Off Topic Top Ten Guitarists

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Stroller

Stroller

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Jun 28, 2013
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On the RIP thread, Uber posted a quote from Alice Cooper describing Eric Clapton as a great blues guitarist, Jimmy Page a great rock guitarist, but Jeff Beck just a great guitarist. I'm totally unqualified to judge from a musician's point of view, but here are my top ten based on what I've listened to:

1 - Jimi Hendrix
2 - Dave Gilmour
3 - Eric Clapton
4 - Jeff Beck
5 - Peter Green
6 - Jimmy Page
7- Steve Howe
8 - Rory Gallagher
9 - Richard Thompson
10 - Alvin Lee

Admittedly, a bit parochial.

What do you reckon?
 
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Choosing the best of ... is always subjective mate. Once you reach a certain level of playing and you can play anything by ear you're pretty much in the top point nought one per cent globally. Anyway my personal top ten ...

1. Jimi Hendrix
2. BB King
3. Mark Knopfler
4. Slash
5. George Harrison
6. Mick Ronson
7. Chuck Berry
8. Richie Sambora
9. Eric Clapton
10. Steve Lukather
 
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Stroller said:
On the RIP thread, Uber posted a quote from Alice Cooper describing Eric Clapton as a great blues guitarist, Jimmy Page a great rock guitarist, but Jeff Beck just a great guitarist. I'm totally unqualified to judge from a musician's point of view, but here are my top ten based on what I've listened to:

1 - Jimi Hendrix
2 - Dave Gilmour
3 - Eric Clapton
4 - Jeff Beck
5 - Peter Green
6 - Jimmy Page
7- Steve Howe
8 - Rory Gallagher
9 - Richard Thompson
10 - Brian May

Admittedly, a bit parochial.

What do you reckon?
Click to expand...
I would probably have a few of yours, but an alternative very personal list of favourite guitarists, in no order
Wilko Johnson
Johnny Marr
John Lee Hooker
Jack White
Steve Jones
B B King
Mick Green
Mick Ronson
Johnny Ramone
Keith Levine

Probably a totally different list tomorrow.
 
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Stroller said:
On the RIP thread, Uber posted a quote from Alice Cooper describing Eric Clapton as a great blues guitarist, Jimmy Page a great rock guitarist, but Jeff Beck just a great guitarist. I'm totally unqualified to judge from a musician's point of view, but here are my top ten based on what I've listened to:

1 - Jimi Hendrix
2 - Dave Gilmour
3 - Eric Clapton
4 - Jeff Beck
5 - Peter Green
6 - Jimmy Page
7- Steve Howe
8 - Rory Gallagher
9 - Richard Thompson
10 - Alvin Lee

Admittedly, a bit parochial.

What do you reckon?
Click to expand...

So there hasn't been a grest guitarist for over 30 years...
 
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sb_73 said:
I would probably have a few of yours, but an alternative very personal list of favourite guitarists, in no order
Wilko Johnson
Johnny Marr
John Lee Hooker
Jack White
Steve Jones
B B King
Mick Green
Mick Ronson
Johnny Ramone
Keith Levine

Probably a totally different list tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Of course Johnny Marr.
 
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Stroller said:
On the RIP thread, Uber posted a quote from Alice Cooper describing Eric Clapton as a great blues guitarist, Jimmy Page a great rock guitarist, but Jeff Beck just a great guitarist. I'm totally unqualified to judge from a musician's point of view, but here are my top ten based on what I've listened to:

1 - Jimi Hendrix
2 - Dave Gilmour
3 - Eric Clapton
4 - Jeff Beck
5 - Peter Green
6 - Jimmy Page
7- Steve Howe
8 - Rory Gallagher
9 - Richard Thompson
10 - Alvin Lee

Admittedly, a bit parochial.

What do you reckon?
Click to expand...

Very much of my teenage era, all great guitarists and Hendrix undoubtedly No.1. There are so many who could be considered for a top ten spot and would be worthy. I've added ten here who would be contenders as well:

Robin Trower
Carlos Santana
Ritchie Blackmore
Gary Moore
Steve Vai
Duane Allman
John McLaughlin
Michael Schenker
Eddie van Halen
Billy Duffy

One name rarely mentioned but who will have influenced many of that generation is Hank Marvin, some of my earliest musical memories were listening to The Shadows and using a tennis racket to mimic him...
 
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A couple have Hendrix top of the list, my opinion for what it’s worth is that you hear one Hendrix track and think wow genius the next track I think oh shut up.
As a Bowie fan, Ronson needs to be higher up most lists and don’t forget Ton Verlaine of television, totally unique
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Oh I love that album
 
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Good thread. I'd be tempted to add to a growing list:

Joe Bonamassa
Joe Satriani
Mark Tremonti
Gary Parker Jr.
Slash
Kirk Hammett
Pete Townshend
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Kiko Loureiro
Ty Tabor
Mickey Moody
Bernie Marsden
Joel Hoekstra
John Sykes
Adrian Vandenberg
Yngwie J Malmsteen
Phil Collen
Tommy Bolin

...not all necessarily great, but I enjoy their music.
 
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I'm certainly no expert but as 9s says it's all subjective. My tastes generally lead me away from virtuosity even though I do listen to lots of heavy metal which has a lot of guitar solo ****ery.

Surprised Mark Knoppfler hasn't had a nod on here yet, he'd be a favourite of mine.

I do like guys who do their own thing, Matt Bellamy is a great shout, I can't think of anyone else who sounds like him. You could argue Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead has done things with a guitar no one else has.

Its not all about lead guitarsists for me though, Slash is great but Izzy Stradlin's rhythm stuff for Gun n Roses, particularly on Appetite for Destruction is top notch.

Also have a soft spot for Peter Buck from REM, mainly as they were always my favourite band.
 
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Stroller said:
On the RIP thread, Uber posted a quote from Alice Cooper describing Eric Clapton as a great blues guitarist, Jimmy Page a great rock guitarist, but Jeff Beck just a great guitarist. I'm totally unqualified to judge from a musician's point of view, but here are my top ten based on what I've listened to:

1 - Jimi Hendrix
2 - Dave Gilmour
3 - Eric Clapton
4 - Jeff Beck
5 - Peter Green
6 - Jimmy Page
7- Steve Howe
8 - Rory Gallagher
9 - Richard Thompson
10 - Alvin Lee

Admittedly, a bit parochial.

What do you reckon?
Click to expand...
Hmm .. I don’t think Alice Cooper said Jeff Beck was ‘just’ a great guitarist to be fair Strolls. I think he meant he was a master of the guitar and not mostly a genre. High praise indeed. I was listening to various albums of his yesterday (as I admitted I wasn’t really a follower of his music and needed to do him justice) - a wide mix of music genres, some of his 80’s stuff wasn’t so good (Flash!) but I could still hear how good a guitarist he was. Mostly music tracks with very few vocals, a tough sell as we all love a beautiful sound and lyric to accompany each other. But some of his album tracks are beautiful & amazing (Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, Where we’re you, Brush with Blues, What Mama said - and others I’m sure I missed while working away).

Tough call to make any list though isn’t it.

Good list by the way. Jimi at the top every day for me. Like Sb’s inclusion of Mick Ronson too. I’d have Prince in there. Others? Jack White and John Martyn. Bass player popped in my head too Mick Karn.
 
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