired me to pick up my first electric guitar in '73.. learning Frehley's riffs was the beginning for me, he's far from the best, but, gotta be on my list)
-Rick Emmet/Triumph (continued my education learning all his acoustic solo's, which in turn led me to play classical.. thanks Rick..)
-Vinnie Moore/neoclassic shredder
-Tony MacAlpine/neoclassic shredder also a hellacious pianist
-Steve Morse/dregs/morse band(majorly impressive in every aspect of guitar, could possible be the best all around guitarist ever)
-Nuno Bettencourt/Extreme another hellacious pianist too
-Yngwie Malmsteen/Rising Force
-Steve Luthiker/Toto (one of the most underrated virtuosos)
-Joe Satriani
-Steve Vai

honorable mentions:
-John Petrucci/Dream Theater (majorly cool group)
-Carlos Santana
-Reb Beach/winger
-Neil Schon/Journey
-Lowell George/Little Feat
-Steve Howe/Yes (Mood For A Day, Live version - first acoustic solo I ever learned)

RockJazz Fusion:
Al DiMeola
Frank Gambali

 

[socksoff]

TummyDragon wrote:


RockJazz Fusion:Al DiMeola

Have you ever heard of John McLaughlin?

There was a big debate amongst my peers and I in the 70's over who was faster: John or Al?
Of course now I have the same regard for both.
If you haven't heard of John - may I recommend listening to some Mahavisnu Orchestra Stuff! It features one of the best drummers of all time :Billy Cobham.

Socksoff 🙂

 

[TummyDragon]

Have you ever heard of John McLaughlin?

There was a big debate amongst my peers and I in the 70's over who was faster: John or Al?
Of course now I have the same regard for both.
If you haven't heard of John - may I recommend listening to some Mahavisnu Orchestra Stuff! It features one of the best drummers of all time :Billy Cobham.

Socksoff 🙂

Yes, I have, and he was supposed to be on the list with DiMeola.. Friday Night in San Francisco (with Paco De Lucia) is, to this day, one of my favorite recordings. There was an aura of majestic groove that night.

I have the same regard for both as you, but, between you, me, and the guitar gods, I think McLaughlin is faster. For sheer technical notation speed, he's one of the fastest ever. Amazing player. I think DiMeola would capture the tonal command title. His tonal inflections are astounding. But then again, so are McLaughlin's. Trying to pick a better between those two is analogous to picking a better shade of blue. It's subjective.

BUT, I haven't heard the Mahavisnu Orchestra Stuff.. Thanks for the tip, I'll definately check it out.

 

[TklDuo-Drew]

"Erupution" is a piece of cake to play??😱 Damn!! I thought that was one of the greatest instrumentals ever made.🙁

I'm familiar with John Mclaughlin's guitar playing on Miles Davis' "Jack Johnson" record. Never heard the Mahavisnu Orchestra either.


Drew