Greatest Guitarist Ever?

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

This was annoying me earlier. A friend of mine on AIM was going on and on about Slash from Guns n Roses after I said he wasn't the greatest guitarist off all time. Then he started going into how Guns n Roses are probably the greatest band in the world(Well I actually said I thought RHCP were better and he was having none of it and started getting out album sells and crap). Anyway then I said how IMO Prince is brilliant on a guitar, and he refuses to beleieve it and says he is shit.

So yeah, do you think Prince is shit, and who in your opinion is the greatest guitarist of all time?

[matbar]

I hear people say that Jimi Hendrex is the greatest of all time. I say Wrong! He is, however, the greatest of his Time. If it wasn't for Hendrix, most of music today would be different, because most Guitarests use him as influence.

It greatest of all time in my oppinion is Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen (duh) or Kirk

Hammett of Metallica.

Van Halen is one of the greatest bands of all time. Eddie is known as the first guitarist to play with both hands, and made his guitar sing like noone else can ever do.

Kirk Hammett has won numorious awards for his guitar playing, most notably the California Music Awards Outstanding Guitarist.

Prince and Slash are exceptional guitarists, but Eddie and Kirk take the cake.

*Post #100!*

Edited August 9, 2004 by matbar

[Godfatha]

Hendrix is good.

Steve Vai is amazing, I love him. He did all the guitar work on Bill and Ted and has a bunch of excellent riffs.

I forget his name but he's in Dream Theater and his name is John P....he's another great guitarist. The cover he does of Flight of the Bumblebee is absolutely amazing.

[punky]

Jimi Hendrix, there shouldn't have even been a question.

[gunnar hendershow]

Steve Vai and John Petrucci are on a level above all else if you ask me.

[JStarr]

Anyway then I said how IMO Prince is brilliant on a guitar, and he refuses to beleieve it and says he is shit.

So yeah, do you think Prince is shit, and who in your opinion is the greatest guitarist of all time?

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OK, there's no way EWB's Foremost Prince Authority © isn't weighing in on this one. JP, your friend has little to no clue, sorry to say. I don't presume to put Prince at #1 EVER, but he's right up there. Not to knock Slash, by any means, but he's not that high on the list...yet.

JStarr's Top 10 Geetar Gods:

10. Jesse Johnson (The Time)

9. John Frusciante (RHCP)

8. Jeff Beck

7. Jimmy Page

6. Prince

5. Eduardo Van Halen

4. Tom Morello (RATM/Audioslave)

3. Clapton

2. Hendrix

1. Eddie Hazel (Parliament/Funkadelic)

Don't know Hazel? Download a couple of choice Funkadelic sides like "Maggot Brain" and "Red Hot Mama"...and enjoy.

[Evil Chase K]

Tom Morello is horrid. He relies on effects too much.

Kirk Hammett wins for me, I'm a little biased sure, but he's great.

[Godfatha]

Steve Vai and John Petrucci are on a level above all else if you ask me.

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Petrucci, there we go. Had a bit of a brain fart when I was typing.

[Ananas]

Prince is fucking badass, but the greatest guitarist of alltime is Yngwie Malmsteen. GIMME GIMME GIMME YOUR LOVE AFTER MIDNIGHT!

[thatshortguy]

Malmsteen, Vai, Satriani, Petrucci, Prince, Van Halen, Hammett, Eric Clapton, and B.B. King.

And to hell with all of you. All the time it's "greatest guitarist EVAR", and yet no love for the drummers of the world =P

[Jook]

Either Vai or Page..... Hendrix was good, but he was more influencial than talented.

And Matt Bellamy = Fucking Good.

[fineintent]

As a guitar player, I'd say Steve Vai is a fucking god. Also check Joe Satriani and Ywngie Malmsteen (sp?) But guitar playing also has to do, IMO, with riffs and general songwriting - that's where someone like Tom Morello excells. Sure he uses effects, but to such great effect - he's highly innovative. He's nowhere near the best but he is certainly very good. Hilell Slovak was also pretty fucking good when he was alive, by far the best Chili's guitarist (followed by Navarro) Slovak taught Flea to play bass for gods sake! He was someone who had an unbelievable feeling for music, and that's important for a guitar player.

As for someone like Kirk Hammet, fuck off. He is extremely overrated, as are Metallica in general IMO. He's a pretty decent soloist, but is far far away from being the best of all time.

And, yes, Prince is amazing and one of the most talented individuals of the 20th century.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Clapton.

Matt Bellamy is certainly up and coming, the guy is incredible.

[public enemy]

Steve Vai is, in my opinion at least, the greatest Guitarist of all time. Technically he can play like no other and put on a show like no other as not just a musician but an entertainer.

Second on my list would have to go to Joe Satriani, a great player who revolutionised the art of modern guitar playing. Hell, put it this way…If it wasn’t for Satriani there would be no Kirk Hammet, there would be no Vai.

Eddie Van Halen is another standout, another legend of the guitar so-to-speak. Not a personal favourite of mine, but frankly there’s no denying the man can play…practically invented finger tapping.

…Oh and Kirk Hammet is the most overrated guitarist of all time. Any above-average guitarist would tell you that. Without his wah-wah pedal his contract wouldn’t be worth the paper it were written on. Not one member of Metallica is uniquely talented (bar Rob Trujillo), but nonetheless they work well together. Whoever gave Kirk an award for outstanding guitarist needs shot…plain and simple.

Prince, Petrucci and Hendrix are all great guitarists that have made a life out of experimentation. Tom Morello is an excellent guitarist because he experiments and creates some great music in the process. Malmsteen doesn’t quite do it for me…I mean, technically he is sound but his music is just too repetitive. That, added to the fact that he’s a total dickwad takes a lot away from him.

[thatshortguy]

I think we're convoluting the definitions of a good guitar player and a good songwriter. A good songwriter is someone like Morello (and to a good extent, a lot of blues players such as Clapton or King, who were included in my ten), who effectively use emotion and what ability they have to craft very personable and infectious songs.

However, a good guitar player is just that, someone who excels on the guitar. They have a mastery of the scales and the instrument in general. Those are the folks like Malmsteen, Vai, etc.

[Guest Angry Baboon]

5: Neil Young (Biased opinion )

4: Joe Satriani

3: Eric Clapton

2: John Cale

1: Eddie Hazel

[Pander Opiate]

I hate this discussion. I really think it's impossible to say. A good guitarist is someone that uses their guitar in a way that really complements the type of music they're playing.

You can compare people that play the same types of music but I don't think you can compare people like B.B. King or Van Halen who are both great for their type of music.

So it's impossible to say .......is the greatest guitarist

[TMM]

Jimi Hendrix in my opinion. Eric Clapton comes a close second.

[JStarr]

5: Neil Young (Biased opinion )

4: Joe Satriani

3: Eric Clapton

2: John Cale

1: Eddie Hazel

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Squancho is truly a god among music lovers.

[ILoveNicole]

Jimi Hendrix, there shouldn't have even been a question.

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Agreed^^^