I'd have to say Buckethead.

Assassin15 wrote:I'd have to say Buckethead.

I see your Buckethead and raise you Yngwie Malmsteen

Have to throw my hat in with Kirk Hammett.

Why do people automatically think rock when they think guitarist? Silly me, I was going to say John Williams.


And no, not THAT John Williams.

calanthium wrote:Why do people automatically think rock when they think guitarist? Silly me, I was going to say John Williams.


And no, not THAT John Williams.

Fine then...

calanthium wrote:Why do people automatically think rock when they think guitarist? Silly me, I was going to say John Williams.


And no, not THAT John Williams.

Why do people automatically think guitar players when they think guitarist? What about guitar makers?

And you folks left out Avril Lavigne and Lil Wayne on the poll, obviously.

calanthium wrote:Why do people automatically think rock when they think guitarist? Silly me, I was going to say John Williams.


And no, not THAT John Williams.

I see your Williams and raise you a Segovia.

Option I would have liked to have seen;

"Without Les Paul, there would have been no Jimi, or, SVR"

SANTANA; como faltes ese nombre de su listo?

Captain Trips -- JERRY GARCIA

lil wayne...haha no just kidding. zakk wylde ftw

where's the love for Dimebag Darrell?

From a critical stance, I think it would be hard to argue without placing genre limits on the greatest guitarist of all time. Within a set grouping you might mention Eric Clapton or B.B King, perhaps Kirk floats your boat but should you forget Slayer...Joe Sat, Ace, etc. What about classical guitar? Stevie Ray anyone? Country anyone? Jimi may blow your mind, but good blues can make you cry, either way the soul and skill of the artist determine their greatness within a genre, but to suggest a mindblowing technically talented guitarist is better than one who reaches into your soul is a bit of a stretch for me.

Looking for the Clapton option, yes.

ratmotor wrote:Option I would have liked to have seen;

"Without Les Paul, there would have been no Jimi, or, SVR"

That's BS. Someone else would have made it.

If Alex Lifeson, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson and Tommy Emmanuel aren't on the list, we can surmise that thou art but a hack!

Les Claypool is definitely on my top guitarist list

No love for Django Reinhardt?

Alexi Laiho > *

This is what i hate about lists. Where is Jerry Garcia on this list? Are you kidding? Eddie the three chord wonder Van is that iconic. What about Martin Barre from Jethro Tull? Jorma Kikokonan from Hot Tuna? Maybe Pete Townsend who synthesized his guitar to create the iconic Who;s Next sound? Cut the crap with these lists and just remember some of the true greats whose music is still relevant.

I doubt half the people writing in, ever held a guitar. Before the small world of rock there were other legends. Chet Atkins, Glen Cambell believe it or not, Peter Green or Terry Kath.

I don't expect too many of you would know these people so I'm picking the best ever..............Roy Rogers !!!!

Look better

This is too open ended. For instance, Living or Dead? Type of music? How do you compare Les Paul to Carlos Segovia? Do you see the problem?
Living - where is Eric Clpaton and Carlos Santana?

Brian May. I'm shocked he didn't make the original list.

George Thorogood.

Jimmy Page, anyone?

I second Django Reinhardt and add John Petrucci of Dream Theater.

I don't think I can pick a "best" guitarist, but Jeff Beck is a solid one who hasn't been mentioned yet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msPiKYuuRiQ

Tommy Emmanuel is awesome!

As a guitar player, I appreciate a lot of different styles and techniques. I also appreciate the technical prowess and speed that some players have... like Malmsteen (even if I hate his music). In addition, there have been thousands of incredibly gifted guitarists that were never known outside of a small area. But for me, if I were to try to pick a single guitarist (yes, it's a silly idea), it would have to be Stevie Ray. He had it all, technical ability, speed, versatility... and he could make you cry with a few notes.

Of all the guitarists' songs/styles I've seen other guys try to cover/copy... SRV is the one that I've never seen pulled off.

Frank Zappa, duh. . .

He also was one hell of a quote machine! Some classics:

* Jazz is not dead, it just smells funny.

* Stupidity is the basic building block of the universe.

* Tobacco is my favorite vegetable.

* There is no hell. There is only France.

* A mind is like a parachute. It doesnt work if it's not open.

* If we can't be free at least we can be cheap.

* You can't be a Real Country unless you have a BEER and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a BEER.

* Why do you necessarily have to be wrong just because a few million people think you are?

* Outdoors for me is walking from the car to the ticket desk at the airport

* Interviewer: "So Frank, you have long hair. Does that make you a woman?"
FZ: "You have a wooden leg. Does that make you a table?"

* There are more love songs than anything else.
If songs could make you do something we'd all love one another.

* Politics is the entertainment branch of industry.

* Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid.

R.I.P. FZ!

Steve Howe. Yea Steve Howe.

"Guitar" Fred Tackett ranks up there too!

khasut wrote:I see your Williams and raise you a Segovia.

I second that!

Maybe not of all time - but my favorite -
Ozzie Kotani - slack key.

Chet Atkins. Look him up you young punks......

andres segovia. not that many guitarists get to play with symphonies, and he was one of the first modern to do so.

There is also the question of whether the guitarist is also singing. It takes a different set of skills to do both at the same time. I'm not saying that makes them better, but it is a separate discipline that is worth taking into consideration.

spikefishing wrote:andres segovia. not that many guitarists get to play with symphonies, and he was one of the first modern to do so.

In that case, James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett for the S&M (Symphony and Metallica)concert/album.