Favorite Guitarist

[Lemur]

Splitting off a little from the Favorite Band thread, since there was a lively discussion of guitarists going on -- who's your favorite guitarist of all time? Don't even bother trying to argue who's "best." That way madness lies.

My all-time jaw-droppingly amazing guitar hero is Django Reinhardt, the hot jazz guitarist. Nobody, but nobody could play like that man. Wanna see for yourself? Check out this video. Note that he can only use two fingers of his fret hand. His pinky and ring finger were damaged in a fire, so he did everything with just his index and middle fingers. Amazing. To this day, nobody can play like that.

[Ianofsmeg16]

David Gilmour, not the best, but he plays comfortably numb

[Togakure]

Jeff Beck's favorite guitar player: Jan Hammer.

[Scurvy]

steve vai, hes the only one i'v ever heard of...

[Big_John]

frank zappa is the greatest guitarist ever to live.

[Craterus]

Greatest guitarist of all time?

I couldn't choose between Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. Throw in Clapton too..

[JimBob]

Béla Fleck, wait that's jazz banjo.

Guitar would be Vai or Pettrucci

[JAG]

Dave Murray.

[Reverend Joe]

I'll second Hendrix, but I think two guitarists who are deserving of some fame they never really got are John Fogerty (who was absolutely amazing at solos- just listen to him live if you don't believe me) and Robert Johnson, the all-too-forgotten blues guitarist who has inspired generations of other guitarists.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Jeff Beck's favorite guitar player: Jan Hammer

Hammer is a keyboard player

Style wise I like Clapton. The stuff with Cream in particular.

[Reenk Roink]

Well to start, we have the geniuses behind the towering spiral of guitars that is Pearl Jam...

The Riffmeister Stone:



The Mike McCready:



And of course, the greatest guitarist EVAR...(who just happened to be 20 years after Hendrix and so will have to settle with second greatest) Stevie Ray Vaughan:

[Byzantine Prince]

ZimZum

[Quietus]

Ernest Ranglin!!

Tribute to a Legend (Marley) album.


Next favorite is John Kpiaye.

Then Earl Chinna Smith.

others:
Rock: Jimi Hendrix hands down.
Funk: Nile Rodgers.

[Reverend Joe]

And of course, the greatest guitarist EVAR...(who just happened to be 20 years after Hendrix and so will have to settle with second greatest) Stevie Ray Vaughan:

Actually, Stevie Ray got a lot of his style from Hendrix, if I'm not mistaken. Which I could be.

But I did completely forget about Stevie Ray Vaughan. Thanks for reminding me.

[Reenk Roink]

True, Hendrix's influence was important to SRV...that's why he's second...

[Sjakihata]

Clapton

[doc_bean]

Hendrix

[Axeknight]

At the moment (changes all the time) its the Man in Black with the Marshall Stack, the king of thermonuclear riffing Ritchie Blackmore.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Metallica's very own Kirk Hammett

(Deleted hotlink pic - Beirut)

[Samurai Waki]

I'm Surprised no one has mentioned Les Paul or Joe Satriani.

I'll take Joe Satriani as my favorite guitarist.

(Deleted hotlink pic - Beirut)

[Kanamori]

The Guitar god, John Petrucci.

[Togakure]

Hammer is a keyboard player

Style wise I like Clapton. The stuff with Cream in particular.

Lol, that's the second time you've said that when I've said that, Gawaine my friend.

In an interview with Beck, he was asked who his favorite guitar player was. He winked and said "Jan Hammer." Jan is definitely a keyboard player (though he plays a bit of guitar too), but as you probably know, he's famous for his ability to emulate electric guitar solos (not just the sound and programming tricks, but the actual method of playing like a guitarist plays). Jan is one of my favorite keyboardists, and being a keyboardist myself who loves to emulate electric guitar solos, I answer this question this way just to see who cares or is paying attention.

[matteus the inbred]

Peter Green (as in Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac)
Jimi (God)
Daniel Lanois (and, consequently, The Edge)
Mark Knopfler (early stuff)

[Craterus]

I found a list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists according to Rolling Stone. Feel free to pick it apart:

Link.

[Kanamori]

Good find.

[Craterus]

I found another top 100 list.

That site (digitaldreamdoor) also do top 100 rock drummers, top 100 male vocalists and other lists I believe.

My top 3 are the top 3 of this list,

[Kanamori]

I can see that this new list is much better. Petrucci did not make the other list, but at least he got nearer to his proper place when he got eleventh. And king of the '90's.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

but as you probably know, he's famous for his ability to emulate electric guitar solos (not just the sound and programming tricks, but the actual method of playing like a guitarist plays)

Well I see you kmow what your talking about, His version of Purple Haze is truly amazing. You would swear hes playing the guitar. I thought maybe he had you fooled.

PS
I saw Beck with Hammer on the Wired ,Blow by Blow tour. These guys are like connected at the hip. The way they trade licks back and forth. I dont think Beck really means Hammer is the best guitarist but that they work so well together.

To me fusion guitarists are the cream of the crop, Beck, John McLaughlin, Steve Vai, Zappa, Santana and Al Dimeola to name a few.

[English assassin]

Page.

[Ianofsmeg16]

Carlos Santana rules, to the max!