# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/101 "2007-04-26T02:40:29Z")
Seeing as I brought them up, here ya go: [Chet Atkins](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chet_Atkins) [Doc Watson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Watson) Those who enjoy good guitar work are encouraged to check out [“Neck and Neck”,](http://www.guitar9.com/neckandneck.html) a collaborative album by Atkins and Mark Knopfler. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/102 "2007-04-26T02:53:20Z")
hijack [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvLFuTFJSxw&mode=related&search=](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvLFuTFJSxw&mode=related&search=) In this Les Paul clip, is that familiar tune he is playing written by him or is he doing a cover? Did he write Caravan? ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/103 "2007-04-26T02:55:38Z")
Ok I just looked up Caravan so I know he didn’t write that. ---
**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 26, 2007, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/104 "2007-04-26T03:10:24Z")
I’m pretty sure “Caravan” was written by Duke Ellington. ---
**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 26, 2007, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/105 "2007-04-26T03:26:04Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I’m pretty sure “Caravan” was written by Duke Ellington. [/QUOTE] Mainly if not entirely written by Juan Tizol, but Ellington helpfully relieved him of half the credit. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/106 "2007-04-26T03:37:27Z")
But what about the song in the video, I know its famous and he probably didn’t write but who did and what is it called? ---
**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 26, 2007, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/107 "2007-04-26T03:40:28Z")
[QUOTE=pool] But what about the song in the video, I know its famous and he probably didn’t write but who did and what is it called? [/QUOTE] It’s called “Sleepwalk,” an instrumental made famous by Santo & Johnny, and covered numerous times by the likes of Brian Setzer and Dick Dale (among others). ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/108 "2007-04-26T04:34:54Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Are you serious? [/QUOTE] > [@Euthanasiast](#): > > Wow. > [@WordMan](#): > > :smack: You know, guys, at some point in your lives _you_ didn’t know who Chet Atkins was. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/109 "2007-04-26T09:52:59Z")
[QUOTE=Biffy the Elephant Shrew] Wanna buy some flowers? A pamphlet? A rancid poncho? [/QUOTE] Okay, I will… Is it a real poncho, or a Sears poncho? ---
**Author:** ![Euthanasiast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Euthanasiast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euthanasiast)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/110 "2007-04-26T10:04:22Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Borgia] You know, guys, at some point in your lives _you_ didn’t know who Chet Atkins was. [/QUOTE] Alright, admittedly right up until about my second trimester I was oblivious. ---
**Author:** ![Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@Boo\_Boo\_Foo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boo_Boo_Foo)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/111 "2007-04-26T10:47:21Z")
[QUOTE=Euthanasiast] Alright, admittedly right up until about my second trimester I was oblivious. [/QUOTE] I totally agree. Trying to offer emotional support to a guy who HASN’T heard of Chet Atkins is like trying to respect an up and coming race driver who has never heard of Ayrtton Senna - I mean, come on? And Euthanasiast? Can I just say that you, along with Wordman and Diogenes (all guys I’ve had great music convserations in the past) are right on the money in this thread regarding “technical prowess” over “compositional prowess”. One of the things that a lot of people forget is the old saying, if a tree falls in the forest, does anybody care? The one thing a great guitarist needs above everything else, is the vehicle for their work to be timeless. There’s a shitload of violin virtuosos over the last 200 years who will fade into obscurity - primarily because the “piece” is more important than the muso. Accordingly, the great songs of all time, which feature a wicked bit of guitar playing are ALWAYS going to be more worthy in the final analysis. And that’s why guys like Gilmour, Page, and Hendrix are famous. Seriously, think of the bands the first two in particular had backing them? I mean, seriously, think about what it must have been like to have had Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin turning your songs into master tapes? That’s my particular criteria. Van Halen were a great band too. Really good musos and performers. Throw in excellent songwriting, and there’s your greatness. Id even mention Harrison’s solo on “Something” off “Abbey Road” for that reason. Same deal even with Cobain. Everyone knows he was a hack, but there’s a reason people keep comparing Grohl to Bonham. Grohl made that band, they were going nowhere until he joined and then KABOOM! All the other “technical wizards” are just that. Guys who (deep down) really, really wished that they’d come up with the riff for “It’s Alright Now” by Free. And then, they wish they’d had a band good enough to do the riff justice. That’s why Angus is Angus. Great band. Great Songs. Killer songs you can dance to. And killer riffs. With Angus doing his naughty schoolboy thing when the moment warrrants. Imagine the technical wizards trying to cover an AC/DC song? It ain’t gonna happen. They just don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/112 "2007-04-26T12:01:30Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Borgia] You know, guys, at some point in your lives _you_ didn’t know who Chet Atkins was. [/QUOTE] Larry, of course you’re right - I hope, in the other threads regarding music or guitar (the countless “how do I pick a guitar” type threads that folks like me, **Crotalus, Spectre of Picanthropus, Sleestak, picker, Euth, Small Clanger** and tons of other guitar Dopers try to thoughtfully add to) that I love the thought of more folks taking the time to learn to play and listen to music. In this case, knowing that the OP doesn’t know who Chet Atkins is completely changes my approach to this thread. Arguing the fine points of Vai with \*\*MEME \*\* is completely different to “here are some names of guitar gods and how they fit into the pantheon” and taking the time to review folks like: - Scotty Moore - James Burton - Chet Atkins - Cliff Gallup (Gene Vincent’s first lead player; huge influence on British players like Beck and Clapton, since Vincent was bigger in the UK than the US) And other brilliant players. Sorry if I came across as snippy… ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/113 "2007-04-26T15:15:35Z")
To get back to the OP, and to do a bit of catching up (for anyone keeping count) it will be no surprise when I say: Carlos Santana Carlos Santana Carlos Santana Carlos Santana Carlos Santana And to be sure everyone has got the point: Carlos Santana Carlos Santana Carlos Santana Carlos Santana Carlos Santana I have others that I consider top-notch, but Carlos has only been mentioned once in 3 pages, and that’s a sin. Now he’s been mentioned more than 10 times, and that’s probably about right. ---
**Author:** ![recessiveMeme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@recessiveMeme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/recessiveMeme)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/114 "2007-04-26T15:44:13Z")
[QUOTE=Euthanasiast] You seem too busy watching. You should try listening. …He sounds as if he is just trying too hard to sound as different as possible in an effort to hide the fact that he is doing nothing much… [/QUOTE] Remarkably patronizing. Well played. Though in my opinion, anyone capable of making that second remark would do well to heed the very advice you offered me. I watched, I listened, and I described- rather explicitly, really- what I thought of the “song.” I won’t bother to debate the (lack of) ability of any number of _Van Hagar_ albums to damage my metaphorical teeth, but I will wonder aloud why Paul “Mr. Small” Gilbert gets a pass on being somewhat derivative of EVH and Malmsteen whereas Vai does not. Regarding Gilbert’s ability to be a “better musician”, I suppose that’s entirely subjective. This is the thread where I got to hear about how awesome Johnny Ramone is, so anything is possible in the broad spectrum of perception. Agreed about Yngwie being an asshole-- he did, after all, “unleash the f\*cking fury” on a flight attendant. ---
**Author:** ![recessiveMeme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@recessiveMeme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/recessiveMeme)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/115 "2007-04-26T15:45:19Z")
[QUOTE=GNR JUNKIE] Who is Chet Atkins? [/QUOTE] Naturally, Chet Atkins is an elderly fellow who simply _must_ be shown the proper deference if you’re to have any credibility at all with the “over-forty guitar aficionado” set. 😃 (You are aware that everything important related to the guitar happened between Django and EVH, aren’t you?) Correct me if I’m wrong, but you strike me as a fan of contemporary screamo’ish stuff like Avenged Sevenfold. You may have heard this band being compared favorably to Guns N’ Roses. You may even like Guns N’ Roses. Give Slash’s Snakepit a shot if you haven’t already. Don’t be terribly surprised or question your ability to appreciate music if Chet Atkins doesn’t resonate with you personally. …and I can’t believe I forgot to mention him, but Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree is super. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/116 "2007-04-26T16:20:11Z")
Let me add a few: [Tommy Emmanuel](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX0eTp7SoNU) [Tommy Emmanuel](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lbvSBNLLoo&mode=related&search=) [Tommy Emmanuel](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYzajpeAWuA&mode=related&search=) [Tommy Emmanuel](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxKjg6Yy23Y&mode=related&search=) Oh, and there’s also [Tommy Emmanuel](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ddS8JodqCA&mode=related&search=). ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/117 "2007-04-26T16:49:28Z")
[QUOTE=recessiveMeme] This is the thread where I got to hear about how awesome Johnny Ramone is, so anything is possible in the broad spectrum of perception. [/QUOTE] Umm, are you coming after me? You’re welcome to your definition of great, but you are throwing around words like “patronizing” and such, when you don’t seem to realize that you are coming across that way yourself. I am trying to explain how I define great, why I look to certain guitarists AS great and others not so much. I also make it clear that I accept that this is entirely subjective and you are more than welcome to your opinion. No harm, no foul. > [@](#): > > Naturally, Chet Atkins is an elderly fellow who simply must be shown the proper deference if you’re to have any credibility at all with the “over-forty guitar aficionado” set. (You are aware that everything important related to the guitar happened between Django and EVH, aren’t you?) Wow - talk about patronizing. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/118 "2007-04-26T17:03:02Z")
Where does Lowell George fit in? I heard a rumor that he sat in for an ailing Carlos Santanna and just killed. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/119 "2007-04-26T17:05:18Z")
Tommy Emmanuel slipped my mind. He is quite amazing as a guitarist, but beyond that he does so much more than “play the guitar” - but he does it on the guitar (with some electronic help). Some of his numbers sound like they’re being played by a band with two guitars, a drummer, and a sythesizer. He puts on a mind-blowing performance. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/120 "2007-04-26T17:50:36Z")
His [Christmas album](http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Chet-Atkins/dp/B000002ZDE/ref=sr_1_1/002-9791019-3736866?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1177609721&sr=8-1) is really good. (I didn’t realize he was THAT big, very interesting) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500.md?page=7)