# Who are your favorite guitarists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 24, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734 "2005-02-24T17:39:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/1 "2005-02-24T17:39:18Z")
Yeah, I know the favorite guitarists thing is done to death, but we haven’t done it here recently as far as I know. Peter Buck from REM. I just **love** the way he played on their early albums. I like the way they built their songs around his jangly riffs. Johnny Marr from The Smiths. He’s great at getting a catchy melody from his guitar. I think he’s actually kind of similar in some ways to Peter Buck, but there’s a major difference in their style that I can’t put my finger on. Mick Ronson. I’ve only really heard his stuff with David Bowie, but he did some excellent riffs. Daniel Ash from Bauhaus/Tones on Tail/Love and Rockets. I’m not a huge fan of the bands he was in, but I appreciate them. He has a very minimalist style, which makes things sound dark and bare. ---
**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:** [February 24, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/2 "2005-02-24T17:45:42Z")
Dick Dale Brian Setzer Django Reinhardt Brian May Slash Wes Montgomery The Reverend Horton Heat (underrated) Stevie Ray Vaughn (even though I don’t really listen to his music anymore) Jimi Hendrix (same thing) Johnny Marr (vastly underrated) Steve Morse Pat Metheny Marc Ribot (from the little I’ve heard from him) Poison Ivy ---
**Author:** ![davmilasav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@davmilasav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davmilasav)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/3 "2005-02-24T17:47:04Z")
**Eric Johnson**. “Cliffs of Dover” still blows my mind. I first saw him on “Austin City Limits” when I was skipping a night class back in college. He blew me away. I ran right out and bought _A Via Musicom_ the next day. **Brian May**. Everything he ever did, be it flat-out rock or delicate acoustic, makes me want to buy a guitar and practice until my fingers bleed. Speaking of which… **George Harrison** Sure Cclapton gets all the press but GH had some fantastic work, too. ---
**Author:** ![Wartime\_Consigliori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9d8465/32.png) [@Wartime\_Consigliori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wartime_Consigliori)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/4 "2005-02-24T17:48:19Z")
**Duane Allman** I concur with the already mentioned Johnny Marr. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/5 "2005-02-24T17:52:14Z")
As the Number One Prince fan, you know I have to come in here and whup your asses for getting to this point without mentioning His Purple Highness. Prince rocks the guitar! ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/6 "2005-02-24T17:55:52Z")
Devin Townsend. There’s a fine line between genius and insanity, and when it comes to the guitar, he’s over the line. ---
**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:** [February 24, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/7 "2005-02-24T17:59:36Z")
Frank Zappa Robert Fripp Jimi Hendrix Wes Montgomery Grant Green Terje Rypdal John Abercrombie Buddy Guy David Gilmour Robin Trower Ralph Towner ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/8 "2005-02-24T18:00:17Z")
Rarely mentioned but deserving of praise: Leo Kottke Stanley Jordan Jordan Charnovsky Wayne Perkins And, of course, my brother Josh. I love him. ---
**Author:** ![TheBoneyKingofNowhere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@TheBoneyKingofNowhere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoneyKingofNowhere)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/9 "2005-02-24T18:01:56Z")
Johnny Greenwood David Gilmour Eddie Van Halen ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/10 "2005-02-24T18:44:10Z")
Not in any particular order: Al Dimeola (before he got religion) Paco de Lucia John McLaughlin Charlie Byrd Stevie Ray Vaughn Keb Mo’ B.B. King ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/11 "2005-02-24T18:46:57Z")
John Renbourn, John Fahey and Doc Watson ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/12 "2005-02-24T18:56:51Z")
Walter Trout. Awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/13 "2005-02-24T19:04:43Z")
Jimi Hendrix Duane Allman Peter Green Jeff Beck Jorma Kaukonen ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/14 "2005-02-24T19:11:00Z")
Another vote for Al Dimeola and Robin Trower. And just to be contrarian I’m going to throw in Ted Nugent and Adres Segovia. Nugent: sure his music is pretty juvenile, but he’s bent a few strings in his day. Segovia: some of the most beautiful playing I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/15 "2005-02-24T20:04:23Z")
Rory Gallagher. ---
**Author:** ![Yamirskoonir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/c0e974/32.png) [@Yamirskoonir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yamirskoonir)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/16 "2005-02-24T20:14:32Z")
Jimmy Page Billy Corgan James Iha Jerry Cantrell Jimi Hendrix ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/17 "2005-02-24T20:15:47Z")
Jerry Garcia playing with the Dead. It’s like Bach. Yeah, there’s lots of noodling around but when he hits it, it’s better than sex. Dominic Miller from Sting’s band. He’s just so tasty. Bert Jansch - beautiful melancholy Brit folk personified. Keith Richards - Too many perfect hard, crunchy riffs to mention Another vote for Gilmour. The progenitor of the epic guitar solo. Pete Townsend - where did this guy come from anyway? Martin Barre - Jethro Tull’s guitarist. ---
**Author:** ![Yamirskoonir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/c0e974/32.png) [@Yamirskoonir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yamirskoonir)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/18 "2005-02-24T20:20:06Z")
Shoot! Left out: James Hetfield Kirk Hammett ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/19 "2005-02-24T20:24:08Z")
18 posts in and not one mention of les paul? there is a reason they named that guitar after him… i would also add alvin lee of ten years after ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/20 "2005-02-24T20:25:07Z")
John Squire, Johnny Marr and Nick McCabe. All underrated. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734.md?page=2)