# 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:** 14\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/81 "2005-04-14T10:55:47Z")
Nancy Wilson (Heart) 2[sup]nd[/sup] for Leo Kottke Jose Feliciano John Williams Joe Pass George Benson ---
**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 15, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/82 "2005-04-15T02:38:51Z")
**Eric Clapton** **Stevie Ray Vaughan** **Jack White** **Robert Johnson** **Eddy Van Halen** **Slash** ---
**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 15, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/83 "2005-04-15T03:39:24Z")
Er, Eddie Van Halen. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/84 "2005-04-15T06:59:04Z")
Lots of seconds and thirds, esp Rorschach, Thurston Moore, Lee Renaldo, and East Bay Ray. I get to add Ry Cooder by name, at least. He was supplying the sounds for the Karate Kid. He did all the guitar work for Beefheart’s Safe as Milk, as well as when you hear the stones do anything in open D, as far as I know. I guess that means that he is more unknown than underrated, but I likes him. I get to add Mike Bloomfield too! Sam beat me by one post with Robert Johnson, everyone else hang your head in shame! ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/85 "2005-04-15T07:00:11Z")
Err, make that two posts, and three hours! ---
**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:** [April 15, 2005, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/86 "2005-04-15T14:33:27Z")
Had to return to this thread after seeing last night’s concert with both **Manuel Barrueco** and **Al Dimeola**. Holy crap! Barrueco is a true master. The two of them playing Piazzola’s “Tango” together was almost more than the senses could comprehend. And the encore piece was Dimeola’s “Mystery”. Terrific concert. ---
**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 15, 2005, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/87 "2005-04-15T15:41:36Z")
I can’t believe I forgot Nuno Bettancourt from Extreme! Even though I don’t listen to that kind of music anymore, the man was a virtuoso and a technical madman who deserves to be mentioned and ranked alongside Eddie Van Halen (but sadly, never is). ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/88 "2005-04-15T15:52:35Z")
I forgot to mention [Cheetah Chrome](http://www.cheetahchrome.net/) . How could I have forgotten to mention Cheetah Chrome :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/89 "2005-04-15T16:03:49Z")
Another vote for Michael Hedges. An incredible, incredible talent and a very nice guy. I met him years ago when he played the old Rockefeller’s here in Houston. We talked guitar playing for about 15 minutes. I’m a guitarist, but I would watch him play and want to go home and hide my guitar in the closet. Also Acoustic Alchemy. When Nick Webb died from cancer, I thought AcAl was gone, but apparently Greg Carmichael has teamed up with another outstanding guitarist, Miles Gilderdale, and has come out with new material and a new album. And don’t forget B. B. King and the amazing Lucille. Tasty jazz there, really tasty. I also like Will Ackerman, founder of Windham Hill records and quite innovative with open tuning experimentation. And I learned to play 12 string guitar because of John Denver’s work on it. And Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac. And Tony Peluso, who was the guitarist for the Carpenters. And…(the list goes on) ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/90 "2005-04-15T16:53:40Z")
the team supreme…Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady (of Jefferson Airplane & Hot Tuna) Larry Klein (guitarist for Joni Mitchell on “Help Me”, among others) and the late Robert Buck of 10,000 Maniacs. Not just a vastly under-rated guitarist, but a real sweetheart of a guy (I met 'im a few times). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/91 "2005-04-15T19:38:48Z")
I haven’t heard him myself but the man who Chuck Berry says inspired him to write “Johnny B. Goode” has to be mentioned in this thread. That would be the recently departed Johnnie Johnson. ---
**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 15, 2005, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/92 "2005-04-15T20:16:30Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > I haven’t heard him myself but the man who Chuck Berry says inspired him to write “Johnny B. Goode” has to be mentioned in this thread. > > That would be the recently departed Johnnie Johnson. Wasn’t Johnnie Johnson a piano player? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/93 "2005-04-15T20:17:12Z")
Mark Knpfler. I really don’t know anything about guitar playing, but Mark Knopfler is ugly and his voice is shot to hell, but I when watches him play the gui-tar I kind of want him to make me his love slave. (live or taped live, not on albums though he’s fine) I can’t explain it except to say he gets a lot out of every note. Strange, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734/94 "2005-04-15T22:03:16Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Wasn’t Johnnie Johnson a piano player? That’s what he’s best known for but from what I’ve heard the man could play pretty much anything - and play it well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-your-favorite-guitarists/291734.md?page=4)