Why thanks for defending me
Not in the least am I coming after you, WordMan. You’ve been rather reasonable in the face of my unconventional opinions all along. I thought the quotation in my post made it clear I was coming after Euthanasiast. In particular, my ire was piqued by the excerpt of his post which seemed to imply that I don’t appreciate the EVH song because I’m somehow incapable of listening to it correctly as if my ear or my understanding of the instrument are in some way questionable. Sorry for the confusion. No hostility directed at you. This is just one of those topics that put some people into a “wild dickwaving**” mindset and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get caught up in it too.
As I indicated earlier, I’m perfectly willing to acknowledge an issue of definitions between us. You’ve clearly considered the matter of “great guitar” and your opinions are indeed valid.
And yeah, the “over-forty” remark was patronizing… but I’d like to think I was goaded into it. After all, Vai is 47 and he’s the best guitarist ever!!! 
**What is a guitar if not the coolest phallic object around?
Read this thread with great interest yesterday, where I believe all my guitar heroes been mentioned, and as an van Halen fan in the eighties, I went to youtube to listen to Cathrine, linked to above. But I didn’t, cause I ran the risk of being interrupted. Now I got the time to indulge it with a lager, and put it on to enjoy the experience.
I no snob, believe me, but I can’t remember the last time I heard something so banal.
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.
Okay - we’re cool. I’ll let you and **Euth ** work it out amongst yourselves, but I will say that **Euth ** typically has a pretty thoughtful take on music in general and guitar in particular, so perhaps there was just a bit of a disagreement which got fanned by some of that “wild dickwaving” 
And **GNR Junkie **- starting a thread like this, especially on the SDMB, is an invitation for a lot of informed, thoughtful geeks (I hope you all take that word as the compliment it is meant to be) to offer opinions across a much broader spectrum than perhaps you expected. Chet Atkins is a guitar player’s guitar player - if you are interested in learning a bit about guitar and who influenced players you like, you might enjoy checking out his work…
Thank you for mentioning another on my list of top 5 players. I would have mentioned her, except I was mentioning Carlos. 
I spent some time writing up a critique of debating a ‘best’ list but it was starting to turn into a thesis – so I gave up.
Instead here are the players I find myself going back to for whatever reason, with a brief note why they would not really be considered ‘great’ in absolute terms (as if that was possible).
Jimmy Page, very sloppy.
David Gilmour, seemingly incapable of playing fast.
Pete Townshend, certainly far from the greatest soloist.
Anyone playing for Steely Dan (got nothing on this one, expensive maybe?).
Kimberly Rew, ::cough::Walking on Sunshine::cough::
I feel I ought to be listening to Hendrix, Jeff Beck and SRV but I’m actually more likely to pick up the first B52s record with guitar parts that could be played wearing boxing gloves.
On the Vai debate, I am still in awe of some of what he’s done (The Dangerous Kitchen anyone? Home, from Album?) but having sat through a G3 concert on DVD (thanks bro’), after a while (even for a guitar player who is interested) all the songs seem to blur together, with way too many ending up with the top-of-the-neck both hands on the fretboard 64th note stuff that Frank Zappa called (IIRC) Spoo.
After hearing Steve Vai for tht first time (The Attitude Song I think) I would practised four hours a day and learned to read music. But the reason I first picked up a guitar was:
Chuck Berry
I love lots of the people mentioned and my top 5 changes with what I am currently listening to although the guitarist I have seen live the most is Leo Kottke. But the one guitarist that never drops out of my top 5 regardless of mood is Tonino Baliardo of the Gipsy Kings.
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.
Although if you listen to Live at Leeds, recorded during Pete’s self-described “Hendrix phase,” it’s clear that Townshend was capable of ripping. He was simply smart enough to realize that the last thing the Who needed was another guy noodling around - what they needed was a rock in the middle, holding the fort. It’s the same thing Alex Lifeson knows most of the time.
I do, frequently.
It is acceptable lead playing, but it never seems effortless, maybe even Hendrix would’ve sounded a bit stiff with the string gauges he (Pete) used. I’d like to see Pete play one of Jimmy Page’s guitars, he’d probably break all six strings on the first chord.
Re: Listening to Live at Leeds
No one in that band wanted anything they did to seem effortless. It was blood, sweat, and tears–literally, not musically, speaking–every minute they were on stage. I don’t know how Pete could play night after night, as his hands were ripped up after one show.
Third page and no mention of Steve Hackett? Likely not top 5 or 10 but certainly one of the best and most unique sounds.
Adrian Belew was mentioned but I have to make sure his name appears again. He is simply amazing.
Where is the doper love for Mike McCreedy, one of my favorite people in the world?
Anybody like Robert Randolph?
Yeah, but hasn’t all the squabbling upthread about the Vai/Satriani/Malmsteen school of shredding established that speed is overrated? Gilmour plays with cool mastery. He’s not about fretboard acrobatics; he’s about letting notes ring out–and wringing them out–letting them sing, cry, shudder with fear.
Another of my guitar heroes is Robin Trower–even when he is playing fast, it sounds slow.
Cool, at least there are two of us. 
A lot of you guys talk about Chet Atkins as if he were still alive. I’m afraid he passed away in 2001. You might also be surprised to hear that he considered Jerry Reed to be one of the best guitarists around.
I haven’t seen Jennifer Batten mentioned. She deserves to be listed in this thread.
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.