# 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:** 8
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/141 "2007-04-28T11:11:34Z")
[QUOTE=DfrntBreign] **Jeff “Skunk” Baxter Rick Derringer Hugh McCracken Dean Parks Larry Carlton Lee Ritenour Steve Khan Mark Knopfler** …to name a few Yeah, those guys suck. [/QUOTE] I think some of you have got the wrong end of the stick here. I listed my _favourite_ guitarists and noted their flaws, I really do listen to Ricky Wilson more than Steve Vai. I revisit Animals way more often than Surfing with the Alien. A list of who I think were the greatest guitarists doesn’t match up at all with my favourites, Segovia Django Reinhardt Charlie Christian Jimi Hendrix And Paganini played guitar too and I bet he didn’t suck. ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/142 "2007-04-28T11:45:36Z")
Three pages,no mention of Allan Holdsworth? EVH seems to rate highly in this discussion…I seem to recall Edward considers Holdsworth the “guitarists’ guitarist”. Many axeman were copping his techniques after he got fairly wide exposure playing sideman to Luminaries. A unique contribution to guitar vocabulary. Prior to his Synth-ax days all effects were derived from a guitar and amp,no pedals or boxes. He is adept at many musical styles,and a fine acoustic player too. ---
**Author:** ![GNR\_JUNKIE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e480ec/32.png) [@GNR\_JUNKIE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GNR_JUNKIE)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/143 "2007-04-28T21:08:38Z")
[QUOTE=kelly5078] Yeah. Ain’t it great? True, but the world’s greatest rhythm guitarist. Odd band, The Who, where the guitarist holds down the rhythm while the drummer and bassist go all over the place. As for Chet Atkins, yeah, he’s a superb techician, but his stuff sounds like elevator music to me. [/QUOTE] yea i listened to it its some kind of honkey tonk crap ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/144 "2007-04-28T21:12:56Z")
Chet was a superb guitar player, but a wretched producer/arranger. He almost single-handedly turned Nashville into the epicenter of milquetoast country that it has been since the '50s. But all honky tonk is crap? I must have wandered into Harmony Central by mistake. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/145 "2007-04-28T22:10:22Z")
[QUOTE=Subterraneanus] But all honky tonk is crap? I must have wandered into Harmony Central by mistake. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] No, I think Harmony Central wandered in here. :rolleyes: Sincerely, **OneCentStamp** , whose Harmony Central alter ego had over 8000 posts before he decided to leave that nuthouse forever. ---
**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/146 "2007-04-28T22:34:12Z")
[QUOTE=Carson O’Genic] He is adept at many musical styles,and a fine acoustic player too. [/QUOTE] Oh well if we are talking acoustic then - [Laurence Juber - Layla](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hxlu_jEd5A) [Preston Reed - Ladies Night](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=356ViUx1Ktc) [Muriel Anderson - Old Joe Clark](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUsK5VYz91o) [Peppino D’Agostino - Why Not](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brmG6f2BMyw) [Tim Sparks - Mississippi Blues](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTXah51r55g) ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/147 "2007-04-28T22:50:32Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] No, I think Harmony Central wandered in here. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Euthanasiast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Euthanasiast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euthanasiast)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2007, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/148 "2007-04-29T00:59:12Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I agree that it’s a little bit aimless and lacks the energy of his best work – honestly, it looks like he was kind of drunk and mailing it in – but it’s still pretty damn good for porno music. [/QUOTE] I think that is the point I was actually trying to make, that although it wasn’t his best by a long shot, there was still more feeling than nearly anything I have seen from Vai. > [@RecessiveMeme](#): > > … 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. Paul Gilbert gets a pass because, as I have stated, he can play all the fretboard fury that all of the EVH/Malsteen derivatives can, and he also plays with _feeling_, and was simply one example out of many that I thought of in regards to said ability. It’s not my intention to attempt to belittle you, though I admit that my post could have easily been read that way. I just don’t believe that there is much to debate in comparing Vai to Halen. Vai certainly has contributed greatly to us over his career, but I simply cannot see him as making any contributions that actually changed the way we see the instrument. There are quite a few musicians out there that have. I don’t think Vai is one of them, that’s all I meant. And Bonnie Raitt is probably one of the top five slide players in the world. Can’t believe I forgot about her, actually. And yes, also, Tommy Emmanuel is an awesome acoustic performer. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Gaucho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ea5d25/32.png) [@El\_Gaucho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Gaucho)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2007, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/149 "2007-04-29T04:09:58Z")
[QUOTE=Carson O’Genic] Three pages,no mention of Allan Holdsworth? EVH seems to rate highly in this discussion…I seem to recall Edward considers Holdsworth the “guitarists’ guitarist”. Many axeman were copping his techniques after he got fairly wide exposure playing sideman to Luminaries. A unique contribution to guitar vocabulary. Prior to his Synth-ax days all effects were derived from a guitar and amp,no pedals or boxes. He is adept at many musical styles,and a fine acoustic player too. [/QUOTE] Well done, I was wondering when someone would mention him. He’s great. He surely influenced EVH. Here are few of my favorites: Jimmy Raney Jim Hall Bill Frisel Rodney Jones ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/150 "2008-10-25T14:33:20Z")
Hello, Bonnie Raitt, slide player…ever heard of Mr Ry Cooder? John McLaughlin Steve Vai Hendrix Iommi Satriani Malmsteen SRV ---
**Author:** ![criminey.jicket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@criminey.jicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/criminey.jicket)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/151 "2008-10-25T14:39:24Z")
> [@GNR\_JUNKIE](#): > > Who is Chet Atkins? ::head asplodes:: ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/152 "2008-10-25T14:50:03Z")
I’ll add Lowell George for consideration. ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/153 "2008-10-25T15:34:18Z")
I’m not the greatest fan of electric blues-rock (people like **Stevie Ray** and **Van Halen** often leave me as cold as Satriani and co. do), but I will second **Mark Knopfler** as just having an exquisite feel for making the guitar sing. I probably remember more of his licks than anyone else’s, and a great deal of that probably comes from his economy- the man doesn’t waste many notes. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/154 "2008-10-25T15:48:17Z")
Hey, I actually remember this zombie! [HJO]I see dead threads![/HJO] ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/155 "2008-10-25T15:59:46Z")
> [@Windwalker](#): > > but I will second **Mark Knopfler** as just having an exquisite feel for making the guitar sing. I probably remember more of his licks than anyone else’s, and a great deal of that probably comes from his economy- the man doesn’t waste many notes. I agree with this, he has a mastery of the instrument and doesn’t need to dazzle with reckless and dull virtuosity. Same with David Gilmour I reckon. Of course, both actually are virtuosos. A favourite of mine is Neil Young. Sometimes he just goes off into his own little world when he plays electric and it’s great, and sometimes when he plays acoustic he just gets it _so right_. I don’t know the technical term, but there’s a bit on Old Man where he just changes whatever he’s picking away at that is perfect, utterly perfect. I’ll second Kevin Shields, but he’s basically trying to wrangle noises from a guitar that don’t sound anything like a guitar. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/156 "2008-10-25T16:38:06Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > Hey, I actually remember this zombie! > > [HJO]I see dead threads![/HJO] Sorry. I missed it back in the day and did a search for “guitarists” and I saw this, and…well…you know…gave it the Dr Frankenstein treatment… ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/157 "2008-10-25T16:52:15Z")
I searched this zombie and was glad to see Richard Thompson and Robert Fripp, but I am disappointed to not see “Mother” Maybelle Carter. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/158 "2008-10-25T19:27:40Z")
I’m amazed at the very few mentions of Dimebag Darrell in this thread. Just goes to show that metal guitar never has and never will be truly appreciated by the general populace. I’ll bet that if you ask 100 rock guitarists under the age of 40 who their influences were 80% of them will name DD in the first 5 names they mention. Over 40 most people don’t even recognize the name as a guitar player. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/159 "2008-10-25T20:09:08Z")
Geez, a guitar thread and I totally missed posting in the first 5 pages. How’d that happen? Also, how did we get this far with no love for Steve Morse? Or Randy Rhoads? Or Al DiMeola who inspired a ton of shred guys? Anyway, on to the Steve Vai/Eddie Van Halen argument. I am not a huge fan of either but they are both great guitarists. Out of the two Vai gets my vote due to his body of work. I just like Vai better. Yeah, Eddie found his shtick with tapping and inspired a ton of players. He deserves tons of respect for that, but most of his stuff leaves me feeling a bit bored. It was impressive the first couple times I heard it but his playing soon started feeling really repetitive to me. Van Halen was truly innovative when he first came on the scene but after the initial glow wore off it became ‘Meh, he’s done that before’. Note, he is great at writing catchy tunes\*. Through out any thread on the ‘greatest guitarist’ there always seem to be a technique vs. feel argument that bothers me quite a bit. There are tons of players who are great guitarists, like Van Halen, who just don’t reach me. The fact that I don’t get his playing doesn’t make him a less of a guitarist, it just means that I don’t get his feeling. This issue is usually aimed at Yngwie, though it doesn’t help that Yngwie is a complete ass. There are certain players who, for whatever reason, I don’t get. Van Halen falls into this category. The fact that I don’t get it isn’t a reflection on Van Halen’s talents. Just for the hell of it, [Linky](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUwO9xkyDnA&feature=related) Steve is the Man. Slee - It seems as though the two handed tapping technique has largely disappeared. It used to be that you couldn’t consider yourself a shredder unless you could do some fancy Van Halen tapping, which was a bummer back then 'cause I never really worked on it. These days I rarely hear the technique used and when it is used it is usually a small section of a solo. Though, I do still occasionally hear someone in guitar stores rip out part of ‘Eruption’. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500/160 "2008-10-25T22:20:13Z")
I like Tumeni Notes quite a bit too. Oh and Eric Johnson, let’s not forget him either. Great tone. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-guitarists/401500.md?page=9)