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Best guitarist in the world
Posted on 11/18/23 at 12:03 am
Posted on 11/18/23 at 12:03 am
I've wondered for years, who is the best guitarist of all time. It's become clear to me that Jimi Hendrix is the best guitarist of all time. He took the basics of guitar and turned it into the foundation of rock. This foundation has influenced every aspect of rock n roll since. I now present you with this:
Jimi
Jimi
Posted on 11/18/23 at 4:33 am to rexorotten
Let's assume "best" is going to be subjective and concede that, for all the cats who played guitar after him and even some contemporaries, Jimi was one of the most influential of his time, maybe the guy playing in the late 60s with that level of influence.
I think it should go without saying that Les Paul (the guy, not the guitar) is probably the starting point for influence. Then you have that whole next wave of cats, Ike Turner, Chuck Berry, Scotty Moore and Buddy Holly. The 60s saw the rise of The Stones (Keith and Mick), The Beatles (mainly George, but all 3 guitar players influenced literally everyone afterwards), Clapton, Townsend, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Hendrix.
And these are just the guys the record companies let you know about. Hendrix was so influential that he even altered the way Bob Dylan performs his own damn song (All Along the Watchtower) to this day.
I think it should go without saying that Les Paul (the guy, not the guitar) is probably the starting point for influence. Then you have that whole next wave of cats, Ike Turner, Chuck Berry, Scotty Moore and Buddy Holly. The 60s saw the rise of The Stones (Keith and Mick), The Beatles (mainly George, but all 3 guitar players influenced literally everyone afterwards), Clapton, Townsend, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Hendrix.
And these are just the guys the record companies let you know about. Hendrix was so influential that he even altered the way Bob Dylan performs his own damn song (All Along the Watchtower) to this day.
Posted on 11/18/23 at 12:14 pm to rexorotten
I would say Jimi Hendrix was one of the most influential, maybe the most influential, guitarist ever, but he’s not the best technical guitarist. There are too many to name, but some examples of better technical guitarists are Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Dimebag Darrell, Nuno Bettencourt, and Eddie Van Halen.
Posted on 11/18/23 at 12:28 pm to rexorotten
Jimi can’t really have a strong argument against.
I just feel he was limited by his own youthful death and the times.
How many great effects a pedals came along after 1970? His amps? No problem. People are still using 50’s amps and 60’s or trying to replicate them. But effects a pedals? How much cleaner could his sound have gotten? How much better could his fuzz and (name a pedal he had) have gotten.
And how much better could he have gotten? He is forever trapped in psychedelic music. Where would he have gone after that faded? Awesome to think about. What would HIS MTV unplugged have sounded like? 55 year old Hendrix doing an unplugged rearranged Little Wing?
Ramble is over.
SRV is my answer.
Alive and “in the world”. Speedy notes? Tommy Emmanuel. Like your notes to breathe? Gilmour.
I just feel he was limited by his own youthful death and the times.
How many great effects a pedals came along after 1970? His amps? No problem. People are still using 50’s amps and 60’s or trying to replicate them. But effects a pedals? How much cleaner could his sound have gotten? How much better could his fuzz and (name a pedal he had) have gotten.
And how much better could he have gotten? He is forever trapped in psychedelic music. Where would he have gone after that faded? Awesome to think about. What would HIS MTV unplugged have sounded like? 55 year old Hendrix doing an unplugged rearranged Little Wing?
Ramble is over.
SRV is my answer.
Alive and “in the world”. Speedy notes? Tommy Emmanuel. Like your notes to breathe? Gilmour.
Posted on 11/18/23 at 1:36 pm to rexorotten
Technically it's probably Clapton.
Posted on 11/18/23 at 4:35 pm to rexorotten
It’s probably Guthrie Govan. Not even kidding.
Posted on 11/18/23 at 6:54 pm to rexorotten
Downvote away but I put Steve Lukather at the top. He can play any style and, best of all, he thinks of himself as average at best.
Posted on 11/18/23 at 7:40 pm to rexorotten
Technically the best or creatively?
Posted on 11/19/23 at 10:38 am to rexorotten
I'd always heard Andrés Segovia.
But maybe one of his pupils has surpassed the master.
But maybe one of his pupils has surpassed the master.
Posted on 11/19/23 at 2:20 pm to rexorotten
I don't think it's objectively possible to pick a best guitarist.
My favorite is Brian May and he's been voted best in some polls but that's laughable. Watch some YouTube jam videos with him and other guitarists and he can't keep up. One in particular with Steve Lukather, Larry Carlton and another guy comes to mind. May is so bad in that video it's painful to watch.
While many are aware of the talents of Lindsay Buckingham and Martin Barre how they aren't routinely in the top of polls is mind-blowing.
My favorite is Brian May and he's been voted best in some polls but that's laughable. Watch some YouTube jam videos with him and other guitarists and he can't keep up. One in particular with Steve Lukather, Larry Carlton and another guy comes to mind. May is so bad in that video it's painful to watch.
While many are aware of the talents of Lindsay Buckingham and Martin Barre how they aren't routinely in the top of polls is mind-blowing.
Posted on 11/19/23 at 5:14 pm to rexorotten
Too subjective. Even Jimi thought that Terry Kath was a better player at the time.
Classical and flamenco players of the day could play circles around him.
My list changes but for instrument mastery you have to include Van Halen, Steve Morse, Andres Segovia, Vai, SRV, Yngwie, Govan, and young talent like Billy Strings, Matteo Mancuso, and the guys from Polyphia.
Classical and flamenco players of the day could play circles around him.
My list changes but for instrument mastery you have to include Van Halen, Steve Morse, Andres Segovia, Vai, SRV, Yngwie, Govan, and young talent like Billy Strings, Matteo Mancuso, and the guys from Polyphia.
Posted on 11/19/23 at 5:24 pm to rexorotten
Probably some 6 year old Asian kid on tic tok.
Posted on 11/19/23 at 9:02 pm to rexorotten
Ry Cooder. But there is no one single greatest of all time.
Posted on 11/20/23 at 10:07 am to rexorotten
Jeff Beck, John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola
Posted on 11/20/23 at 12:35 pm to rexorotten
Christian Martin
Being that he invented the guitar, he was probably a virtuoso.
Being that he invented the guitar, he was probably a virtuoso.
Posted on 11/20/23 at 2:44 pm to rexorotten
Mark Knopfler, Terry Kath, and Tommy Bolin have to be high up the list.
This post was edited on 11/20/23 at 2:46 pm
Posted on 11/20/23 at 10:26 pm to rexorotten
All the guys mentioned are/were fantastic. I can find something I like from each of them.
My vote would be for Lukather.
I’ve always been impressed by the way he could do sessions for Michael Jackson one day and The Tubes the next. Go from Boz Scaggs to Lionel Richie or Don Henley and be able to play what those artists and producers were looking for.
My vote would be for Lukather.
I’ve always been impressed by the way he could do sessions for Michael Jackson one day and The Tubes the next. Go from Boz Scaggs to Lionel Richie or Don Henley and be able to play what those artists and producers were looking for.
Posted on 11/20/23 at 10:48 pm to rexorotten
Nobody said "Tony Rice" yet?
Posted on 11/21/23 at 8:31 am to rexorotten
I have no musical training so I have no idea who is the best technically. But just my two favorites are David Gilmore and Don Felder. Of course Pink Floyd and The Eagles are my two favorite bands all time.
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