# Worst guitar players **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 29, 2018, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669 "2018-10-29T12:03:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/41 "2018-10-30T14:01:33Z")
**[Moderating]** > [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Well, then. You’d be wrong. I’m sorry you have ears that don’t work. Keep away from Mahler or Coltrane, they’d confuse you more. > > Also, anyone who doesn’t think that Dylan can play the guitar should listen to the early ‘90s solo acoustic albums GOOD AS I BEEN TO YOU (folk) and WORLD GONE WRONG (blues). While clearly subjective, and much more mild than some, “you have ears that don’t work” is still an insult. Do not insult other posters outside of the Pit. ---
**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:** [October 30, 2018, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/42 "2018-10-30T14:10:34Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Paul Simon is a great acoustic guitarist. He doesn’t really belong in a conversation about strummers. Agreed. The last tune I was trying to learn was “Something So Right”, which ultimately required more skill than my old fingers were capable of to play it smoothly. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/43 "2018-10-30T14:53:14Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > There are a million great rock and roll players who are technically terrible. But technical chops are, frankly, overrated. Geddy Lee once said - on the clips for their Exit…Stage Left video something akin to ‘It’s good to have great chops and be able to play all those notes. But in the end it comes down to feel and what you’re bringing to your audience that matters.’ > > Truer words. > > Honestly, I’ve seen Joan Jett up close and personal many times and it’s mostly power chords and raw strength. But would anyone say she’s not great at what she does? This. I really have no idea if Captain Sensible, Dee Radkey, or Nina Diaz are good _technically_, but what they do with their guitars sure does have a strong positive effect on me. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/44 "2018-10-30T15:00:14Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > My vote for the Edge was tongue-in-cheek. Mine wasn’t. I think, as a guitarist, he’s pretty mediocre. But what he does do right is write music that fits the songs they want to play. Like I say about Neil Young - he’s a crappy singer, but he writes songs that fit his voice, so they work. Over the years we’ve all made fun of [cracking voice] _ **Ne-eal** _ [cv]'s singing, but I still like his albums. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/45 "2018-10-30T17:22:13Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Mine wasn’t. I think, as a guitarist, he’s pretty mediocre. But what he does do right is write music that fits the songs they want to play. My nomination was also kinda tongue-in-cheek. Tom Morello is another example, don’t get me wrong, he’s a great guitar player but there times when he’s just playing with some funky effects. > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Like I say about Neil Young - he’s a crappy singer, but he writes songs that fit his voice, so they work. Over the years we’ve all made fun of [cracking voice] _ **Ne-eal** _ [cv]'s singing, but I still like his albums. Neil Young is fantastic guitar player but he is modest. There’s a famous story about the recording of the single “Tears are Not Enough” by Northern Lights (Canadian Band Aid) > [@](#): > > At one point during the recording process, (David) Foster also had Neil Young re-record his line after singing the word “innocence” flat, to which Young famously quipped, “That’s my sound, man.” ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/46 "2018-10-30T17:57:10Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > While clearly subjective, and much more mild than some, “you have ears that don’t work” is still an insult. Do not insult other posters outside of the Pit. Acknowledged. To be honest, I was more nervous about getting cited for the next sentence, a subtle version of “You are a short attention span dumbass.” ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/47 "2018-10-30T18:47:00Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Acknowledged. To be honest, I was more nervous about getting cited for the next sentence, a subtle version of “You are a short attention span dumbass.” I have never met anyone who was a truly passionate music lover, either as simply a devoted aficionado or a professional performer who did not acknowledge (even if grudgingly) what an amazingly talented guitarist Jerry Garcia was, including those who loathed his original Grateful Dead material. Simply put, like him or not, Jerry Garcia was simply a true guitar virtuoso, and by all accounts, a troubled, complex and deeply flawed human being. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/48 "2018-10-30T19:23:43Z")
The guitarist for Twisted Sister on _We’re Not Gonna Take It._ His solo sounds like a pocket radio turned up loud through corroded ear buds. Then, for variety, he overdubs a harmony, or relies on the roadie to play it offstage. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/49 "2018-10-30T19:49:36Z")
John Lennon, one of the most influential musicians of all time, couldn’t play guitar for shit. Ok, he wasn’t that bad - he had those weird rhythm’s mastered - but once he wandered downed the neck, he was god-awful. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2018, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/50 "2018-10-30T21:09:35Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > The guitarist for Twisted Sister on _We’re Not Gonna Take It._ > > His solo sounds like a pocket radio turned up loud through corroded ear buds. Then, for variety, he overdubs a harmony, or relies on the roadie to play it offstage. Yeah, Twisted Sister’s guitar players are not great. That band begins and ends with Dee Snider. If anything, Snider’s work outside of Twisted Sister has been better than Twisted Sister. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/51 "2018-10-31T01:04:44Z")
The worst guitar players I ever heard were whoever Colonel Tom Parker hired to play the guitars on Elvis Presley’s albums. Parker was notorious for been cheap and hired who worked for the least amount of money not how talented they were. Luckily Elvis is a powerful enough singer to overcome the crappy instrumentals on his albums. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/52 "2018-10-31T02:46:25Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Bailey is inevitably dragged out in these threads. What a whiny bore. Not just for this but for all of his material. Tim Minchin fan, huh? [There’s room for both.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWC1tN7AS_o) ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/53 "2018-10-31T02:48:36Z")
I love Bily Idol. I’ve seen him play live a dozen times. That being said, he can’t play guitar for shit. He’ll bring one out and pick it for a bar or two, then seem to forget about it, sling it beind him and keep singing. You’d think that being flanked by Steve Stevens on one side and Billy Morrison on the other, some skills might have rubbed off over the years. Guess not. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryMusic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/49beb7/32.png) [@MysteryMusic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryMusic)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/54 "2018-10-31T02:55:36Z")
Slash. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/55 "2018-10-31T03:05:00Z")
> [@Royal\_Nonesutch](#): > > No one goes to see Bob Dylan, Van Morrison or Paul Simon for their guitar playing, I don’t like Paul Simon, though he is talented and pretty good guitar player. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/56 "2018-10-31T03:58:42Z")
[As a guitarist, Bowie looked great holding one.](https://www.morrisonhotelgallery.com/images/big/BowieEyePatch9.jpg) That said, he knew how to hire 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/57 "2018-10-31T04:17:10Z")
Dave Hill from Slade seems marginal at best. ---
**Author:** ![Plumpudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Plumpudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plumpudding)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/58 "2018-10-31T11:55:41Z")
Hammet, hands down. And of drummers, Larch Ulrich. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/59 "2018-10-31T14:09:53Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > [As a guitarist, Bowie looked great holding one.](https://www.morrisonhotelgallery.com/images/big/BowieEyePatch9.jpg) That said, he knew how to hire 'em. Perfect example is the [Let’s Dance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbD_kBJc_gI) video, playing with white gloves on 😃 when it was really Stevie Ray Vaughn on the studio track. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2018, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669/60 "2018-10-31T14:47:42Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > The worst guitar players I ever heard were whoever Colonel Tom Parker hired to play the guitars on Elvis Presley’s albums. Parker was notorious for been cheap and hired who worked for the least amount of money not how talented they were. Luckily Elvis is a powerful enough singer to overcome the crappy instrumentals on his albums. Wow. Just wow. Now, for taste there’s no accounting, of course. And you’re more than entitled to yours. But, man, that’s the first time I’ve heard anyone disrespect Scotty Moore. He played like a madman. > **[Scotty Moore](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotty_Moore)** > > Winfield Scott Moore III (December 27, 1931 – June 28, 2016) was an American guitarist who formed The Blue Moon Boys in 1954, Elvis Presley's backing band. He was studio and touring guitarist for Presley between 1954 and 1968. > > Rock critic Dave Marsh credits Moore with inventing power chords, on the 1957 Elvis hit "Jailhouse Rock", the intro of which Moore and drummer D.J. Fontana, according to the latter, "copped from a '40s swing version of 'The Anvil Chorus"." Moore was ranked 29th in Rolli... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-guitar-players/823669.md?page=4)