Greatest Guitarist

Michael Angelo from Nitro

Stender wrote:

The one I would pick as best isnt on the list, but out of the "list" I would say either Randy Rhoads or Yngwie Malmsteen.

My original choice would be Phil Keaggy. Co'mon even Hendrix said so when asked.

The Hendrix comment on Phil Keaggy is a rumor. Never once seen that rumor substantiated by any sort of source of this quote.

However, Phil Keaggy is a great guitarist.

stepcousin wrote:

Steve vai
Paul Gilbert
Vinnie Moore
Tony Macalpine
George Bellas (this guy is amazing)

Ohm y friggin' God you're right man. Currently, I'm listening to George Bellas on Youtube right now and oh my God. I don't even think Yngwie can do some of the crazy crap he's doin'. GO TO YOUTUBE RIGHT NOW! YOU WILL BE AMAZED!

Suprised no one mentioned Clapton or Beck, two of the forefathers of heavy metal.

I voted Rhoads..............Mustaine would be my second choice from that list.

TrogDawn wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

Stender wrote:

My original choice would be Phil Keaggy. Co'mon even Hendrix said so when asked.

The Hendrix comment on Phil Keaggy is a rumor. Never once seen that rumor substantiated by any sort of source of this quote.

However, Phil Keaggy is a great guitarist.

Yeah, I heard that Hendrix mentioned Phil as being a "good guitarist" in some interview or something, but it was nowhere even close to the glowing praise that people have turned it into.

Didn't he (Hendrix) say the same thing about Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top? I seem to recall a rumor that Hendrix was a big fan of Billy in his pre-ZZ Top band, the Moving Sidewalks.

ultmetal wrote:

spectrefate wrote:

I've never understood why people thought Stevie was so great. He's obviously a talented blues player, but he's not innovative in the least. He's really not all that technical. He does play with feeling, but he's really not doing anything that guys like Hendrix, Uli Roth, Frank Marino and Robin Trower have been doing for years. It's my opinion that he is THE most overrated guitarist ever.

Oh, and if I hear one more person say he plays Hendrix better than Hendrix...

being a guitar player i find it more difficult to play SRV then Hendrix by a mile. I have been playing guitar for almost 14 years now and SRV's licks are a lot more difficult then anything Hendrix has put out. When it comes to blues IMO SRV blows Hendrix away. I will give Hendrix the nod when it comes to chord progressions and innovation, he has some of the most beautiful slow blues and rock songs ever.

MetalRob331 wrote:

being a guitar player i find it more difficult to play SRV then Hendrix by a mile. I have been playing guitar for almost 14 years now and SRV's licks are a lot more difficult then anything Hendrix has put out. When it comes to blues IMO SRV blows Hendrix away. I will give Hendrix the nod when it comes to chord progressions and innovation, he has some of the most beautiful slow blues and rock songs ever.

Thank you, Rob.

To appreciate SRV you have to hear him on a live recording or watch a DVD of him. The soul oozes out of him. I've never seen someone play with more emotion. His studio recordings kinda make his music sound one dimensional, IMO.

He's a good guitar player, don't misunderstand me, I just don't think he is the awe-inspiring guitar god people make him out to be. I'd still put guys like Hendrix, Gary Moore, Uli Roth, Frank Marino and Robin Trower over him.

If you want to see someone play with "soul", watch a Uli Roth performance or check out Frank Marino's REALive CD.

spectrefate wrote:

MetalRob331 wrote:

being a guitar player i find it more difficult to play SRV then Hendrix by a mile. I have been playing guitar for almost 14 years now and SRV's licks are a lot more difficult then anything Hendrix has put out. When it comes to blues IMO SRV blows Hendrix away. I will give Hendrix the nod when it comes to chord progressions and innovation, he has some of the most beautiful slow blues and rock songs ever.

Thank you, Rob.

To appreciate SRV you have to hear him on a live recording or watch a DVD of him. The soul oozes out of him. I've never seen someone play with more emotion. His studio recordings kinda make his music sound one dimensional, IMO.

I'll second that. I'm not a big fan of live albums, with some exceptions of course, but SRV live is about the most beautiful music I've ever heard. Even at his coked-up sloppy worst, the man was dripping with soul and emotion.

ultmetal wrote:

He's a good guitar player, don't misunderstand me, I just don't think he is the awe-inspiring guitar god people make him out to be. I'd still put guys like Hendrix, Gary Moore, Uli Roth, Frank Marino and Robin Trower over him.

If you want to see someone play with "soul", watch a Uli Roth performance or check out Frank Marino's REALive CD.

Roth is a genius on guitar. I think Trower and Marino are exceptional as well. I agree with you that he isn't the awe-inspiring guitar god people make him out to be, but to each his own i guess. When i grade a guitar player i base them first on technicality then emotion. It isn't just about how fast you play, it's about expressing your feelings through the guitar. There are only a handful of players that can put speed and emotion into guitar playing and those are the players i think are the greatest guitar players. I never found the blues players to be my favorite just based on the fact that blues is the simplest form of music to play imo, thats not saying i don;t love it because those solos have so much emotion in them. If a player can mix technical ability with emotion thats a perfect mix for me. Players like Petrucci, Loomis, Lofstad, Rhoads, Hammett, and Tremonti have that ability. There are a lot of others out there but another thing that separates them from the pack is there songwriting abilities. If you have a guitarist who has all those capabilities and can write hook after hook (Tremonti) then thats my favorite guitarist take for example the song below.

voted for Tony Iommi

missing this spectacular man, which is no.1

I haven't seen any love for George Lynch.

Yeah, most of his post-WICKED SENSATION (Lynch Mob) stuff has been crapola, but especially in the early Dokken days, when that guy was "on," he was ON!!! Just check out the instrumental "Mr. Scary" (off BACK FOR THE ATTACK) for proof.

EVH

MetalRob331 wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

He's a good guitar player, don't misunderstand me, I just don't think he is the awe-inspiring guitar god people make him out to be. I'd still put guys like Hendrix, Gary Moore, Uli Roth, Frank Marino and Robin Trower over him.

If you want to see someone play with "soul", watch a Uli Roth performance or check out Frank Marino's REALive CD.

Roth is a genius on guitar. I think Trower and Marino are exceptional as well. I agree with you that he isn't the awe-inspiring guitar god people make him out to be, but to each his own i guess. When i grade a guitar player i base them first on technicality then emotion. It isn't just about how fast you play, it's about expressing your feelings through the guitar. There are only a handful of players that can put speed and emotion into guitar playing and those are the players i think are the greatest guitar players. I never found the blues players to be my favorite just based on the fact that blues is the simplest form of music to play imo, thats not saying i don;t love it because those solos have so much emotion in them. If a player can mix technical ability with emotion thats a perfect mix for me. Players like Petrucci, Loomis, Lofstad, Rhoads, Hammett, and Tremonti have that ability. There are a lot of others out there but another thing that separates them from the pack is there songwriting abilities. If you have a guitarist who has all those capabilities and can write hook after hook (Tremonti) then thats my favorite guitarist take for example the song below.

THAT is one brilliant solo!! I always knew Tremonti had it in him. Is the rest of the album this good? I despise taking a chance on modern rock only to find that once again an album has one or two good songs on them.

^^^ That whole cd is brilliant not one bad song on there. Tremonti shreds all over the cd. The cd is full of just brilliant hard rock/metal songs. I think that Blackbird the cd is the best hard rock/metal cd to come out in a real long time.

My choice isn't on the list, and most here knows who I would pick.

I'll take Eddie from that list.

Stefan Weinerhall (Falconer)

ultmetal wrote:

spectrefate wrote:

I've never understood why people thought Stevie was so great. He's obviously a talented blues player, but he's not innovative in the least.

You need to take into account the musical climate when SRV hit. He could play with just about anyone and make them sound good. He had the ability to blend country, blues, jazz and rock that many people enjoyed, not just the music folks. Also, people like Eric Clapton praised his ability and influence. He made the blues sound cool. Who was doing that in the mid-eighties.

I went with EVH. He had the largest impact on the guitar in my opinion. Before Van Halen you either used a strat, Les Paul or some look-alike knockoff. Eddie combined the best features of both and created the most copied concept that every guitar manufacturer based their product lines around. Eddie invented the custom built guitar. He was the King of mod and everyone wanted to know how he did it. Eddie was a true inovator in just about every aspect from his playing style and approach to his outragous designs and freaky awesome inventions. He modified his guitars, amps, effects and recording techniques. Listen to Cathedral, what a way to use the volume knob.

The "brown sound" as it is often referred to as.

Van Halen. Innovative, and a master of the tasty lick. I could listen to Van Halen solos all day long!

Almost went with EVH... But I picked Kirk.

I almost went for Kirk, but then changed it to EVH.

1. Petrucci
2. Paul Wagoner
3. Robin Trower
4. Nathan Hogan