# Great Guitarists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 24, 2007, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500 "2007-04-24T19:50:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/21 "2007-04-24T21:38:20Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > EVH’s most significant innovation was his tap-on technique (sounding notes by “tapping” directly on the fret with the pickhand) That should have said “directly on the fretboard,” not the fret. if you tap directly on the fret, you get shit (unless you’re executing a tap harmonic). ---
**Author:** ![akira5822](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@akira5822](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akira5822)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/22 "2007-04-24T21:40:51Z")
Stevie Ray Vaughn Brian May Jimi Hendrix Kirk Hammett John Doe ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/23 "2007-04-24T21:44:16Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Socks] Sorry, I mean 😃😃😃😃 [/QUOTE] Surely you must have meant…The Edge? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/24 "2007-04-24T21:48:40Z")
[QUOTE=Leviosaurus] Are you sure about that? It sort of sounds a little like Clapton fans who claim he invented string bending (something BB King’s fans also claim he invented.) Lots of old time jazz guitarists used tapping - you can hear it on several of Django’s peices, for example. I don’t recall anyone tapping as much as EVH, but to be fair, the technology for pickups and solid guitars just wasn’t there prior to the 60’s. [/quote] Other players had done it before, but in a limited capacity and not much in rock. Van Halen basically took a little used and little explored technique and completely blew it up in ways that hadn’t been tried before. The gear helped, of course, but those super fast triplets and quadruplets sounded completely new when Van Halen first broke. He really popularized it, was the best at it and was almost synonomous with the technique in the 80s as far as guitarists were concerned. For a few years there, you were nothing as a guitarist if you couldn’t tap. The basic technique is actually very easy to learn, but at it’s most developed (like say, using all ten fingers on the fretboard, almost like a piano) it’s extremely challenging. ---
**Author:** ![Leviosaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Leviosaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leviosaurus)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/25 "2007-04-24T21:54:51Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Other players had done it before, but in a limited capacity and not much in rock. Van Halen basically took a little used and little explored technique and completely blew it up in ways that hadn’t been tried before. The gear helped, of course, but those super fast triplets and quadruplets sounded completely new when Van Halen first broke. He really popularized it, was the best at it and was almost synonomous with the technique in the 80s as far as guitarists were concerned. For a few years there, you were nothing as a guitarist if you couldn’t tap. The basic technique is actually very easy to learn, but at it’s most developed (like say, using all ten fingers on the fretboard, almost like a piano) it’s extremely challenging. [/QUOTE] When you put it that way, I agree with you entirely 🙂 I’d say that his tapping, as revolutionary as it was, is only about 5% of what makes EVH fun to listen to though. Listening to him is like watching a really excellent stunt pilot pull off all kinds of loops and rolls and spins. He has an adolescent’s joy at making fun, loud music while maintaining scientists’ level of precision and an pro athlete’s discipline. He’s just fun. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/26 "2007-04-24T22:04:32Z")
[QUOTE=Leviosaurus] When you put it that way, I agree with you entirely 🙂 I’d say that his tapping, as revolutionary as it was, is only about 5% of what makes EVH fun to listen to though. Listening to him is like watching a really excellent stunt pilot pull off all kinds of loops and rolls and spins. He has an adolescent’s joy at making fun, loud music while maintaining scientists’ level of precision and an pro athlete’s discipline. He’s just fun. [/QUOTE] Oh, I agree completely. The word “athletic” comes to mind when I hear him play. The whammy dives (I didn’t mention his skill with the whammy bar but he was great at that too), the pick slides, the volume swells, his precision with harmonics, his over all agility and his ability to always make it look so effortless, spontaneous and fun. He was The Man for rock guitarists in the 80’s. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/27 "2007-04-24T22:16:24Z")
Rockers: Jimi Hendrix Robin Trower David Gilmour Frank Zappa Robert Fripp Jazzbos: Terje Rypdal John Abercrombie Grant Green Wes Montgomery Sonny Sharrock Folkies: Richard Thompson John Fahey John Renbourn Martin Carthy Joni Mitchell Bluesmen: Buddy Guy Skip James Albert King Mississippi John Hurt B.B. King ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/28 "2007-04-24T22:16:33Z")
I choose not to comment on the rankings - I tend to agree with the other posters who claim them as somewhat pointless - fun to discuss, but you need to really lay out criteria and that can get pretty ambitious… As a guitarist who grew up in the late 70’s, early 80’s I have to completely agree with \*\*Diogenes’ \*\* statements about EVH. You know how fashion completely changed to baggie shorts and shaved heads in the late 80’s early 90’s - and if you trace it back, it starts with Michael Jordan? Well, same thing with guitars - with Eddie, _everybody_ had to build themselves a parts-o-caster with a locking whammy and humbucker at the neck. Everything about Eddie was accepted as gospel - of course you had to do dive-bombs, tapping, octave harmonics. Of course you had to turn your nose at the concept of a Tone control on your guitar. You had to have a classical-style, wide/flat neck profile and Dunlop frets finished _just so_. From a style standpoint, his smile-all-the-time and make it look easy playing, coupled with Diamond Dave’s showmanship gave birth to hair metal. From a guitar choice, technique, features and style standpoint, the discussion started with what Eddie was doing and only moved out from there. That held true until Slash came along and reminded folks what a Les Paul could really sound like (even though he played a replica). Steve Vai and Satriani have never had anywhere near the influence of EVH - not even worth discussing. Jeez, it’s taken me 20 years to unlearn most of that stuff - sure it was wonderful for Eddie - but that’s like saying you need the same car as a NASCAR champion. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/29 "2007-04-24T22:31:14Z")
“Dimebag” Darrell Abbott Carlos Santana Randy Rhodes Loe Kottke I’ve tried to think of a female player, but the best I can come up with is Ani DiFranco. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/30 "2007-04-24T22:34:50Z")
[QUOTE=SiXSwordS] I’ve tried to think of a female player, but the best I can come up with is Ani DiFranco. [/QUOTE] Oh, man, I can’t believe I forgot to include Mimi Fox in my jazz list! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/31 "2007-04-24T22:38:27Z")
Maybe not the best guitarists, but here are my favorites: 1. Brian Setzer 2. Dick Dale 3. Brian May 4. Django Reinhardt 5. Reverend Horton Heat, aka Jim Heath ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/32 "2007-04-24T22:39:21Z")
[QUOTE=SiXSwordS] “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott Carlos Santana Randy Rhodes Loe Kottke I’ve tried to think of a female player, but the best I can come up with is Ani DiFranco. [/QUOTE] I am no guitar afficianado, so mock me if I am wrong about this, but what about Nancy Wilson? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/33 "2007-04-24T22:46:01Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] I am no guitar afficianado, so mock me if I am wrong about this, but what about Nancy Wilson? [/QUOTE] As a rock guitarist, Nancy Wilson looked good in spandex. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/34 "2007-04-24T22:46:26Z")
1.Brian May 2.David Gilmour ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/35 "2007-04-24T22:50:11Z")
1. Don Rich 2. Merle Travis 3. Jeff Beck 4. Neil Young 5. Jimi Hendrix (by some distance) I am amazed that anyone sees Eric Clapton as a guitarist of any kind of worth. To me he is just a second rate plagiarist, outranked by the players he stole all his licks from mm ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/36 "2007-04-24T22:56:53Z")
[QUOTE=Biffy the Elephant Shrew] Jazzbos: Terje Rypdal [/QUOTE] Hmmm…intersting choice. I’ve really only been exposed to him tangentially via a single album, this one: [http://www.jeffgower.com/rypdal/revsugar.html](http://www.jeffgower.com/rypdal/revsugar.html) But I remember being impressed by his playing ( this was back when I was going through a heavy ‘fusion’ phase ). - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![akira5822](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@akira5822](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akira5822)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/37 "2007-04-24T22:58:44Z")
[QUOTE=akira5822] Stevie Ray Vaughn Brian May Jimi Hendrix Kirk Hammett John Doe [/QUOTE] SORRY !!! Not John Doe but Billy Zoom ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/38 "2007-04-24T23:02:05Z")
[QUOTE=SiXSwordS] I’ve tried to think of a female player, but the best I can come up with is Ani DiFranco. [/QUOTE] Poison Ivy Rorschach of the Cramps is an amazing rockabilly/psychobilly/punk guitarist. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/39 "2007-04-24T23:06:15Z")
Jimi Hendrix was said to have called Phil Keaggy of Glassharp and the guy from ZZ Top (then Moving Sidewalks) his favorites on separate occasions- one assumes he was tripping at the time. ---
**Author:** ![guppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7feea3/32.png) [@guppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guppy)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/40 "2007-04-24T23:22:59Z")
My favorites are: Jazz Django Wes Montgomery Charlie Christian [Slim Gallard](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slim_Gaillard) Joe Pass Grant Green Rock Hendrix Jimmy Page Eddie Van Halen Country Merle Travis [Junior Brown](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Brown) Folk/Acoustic Leo Kottke John Fahey [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500.md?page=3)