'nother guitar thread...

Hehe...it all depends on your taste.

Assuming you're talking electric guitar types - most instrumental rock fans swear by Joe Satriani or Steve Vai. Mellower blues based followers will usually pick Clapton, SRV or Hendrix, maybe BB King. A metal fan will generelly tell you Eddie Van Halen or (heaven help them) Kirk Hammett. These are names anyone remotely into guitar music will recognize.

As for the technical shred virtuosos who typically inhabit the realm of neo classical music there is Yngwie Malsteem, Micheal Angelo, Rusty Cooley, and a host of other guys who probably play faster than most know a guitar can be played.

The only reason I'm writing all this is because I can never decide who I think is the best. I didn't even mention acoustic artists who are amazing in their own way like this dude:

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/video/guitar.php

Oh yeah don't let me forget the Jazz/Fusion dudes. Allan Holdsworth, Pat Matheny, Greg Howe ... yeah they're good.

Hey...thanks for that link. Cool video, and nice sound.

I'm a fan of Mark Knopfler, BB King, John Lee Hooker, and a wide range of blues guitarists. Never been that big on Clapton, SRV, Hendrix, EVH, etc.

But I've never owned any Satriani until this evening. I've emptied the racks of Bob Dylan in three provinces, and run out of stuff to buy. Now I know someone else to start to stock up on.

Clapton's in the DVD drive now...

Hey, Pete, you like Satriani's album? I'm assuming you're talking about "Is There Love in Space?", his newest. It's awesome, but I doubt I would like it so much if it was my first album of him. "Surfing with the Alien" is such a must-own album, and there are lots of other goods ones by him. And after a while, perhaps you will get into Steve Vai, but he's a little far out there. His technique is unreal though, as witnessed on his Live at the Astoria DVD. That and Satch's Live in San Fran DVD are also essentials. Happy listening, man.

Duane Allman.........That good at 24 years old....man.

Doug Gillard

Yea, I agree it depends on what you think makes someone great. I think Vai is technically the most amazing. I saw him live and it was jaw dropping some of the stuff that guy does with his guitar. Its a bit cliche, but I think Hendrix is the most innovative and ahead of his time, pretty versatile too. Tom Morello from rage against the machine gets props in my book just because of how much wierd shit he gets out of the instrament, yet how it always fits. I think B.B. king has the best solos, and amazing tone. Some of those fingerstyle jazz players are absolutely amazing as well. Too hard to choose the best...

Anybody else here ever listen to Television's "Marquee Moon"? I absolutly love the guitar on that album. If you haven't heard the album yet, run out and get it; the album is amazing.

Have ya been to a DEAD show?.....i rest my case.

With blues type stuff, can't forget Albert King. Also something to be said for a couple of primarily rhythm players: Keith Richards and Steve Cropper.

john scofield

Phil Keaggy - gets pigeonholed because he's a Christian artist, but his instrumental stuff is unbelievable.

Dave Matthews

Pete,

Well, you know I'm partial to the classic rock stuff, so Clapton and Santana are it for me. Got a special place in my heart for John Lee Hooker since I shared the stage with him once, and I also played with Brad Gillis of Night Ranger fame, and he was just awesome.

We actually had a guy in our band known only as Amazing Fred, and he was the best guitar player I've ever seen in person - even better than Gillis and JLH. Fred moved to the Boston area in the early 90s and I have no idea what happened to him.

Some others to throw out though:

Prince - yeah Prince. Dude can play

Eddie Van Halen - gotta agree with that one

I am going to see Clapton in June on his current tour..but Duanne Allman is one of my favorite along with Dicky Betts who is touring with his band "Great Southern"..Another favorite is the late great Toy Caldwell of the Marshall Tucker Band..

Monte Montgomery

Television. Great band. The guitarists were Richard Floyd and Tom Verlaine - Verlaine on most of the solos. Fred Smith formerly of the MC5 played bass for Television and was a good guitarist in his own right.

Other great guitarists - Zoot Horn Rollo and Ry Cooder from Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band. Also Junior Brown. Also James Burton who played in bands for people like Elvis and Gram Parsons.

Drums are better man

Jim Heath of Reverend Horton Heat. Hand's down, best guitarist I've ever seen or heard.

For blues fans, Albert Collins is the ax master. Although, many true guitar virtuosos come from that genre and rock guitarists owe them a huge debt for blazing the path.