Great guitar players

[bnorth]

We all have our favorites and who we consider the best. I have played off and on for close to 40 years. I am far from good but when playing regularly I can pull off an OK at best version of most players.

I just seen this today and there is no way in hell I could even imagine pulling off even an incredibly horrible version. This is seriously a thing of beauty. My only memory of Roy is from Hee Haw as a little kid. I had no idea he could play anything like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxDQQDF6j0Y

[butchie_t]

Suzy Quatro
Eric Clapton

My most favorite: Robin Trower

None of this would be possible without Les Paul!

[58pinson]

There are so very many superb guitar players it's hard to pick one, or even a few. That said, I think Jeff Beck has always been able to get just about everything that's available out of the instrument.

[commishbob]

So many I admire. My favorites are Wes Montgomery and Eric Johnson.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by butchie_t

Suzy Quatro
Eric Clapton

My most favorite: Robin Trower

None of this would be possible without Les Paul!

Clapton was once asked how it felt to be the greatest living guitarist. He said "I don't know, ask Prince."

[jingram058]

It took this long to get to Ritchie Blackmore? Wow...

[ClementeFanOh]

Since he hasn't been mentioned and is magnificent- Alex Lifeson

Trent King

PS- great call on Terry Kath

[stlcardsfan]

Originally Posted by ClementeFanOh

Since he hasn't been mentioned and is magnificent- Alex Lifeson

Trent King

PS- great call on Terry Kath

I’ll second Alex Lifeson. Very underrated. This might be the best instrumental of all time. Check out the first guitar solo at 3:51.

https://youtu.be/eK1hmDpa8bo

[irv]

Originally Posted by bnorth

We all have our favorites and who we consider the best. I have played off and on for close to 40 years. I am far from good but when playing regularly I can pull off an OK at best version of most players.

I just seen this today and there is no way in hell I could even imagine pulling off even an incredibly horrible version. This is seriously a thing of beauty. My only memory of Roy is from Hee Haw as a little kid. I had no idea he could play anything like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxDQQDF6j0Y

Check out some other duels with Glen Campbell too. Another one who never really got the accolades for being so good, but then again, maybe we are too young to remember/know if they really did back in the day?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_kbgjsuCec

[Writehooks]

Ace Frehley.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by irv

Check out some other duels with Glen Campbell too. Another one who never really got the accolades for being so good, but then again, maybe we are too young to remember/know if they really did back in the day?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_kbgjsuCec

That was a great link. Yes we are probably just too young to remember. Then again neither played a style of music I listened to. I remember back in the 3 channel days(70s here) having to watch Hee Haw and Lawrence Welk as a little kid so never listed to those types of music when I got older.

Country music is actually pretty good when you only listen to the guitar player.

[irv]

Originally Posted by bnorth

That was a great link. Yes we are probably just too young to remember. Then again neither played a style of music I listened to. I remember back in the 3 channel days(70s here) having to watch Hee Haw and Lawrence Welk as a little kid so never listed to those types of music when I got older.

Country music is actually pretty good when you only listen to the guitar player.

That's the thing. There are so many different genres of music it is really hard for some people to pick out who is great and who isn't because they may have never heard of them before nor appreciate their style/talent?
Same goes for drummers, piano players, etc. If it is not your preferred genre of music, it might be really hard, unless you're a talented musician, to pick out who is really great and who isn't?
So many different styles, with some not appealing to others, but it still doesn't mean they aren't really good.
When I personally think of great guitar players, I think of Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Randy Rhodes, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Michael/Rudolph Schenker and numerous other ones. If you had of posted your question without mentioning Roy Clark, I likely wouldn't have even thought about him even though he deserves just the same amount of accolades as many others.

[steve B]

Sister Rosetta Tharp.

I didn't know about her, but saw a video on facebook.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5weeyufMTXk


And, someone I never hear of in the "great guitar player" discussions, but who is famous anyway. George Harrison.
Back when I was trying to play, a friend got the guitar magazines with tab.ANd they had a beatles song or two one issue. Simple stuff right? NO, I looke dat he tab, tried to make my hand do what was needed for the chords. No dice, tried forcing my fingers into place with my other hand... Nope there was simply no way my hand could play that.
Went and watched a video, and yes that was what he was dong and making it look easy.

[Shoeless Moe]

I'll let ya'll fight over #2.


Because #1 is a no brainer.....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZBlqcbpmxY



Let Jimi take over

[irv]

Originally Posted by bnorth

That was a great link. Yes we are probably just too young to remember. Then again neither played a style of music I listened to. I remember back in the 3 channel days(70s here) having to watch Hee Haw and Lawrence Welk as a little kid so never listed to those types of music when I got older.

Country music is actually pretty good when you only listen to the guitar player.

I like Country too, Was raised on it myself along with Hee Haw.
Was recently just told about this song sung by Hardy. Never heard of him before until a couple weeks ago. Could have something to do with the Canada/U.S. thing as I've discovered before but who knows?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsMB0i5YTOc
Live version is really good too. From the CMA's this year which I didn't watch, unfortunately.
https://youtu.be/_V74Ppu61-c

[Peter_Spaeth]

Cards.

[irv]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Cards.

Great cards, Peter.

[cubman1941]

Originally Posted by bnorth

We all have our favorites and who we consider the best. I have played off and on for close to 40 years. I am far from good but when playing regularly I can pull off an OK at best version of most players.

I just seen this today and there is no way in hell I could even imagine pulling off even an incredibly horrible version. This is seriously a thing of beauty. My only memory of Roy is from Hee Haw as a little kid. I had no idea he could play anything like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxDQQDF6j0Y

I don't have a dog in this fight as I have no music ability at all but I watched this one and Roy was absolutely amazing, the look of concentraton was a thing of beauty. I then watched the episode of him and Buck Trent in Dualing Banjo's. Even at this late age he was great!!

[irv]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Clapton was once asked how it felt to be the greatest living guitarist. He said "I don't know, ask Prince."

I don't know where I read it, could have been here, but supposedly Prince, due to his agoraphobia/anxiety disorder, never came out to rehearse once with these guys?
He just said let me know what day/time you plan on doing this and I'll be there.
The story goes, on the day of, when this song was getting underway, Prince just arrived, played his part/solo then immediately left afterwards without interacting with the rest of the band?
No doubt Prince could play, and should most definitely be in any argument about one of the best ever, as evidenced here.
https://youtu.be/6SFNW5F8K9Y

[steve B]

I mistook the thread for "underrated great guitar players"

Hendrix is my favorite, with Iommi being right up there.

But while we're at it, a few guitar players who didn't get famous for their guitar playing.
Geezer Butler - who uses a wha wah pedal as a bassist, part of his sound
Noel Redding
Paul Mc Cartney - who should maybe be thought of as someone that plays way too many instruments
Lemmy.
Greg Lake

Back at guitar,
Jon Butcher
Joe Satriani - who taught, and at has had lots of famous players as his students


With so much access today and so much ability to put oneself out there, it's amazing just how many really good guitar players there are.

[JustinD]

Favorite - BB King

Close seconds (Can't number them, all too good)

• David Gilmour
• Frank Zappa
• Jimi Hendrix
• Stevie Ray Vaughan
• Prince

[gonefishin]

Believe it or not - Glen Campbell.

If you haven't seen the documentary: "I'll be Me". Please watch it. It documents Glen's progression and destruction from Alzheimer's. Toward the end he couldn't remember his wife's name, however, he could still play the guitar amazingly well. The doctor said he could do that because it required no thought on his part. It was a part of his nature and required absolutely no thought. Crazy!

[todeen]

First, I'm adding a couple videos for you to enjoy to appreciate the instruments, not necessarily the guitars. Sorry it goes off track. This has been a great thread.

I listen almost solely to country music. I have heard with the passing of Glen Campbell, Vince Gill now holds the mantle of greatest country guitar player. Here is Chet Atkins requesting Gill play OKLAHOMA BORDERLINE. Guitar solo starts at 5:20.

https://youtu.be/Stv3ugVFZD8

Chris Stapleton (mentioned earlier with JT....I didn't know JT could play an instrument!) might compete with Eric Church as the best modern/mainstream country musician IMO who could fall under neo-country. Both Church and Stapleton could be outlaw country as well. There is a branch called bro-country and it makes me gag; Church has many bro-country friends. Lainey Wilson, mentioned earlier, is not played on my country station because she is considered too Pop (listeners are surveyed for likes and dislikes and she has not made the cut). Morgan Wallen also is never played.

Since you brought up Roy Clark and Hee Haw, you must watch ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL. My wife plays the viola and she said what Clark does on the fiddle is fantastic.

https://youtu.be/zPmapd7htio

Another country / western musician is Michael Martin Murphy. His most famous song is WILDFIRE, but the instrument solos on CAROLINA IN THE PINES will bring a smile to your face. He started long ago in California with the Eagles and Jackson Browne. Murphy is considered a living legend in Western style music (not the same as country music).

https://youtu.be/c3J1J61VsYM

Finally, if you are from Tennessee, I salute you with ROCKY TOP. This is some fine picking from the Osborne Brothers.

https://youtu.be/_n9prNixjbg

Sent from my SM-G9900 using Tapatalk

[Lucas00]

I would like to add Allen Collins
And Dick Dale for some very good speed/stamina guitarists.

https://youtu.be/HGF1gmO0bHk

https://youtu.be/WuCNRl9IGwk