Top 3 Greatest Guitarist Ever

[WileE]

And they all sat in Awe !!!

 

[Geoff 2]

Trouble with guitarists is...they are a dime a dozen.
Now, if you said top piano players: Jerry Lee Lewis without a doubt. As Solomon Burke said: Often imitated, never duplicated. There will never be another one...
Two stories from JLLs guitarist, Ken Lovelace:
- when Elvis [ the real one, not the other one ] played in LV, Elvis invited JLL to watch. After the show, he invited JLL back to his dressing room. There was a piano in there. E asked JLL to play & E leaned on the upright piano & just listened to JLL play.
- John Lennon watched JLL at a concert, yelling, 'Go Jerry, go'. He asked to meet JLL in the dressing room after the show; Lennon knelt down & kissed JLLs feet.

Another Elvis story was that after he heard JLL play the piano he said, 'If I could play like that I would quit singing...'

 

[1STMP]

Kind of an open ended question when
you leave out genre of country music.
Roy Clark, Glenn Cambel, Chet Atkins.
Roy Clark was renowned for being able
to accel on any stringed instrument.
He was an incredible talent.
Least not forget Santo and Johnny
with their release of Sleepwalk.
Granted on a steel guitar.

 

[cosgig]

View attachment 1311369

Not "same year as" but for 289k miles she pulls it quite nicely!

View attachment 1311370

The curb side awning is also nice...as is the 13,500 btu roof a/c... Car hauler AND mobile band stage/dressing room!

Hell of a list you all have going - 99% of which I concur on. Congrats all!
Lots of connotations and wiggle room to the mere definition of "greatest", of course -
what's that mean? Technical prowess? Speed? Accuracy? "Tricks"?
I submit into all that shreddery (hello Yngwie) the notion that, least to me, the ability
to write tasty stuff on the guitar means as much to my enjoyment of their playing as
anything else, eh?
Gotta be able to write hooks - runs - and to improvise as needed, too!

I can't do just three - hell, I can't do just three dozen - but as both an old headbanger and
a bluegrass fan, it makes it even more difficult.
Who hasn't been mentioned yet? I'm gonna cheat like hell here:

1. The Yoda's:
The entire group known as Certified Guitar Players by none other than Mr. Chet Atkins -
Jerry Reed (who even Glen Campbell admired - and Chet deferred to), Tommy Emmanuel
(other-worldly; I think he was born a guitar and evolved into a human over time), John Knowles,
Steve Wariner.
You wanna see total zen mastery of an instrument, there's your master class, right there....
Not just this or that genre', electric or acoustic, fast or slow - those gentlemen know the instrument
better than about anyone walking.

2. The Shredders:
Shredding typically refers to speed, of course - but I'll add to that definition those that can improvise,
performing live - and could do so at the drop of a hat in a way that actually added to the song.
That's a key to being a "great" guitarist I believe - they can be the most talented player walking, but
if it's all just showing off and noodling, I lose interest quick - it's GOT to serve the song or it's wasted
effort.
Most of the best have already been mentioned, but I'll toss a few more into the mix:
- Warren Haynes - dear Lord, the music flows through him like he's a conduit, just like it used to be with
Stevie Ray; it's like it comes from another world and they're the "speaker" it passes through to us.
- Speaking of which - Stevie Ray Effing Vaughn. If guitar was a religion, he's the freakin' messiah.
- (Cheating again) Charlie Sexton and Doyle Bramhall II. Arc Angels. Do yourself a favor, look 'em up...
If you're getting chased down by the likes of Clapton and Bob Dylan to play with them, well - they were.
- Metal shout out to Mr. Jake E Lee. Groove, mastery of many styles and yes....he can blaze as needed.
(He wrote the highest selling Ozzy songs of all time, too - then got shafted over them).

3. The Gifted Creators/Songwriters:
Self-explanatory... here we go:
- Mark Effing Knopfler. His magic is in live performance (you can lose hours just watching some of his
performances on YT), but his songwriting skills, all based on his finger-picking style guitar first, are without
peer. He doesn't just write tunes - he tells stories when he writes songs.
- A surprise entry! Ritchie Kotzen. Blazing skills (no pick, either!), sure, but the man takes the listener on
journeys with his songwriting. Mesmerizing stuff and quite prolific, thankfully.
Dude has a resume' in music gigs that will boggle your mind, too...
- I could not do this "list" without mentioning Alex Lifeson, now could I?
(For you young folks - he's the guitarist from RUSH. Don't get me started...)
- Last total surprise out of left field - with a bit of a caveat (is the dobro a guitar?): Jerry Douglas.
He's been voted best on the planet at his chosen instrument so many times, they ought to just stop giving
it out. Dude is a legend - the excellence just rolls out of him when he plays, ALWAYS to enhance and serve
the song.

How'd I do?

Jerry Douglas is simply the best dobro player to ever play that instrument. I’ve had the pleasure to see and meet him many times.

 

[Don Frelier]

Of those I've seen perform live:

Stevie Ray Vaughn
Jimmy Page
Alex Lifeson

Honourable mention:
Ritchie Blackmore
Joe Perry
Carlos Santana

EDIT!
I can't believe I forgot Mike Campbell he's one of my favorites.
This age thing is killing me.

 

[alsant]

Too many greats ! But I must make sure Terry Kath is mentioned !

 

[cosgig]

@moparedtn

Tony and Jerry with their crack team of all stars!

 

[Bee1971]

Vivian Campbell

The work and songwriting he did for Dio

 

[keith88]

Jimmy Page
Eddie Van Halen
Jimi Hendrix

Hard to argue with this list

 

[gtx6970]

Damn hard to pick just 3 .
But
David Gilmore
Prince.
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Would be my top 3

Steve Vai
Randy Rhodes
Eddie VanHalen
Eric Clapton
Jeff Beck.

 

[Bee1971]

Since a lot of us feel EVH is #1

Nice Tribute just came out

“Eddie” is a tribute to Eddie Van Halen. Here’s what Anthony Kiedis said about the song:

Sometimes we don’t realize how deeply affected and connected we are to artists until the day they die. Eddie Van Halen was a one of a kind. The day after his death Flea came into rehearsal with an emotional bassline. John, Chad and I started playing along and pretty soon with all our hearts, a song in his honor effortlessly unfolded. It felt good to be sad and care so much about a person who had given so much to our lives. Although the song doesn’t speak to Eddie by name, it talks about his early days on the Sunset Strip and the rock n roll tapestry that Van Halen painted on our minds. In the end, our song asks that you not remember Eddie for dying but for living his wildest dream.

 

[3sloppydogs]

Jerry Douglas is fantastic but I would put Mike auldrige in the same category
He passed way to soon like John Duffy

Jerry Douglas is simply the best dobro player to ever play that instrument. I’ve had the pleasure to see and meet him many times.

 

[Purepony]

1. Jimmy page
2. Tony macalpine
3. Jason Becker

If you don’t agree listen to those guys and rebuttal

 

[moparedtn]

@moparedtn

Tony and Jerry with their crack team of all stars!

I'm particularly fond of his work with Alison Krause and Union Station. Masters at their chosen instruments, every one.

 

[JoePole]

Uh oh. Nobody mentioned Frank Zappa.....or even Dweezil for that matter.
Billy F Gibbons. Maybe not the most technical but very tasty.
Duane Allman.

 

[cosgig]

Uh oh. Nobody mentioned Frank Zappa.....or even Dweezil for that matter.
Billy F Gibbons. Maybe not the most technical but very tasty.
Duane Allman.

Nobody out there just drips with cool like Billy F., his sound is perfect, and fits his style to a T. Same with Angus, he has a unique sound and style that makes him great. Both play in a sort of abbreviated chord structure that deepens their sound…..it’s genius!

 

[GetX'd]

I'm pretty far from a rock anything expert. I just knew what I liked when I was young and most of it wasn't in the neighborhood of these legends. I had a pretty narrow bandwidth. But as I always understood it Jimi Hendrix was hands down the legendary guitarist from back when. Looking at these lists - many I've heard of many I haven't. It looks to me as though Jimi was great but not the best there ever was. It seems as tho Jimi was 3/4 up the ladder with many better. His music wasn't my thing then or now. I was a much more basic taste kind of guy. The Beatles etc.

 

[ZR9B]

Jerry Reed has to be "lurking" about
Glenn Campbell
Roy Clark
not in that order and it will change tomorrow.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

I can't belive no one has mentioned
One fantastic slide guitarist
SONNY LANDRETH

Duane Allman
Derek Trucks

 

[Hey-O]

Lindsey Buckingham is one that never has gotten the credit he deserves. This man can play.



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