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Greatest Guitarists of All Time


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Ok, I know Jimi Hendrix will be on most list and most likely at the top. But what else you like. I tend to go for that bluesed out rock.

 

Here is my top 5 in somewhat of an order.

 

1. Hendrix

2. Jimmy Page

3. Joe Perry

4. Slash

5. Angus Young

 

Also have to say I really like Billy Corgan and Tom Morello.

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I have to think that Hendrix is a given, so this will be my top 5 not named Jimi Hendrix:

 

Robert Quine

Richard Lloyd

Brian May

Ira Kaplan

Richard Thompson

 

Others I love:

Elliott Easton (The Cars), Chris Difford (Squeeze), Tom Verlaine

 

Also, please note that these are my top 5 FAVORITES. It's a subjective thing and not open to argument.

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I spent a couple hours this weekend watching Mike Watt clips on Youtube, since he isn't bringing his band to Atlanta on this tour. As a result, Joe Baiza is the newest entry on my favorite guitarists list.

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I have to think that Hendrix is a given, so this will be my top 5 not named Jimi Hendrix:

 

Robert Quine

Richard Lloyd

Brian May

Ira Kaplan

Richard Thompson

 

Others I love:

Elliott Easton (The Cars), Chris Difford (Squeeze), Tom Verlaine

 

Also, please note that these are my top 5 FAVORITES. It's a subjective thing and not open to argument.

 

Kinda Punky huh... Havent heard of most of them

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Sounds like we are allowed to leave Hendrix out? Then:

 

SRV

Jimmy Page

David Gilmour

Jeff Beck

Eric Johnson

 

Danny Gatton might be ahead of someone on this list.

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Kinda Punky huh... Havent heard of most of them

 

Quine is from Richard Hell & the Voidoids. Also plays the lead guitar on the Matthew Sweet song "Girlfriend" and on the Lou Reed record The Blue Mask.

Lloyd (and Verlaine) were the guitar players from Television. Lloyd also played with Matthew Sweet. (He was the soloist on "Sick of Myself")

Brian May (Queen)

Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo)

 

And, I think you know the others.

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"Best" is pretty subjective, you could put Eddie Van Halen in as a technical master but does that make him one of the greatest ever? I doubt it. What about genre etc. Jesse Cook is a master but he won't make any rock list.

 

Some of my favorites.. Nels Cline, Larry Campbell, Tony Rice, Neil Young, Ralph Towner, Bruce Cockburn, Richard Thompson, Mark Knopfler, Frank Zappa, Jack White, Robbie Robertson, Prince, Jonny Greenwood, Pat Metheny.

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"Best" is pretty subjective, you could put Eddie Van Halen in as a technical master but does that make him one of the greatest ever? I doubt it. What about genre etc. Jesse Cook is a master but he won't make any rock list.

 

Some of my favorites.. Nels Cline, Larry Campbell, Tony Rice, Neil Young, Ralph Towner, Bruce Cockburn, Richard Thompson, Mark Knopfler, Frank Zappa, Jack White, Robbie Robertson, Prince, Jonny Greenwood, Pat Metheny.

 

Some people might think Eddie VanHalen is the greatest ever. Its all subjective like you said. I think I can argue that Eddie is probably ojectively one of the most influencial guitarists ever though.

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Some people might think Eddie VanHalen is the greatest ever. Its all subjective like you said. I think I can argue that Eddie is probably ojectively one of the most influencial guitarists ever though.

 

 

Yup. So was Lenny Breau...

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I recently watched a documentary on the guitarist Tal Farlow. Lenny Breau joins him for a couple duets. I don't think I had ever heard Lenny, but it was just incredible. EDIT: Whoa, nice simultaneous Lenny Breau name drop.

 

Talkin' about influential: Les Paul.

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Best vs. favorites?

 

Some of the most talented Rock Guitarists

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Guest Francis X. Hummel

Trey Anastasio

 

then...

 

Jeff Tweedy

 

and then...

 

Jerry Garcia, Robbie Robertson and George Harrison.

 

I'm also a huge fan of Jay Farrar's guitar playing, especially in UT.

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That last list really speaks to the songs that they are playing on, methinks.

Or, do you think that their playing actually makes the songs?

 

For instance, when I mention Bob Quine, I think that a song like "Girlfriend", which was a pretty damn good song to start with, it made a stone-cold classic, because Quine's six-string spittle is splattered all over it.

 

I think that he is a musician that can MAKE a song; an MVP of sorts.

 

I kind of agree with your point with Weller and Westy. Though I dare say time and time agains Keith and Angus add to the songs the riffs that put them over the top.

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Ok, I know Jimi Hendrix will be on most list and most likely at the top. But what else you like. I tend to go for that bluesed out rock.

 

Here is my top 5 in somewhat of an order.

 

1. Hendrix

2. Jimmy Page

3. Joe Perry

4. Slash

5. Angus Young

 

Also have to say I really like Billy Corgan and Tom Morello.

 

is this an opinion thread or scientific? cause if it's scientific let's remove 2-5.

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