Oh no, I don’t want to do that at all. I’m not that territorial about “my” guitarists!
I could easily Youtube those guys, but since you have more experience with them I figured I’d let you select the particular pieces for me to see.
Yeah, sorry about that. I’m feeling a mite bitchy today. No offense intended.
OK, so:
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QATIHWbN-sM"]Django Reinhardt](YouTube). Keep two things in mind: 1) until he toured with Duke Ellington (as in this piece), he’d never played electric guitar before. He’s much better known as an acoustic guitarist. 2) He lost the use of the last two fingers on his left hand in a fire. He could still use them to a limited extent playing chordal pieces, but his solos were done 100% with two fingers.
Keep #2 in mind as you listen to this, a nice little compilation of 5 of his solos.
Here are Jerry Reed (insane guitarist in his own right) and Chet Atkins dicking around onstage. Chet could do anything, and play it clean as a whistle. Note the sweep picking at 1:15, which the metal kids would love to believe they mastered.
This is Joe Maphis tearing the shit out of several instruments in the same song. Incredible musician.
Here is Merle Travis doing “Cannonball Rag”. Note the triplet structures he does, along with self-accompaniment. That’s some technique, right there. That guy could do anything on guitar.
In particular, I think those country-jazz (as I call 'em) guitarists were probably among the most technically proficient players there ever were. Jazz arrangements, fast picking, even sweeps, taps, etc. And they played almost all of it clean, without any distortion to fall back on. You hit a plinky note clean, and it falls flat. You pile on the distortion, and you’ll get some kind of harmonic, which is likely to at least fill in the space, if not sound exactly right. Now, I think it can be taken too far. Chet Atkins, in his later years, sucked all the soul out of his playing. It was technically PERFECT, but it was elevator music.
I never realized that the Snowman was capable of such a geetar Convoy!
Seriously, that due of Reed and Atkins is pretty sick. I’m thinking that our differences come from the use of distortion.
You cannot argue against the feel in the first 1:40 of this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw74sDWPH7U
the rest is Vai gravy.
Yep, Jerry was a beast. I don’t think distortion is our difference, really. I just happened to have concentrated on a lot of clean and acoustic guitar in that post.
I suspect we’re going to have to agree to disagree on Vai. I watched the vid you posted, and almost everything about it I found nauseating. 
Cool. What in particular about it did you find nauseating? I’m assuming you watched at least a portion of the “Tender Surrender” video I just put up.
I mean, I’m all for jamming and wankery. That Atkins and Reed video was nothing but, except in a more countrified style. What makes you hate the Vai performance so much?
There are also guitarists who doon’t necessarily have dazzling speed or techno-chops, but who nonetheless always seem to have total command, in that they always seem to be saying exactly what they want to say.
Eric Clapton, for instance, or David Gilmore. The latter is certainly no Vai or Yngwie in terms of technique, but damned if I can ever hear a way in which his solos can be improved. Just tasty, tasty stuff that always sounds effortless.
OK, I’ve now watched all your videos and I submit that you are OLD and cannot handle the screeching sounds of modern guitar!
Unless its chicken picking, of course…
I completely agree about Gilmour. He’s one of my favorites. He’s awesome in every way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntm1YfehK7U
Not sure, really. I told you I’ve never really understood my reaction to the style. I suppose it may be related to my objections to Atkins’s later stuff, though. At its heart, Vai’s music seems too slick. Too polished. Too perfect. For all of its distortion and rock sound, there’s absolutely no edge to it. It’s like drowning in a river of syrup.
And besides, “Tender Surrender” is a goddamn stupid name.
And I PLAY modern guitar. I was in a Middle Eastern shoegaze noise band until about 6 months ago. I played punk rock and metal for years. I’m now the lead guitarist for a thoroughly rock n’ roll originals band. I assure you, I have no problems with screechy, loud guitar.
I am stuck in meetings so can’t contribute. Pesky work :mad:.
**Ogre **- no surprise, I appreciate your thinking and and your choices of who to recommend…
I really like that phrase “Drowning in a river of syrup”!
And you’re right…“Tender Surrender” is a pretty lame name for a rock song!
OK, you just don’t like that style I guess. I really liked the videos you put up, though.
And I retract the “you’re old” accusation!
Let us know when you can come out and play, Wordman!
Oh yeah, Ogre: what in the world is a “Middle Eastern shoegaze noise band” anyway?
If I may, I humbly submit Danny Gatton.
^ Wow. Made me think of ren and stimpy.
This discussion should include Adrian Belew (link)
And Robert Fripp for that matter. 
Yes, I, too, am intrigued, being a fan of shoegaze bands myself. Is this shoegaze with Middle Eastern influences? Any sound samples out there?
Recently they have been showing an ad on TV for Sydney radio station MMM. It features Slash playing their theme. I had never been a fan of his band and thought he was just loud and flashy but, on seeing this, couldn’t believe the technique that he has. Look at the economy of motion: MMM Ad. I will have to check out more of him.