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All-Time Greatest Guitarist


Jeff Matthews

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Probably the only who will say this, but after hearing Garth Brooks twice with just him and his acoustic guitar...beautiful.

Nope. Not even close. Even for country music, Garth Brooks is awful, and as a guitarist? There are some awesome country players. Garth Brooks is not one of them. Try Jerry Reed or Roy Clark.

All-time greatest? What genre? How can you compare Wes Montgomery to Eddie Van Halen? Both are/were friggin' awesome, but it's apples and oranges.

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There is no single greatest guitar player, but the following players make the hall of fame:

Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, Al DiMeola, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Eric Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Mike Stern, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Carlos Santana, Django Rheinhardt, Jerry Garcia, Alex Lifeson, John McLaughlin, Joe Pass, George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, Danny Gatton, Trey Anastasio, Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, Jake E. Lee, Dimebag, Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, Vinnie Moore, Tony MacAlpine, Vernon Reid, Paco De Lucia, Andres Segovia ("THE MASTER!"), J. Mascis, Ritchie Blackmore, George Lynch, Uli Jon Roth, Jerry Reed, Howard Roberts, Pat Metheny, Pat Martino, Rik Emmett, Robben Ford, Tony Iommi, John Scofield, Birelli Lagrene, James Mankey, Michael Schenker, Michael Hedges, John Petrucci, Robert Fripp, Alvin Lee, Steve Howe, Angus Young, Mark Knopfler, Kaki King, Mike Bloomfield, Peter Green, Brian May, KK Downing, Glenn Tipton, Alex Skolnick, Zakk Wylde, Albert King, Roy Buchanon, David Gilmour, Roy Clark, Warren DiMartini, Kevin Eubanks, John Sykes, Vivian Campbell, Joe Perry, Kirk Hammett, Ry Cooder, Lindsey Buckingham, Frank Zappa, etc.

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There is no single greatest guitar player, but the following players make the hall of fame:

Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, Al DiMeola, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Eric Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Mike Stern, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Carlos Santana, Django Rheinhardt, Jerry Garcia, Alex Lifeson, John McLaughlin, Joe Pass, George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, Danny Gatton, Trey Anastasio, Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, Jake E. Lee, Dimebag, Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, Vinnie Moore, Tony MacAlpine, Vernon Reid, Paco De Lucia, Andres Segovia ("THE MASTER!"), J. Mascis, Ritchie Blackmore, George Lynch, Uli Jon Roth, Jerry Reed, Howard Roberts, Pat Metheny, Pat Martino, Rik Emmett, Robben Ford, Tony Iommi, John Scofield, Birelli Lagrene, James Mankey, Michael Schenker, Michael Hedges, John Petrucci, Robert Fripp, Alvin Lee, Steve Howe, Angus Young, Mark Knopfler, Kaki King, Mike Bloomfield, Peter Green, Brian May, KK Downing, Glenn Tipton, Alex Skolnick, Zakk Wylde, Albert King, Roy Buchanon, David Gilmour, Roy Clark, Warren DiMartini, Kevin Eubanks, John Sykes, Vivian Campbell, Joe Perry, Kirk Hammett, Ry Cooder, Lindsey Buckingham, Frank Zappa, etc.

And after listing all of those, you still don't include Steve Morse?

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Risky to say so here, but as in many other things, maybe it takes one to know one? Or not? As a guitarist I think I hear them differently than non guitarists... yet being a musician I think I can tell a thing or two about artists that play other instruments I don't play.

Can a non-musician really judge a musician? But if not, won't any artist's audience be comprised mostly of non-musicians? Clearly they succeed in communicating to all... now I'm wondering what was my point...

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I guess I have to take exception to the question itself.

It is 'ill formed'...meaning greatest (how)? We are judging a role with no qualities even suggested, except that they play 'guitar'...if that is even what being a "guitarist" is... I mean Leo Fender was responsible for more things 'guitar' even if he couldn't play at all! Or Hendrix simply for his impact upon style!

But bottom line, those 'qualifications' to the term 'create' many greatest guitarists.

And I personally find the notion a bit of a waste of time, as I find myself saying , Oh (so and so) is tremendous (with a list of qualifications), as well as (so and so) (with a list of qualifications). And I find it silly to compare say, Leo Kottke on 12 string(slide) with Norman Blake on 6 string with Segovia on nylon classical guitar...just as I would hesitate to compare them with John Lee Hooker or Muddy Waters or Bo Diddley on guitar. (and I dare say the last 3 have have been responsible for a more significant and lasting impact on musical styles, indeed on the entire genre, than most of the individuals many would consider 'great' guitarists. So I am a bit confused by the standard we are supposedly judging...

Its like ice cream... Enjoy the flavor you are in the mood for.

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I am NOT a musician, but I think I know a Good Guitarist when I hear one.....Can a non-musician really judge a musician?.......YES !!!!!!!

Thanks OB, I was waiting fro someone to say it.

I mean, hell, I used to be a professional skateboarder (1982-83) but I didn't carry the attitude that people should glorify me or think I had a monopoly on my talant.

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There is no single greatest guitar player, but the following players make the hall of fame:

Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, Al DiMeola, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Eric Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Mike Stern, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Carlos Santana, Django Rheinhardt, Jerry Garcia, Alex Lifeson, John McLaughlin, Joe Pass, George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, Danny Gatton, Trey Anastasio, Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, Jake E. Lee, Dimebag, Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, Vinnie Moore, Tony MacAlpine, Vernon Reid, Paco De Lucia, Andres Segovia ("THE MASTER!"), J. Mascis, Ritchie Blackmore, George Lynch, Uli Jon Roth, Jerry Reed, Howard Roberts, Pat Metheny, Pat Martino, Rik Emmett, Robben Ford, Tony Iommi, John Scofield, Birelli Lagrene, James Mankey, Michael Schenker, Michael Hedges, John Petrucci, Robert Fripp, Alvin Lee, Steve Howe, Angus Young, Mark Knopfler, Kaki King, Mike Bloomfield, Peter Green, Brian May, KK Downing, Glenn Tipton, Alex Skolnick, Zakk Wylde, Albert King, Roy Buchanon, David Gilmour, Roy Clark, Warren DiMartini, Kevin Eubanks, John Sykes, Vivian Campbell, Joe Perry, Kirk Hammett, Ry Cooder, Lindsey Buckingham, Frank Zappa, etc.

And after listing all of those, you still don't include Steve Morse?

Oops.

Forgot about him, along with Robin Trower, Billy Gibbons, BB King, Dick Dale, Duke Robillard, Jimmie Vaughan, Steve Lukather, Larry Carlton, Albert Collins, Allan Holdsworth, Bill Frisell, Steve Hackett, Arlen Roth, Charlie Hunter, Stanley Jordan, Duane Eddy, Les Paul, Chet Atkins, James Burton, Steve Cropper, Vito Bratta, Reb Beach, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Joe Walsh, Tommy Bolin, Adrian Vandenburg, The Great Kat, Matthias Jabs, and whoever else I forgot to add.

Notice I did not add Slash...because he is NOT a great guitarist (but was in a great band).

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here it is

1Jimi Hendrix
2 Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band
3 B.B. King
4 Eric Clapton
5 Robert Johnson
6 Chuck Berry
7 Stevie Ray Vaughan
8 Ry Cooder
9 Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin
10 Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones
11Kirk Hammett of Metallica
12 Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
13 Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead
14 Jeff Beck
15 Carlos Santana
16 Johnny Ramone of the Ramones
17 Jack White of the White Stripes
18 John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
19 Richard Thompson
20 James Burton
21 George Harrison
22 Mike Bloomfield
23 Warren Haynes
24 The Edge of U2
25 Freddy King
26 Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave
27 Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits
28 Stephen Stills
29 Ron Asheton of the Stooges
30 Buddy Guy
31 Dick Dale
32 John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service
33 & 34 Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth
35 John Fahey
36 Steve Cropper of Booker T. and the MG's
37 Bo Diddley
38 Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac
39 Brian May of Queen
40 John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival
41 Clarence White of the Byrds
42 Robert Fripp of King Crimson
43 Eddie Hazel of Funkadelic
44 Scotty Moore
45 Frank Zappa
46 Les Paul
47 T-Bone Walker
48 Joe Perry of Aerosmith
49 John McLaughlin
50 Pete Townshend
51 Paul Kossoff of Free
52 Lou Reed
53 Mickey Baker
54 Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane
55 Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple
56 Tom Verlaine of Television
57 Roy Buchanan
58 Dickey Betts
59 & 60 Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien of Radiohead
61 Ike Turner
62 Zoot Horn Rollo of the Magic Band
63 Danny Gatton
64 Mick Ronson
65 Hubert Sumlin
66 Vernon Reid of Living Colour
67 Link Wray
68 Jerry Miller of Moby Grape
69 Steve Howe of Yes
70 Eddie Van Halen
71 Lightnin' Hopkins
72 Joni Mitchell
73 Trey Anastasio of Phish
74 Johnny Winter
75 Adam Jones of Tool
76 Ali Farka Toure
77 Henry Vestine of Canned Heat
78 Robbie Robertson of the Band
79 Cliff Gallup of the Blue Caps (1997)
80 Robert Quine of the Voidoids
81 Derek Trucks
82 David Gilmour of Pink Floyd
83 Neil Young
84 Eddie Cochran
85 Randy Rhoads
86 Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath
87 Joan Jett
88 Dave Davies of the Kinks
89 D. Boon of the Minutemen
90 Glen Buxton of Alice Cooper
91 Robby Krieger of the Doors
92 & 93 Fred "Sonic" Smith, Wayne Kramer of the MC5
94 Bert Jansch
95 Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine
96 Angus Young of AC/DC
97 Robert Randolph
98 Leigh Stephens of Blue Cheer
99 Greg Ginn of Black Flag
100 Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

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Yes Ear, if you jump over to Right This Minute OB and I have been banging with Jeff for the past couple days or was that decades again[:o] My Company shut us down on YouTube[:(]

So many good ones but I must defer to what Neal Schon said on the Crossroads DVD "There's a lot of expresion in that instrument when somebody knows how to touch it right"[;)]

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