Greatest Guitar Players Ever

**The Nid Hog** · 06-08-2009, 06:45 PM

How about Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew? Saw them together on a King Crimson reunion tour a few years ago and they were both fantastic. Belew also does a great Bowie impression.

**BarryR** · 06-08-2009, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by The Nid Hog

How about Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew? Saw them together on a King Crimson reunion tour a few years ago and they were both fantastic. Belew also does a great Bowie impression.

I was going to mention Fripp (Belew is quite impressive too).
I missed the Crimson reunion tour. I did see them back in the 80's though. I guess Belew honed his Bowie impersonation when he was in his touring band.

I also saw Belew with the Talking Heads (Remain in Light tour) and he REALLY seemed to be having a blast!

**Brodirt** · 06-08-2009, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by The Nid Hog

How about Robert Fripp and Adrian Belew? Saw them together on a King Crimson reunion tour a few years ago and they were both fantastic. Belew also does a great Bowie impression.

I mentioned them both earlier. I actually saw Belew play with Bowie and Zappa when I was a teen. He is awesome...Twang Bar King is some great playing.

**The Knize** · 06-08-2009, 07:39 PM

Re lack of female guitar players, it is amazing, isn't it!

Joni Mitchell is a remarkable guitar player. Very creative re special turnings, etc. Probably falls in the category though of is she really a great guitar player or a great musician/song writer.

Bonnie Raitt really is one of the better slide players around, and she was schooled by some of the best of the old blues players.

Nancy Wilson is probably much better that she usually gets credit for.

After that, I am not sure there are too many standard out women guitar players, while there is an ocean of truly stunning male guitar players.

It is interesting that there are rather a lot of really good women bass players. M'shell Ndegeoce is probably top. Melissa Auf der Maur very good. Kim Deal. And the incomparable Carol Kaye, who unfortunately seems to have an obsession with claiming credit for that which she did not do, which what she did do was amazing.

And then there is one of the better young male bassists that we have left off--Token, of South Park. <g> Hope that is okay to say.

Want to know why it is so hard to choose the best guitar player? Watch this video of a 14 yo and a 17 yo guitar players. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNcUAzwDjYg
I have seen Zach play. Check him out around 2:40 or so in. As natural a lead guitar player as I have ever seen, endlessly fascinating, new. But then check out Andy, the younger one starting around 5:30, Eric Clapton has not played like that in 25 years in my view. You heard of him here first!

**ytsejammer** · 06-08-2009, 07:45 PM

john petrucci
mikael akerfeldt
evh
ross the boss
steve vai
joe satriani
skwisgaar skwigelf

**The Nid Hog** · 06-08-2009, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by Brodirt

I mentioned them both earlier. I actually saw Belew play with Bowie and Zappa when I was a teen. He is awesome...Twang Bar King is some great playing.

Ah--missed it somewhere. It would have been great to see him back then. When I caught the King Crimson tour, Belew and Fripp talked about playing with Bowie, then Belew did a short impression of Bowie before launching into a full-length version of Heroes. It was pretty cool.

**DirtyDave** · 06-08-2009, 08:03 PM

If my favorites rank among the best, so much the better. In no particular order:

Frank Zappa
Dwayne (Duane?) Allman
Alex Liefson
Leo Kottke
John Fahey
Jeff Beck
The Brothers Vaughn
John Mclaughlin
Charlie Byrd
Chet Atkins
Jimmy Page
Pete Townsend
Link Wray
Jerry Garcia
David Gilmour
Charlie Christian
Django Reinhardt

**Tom C** · 06-08-2009, 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by cstrother

After that, I am not sure there are too many standard out women guitar players...

Debbie Davies is a remarkably talented blues guitarist, and I was fortunate to have her sit in at a gig I had a few years back (she also lives in CT). Here's her solo from a medium-tempo shuffle we did:

Debbie Davies Solo

Lots more info on her Web site - Debbie Davies

**FLTiger** · 06-08-2009, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by The Nid Hog

Ah--missed it somewhere. It would have been great to see him back then. When I caught the King Crimson tour, Belew and Fripp talked about playing with Bowie, then Belew did a short impression of Bowie before launching into a full-length version of Heroes. It was pretty cool.

I'm pretty sure that Belew toured with Bowie on his "last time I'm playing any of my old songs, they all now bore me to tears" tour. That was one of the few shows that I saw as a young man that I was 100% stone cold sober for, as I intended to remember every second.

As a young teen, I would have built an altar to Bowie, if I'd been allowed.

**JimBow** · 06-08-2009, 08:21 PM

You've all listed some fine artists. Most of them are my personal favorites. But you all are missing one man, and I can't believe he hasn't even been mentioned in a comparison.

Saul Hudson aka SLASH

For shame....he's one of the most entertaining and creative artists still around. His work with Guns n' Roses was outstanding, and his solo gig on Slash's Snakepit was pretty awesome. I'm glad he's still making music, but Velvet Revolver needs to get off their duff and pick a singer already!!! Stupid Scott Weiland...

Besides, who hasn't wanted to wear a top hat, grow a fro, and pretend to play Sweet Child O' Mine or November Rain?

Oh, if paul.c is reading this, I already know what you're going to say....so just get it out of your system.

**wilsonent** · 06-08-2009, 08:23 PM

Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs, Mark O'Conner (check out his guitar CD he recorded as a teenager)

My all time favorite, SRV.

Second favorite, Pat Matheny.

**asadasam** · 06-08-2009, 08:36 PM

To add a few unmentioned favorites: I think Andy Gill did more to redefine the possibilities of rock guitar than anyone since Hendrix. Richard Thompson, Vini Reilly, Tom Verlaine all deserve shoutouts here, too. I'll stop now...

**The Knize** · 06-08-2009, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by JimBow

You've all listed some fine artists. Most of them are my personal favorites. But you all are missing one man, and I can't believe he hasn't even been mentioned in a comparison.

Saul Hudson aka SLASH

For shame....he's one of the most entertaining and creative artists still around. His work with Guns n' Roses was outstanding, and his solo gig on Slash's Snakepit was pretty awesome. I'm glad he's still making music, but Velvet Revolver needs to get off their duff and pick a singer already!!! Stupid Scott Weiland...

Besides, who hasn't wanted to wear a top hat, grow a fro, and pretend to play Sweet Child O' Mine or November Rain?

Oh, if paul.c is reading this, I already know what you're going to say....so just get it out of your system.

You are so right. How did this thread ever get to this point without Slash's name coming up.

Fergie seems to feel the same way as the rest of us! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKRiSs3gaNo

and youth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwnqS7GK5o0

I thought of an entirely underrated guitarist: Neil Giraldo.

**Arpi** · 06-08-2009, 11:28 PM

Originally Posted by JimBow

You've all listed some fine artists. Most of them are my personal favorites. But you all are missing one man, and I can't believe he hasn't even been mentioned in a comparison.

Saul Hudson aka SLASH

AAAAAAAaaaaaaamEN!!!

I was scrolling through the thread getting more and more upset not seeing Slash there. Magnificent guitar player.
I am rock biased so obvious +1 to Jimi Hendrix for the best EVER and Slash IMO for best living.

**Jasonian** · 06-08-2009, 11:57 PM

Originally Posted by wundergussy

Somehow I forgot Glenn Branca.

Also, as far as female players, Kaki King.

I'm glad someone mentioned Kaki King.

Don Ross
Elliott Smith (not chops, but for chord innovation)
Craig D'Andrea
Pino Forastiere
Kelly Valleau
(pretty much the whole gang of virtuoso guitarists from Candyrat Records)

There are too many to mention, and almost none of them are ever on the radio. The music industry has nothing to do with music and everything to do with profit.

**thunderball** · 06-09-2009, 05:27 AM

At the moment it has to be Bob Brozman.

**rm71** · 06-09-2009, 05:51 AM

Originally Posted by stobes21

Jimi Hendrix
Jimmy Page
Stevie Ray Vaughn
BB King
And my hometown fav: Chuck Berry

Great List.

Already memtioned:

Frank Zappa
Eric Clapton
Mark Knoffler
Santana
Duane Allman

Not mentioned:

Robert Cray?

**jazzman** · 06-09-2009, 06:06 AM

I've seen a lot of the greats on this list. Clapton and Zappa, who are as different from each other as could be, stand out as being in a different category of talent. John Martyn was amazing. Jerry Garcia was a great improvisor (when not on auto-pilot from the '80s on). Steve Winwood is better than you may think. Buddy Miller can do everything. If you haven't seen Buddy Guy, go out now! BB King--what can I say? Robbie Robertson deserves some praise. And last, for now, Keith Richards created the sound of rhythm guitar, he is still the best rhythm guitarist, and he can play a mean lead, too.

**The Nid Hog** · 06-09-2009, 06:21 AM

Originally Posted by jazzman

If you haven't seen Buddy Guy, go out now!

+1 to that.

I saw him at a Christmas show in a small venue in Chicago about ten years ago and he was unbelievably good. He played for hours, showing no intention of stopping the performance until finally the management pulled the plug on the stage (why???). Memorable.