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Django Reinhardt
From the wikipedia:
Jean-Baptiste "Django" Reinhardt12 (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953) was a Belgian Gypsy jazz guitarist.
One of the first prominent European jazz musicians, Reinhardt remains one of the most renowned jazz guitarists due to his innovative and distinctive playing.
Influence
Many musicians have expressed admiration for Reinhardt (whose main influence was Eddie Lang), including guitarist Jimmy McCulloch, classical guitarist Julian Bream; country artist Chet Atkins, who placed Reinhardt #1 on a list of the ten most influential guitarists of the 20th century (he placed himself fifth); Latin rocker Carlos Santana; blues legend B.B. King; the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia; Phish's Trey Anastasio; Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi; Jimi Hendrix; The Libertines' Carlos Barat, Synyster Gates; Shawn Lane; Stevie Ray Vaughan; Derek Trucks; Mark Knopfler; Les Paul; Joe Pass; Peter Frampton; Denny Laine; Jeff Beck; Jon Larsen; Steve Howe; Charlie Christian; Barney Kessel; George Benson; Wes Montgomery; Martin Taylor; Tchavolo Schmitt; Stochelo Rosenberg; Biréli Lagrène; John Jorgenson; Paul"Pazzo"Mehling;Michael Angelo Batio; Richard Thompson; Robert Fripp; and Jeff Martin. Willie Nelson wore a Django Reinhardt T-shirt on tour in Europe in 2002, stating in an interview that he admired Django's music and ability. The British guitarist Diz Disley plays in a style based on Reinhardt's technique and he collaborated on numerous projects with Stéphane Grappelli.
A new way to play
At the age of 18 he had an accident and the third and fourth fingers of his left hand were badly burnt. Doctors believed that he would never play guitar again.
With painful rehabilitation and practice Django relearned his craft in a completely new way, even as his third and fourth fingers remained partially paralyzed. It is said that he played all of his guitar solos with only two fingers, and managed to use the two injured digits only for chord work.
In summary: Reinhardt is the answer you will get from Knopfler, Santana and Hendrix (well, don't ask Hendrix yet).
And here is why.
Top 5 Django Reinhardt Solo's
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Django_Reinhardt
http://www.redhotjazz.com/django.html
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mac5150
interzone
Jimi Hendrix: I believe Hendrix is the best rock guitar player ever! He's amazing, and a great guitarist to listen to, even though he's no longer alive. T here are plenty of videos of Hendrix online. Of course there may be others today who are faster and such, but Jimi Hendrix was unique, had a great character when he played guitar, and he would say things that nobody else would ever say. His thoughts in his mind went to the guitar. He played with such passion that it showed in his voice and movements. He enlivened the audience whenever he played. He jammed well, cranking the guitar, making music like nobody else. It just came naturally for Hendrix.
He has been voted by Rolling Stone, Guitar World, and a number of other magazines and polls as the best electric guitarist of all time.
The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_of_all_time/
Hendrix directly or indirectly influenced Eddie Van Halen, Eric Clapton, and Carlos Santana. Hendirx also influenced many succeslful song writers and influenced his influences, like Bob Dylan, Buddy Guy, and Miles Davis. Stevie Ray Vaughn would say, "Yeah It was good but I didn't write it" in reference to Hendrix.
According to Best and Worst, Hendrix remains at the #1 spot.
http://www.bestandworst.com/r/11141.htm
According to the Urban Dictionary:
"An excellent guitarist. Known to break the boundaries of guitar playing - in such ways as plucking the strings with his teeth (He recorded the American national anthem this way) and setting his guitar neck on fire while playing in concert. Don't ask."
He is also the author of one of the strangest and greatest quotes of all time:
"Excuse me, while I kiss the sky."
Jimi Hendrix is one awesome guitar player! All modern guitar players look up to him, guaranteed.
The forums have listed Jimi Hendrix as the best ever:
http://www.thismoment.com/moment/view/18130/best-guitarist-ever-forum
Just watch him! He's got great rhythm and can really jam!
Hendrix revolutionized the art of playing the guitar and changed the way people thought about and used guitars.
The Jimi Hendrix Improvisation at Woodstock 1969 is brilliant.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimi_Hendrix
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_...
http://www.the-top-tens.com/lists/greatest-guitarists-ever.asp
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jimi%20hendrix
http://www.jimihendrix.com
http://www.michaelallsup.com/hendrix_editorial.htm
http://www.guitarworld.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=32625
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Hendrix-Jimi-478/jimi-hendrix-influenced-others....
http://www.michaelallsup.com/hendrix_editorial.htm
http://www.wanderlist.com/metalguitarist
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"Latin New York Music Awards, Latin Rock Band of the Year, 1975; Bay Area Music Award (Bammy Award), Best Guitarist, 1976-77, 1980-81, 1994-95; Bammy Award, Best Album for Moonflower, 1977; Bammy Award, Best Group, 1980; Grammy Award, Best Rock Instrumental Performance for Blues for Salvador, 1988; Bammy Award, Musician of the Year, 1978, 1988, 1993; Billboard Century Award for distinguished creative achievement, 1996; received star on Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame, 1996; induction, Bay Area Music Awards Walk of Fame, 1997; Chicano Lifetime Achievement Award, 1997; Nosotros' Golden Eagle Legend in Music Award, 1997; induction, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1998; National Council of La Raza, Alma Award, 1999; Grammy Awards, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, Best Pop Instrumental Performance, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Rock Instrumental Performance, 2000, Best Pop Collaboration, 2003."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yoGTVzgow8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXXmhPAaDDc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7amYNaPTRI
"After several years spent working as a dishwasher in a diner and playing for spare change on the streets, Santana decided to become a full-time musician; in 1966, he formed the Santana Blues Band, with fellow street musicians David Brown and Gregg Rolie (bassist and keyboard player, respectively).
With their highly original blend of Latin-infused rock, jazz, blues, salsa, and African rhythms, the band (which quickly became known simply as Santana) gained an immediate following on the San Francisco club scene. The band's early success, capped off by a memorable performance at Woodstock in 1969, led to a recording contract with Columbia Records, then run by Clive Davis. Their first album, Santana (1969), spurred by a Top 10 single, "Evil Ways," went triple platinum, selling over four million copies and remaining on the Billboard chart for over two years. Abraxas, released in 1970, went platinum, scoring two more hit singles, "Oye Como Va" and "Black Magic Woman." The band's next two albums, Santana III (1971) and Caravanserai (1972), were also critical and popular successes... He and Michelle Branch won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for the song "The Game of Love." Another interesting array of collaborators appeared on his next album All That I Am (2005). Santana worked with Mary J. Blige, Los Lonely Boys, Steven Tyler, and others on this album. Santana also continues to take his music on the road, playing numerous tour dates each year."
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Santana
http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608003746/Carlos-Santana.html
http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9542276
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It is a very close tie between Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. The problem is that 99% of the music that you find out in the open from any of them is not really representative of what they can actually do.
On top of that, you have Jimi Hendrix dying really young, Eric Clapton getting stuck playing slow blues, JImmy Page not doing much for the past few years and Carlos Santana figuring out that he'll still get paid regardless of what he does, as long as he dumps a rift every now and then.
If I were to judge them when they were all relatively young, then Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page were far ahead. Carlos Santana was a novelty because he was very clever bringing in afro-caribbean music styles into rock, but in terms of playing he was not yet on par.
Jimi Hendrix was great because he was making his guitar sound in things that make you wonder if it is even possible. If you want to hear an example, try Burning of the Midnight Lamp, from Electric Ladylamp. It sounds just weird.
Jimmy Page was (and still is, even if he doesn't bring out that kind of material anymore) because of the way he managed to mangle up really old blues with electric rock. Most people that claim that Led Zeppelin rocked can't name 5 of their songs, and one is Stairway to Heaven. Instead, try something like No Quarter, or When the Levee Breaks, it's a completely different kind of music, and a lot of so-called Zeppelin "fans" out there won't even be able to recognize the band. Sad but true.
If I can call a tie, it is with Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page. If I am forced to pick one, I would go with Jimy Hendrix.
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In 1936 he invented the Electric Guitar, and without him, entire genres of music would not exist today. His invention has influenced the creation of numerous sounds of music, and inspired millions of people to take up instruments.
While there have been many great guitarists throughout the decades, I don't think any of them hold a candle to this man's breakthrough.
Source(s):
Wikipedia
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUzNcheoY6U
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MBAW9EUlAI&feature=related
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Ok, I know he is not the de-facto best guitarist ever, but in recent history he did more for the instrument since Val Halen, who might be the best traditional player and changed the game in the 80s and Jim Hendrix did it in the 60s and Mel Bay did it in the 40s and 50s.
He took a guitar and created a unique sound that could not be replicated successfully by anyone without DJ equipment.
He explains many of is tricks in this video http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6559462259051810528 Including his signature pickup toggle. He pushes the technology of the guitar beyond its intended limits. As the computer was taking off, he was moving the sound toward the 21st century. He makes the guitar into musical turntables. He is a dj who can rock. Tom Morello is a very accomplished and the greatest guitarist.
Source(s):
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6559462259051810528
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Morello
http://www.google.com/search?q=tom+morello
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But as I started to write my answer, the inspirational sounds of the past began to speak to me, consuming my thoughts and singing to my soul, crying out "what about me?".
Let us not forget Steve Howe, "Yes" guitarist. While he has not received the same level of fame, Howe had amazing talent and highly influential style. He was voted "Best Overall Guitarist" in Guitar Player magazine five years in a row (1977 - 1981). He was inducted into Guitar Player's "Gallery of Greats" in 1981. (The only other two guitarists to win the "Best Overall Guitarist" category for the "Gallery Of Greats" are Steve Morse and Eric Johnson.)
BUT - I can't forget James Marshall Hendrix. I am actually settling back into my original thinking, as I am flooded with the melodic sounds and images of Jimi Hendrix in my mind . . . His music transcended through generations, races, color lines and cultures, and grasped the minds and tugged at the souls of people throughout the world.
Jimi Hendrix truly became ONE with his guitar, as if they were a single living organism produced to generate the sound of the human mind with the strings of his guitar. He made the impossible sound possible . . . you could almost hear his guitar speaking words he thought in his mind as he played.
Yeah, I'll go with Jimi Hendrix!
http://www.dorpat.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/jimi-hendrix-lr.jpg
http://www.celebrityrockstarguitars.com/rock/hendrix_files/1burn.jpg
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2007/10/31/2003965845.jpg
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/ABPub/2005/08/01/2002414763.jpg
Source(s):
http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/the-jimi-hendrix-experience
http://www.jimihendrixmemorial.com/
http://www.jimi-hendrix.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Howe_(guitarist)
http://www.wma.com/yes/bio/YES.pdf
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com
http://www.dorpat.com/
http://www.celebrityrockstarguitars.com/
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Source(s):
http://www.satriani.com/discography/welcome/
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The answer is: Julian Bream
I'd like to see any rock guitarist pull off what he can do. Don't get me wrng, I'm a HUGE fan of Jeff Beck, Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Carlos Santana, and Eric Clapton. And while I'd imagine that Jeff Beck or Jimmy Page might actually be able to pull off what Bream does, I can't imagine it being as fluid.
This is ONE GUY on ONE GUITAR:
Seriously. Julian Bream FTW.
Source(s):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svuGVb3a2ZE&feature=related
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You'll have to compare Hendrix, BB King, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chuck Berry, Jimmy Paige, Clapton... I mean - the list goes on. It's a huge list of very, very talented musicians.
I think when it comes down to it though, Hendrix wins and comes out on top. No one was ever really in his league, and no one has come close since then. He really made the guitar a part of him - and managed to do it while making it look effortless.
Source(s):
Wikipedia helped...
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Robert Johnson was an pioneering guitarists that if most top guitarists were asked to emulate they would struggle. His technical proficiency with the guitar influenced modern rock through the likes of Eric Clapton, Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix and many more. His music whilst almost too hard to listen to by todays standards is both complex and emotional.
His ability to play steady basslines, rythm and complex leads (that go both infront and behind the bassline beats) all at the same time has constantly amazed and bewildered guitarists. Put on top of this he sings different melody lines at the same time he is like four performers in one package.
Legends surround Robert Johnson, somewhat add to the mistique. Based on just the technical ability alone he stands as the grandfather of rock and an influencial guitarists far beyond his short life.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Johnson_(musician)
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Source(s):
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=guns+n+roses+slash&oe=utf-8&r...
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There is a small group of musicians who are so adept at their instrument that they transcend technique. That is, they have practised until they no longer had to think consciously about the 'playing' of their instrument. Of this small group there is an even smaller group, those who are able to emotionally engage with their creative muse and can consequently draw high grade creativity through perfect technique. Those who can 'play' soulful, deep, wondrous music, channelling their mind directly through their instrument without needing to engage with the mundane aspects of the playing of it. In the Western musical tradition Jimi Hendrix is the zenith of 'pure' creative playing. This is never more evidenced than in his reading of The Star Spangled Banner which so expresses the maelstrom of beauty, terror, funk, freakiness, wonder and weirdness of America and 'The American Dream', that it is more powerful today than it was on the day he played it into the world.
Source(s):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLKKGHrGMxQ
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The Space Ace not only had great songs, and great solos, but he could act, too.
"Ack!"
Source(s):
The Kiss Army
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Normally, a guitarist must use two hands to play each note. One hand presses down a guitar string behind a chosen fret to prepare the note, and the other hand either plucks or strums the string to play that note. Jordan's touch technique is an advanced form of two-handed tapping. The guitarist produces a note using only one finger by quickly tapping (or hammering) his finger down behind the appropriate fret. The force of impact causes the string to vibrate enough to immediately sound the note, and Jordan executes tapping with both hands, and with more legato than is normally associated with guitar tapping. The note's volume can be controlled by varying the force of impact: tapping with greater force produces a louder note. (Wikipedia).
Just check it out for yourself:
Source(s):
Wikipedia
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Watson
http://www.docsguitar.com/
Source(s):
http://www.docsguitar.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Watson
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http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/304/220pxchuckberry20070718.jpg
Source(s):
Opinion.
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Source(s):
My mind.
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There are a few "guitarist guitarists" that are well known among guitar players, but don't achieve a lot of mainstream success, probably because there's nothing to sing along to when played on the radio. The only person like this to achieve anything close to this would be Stevie Ray Vaughan. But that would, of course, leave out great guitarists like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Buckethead, and Yngwie Malmsteen.
This is a very tough question, but I'm going to have to narrow it down to Yngwie Malmsteen and Buckethead. And while the two samples I give you are completely opposite (Far Beyond the Sun by Malmsteen and For Mom by Buckethead), I still think that Buckethead wins out because he can do both heavy rock/funk and classical guitar ridiculously well.
Source(s):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK0rvReE-4c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FohIvmqsazU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTcg9JybEp8
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When you ask "who is the best?" you have to clarify if by "best" you mean the most technical or the person who has produced the best sounding music. If you want to go with most technical it would probably be a three way tie between Chuck Schuldiner of the band Death, Yngwie Malmsteen (self-titled band), and Alexi Laiho of the band Children of Bodom.
If you want to go with the guitarist who has created the most compelling melodies then it would go either to Ihsahn (self titled band) or Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth.
There are a horde of guys who could contend for the spot though, based on personal preference. Marten Hagström of Meshuggah or Michael Amott of Arch Enemy would probably be among the top contenders.
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Trey Anastasio, lead guitarist of Phish.
Rolling Stone magazine ranked him the 73rd greatest guitarist of all-time saying, "Anastasio can play anything he hears... His epic solos balance technical finger-work against screaming climaxes, and they're exciting even when he's sloppy. Especially when he's sloppy." Try making your way through the excitement that is a Phish live album (they've released over a dozen), and you'll see what I mean when I say that Trey Anastasio is the greatest guitarist of all-time. Here's some footage of him playing with Phish in '94. In this concert they played the entire Beatles White Album in between two of their own sets. The concert was condensed into the four hour LivePhish Volume 13, which is a mind-blowing example of Anastasio's guitar skills.
Source(s):
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/5937559/page/37
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John Platania (Van Morrison's guitarist for many years off and on, esp. notable for his work on "Moondance")
Maury Muehleisen (terrific guitar player on Jim Croce's folk-pop hits; he died with Croce in a 1973 plane crash)
Richard Thompson (how does he do some of that stuff?)
Peter Green (a fine blue guitarist who was the heart and soul of the original Fleetwood Mac, his mellow "In the Skies" album in the late '70s is a sweet -- and rare -- collection of instrumentals)
Bert Jansch (along with his late-'60s and early-'70s British folk-pop-jazz band, Pentangle, and with his duet partner, John Renbourn, Jansch plays a distinctive, all-encompassing style of music.
Tony Rice and Doc Watson (two generations of killer folk/bluegrass flatpickers. Lightning-fast, always precise. I gave up hoping to play like Rice after seeing him live with the David Grisman Quintet. I figured there's no way I could ever be that good!
Oscar Alemar (awesome late Argentine jazz player in the "gypsy" tradition of France's Django Reinhardt, but little-known outside of his own country)
Neil Young (of course -- chunky, funky, hammer-ons and all for acoustic, and one-note wonders and mondo-distorto noisefests on electric)
Les Paul (the King. His two duet albums with Chet Atkins are wonderful)
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Peter Green, Rory Gallagher, Michael Schenker
choices choices hmmm
I going to have to give it to thee greatest guitar player ever, and it has to be
RORY GALLAGHER he does it all!
Source(s):
35 years of rock concert attendance. Music is life! It is the most important asset we have today. Good music that is!!!
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It's not about shredding! It is so often that the most musical players are overlooked, Gilmore being one of them. I think that there are probably more guitar players out there that have tried to learn the solo from Comfortably Numb than anything else. Sure there are thousands that can play Eruption, and Thousands that can play SRV, and Hendrix, Page, Clapton, etc. HOWEVER, Numb bridges the most important gap. It is pure unadulterated Music. My dad who was, as my brother put it, an "educated hillbilly", really dug Pink Floyd, and he was a die hard gospel fan, I am a huge SRV fan, but would choose Numb any day, my 11 year old son, who has just started playing thinks its the coolest solo ever. Find me one more guitarist that can span that kind of generation span.
My hat's off to GIlmore....
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He played real music with individual notes, not just strumming chords or pounding on his guitar or dancing around. He was the first great Jazz guitarist, and the last great Traditional Jazz guitarist.
Source(s):
I've been a fan of Bix and Tram since I was a kid, and Lang too!
http://www.redhotjazz.com/lang.html
http://www.redhotjazz.com/langarticle.html
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That man is John Mayer.
http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/img/1/1/4/9/17589411-17589414-slarge.jpg
If you haven't ever really listened to his music, and I mean REALLY listened to it, I beg you to give it a shot. Better yet, go see him live the first chance you get. I guarantee that you will be impressed. He is *that* incredible. If you have only heard his radio hits, you're missing out on so much of his talent. Hearing him play live is a truly almost spiritual experience for me.
I believe he is a legend in the making. He may not be on the level of a Hendrix or Clapton yet, but he is well on his way at only 30 years old. In fact, in 2007, Rolling Stone named him one of their new Guitar Gods. He has played with the likes of B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Buddy Guy. Also, Fender has even produced a John Mayer signature guitar.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/26/Rolling_Stone_-_The_New_Guitar_Gods.jpg
He's been playing guitar since the age of 13. In his own words, he describes his early guitar playing days, "As a kid, he goes on, "I had this vision — sitting by a window on a rainy afternoon, just playing guitar. I said to myself, 'If I have enough strings and electricity, I can play guitar forever. I don't need anything else."
If you have any doubts about Mr. Mayer's guitar ability, watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etBZBbx_qjM
I love his versatility as a musician. He can effortlessly play acoustic songs, like this cover of the Tom Petty classic Free Fallin':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z12no-EXHKg
To this amazing cover of Hendrix's Bold as Love:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQSGa8nZs8g
John Mayer is literally a legend of our own time.
Source(s):
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/the_new_guitar_gods_john_mayer_...
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But I gotta say you gotta go back further... and while Django Reinhardt is certainly up there I may have to say Les Paul. Not only is he a fabulous guitarist, he has contributed so much to the guitar itself. For that, he gets my vote.
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Just some tidbits:
Played with Frank Zappa: Actually transcribed Zappa tunes for a hobby.
Learned from Joe Satriani
Founded Favored Nations recording and publishing company.
The JEM is one of the most beautiful and recognizable guitars out there.
Played with David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, Ozzy, Alcatraz, Solo, etc..
Working with the "Little Kids Rock" Foundation to get free instruments to children.
Let's not forget he played the Devil in "Crossroads"
Like I said, I'm not the biggest fan of his playing but he has done so much to move the guitar forward, pushing boundaries and giving up-and-coming guitarists a means to record and publish music.
He definitely deserves a nomination.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw74sDWPH7U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY8wyKuLY2k&feature=channel
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Vai
http://www.vai.com/home.html
Numerous guitar mags that are to many to mention.
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Http://Dreams_Do_Come_True.Elance.com
http:/Twitter.com/ChatMaster007
Source(s):
My source is in my head.
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-Carrie
Source(s):
My own big head.
Wikipedia for the year of Hendrix death.
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Segovia had this amazing ability to play 3 or more melodic lines at the same time. Playing live he was captivating at least as much as the rock gods, but he had nothing but the six gut strings and an unbelievable talent and passion.
Source(s):
Saw him once and play guitar myself.
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I listen to everything that anyone mentions to test the flavor for myself. And like my food cravings, my musical palate needs different things at different times.
So, I'm going to name Leslie West of Mountain fame.
They rocked the Woodstock crowd in 1969 and HippieFest in 2007
Granted, Mountain only had a few hits, Mississippi Queen being the only one most young people have heard.
And that is a shame. Nantucket Sleighride is amazing.
Rock stations still will occassionally toss those two and Theme For An Imaginary Lover and Never In My Life as late night fare.
Leslie worked with many of the last 20 years hugest icons.
David Rea (Maverick Child)
Jack Bruce (of the group Cream)
Billy Joel, (River Of Dreams)
Bachman Turner Overdrive (Live)
John Entwistle
Van Halen,
Gelix Cavaliere of the Young Rascals ( Destiny)
Ahmet Ertugen
The Who, (most notable..."Won't Get Fooled Again:)
Mick Jagger
Jimi Hendrix,
Tom Dowd
Bo Diddley (a track for Bo Diddley Jam)
Ozzy Osbourne (Missippi Queen re-make)
In fact, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhodes, Michael Schenker and Richie Sambora have all cited Leslie as an important influence on their own music.
Mountain, which was named by VH-1 as one of the Top 100 Hard Rock Groups of all time.
If you have never heard Nantucket Sleighride give it a shot. Over 5 minutes if covers more than you would think... a little blues, metal, funkish, good old fashioned r n r.
An American classic that most people under 40 have never heard.
Source(s):
http://www.mountaintheband.com/leslie/leslie.htm
http://www.deanguitars.com/leslie_west.php
http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/004075.html
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dzfexqygldje
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Answered Question
M$10
March 17, 2009 08:50 PM
Final call for VOTING - MAHALO CONTEST: Who is the best guitarist of all time? Best answer wins a FretLight guitar!
I have reposted this question on the front page for a final round of voting, please take time to vote the best answers up.
We are giving away a FretLight guitar to the user who provides the best answer to the question "Who is the best guitarist of all time?" Make sure to support your choice with the best possible explanation.
Winner will be chosen by us and user comments/votes will be taken into consideration.
Details about the prize: http://www.fretlight.com/
http://cache.gizmodo.com/gadgets/images/fretlight.jpg
We are giving away a FretLight guitar to the user who provides the best answer to the question "Who is the best guitarist of all time?" Make sure to support your choice with the best possible explanation.
Winner will be chosen by us and user comments/votes will be taken into consideration.
Details about the prize: http://www.fretlight.com/
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| March 12, 2009 10:33 PM |
From the wikipedia:
Jean-Baptiste "Django" Reinhardt12 (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953) was a Belgian Gypsy jazz guitarist.
One of the first prominent European jazz musicians, Reinhardt remains one of the most renowned jazz guitarists due to his innovative and distinctive playing.
Influence
Many musicians have expressed admiration for Reinhardt (whose main influence was Eddie Lang), including guitarist Jimmy McCulloch, classical guitarist Julian Bream; country artist Chet Atkins, who placed Reinhardt #1 on a list of the ten most influential guitarists of the 20th century (he placed himself fifth); Latin rocker Carlos Santana; blues legend B.B. King; the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia; Phish's Trey Anastasio; Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi; Jimi Hendrix; The Libertines' Carlos Barat, Synyster Gates; Shawn Lane; Stevie Ray Vaughan; Derek Trucks; Mark Knopfler; Les Paul; Joe Pass; Peter Frampton; Denny Laine; Jeff Beck; Jon Larsen; Steve Howe; Charlie Christian; Barney Kessel; George Benson; Wes Montgomery; Martin Taylor; Tchavolo Schmitt; Stochelo Rosenberg; Biréli Lagrène; John Jorgenson; Paul"Pazzo"Mehling;Michael Angelo Batio; Richard Thompson; Robert Fripp; and Jeff Martin. Willie Nelson wore a Django Reinhardt T-shirt on tour in Europe in 2002, stating in an interview that he admired Django's music and ability. The British guitarist Diz Disley plays in a style based on Reinhardt's technique and he collaborated on numerous projects with Stéphane Grappelli.
A new way to play
At the age of 18 he had an accident and the third and fourth fingers of his left hand were badly burnt. Doctors believed that he would never play guitar again.
With painful rehabilitation and practice Django relearned his craft in a completely new way, even as his third and fourth fingers remained partially paralyzed. It is said that he played all of his guitar solos with only two fingers, and managed to use the two injured digits only for chord work.
In summary: Reinhardt is the answer you will get from Knopfler, Santana and Hendrix (well, don't ask Hendrix yet).
And here is why.
Top 5 Django Reinhardt Solo's
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Django_Reinhardt
http://www.redhotjazz.com/django.html
| Asker's Rating: |
• Wow, this thread was a monster to sift through. Going into our final round of voting the top three entries were Nushka's Django Reinhardt, EasyEboy's Jimi Hendrix and Darcy's Van Halen.
The user's gave the edge to Mr. Reinhardt with a total of 13 helpful votes. In house, our resident guitar experts (Andy and Evan) were torn but eventually decided to agree with the users.
Congratulations Nushka, please direct message me your address so that we can ship the guitar to you.
The user's gave the edge to Mr. Reinhardt with a total of 13 helpful votes. In house, our resident guitar experts (Andy and Evan) were torn but eventually decided to agree with the users.
Congratulations Nushka, please direct message me your address so that we can ship the guitar to you.
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mac5150
March 13, 2009 03:00 AM
Django is a nice choice. Some of my biggest influences in guitar (Tommy Emmanuel, Chet Atkins and Bruce Cockburn, to name a few), all mention Django as a big influence in their playing. Pretty good guitar player, especially with just two fingers.
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interzone
March 16, 2009 08:20 PM
My vote goes to Django! Your summary statement tells it all.
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Other Answers (85)
March 12, 2009 08:59 PM
Jimi Hendrix Jimi Hendrix: I believe Hendrix is the best rock guitar player ever! He's amazing, and a great guitarist to listen to, even though he's no longer alive. T here are plenty of videos of Hendrix online. Of course there may be others today who are faster and such, but Jimi Hendrix was unique, had a great character when he played guitar, and he would say things that nobody else would ever say. His thoughts in his mind went to the guitar. He played with such passion that it showed in his voice and movements. He enlivened the audience whenever he played. He jammed well, cranking the guitar, making music like nobody else. It just came naturally for Hendrix.
He has been voted by Rolling Stone, Guitar World, and a number of other magazines and polls as the best electric guitarist of all time.
The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_of_all_time/
Hendrix directly or indirectly influenced Eddie Van Halen, Eric Clapton, and Carlos Santana. Hendirx also influenced many succeslful song writers and influenced his influences, like Bob Dylan, Buddy Guy, and Miles Davis. Stevie Ray Vaughn would say, "Yeah It was good but I didn't write it" in reference to Hendrix.
According to Best and Worst, Hendrix remains at the #1 spot.
http://www.bestandworst.com/r/11141.htm
According to the Urban Dictionary:
"An excellent guitarist. Known to break the boundaries of guitar playing - in such ways as plucking the strings with his teeth (He recorded the American national anthem this way) and setting his guitar neck on fire while playing in concert. Don't ask."
He is also the author of one of the strangest and greatest quotes of all time:
"Excuse me, while I kiss the sky."
Jimi Hendrix is one awesome guitar player! All modern guitar players look up to him, guaranteed.
The forums have listed Jimi Hendrix as the best ever:
http://www.thismoment.com/moment/view/18130/best-guitarist-ever-forum
Just watch him! He's got great rhythm and can really jam!
Hendrix revolutionized the art of playing the guitar and changed the way people thought about and used guitars.
The Jimi Hendrix Improvisation at Woodstock 1969 is brilliant.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimi_Hendrix
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_...
http://www.the-top-tens.com/lists/greatest-guitarists-ever.asp
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jimi%20hendrix
http://www.jimihendrix.com
http://www.michaelallsup.com/hendrix_editorial.htm
http://www.guitarworld.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=32625
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Hendrix-Jimi-478/jimi-hendrix-influenced-others....
http://www.michaelallsup.com/hendrix_editorial.htm
http://www.wanderlist.com/metalguitarist
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March 13, 2009 12:27 AM
Jimi Hendrix = God, I mean, he freaking played the guitar with his teeth once.
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March 12, 2009 09:03 PM
Carlos Santana having won the following awards... "Latin New York Music Awards, Latin Rock Band of the Year, 1975; Bay Area Music Award (Bammy Award), Best Guitarist, 1976-77, 1980-81, 1994-95; Bammy Award, Best Album for Moonflower, 1977; Bammy Award, Best Group, 1980; Grammy Award, Best Rock Instrumental Performance for Blues for Salvador, 1988; Bammy Award, Musician of the Year, 1978, 1988, 1993; Billboard Century Award for distinguished creative achievement, 1996; received star on Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame, 1996; induction, Bay Area Music Awards Walk of Fame, 1997; Chicano Lifetime Achievement Award, 1997; Nosotros' Golden Eagle Legend in Music Award, 1997; induction, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 1998; National Council of La Raza, Alma Award, 1999; Grammy Awards, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, Best Pop Instrumental Performance, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Best Rock Instrumental Performance, 2000, Best Pop Collaboration, 2003."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yoGTVzgow8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXXmhPAaDDc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7amYNaPTRI
"After several years spent working as a dishwasher in a diner and playing for spare change on the streets, Santana decided to become a full-time musician; in 1966, he formed the Santana Blues Band, with fellow street musicians David Brown and Gregg Rolie (bassist and keyboard player, respectively).
With their highly original blend of Latin-infused rock, jazz, blues, salsa, and African rhythms, the band (which quickly became known simply as Santana) gained an immediate following on the San Francisco club scene. The band's early success, capped off by a memorable performance at Woodstock in 1969, led to a recording contract with Columbia Records, then run by Clive Davis. Their first album, Santana (1969), spurred by a Top 10 single, "Evil Ways," went triple platinum, selling over four million copies and remaining on the Billboard chart for over two years. Abraxas, released in 1970, went platinum, scoring two more hit singles, "Oye Como Va" and "Black Magic Woman." The band's next two albums, Santana III (1971) and Caravanserai (1972), were also critical and popular successes... He and Michelle Branch won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for the song "The Game of Love." Another interesting array of collaborators appeared on his next album All That I Am (2005). Santana worked with Mary J. Blige, Los Lonely Boys, Steven Tyler, and others on this album. Santana also continues to take his music on the road, playing numerous tour dates each year."
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Santana
http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608003746/Carlos-Santana.html
http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9542276
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March 12, 2009 10:56 PM
I can't do anything about that embed problem... The Video is "Santana Featuring Chad Kroeger - Into The Night" You can go to http://www.youtube.com/ and paste in the title. It's a really good song. Sorry for the link not working. That is rather disappointing. Really am sorry for that.
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March 16, 2009 07:00 PM
I still think that Santana had the largest multicultural impact as well as speaking to a broader audience.
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March 12, 2009 10:02 PM
thanks for the "heads up" darcy! I totally missed that portion of the question.
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March 12, 2009 09:14 PM
Classic or Electric? Actually playing it or making a lot of noise? It is a very close tie between Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. The problem is that 99% of the music that you find out in the open from any of them is not really representative of what they can actually do.
On top of that, you have Jimi Hendrix dying really young, Eric Clapton getting stuck playing slow blues, JImmy Page not doing much for the past few years and Carlos Santana figuring out that he'll still get paid regardless of what he does, as long as he dumps a rift every now and then.
If I were to judge them when they were all relatively young, then Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page were far ahead. Carlos Santana was a novelty because he was very clever bringing in afro-caribbean music styles into rock, but in terms of playing he was not yet on par.
Jimi Hendrix was great because he was making his guitar sound in things that make you wonder if it is even possible. If you want to hear an example, try Burning of the Midnight Lamp, from Electric Ladylamp. It sounds just weird.
Jimmy Page was (and still is, even if he doesn't bring out that kind of material anymore) because of the way he managed to mangle up really old blues with electric rock. Most people that claim that Led Zeppelin rocked can't name 5 of their songs, and one is Stairway to Heaven. Instead, try something like No Quarter, or When the Levee Breaks, it's a completely different kind of music, and a lot of so-called Zeppelin "fans" out there won't even be able to recognize the band. Sad but true.
If I can call a tie, it is with Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page. If I am forced to pick one, I would go with Jimy Hendrix.
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March 12, 2009 09:29 PM
You raise a good point. I don't follow classical guitar. So I looked into it and I'm impressed. I found this guy and he seems impressive to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhaFINynWqY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxHUMPtQM9g&feature=related
I am thinking I like it more then electric.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhaFINynWqY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxHUMPtQM9g&feature=related
I am thinking I like it more then electric.
March 15, 2009 04:06 AM
That man whoever he is to me is amazing. And when I say whoever he is that means I don't know if he is well known or just a guy. Music with that much passion and love put into it almost makes me cry.
here is an electric player that has a lot of passion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kFI7lsxUjc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrhdx5W8GFI&feature=related
and this one does amazing things with his hands...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StxpWgfhjIg
this was also nice...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpDblDia5TE
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here is an electric player that has a lot of passion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kFI7lsxUjc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrhdx5W8GFI&feature=related
and this one does amazing things with his hands...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StxpWgfhjIg
this was also nice...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpDblDia5TE
March 12, 2009 09:59 PM
John Lennon. Could he out-wank Van Halen? No. He could write the best music in the business though, and that makes him the best guitar player. There are a million guitarists out there who play 200 notes per second, but that does not make you a good guitar player.
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March 13, 2009 07:08 PM
I think George Harrison was a better guitarist than Lennon actually. Lennon - great songwriter? absolutely. But the Beatles' guitarist was Harrison and he kept on rocking.
Here Comes The Sun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWwrhUX3iTM
I got My Mind Set On You
While this song is obvs not the best example of his guitar prowess I love it regardless :-D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_niy2ZM5Jo
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Here Comes The Sun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWwrhUX3iTM
I got My Mind Set On You
While this song is obvs not the best example of his guitar prowess I love it regardless :-D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_niy2ZM5Jo
March 12, 2009 10:02 PM
George Beauchamp. In 1936 he invented the Electric Guitar, and without him, entire genres of music would not exist today. His invention has influenced the creation of numerous sounds of music, and inspired millions of people to take up instruments.
While there have been many great guitarists throughout the decades, I don't think any of them hold a candle to this man's breakthrough.
Source(s):
Wikipedia
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March 12, 2009 10:02 PM
This little fella: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUzNcheoY6U
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March 13, 2009 09:10 PM
This answer made me think and I found this:
Computer games inspire children to learn musical instruments
Children are being inspired to learn a musical instrument after playing music-based computer games.
05 Dec 2008
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/3566594/Computer-games-inspire-children-to-learn-musical-instruments.html
It is a good start.
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Computer games inspire children to learn musical instruments
Children are being inspired to learn a musical instrument after playing music-based computer games.
05 Dec 2008
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/3566594/Computer-games-inspire-children-to-learn-musical-instruments.html
It is a good start.
March 12, 2009 10:16 PM
Lindsay Buckingham. It's all made clear by his update of Big Love. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MBAW9EUlAI&feature=related
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March 13, 2009 12:19 AM
An interesting choice, but he is very good. I worked at his/Fleetwood Mac's record label and one year he played a company Christmas party and just killed. I was amazed at how good he was.
I'll also add that I am not a fan of Fleetwood Mac AT ALL. Really, I can't stand them.
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I'll also add that I am not a fan of Fleetwood Mac AT ALL. Really, I can't stand them.
March 12, 2009 10:16 PM
Tom Morello!!!! Ok, I know he is not the de-facto best guitarist ever, but in recent history he did more for the instrument since Val Halen, who might be the best traditional player and changed the game in the 80s and Jim Hendrix did it in the 60s and Mel Bay did it in the 40s and 50s.
He took a guitar and created a unique sound that could not be replicated successfully by anyone without DJ equipment.
He explains many of is tricks in this video http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6559462259051810528 Including his signature pickup toggle. He pushes the technology of the guitar beyond its intended limits. As the computer was taking off, he was moving the sound toward the 21st century. He makes the guitar into musical turntables. He is a dj who can rock. Tom Morello is a very accomplished and the greatest guitarist.
Source(s):
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6559462259051810528
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Morello
http://www.google.com/search?q=tom+morello
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March 13, 2009 05:38 PM
The guitar effect Tom Morello made popular is called the "Kill Switch"
A kill switch works by toggling a 'Hot' audio signal 'On' and 'Off' quickly.
Initially you can only create a kill switch effect if you had a guitar with a '3 way toggle switch' and have like the 'Bridge pickup - volume on' and the 'Neck pickup - volume off'
So if you have a Fender Strat style guitar with 5 way switch. You are out of luck. Unless you modify your guitar and install a Kill Switch button.
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A kill switch works by toggling a 'Hot' audio signal 'On' and 'Off' quickly.
Initially you can only create a kill switch effect if you had a guitar with a '3 way toggle switch' and have like the 'Bridge pickup - volume on' and the 'Neck pickup - volume off'
So if you have a Fender Strat style guitar with 5 way switch. You are out of luck. Unless you modify your guitar and install a Kill Switch button.
March 12, 2009 10:18 PM
At first, I didn't really think this was a hard question. I simply thought it boiled down to Page, Hendrix, Clapton, and Santana. But as I started to write my answer, the inspirational sounds of the past began to speak to me, consuming my thoughts and singing to my soul, crying out "what about me?".
Let us not forget Steve Howe, "Yes" guitarist. While he has not received the same level of fame, Howe had amazing talent and highly influential style. He was voted "Best Overall Guitarist" in Guitar Player magazine five years in a row (1977 - 1981). He was inducted into Guitar Player's "Gallery of Greats" in 1981. (The only other two guitarists to win the "Best Overall Guitarist" category for the "Gallery Of Greats" are Steve Morse and Eric Johnson.)
BUT - I can't forget James Marshall Hendrix. I am actually settling back into my original thinking, as I am flooded with the melodic sounds and images of Jimi Hendrix in my mind . . . His music transcended through generations, races, color lines and cultures, and grasped the minds and tugged at the souls of people throughout the world.
Jimi Hendrix truly became ONE with his guitar, as if they were a single living organism produced to generate the sound of the human mind with the strings of his guitar. He made the impossible sound possible . . . you could almost hear his guitar speaking words he thought in his mind as he played.
Yeah, I'll go with Jimi Hendrix!
Source(s):
http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/the-jimi-hendrix-experience
http://www.jimihendrixmemorial.com/
http://www.jimi-hendrix.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Howe_(guitarist)
http://www.wma.com/yes/bio/YES.pdf
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com
http://www.dorpat.com/
http://www.celebrityrockstarguitars.com/
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March 12, 2009 10:18 PM
I have to say Joe Satriani. Not the most known, but chops for days...Source(s):
http://www.satriani.com/discography/welcome/
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March 12, 2009 10:26 PM
I was about to type in "Jeff Beck" but ya know what? The answer is: Julian Bream
I'd like to see any rock guitarist pull off what he can do. Don't get me wrng, I'm a HUGE fan of Jeff Beck, Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Carlos Santana, and Eric Clapton. And while I'd imagine that Jeff Beck or Jimmy Page might actually be able to pull off what Bream does, I can't imagine it being as fluid.
This is ONE GUY on ONE GUITAR:
Seriously. Julian Bream FTW.
Source(s):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svuGVb3a2ZE&feature=related
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March 13, 2009 02:08 AM
I fixed your embed, you don't need to use embed codes, just pasting the Url works, mahalo will automatically embed it.
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March 13, 2009 11:36 AM
I picked Eddie Lang, the early Jazz virtuoso (who also played classical from time to time). Some people like Django, more modern jazz. But the guitar greats from classical music such as Bream and Segovia really should be the serious contenders. They are head and shoulders above and are really in a whole different class and level compared to the pop icons.
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March 12, 2009 10:29 PM
My personal favorite is Tom Morello (formerly of Rage Against the Machine). You'll have to compare Hendrix, BB King, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chuck Berry, Jimmy Paige, Clapton... I mean - the list goes on. It's a huge list of very, very talented musicians.
I think when it comes down to it though, Hendrix wins and comes out on top. No one was ever really in his league, and no one has come close since then. He really made the guitar a part of him - and managed to do it while making it look effortless.
Source(s):
Wikipedia helped...
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March 12, 2009 10:38 PM
Robert Johnson. Robert Johnson was an pioneering guitarists that if most top guitarists were asked to emulate they would struggle. His technical proficiency with the guitar influenced modern rock through the likes of Eric Clapton, Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix and many more. His music whilst almost too hard to listen to by todays standards is both complex and emotional.
His ability to play steady basslines, rythm and complex leads (that go both infront and behind the bassline beats) all at the same time has constantly amazed and bewildered guitarists. Put on top of this he sings different melody lines at the same time he is like four performers in one package.
Legends surround Robert Johnson, somewhat add to the mistique. Based on just the technical ability alone he stands as the grandfather of rock and an influencial guitarists far beyond his short life.
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Johnson_(musician)
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March 12, 2009 10:46 PM
The best guitarist of all time is Les Fesler...sometimes known as Jayshawn Krizzle; he plays a style of guitar risen from the depths of hell for the sole purpose of tickling your ears to an aur-gasmic state. If you don't know him, you will. If you do know him; you love him, too.
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March 12, 2009 10:52 PM
I can't believe nobody gave props to Slash from GNR. Rock on!
Source(s):
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=guns+n+roses+slash&oe=utf-8&r...
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March 12, 2009 10:55 PM
Jimi Hendrix There is a small group of musicians who are so adept at their instrument that they transcend technique. That is, they have practised until they no longer had to think consciously about the 'playing' of their instrument. Of this small group there is an even smaller group, those who are able to emotionally engage with their creative muse and can consequently draw high grade creativity through perfect technique. Those who can 'play' soulful, deep, wondrous music, channelling their mind directly through their instrument without needing to engage with the mundane aspects of the playing of it. In the Western musical tradition Jimi Hendrix is the zenith of 'pure' creative playing. This is never more evidenced than in his reading of The Star Spangled Banner which so expresses the maelstrom of beauty, terror, funk, freakiness, wonder and weirdness of America and 'The American Dream', that it is more powerful today than it was on the day he played it into the world.
Source(s):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLKKGHrGMxQ
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March 12, 2009 10:59 PM
Um, Ace Frehley, obviously. The Space Ace not only had great songs, and great solos, but he could act, too.
"Ack!"
Source(s):
The Kiss Army
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March 12, 2009 11:02 PM
Stanley Jordan Normally, a guitarist must use two hands to play each note. One hand presses down a guitar string behind a chosen fret to prepare the note, and the other hand either plucks or strums the string to play that note. Jordan's touch technique is an advanced form of two-handed tapping. The guitarist produces a note using only one finger by quickly tapping (or hammering) his finger down behind the appropriate fret. The force of impact causes the string to vibrate enough to immediately sound the note, and Jordan executes tapping with both hands, and with more legato than is normally associated with guitar tapping. The note's volume can be controlled by varying the force of impact: tapping with greater force produces a louder note. (Wikipedia).
Just check it out for yourself:
Source(s):
Wikipedia
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March 12, 2009 11:19 PM
Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson - Please research this man. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Watson
http://www.docsguitar.com/
Source(s):
http://www.docsguitar.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Watson
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March 12, 2009 11:20 PM
Chuck Berry. The guy is the pioneer of fast guitar conduction, with sweet integration of sweet song writing, and harmonizing rebelliously fast tunes; he was the innovating originator of hard Rock! Source(s):
Opinion.
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March 12, 2009 11:35 PM
Jimmy Page - and here's why: he's one of the greatest pioneers of music of all time. When he played live with a bow on his guitar, he created sounds no-one had ever heard (and arguably ever since). He's the greatest because of the sound he created, the many memorable and time tested (thru multiple generations) songs, and the genuine quality of the phenominal music he created.
Source(s):
My mind.
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March 13, 2009 12:01 AM
I think it's a silly distinction, sure, but if we're talking rock music, any guitarist fronting a band that does a number of instrumental songs has got to have something going for them. That narrows it down a bit. I love Eddie Van Halen and Jimi Hendrix, but they aren't known for their instrumentals (The Star Spangled Banner and Eruption are noted exceptions). There are a few "guitarist guitarists" that are well known among guitar players, but don't achieve a lot of mainstream success, probably because there's nothing to sing along to when played on the radio. The only person like this to achieve anything close to this would be Stevie Ray Vaughan. But that would, of course, leave out great guitarists like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Buckethead, and Yngwie Malmsteen.
This is a very tough question, but I'm going to have to narrow it down to Yngwie Malmsteen and Buckethead. And while the two samples I give you are completely opposite (Far Beyond the Sun by Malmsteen and For Mom by Buckethead), I still think that Buckethead wins out because he can do both heavy rock/funk and classical guitar ridiculously well.
Source(s):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK0rvReE-4c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FohIvmqsazU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTcg9JybEp8
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March 13, 2009 12:03 AM
A lot of people are going to immediately say "Eddie Van Halen" or "Jimi Hendrix," but they are selling themselves short. Although they were unquestionably among the best of their eras, and influenced an entire generation of musicians, plenty of guitar players have surpassed them since then. When you ask "who is the best?" you have to clarify if by "best" you mean the most technical or the person who has produced the best sounding music. If you want to go with most technical it would probably be a three way tie between Chuck Schuldiner of the band Death, Yngwie Malmsteen (self-titled band), and Alexi Laiho of the band Children of Bodom.
If you want to go with the guitarist who has created the most compelling melodies then it would go either to Ihsahn (self titled band) or Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth.
There are a horde of guys who could contend for the spot though, based on personal preference. Marten Hagström of Meshuggah or Michael Amott of Arch Enemy would probably be among the top contenders.
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March 13, 2009 12:07 AM
While he is probably better known for his flamboyant style and wacked out, free-jazz, absurdist compositions, Frank Zappa is actually one of the most technically proficient and blistering guitar players in the history of music.
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March 13, 2009 12:31 AM
Most of the widely accepted "guitar gods" have already been suggested here (Clapton, Hendrix, etc.), so I'll have to go for someone a little out of left field: Trey Anastasio, lead guitarist of Phish.
Rolling Stone magazine ranked him the 73rd greatest guitarist of all-time saying, "Anastasio can play anything he hears... His epic solos balance technical finger-work against screaming climaxes, and they're exciting even when he's sloppy. Especially when he's sloppy." Try making your way through the excitement that is a Phish live album (they've released over a dozen), and you'll see what I mean when I say that Trey Anastasio is the greatest guitarist of all-time. Here's some footage of him playing with Phish in '94. In this concert they played the entire Beatles White Album in between two of their own sets. The concert was condensed into the four hour LivePhish Volume 13, which is a mind-blowing example of Anastasio's guitar skills.
Source(s):
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/5937559/page/37
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July 01, 2009 09:55 PM
Now, I realize you wrote this months ago, but I thought I'd respond.
The video you displayed of Trey playing While My Guitar was somewhat of a joke to me. If you think Trey is the best guitarist ever and you showed that as proof, then the world is completely ignorant. For Trey, that was an average day on an average song. For the virgin ears, maybe that's a cute solo to start with, but the technical, emotional, and genius guitar playing that is Trey Anastasio goes infinite miles beyond this version of a Beatles cover.
Trey Anastasio is the greatest guitarist of all time, I have yet to hear anyone better. Sure Jimi and Jimmy did their influencing, but Trey is (and probably will be for as long as I live) the one who Mastered the guitar.
Daniel
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The video you displayed of Trey playing While My Guitar was somewhat of a joke to me. If you think Trey is the best guitarist ever and you showed that as proof, then the world is completely ignorant. For Trey, that was an average day on an average song. For the virgin ears, maybe that's a cute solo to start with, but the technical, emotional, and genius guitar playing that is Trey Anastasio goes infinite miles beyond this version of a Beatles cover.
Trey Anastasio is the greatest guitarist of all time, I have yet to hear anyone better. Sure Jimi and Jimmy did their influencing, but Trey is (and probably will be for as long as I live) the one who Mastered the guitar.
Daniel
March 13, 2009 12:53 AM
I won't win, but I'll offer some choices to mull over who probably wouldn't otherwise be mentioned. These aren't musicians who played fast scales or screaming leads; mostly they're acoustic players, who play melodically, and whose exquisite taste I never tire of hearing and marveling at. These are the players I tried to emulate when I picked up my first guitar: John Platania (Van Morrison's guitarist for many years off and on, esp. notable for his work on "Moondance")
Maury Muehleisen (terrific guitar player on Jim Croce's folk-pop hits; he died with Croce in a 1973 plane crash)
Richard Thompson (how does he do some of that stuff?)
Peter Green (a fine blue guitarist who was the heart and soul of the original Fleetwood Mac, his mellow "In the Skies" album in the late '70s is a sweet -- and rare -- collection of instrumentals)
Bert Jansch (along with his late-'60s and early-'70s British folk-pop-jazz band, Pentangle, and with his duet partner, John Renbourn, Jansch plays a distinctive, all-encompassing style of music.
Tony Rice and Doc Watson (two generations of killer folk/bluegrass flatpickers. Lightning-fast, always precise. I gave up hoping to play like Rice after seeing him live with the David Grisman Quintet. I figured there's no way I could ever be that good!
Oscar Alemar (awesome late Argentine jazz player in the "gypsy" tradition of France's Django Reinhardt, but little-known outside of his own country)
Neil Young (of course -- chunky, funky, hammer-ons and all for acoustic, and one-note wonders and mondo-distorto noisefests on electric)
Les Paul (the King. His two duet albums with Chet Atkins are wonderful)
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March 13, 2009 12:56 AM
This is a really hard question!!! Peter Green, Rory Gallagher, Michael Schenker
choices choices hmmm
I going to have to give it to thee greatest guitar player ever, and it has to be
RORY GALLAGHER he does it all!
Source(s):
35 years of rock concert attendance. Music is life! It is the most important asset we have today. Good music that is!!!
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March 13, 2009 01:01 AM
David Gilmore - Comfortably Numb It's not about shredding! It is so often that the most musical players are overlooked, Gilmore being one of them. I think that there are probably more guitar players out there that have tried to learn the solo from Comfortably Numb than anything else. Sure there are thousands that can play Eruption, and Thousands that can play SRV, and Hendrix, Page, Clapton, etc. HOWEVER, Numb bridges the most important gap. It is pure unadulterated Music. My dad who was, as my brother put it, an "educated hillbilly", really dug Pink Floyd, and he was a die hard gospel fan, I am a huge SRV fan, but would choose Numb any day, my 11 year old son, who has just started playing thinks its the coolest solo ever. Find me one more guitarist that can span that kind of generation span.
My hat's off to GIlmore....
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March 13, 2009 02:23 AM
Eddie Lang! That's an easy choice for me because I can't think of any others that I like at all. However, he was outstanding by most other peoples accounts as well. Eddie Lang was the first Jazz guitar virtuoso. He was the only one to play traditional Jazz. He played with the greatest, such as King Oliver, although he is best known for his recordings with Joe Venuti. He also recorded with Red Nichols's Five Pennies , Frankie Trumbauer and Bix Beiderbecke. He played in many orchestras including Roger Wolfe Kahn Orchestra , Jean Goldkette and with Paul Whiteman (appearing on one short number with Venuti in Whiteman's 1930 film "King Of Jazz"). He played real music with individual notes, not just strumming chords or pounding on his guitar or dancing around. He was the first great Jazz guitarist, and the last great Traditional Jazz guitarist.
Source(s):
I've been a fan of Bix and Tram since I was a kid, and Lang too!
http://www.redhotjazz.com/lang.html
http://www.redhotjazz.com/langarticle.html
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March 13, 2009 02:35 AM
The answer to who is the "best guitarist of all time" is, obviously, highly subjective. So, I am gonna have to go with the guitar player who has personally awed and entertained me the most. That man is John Mayer.
If you haven't ever really listened to his music, and I mean REALLY listened to it, I beg you to give it a shot. Better yet, go see him live the first chance you get. I guarantee that you will be impressed. He is *that* incredible. If you have only heard his radio hits, you're missing out on so much of his talent. Hearing him play live is a truly almost spiritual experience for me.
I believe he is a legend in the making. He may not be on the level of a Hendrix or Clapton yet, but he is well on his way at only 30 years old. In fact, in 2007, Rolling Stone named him one of their new Guitar Gods. He has played with the likes of B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Buddy Guy. Also, Fender has even produced a John Mayer signature guitar.
He's been playing guitar since the age of 13. In his own words, he describes his early guitar playing days, "As a kid, he goes on, "I had this vision — sitting by a window on a rainy afternoon, just playing guitar. I said to myself, 'If I have enough strings and electricity, I can play guitar forever. I don't need anything else."
If you have any doubts about Mr. Mayer's guitar ability, watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etBZBbx_qjM
I love his versatility as a musician. He can effortlessly play acoustic songs, like this cover of the Tom Petty classic Free Fallin':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z12no-EXHKg
To this amazing cover of Hendrix's Bold as Love:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQSGa8nZs8g
John Mayer is literally a legend of our own time.
Source(s):
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/the_new_guitar_gods_john_mayer_...
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March 13, 2009 02:35 AM
Andres Segovia, Leo Kottke, Joe Satriani, Frank Zappa, Eddie Van Halen, they are all great guitarists, legends even, but as one person put it, this question can't really be answered. It's all a matter of personal opinion. But my vote, along with, I believe only one other person here is Jerry Garcia, acoustic, electric, peddle steel, banjo and mandolin. He was the best.
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March 13, 2009 03:10 AM
Well, i know everyone's going to say Jimi Hendrix, or Eric Clapton, or Pete Townsend, or one of those NATURAL answers. But I gotta say you gotta go back further... and while Django Reinhardt is certainly up there I may have to say Les Paul. Not only is he a fabulous guitarist, he has contributed so much to the guitar itself. For that, he gets my vote.
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March 13, 2009 03:22 AM
I'm still hoping @darcy logan wins this with her EVH nod but I have to mention Steve Vai. The man has done so much for the guitar. I'm not his biggest fan but I have a great deal of respect for him. Just some tidbits:
Played with Frank Zappa: Actually transcribed Zappa tunes for a hobby.
Learned from Joe Satriani
Founded Favored Nations recording and publishing company.
The JEM is one of the most beautiful and recognizable guitars out there.
Played with David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, Ozzy, Alcatraz, Solo, etc..
Working with the "Little Kids Rock" Foundation to get free instruments to children.
Let's not forget he played the Devil in "Crossroads"
Like I said, I'm not the biggest fan of his playing but he has done so much to move the guitar forward, pushing boundaries and giving up-and-coming guitarists a means to record and publish music.
He definitely deserves a nomination.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw74sDWPH7U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY8wyKuLY2k&feature=channel
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Vai
http://www.vai.com/home.html
Numerous guitar mags that are to many to mention.
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March 13, 2009 03:32 AM
I think Jimmy Hendrix is the best guitarist of all time. The supporting information: Because I say so. Ok now I am entered into the contest. TYVM. Http://Dreams_Do_Come_True.Elance.com
http:/Twitter.com/ChatMaster007
Source(s):
My source is in my head.
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March 13, 2009 04:27 AM
Jimi Hendrix. He could play anything on his guitar. His version of The Star-Spangled Banner is wonderful. I could not stand to see video of him playing it was so intense, it felt voyeristic to watch. He was making love to the instrument right there in front of everyone. He left a legacy that has yet to be matched nearly 30 years later. -Carrie
Source(s):
My own big head.
Wikipedia for the year of Hendrix death.
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March 13, 2009 05:18 AM
Andrés Torres Segovia, 1st Marquess of Salobreña is the best of all time as a guitarist. My initial thoughts were Jimi Hendrix, SRV and Jimmy Page, but they are probably the best rock guitar players of all time. Segovia had this amazing ability to play 3 or more melodic lines at the same time. Playing live he was captivating at least as much as the rock gods, but he had nothing but the six gut strings and an unbelievable talent and passion.
Source(s):
Saw him once and play guitar myself.
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March 13, 2009 06:23 AM
I can't think of one of the aforementioned that didn't cross my mind. I love music and have to also agree with all those that said it is impossible to judge. I listen to everything that anyone mentions to test the flavor for myself. And like my food cravings, my musical palate needs different things at different times.
So, I'm going to name Leslie West of Mountain fame.
They rocked the Woodstock crowd in 1969 and HippieFest in 2007
Granted, Mountain only had a few hits, Mississippi Queen being the only one most young people have heard.
And that is a shame. Nantucket Sleighride is amazing.
Rock stations still will occassionally toss those two and Theme For An Imaginary Lover and Never In My Life as late night fare.
Leslie worked with many of the last 20 years hugest icons.
David Rea (Maverick Child)
Jack Bruce (of the group Cream)
Billy Joel, (River Of Dreams)
Bachman Turner Overdrive (Live)
John Entwistle
Van Halen,
Gelix Cavaliere of the Young Rascals ( Destiny)
Ahmet Ertugen
The Who, (most notable..."Won't Get Fooled Again:)
Mick Jagger
Jimi Hendrix,
Tom Dowd
Bo Diddley (a track for Bo Diddley Jam)
Ozzy Osbourne (Missippi Queen re-make)
In fact, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhodes, Michael Schenker and Richie Sambora have all cited Leslie as an important influence on their own music.
Mountain, which was named by VH-1 as one of the Top 100 Hard Rock Groups of all time.
If you have never heard Nantucket Sleighride give it a shot. Over 5 minutes if covers more than you would think... a little blues, metal, funkish, good old fashioned r n r.
An American classic that most people under 40 have never heard.
Source(s):
http://www.mountaintheband.com/leslie/leslie.htm
http://www.deanguitars.com/leslie_west.php
http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/004075.html
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dzfexqygldje
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