Is Billy Strings still the best guitarist on the planet?

I’m in a lawn chair on St. Augustine beach recovering. I really kind of lost my mind last night

Not this shite again….

He’s not and never has been.

That’s not to diminish his talents. He’s very good.

But there’s probably 100 dudes in Nashville just as good.

In all seriousness, and I like Billy Strings, what from that video do you think would indicate that he is anywhere close to the best guitarist on the planet?

It's a good video, he's a very good player, but there is nothing outrageous about anything going on there.

My "best" would be Matteo.

Edited to correct spelling.

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My "best" would be Manteo

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I assume you mean Matteo Mancuso. I have great respect for Billy Strings as an entertainer and for how he’s brought his brand of bluegrass to a popular audience, but I admire Mancuso’s technical proficiency, creativity, and versatility to the extent that I’d agree he’s a better guitar player. Billy would probably agree as well.

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It's all a matter of opinion, so to each his own, but for me, you have to check all the boxes to be the best, and commercial success is one of the boxes.

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I didn’t say Mancuso was the “best”—that was the previous poster. As far as I’m concerned, there is no best. I do believe that Mancuso’s a better guitarist than Billy Strings and I disagree with your premise. I’ve played with or observed musicians who are in great demand for sessions and are relatively unknown by a popular audience. Several outstanding musicians prefer to develop their craft rather than focus on entertaining. Are you suggesting they’re not as good for that reason?

Is Billy Strings still the best electric acoustic bluegrass jam band guitarist on the planet?

Is that better??????

Allan Holdsworth is incredible.

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This is why some level of commercial success should be a prerequisite for being considered the "best"

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I concur with this.

However, I would qualify it in that sometimes: a) commercial success is affected by marketing, not just skill, b) some styles of music that don't require great musicianship will have more commercial success than those that do, and c) to some extent being a "Youtube sensation" is part of achieving commercial success in this day.

IMO, EVH is tGOAT - talent, innovative, songwriting, riffs, and commercially successful. But if asked who's the best guitarist of all time? I would give Shawn Lane a long listen. But there's a reason everybody's heard of Eddie and few Shawn. At some point, to be the greatest, you have to actually compose music that people want to listen to.

For those not familiar with Shane: Shawn Lane Guitar Solo @ 17 Yrs Old (1979)