# Who's the fastest guitar player? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 27, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782 "2005-05-27T17:26:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/1 "2005-05-27T17:26:44Z")
Yea, I know fast ≠ quality. Countless heavy metal bands proved that. None-the-less, who is/was the fastest professional guitar layer? ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/2 "2005-05-27T17:31:15Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > who is/was the fastest professional guitar **layer**? \ ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/3 "2005-05-27T17:40:55Z")
I’ll go with Alvin Lee. “I’m going home.” ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/4 "2005-05-27T17:45:40Z")
The Romeros (especially Pepe) are astonishing. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/5 "2005-05-27T17:47:55Z")
Devin Townsend and Kirk Hammett have to be up there. The problem is, though, that once you get beyond a certain speed, it all sounds pretty much the same. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/6 "2005-05-27T17:53:09Z")
Jimi Hendrix. Both playing and laying. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/7 "2005-05-27T17:59:26Z")
On a good day, Al Di Meola. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/8 "2005-05-27T18:04:39Z")
Dave Mustaine (even after the wrist injury.) ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/9 "2005-05-27T18:48:12Z")
Some Al Di Meola has got to be the fastest stuff I’ve ever heard. Yngwie Malmsteen is faster than Hammett isn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/10 "2005-05-27T18:57:53Z")
Joe Satriani can burn 'em up pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/11 "2005-05-27T19:12:42Z")
Malmsteen is pretty damn fast but he has no style. I’ll go with James Petrucci (Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment, G3, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/12 "2005-05-27T19:34:42Z")
I’ll stick in a couple of unconventional nominees: Alex de Grassi and Leo Kottke. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/13 "2005-05-27T19:48:38Z")
Jeff Loomis of [Nevermore](http://www.centurymedia.net/bands/Nevermore.htm) can shred with the best of them. ---
**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:** [May 27, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/14 "2005-05-27T19:50:13Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > On a good day, Al Di Meola. Bingo. ---
**Author:** ![Euthanasiast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Euthanasiast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euthanasiast)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/15 "2005-05-27T20:13:07Z")
If I were bringing speedy shredders to this gig and had my pick of the litter it would obviously include the following three: Michael Angelo (NITRO) Vinnie Vincent (Vinnie Vincent Invasion) Paul Gilbert (Racer X, Mr. Big) I think I could safely say that any of these three are capable of the fretboard speed record if guiness had an entry. ---
**Author:** ![Euthanasiast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Euthanasiast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euthanasiast)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/16 "2005-05-27T20:14:34Z")
Or if _Guinness_ did, for that matter. :smack: ---
**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:** [May 27, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/17 "2005-05-27T20:15:47Z")
Would Steve Vai, Nuno Bettancourt, or Eddie Van Halen qualify with the others mentioned? And what about Dick Dale or Jim Heath (aka The Reverend Horton Heat)? ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/18 "2005-05-27T20:17:31Z")
The late, great Johnny Ramone? ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/19 "2005-05-27T20:20:15Z")
German Schauss, a guy who studied under both Malmsteen and Joe Stump, would get my vote. I don’t feel much emotional connection to his stuff, but I marvel at his technical ability. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782/20 "2005-05-27T20:31:27Z")
As a guitarist, my personal opinion on this is a resounding “who cares?” But, past a certain point, who can tell? Of the players I see listed, many are in the “fast beyond the point of being able to measure” category. There are superfast players in many genres - some bluegrass players are MONSTERS of speed and do it super clean. Mark O’Connor won a ton of guitar awards in bluegrass competitions before he made a commitment to fiddle. Django Reinhardt was superfast John Scofield is known for speed. A number of classical guitarists are monsters; let’s not even begin on flamenco guitarists, e.g., Paco de Lucia. Again - there are a ton superfast guitarists out there. Choosing among them starts to be more like “who can paint the fastest masterpiece?” - i.e., not really the point of the art… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-fastest-guitar-player/305782.md?page=2)