GodHatesYou
Registered Member
Hendrix
Vaughn
Clapton
Vaughn
Clapton
3 Best guitar players ever ????
- Thread starter joemamaa
- Start date
if you notice, he never played with his pinky, that severely limits his abilities
Fraggle Rocker
Staff member
Best: Adrian Gurvitz (Baker Gurvitz Army, Graeme Edge Band)
2nd: Joe Satriani
3rd: Jimi Hendrix
2nd: Joe Satriani
3rd: Jimi Hendrix
Guitarist finishes gig and is the last one in the place with the barman, who asks if he'd like a scotch before he goes home. The player says 'sure' and the barman plonks down a big glass of the juice and a little bowl of peanuts to go with it, then wanders off to wipe down the counter. This leaves the gun guitarist all by himself for a minute. From nowhere a little voice says 'great gig man, you're one hot picker'.
The player looks at the barman and says 'thanks' and the barman says 'what for' and the player says 'for sayin' nice things about my work'. the barman says ' I didn't say nothing'.
The guitarist thinks it's late and he's a bit spaced so he'd better head off when another little voice says 'yeah great licks man and nice moves too, you sure cut it up there'. The guitar player turns around and says 'thanks' but there's nobody there. The feller at the bar says 'are you ok?' cause the picker looks a bit pale and the guitarist says 'yeah, I think so'.
Then, as he empties his glass another voice says 'hot licks, great look, wonderful style man, the chicks sure got off on you' and the bloke says 'OK! THAT'S IT! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?'
The barman runs down and says 'what's your problem dude?' to which the guitarist says 'WHERE ARE THOSE VOICES COMING FROM? IS THIS CANDID CAMERA?'
'What voices? What are they saying?'
When the guitarist tells the barman what was going on and what was said, the barman says 'Oh that'll be the peanuts man, they're complimentary!'
The player looks at the barman and says 'thanks' and the barman says 'what for' and the player says 'for sayin' nice things about my work'. the barman says ' I didn't say nothing'.
The guitarist thinks it's late and he's a bit spaced so he'd better head off when another little voice says 'yeah great licks man and nice moves too, you sure cut it up there'. The guitar player turns around and says 'thanks' but there's nobody there. The feller at the bar says 'are you ok?' cause the picker looks a bit pale and the guitarist says 'yeah, I think so'.
Then, as he empties his glass another voice says 'hot licks, great look, wonderful style man, the chicks sure got off on you' and the bloke says 'OK! THAT'S IT! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?'
The barman runs down and says 'what's your problem dude?' to which the guitarist says 'WHERE ARE THOSE VOICES COMING FROM? IS THIS CANDID CAMERA?'
'What voices? What are they saying?'
When the guitarist tells the barman what was going on and what was said, the barman says 'Oh that'll be the peanuts man, they're complimentary!'
I don't know if I can pick three. First of all, Clapton is not that great. I think - and obviously I don't actually know this - but the majority of people I know who go on and on about Clapton aren't guitarists. He's a talented musician, but he's no where close to one of the best guitarists ever.
Names that need to be mentioned include Jimmy Paige, Stevie Ray, Eddy Van Halen, Steve Vai and, though only one other has mentioned him, Friedman.
Now, I'm surprisingly pleased that Tom Morello has been mentioned already, because the guy is also brilliant. And if I can throw in one more name that's not at all expected - Trey Anastasio. Phish are amazing, and Trey is a ridiculously talented guitarist. Listen to some of their live stuff and you'll understand.
Also, who ever said Dave Matthews..... come on!!!!!!!!
Edit to add: Can't believe I forgot Yngwie Malmsteen. In terms of technical talent, the man is brilliant. Can't say much for his musical or improvisational skills (though they obviously far exceed the norm, they're not in the relm of Jimmy or Trey).
Names that need to be mentioned include Jimmy Paige, Stevie Ray, Eddy Van Halen, Steve Vai and, though only one other has mentioned him, Friedman.
Now, I'm surprisingly pleased that Tom Morello has been mentioned already, because the guy is also brilliant. And if I can throw in one more name that's not at all expected - Trey Anastasio. Phish are amazing, and Trey is a ridiculously talented guitarist. Listen to some of their live stuff and you'll understand.
Also, who ever said Dave Matthews..... come on!!!!!!!!
Edit to add: Can't believe I forgot Yngwie Malmsteen. In terms of technical talent, the man is brilliant. Can't say much for his musical or improvisational skills (though they obviously far exceed the norm, they're not in the relm of Jimmy or Trey).
I've been playing for an average amount of time (fifteen years), and I've had to discover what's great about Clapton's playing. When I started it was all Vai, Satch, Johnson, Gambale, and so on - all the fast guys. What they do is great - in their own genres. Outside of his style of music, Vai sucks. There's no way that Vai could do the blues like Clapton. Listen to guitar playing before Clapton and realise the extent of his innovation. Real music is also about expression and taste, not showing off your technique all the time. Clapton has got expression and taste off to a 'T'!
The most natural player on the planet.
LOL!!! In HIS genre, nobody has been able to get near him for twenty years! His incredibly relaxed technique, use of harmonic minor and diminished scales, use of arpegios, wonderful vibrato, awsome natural tone, sense of melody, raw improvisational ability, and feel (yes FEEL) have rendered his playing beyond the realms of all mortals since his emergence in the early 1980's (as all of his pale imitators have proved). Very few guitarists would dare to 'cut heads' with Malmsteen. Like Clapton, Malmsteen also shines live - not just in the studio. The undisputed neo-classical master of the planet.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Malmsteen is poor at anything, I've just never heard anything live that blew my mind.
Anyway, about the Clapton debate, I just find as good as he is, his Blues abilities are not among even the blues greats. Personally, I like Django Reinhardt more (yes, yes - different kind of blues).
Anyway, about the Clapton debate, I just find as good as he is, his Blues abilities are not among even the blues greats. Personally, I like Django Reinhardt more (yes, yes - different kind of blues).
Fraggle Rocker
Staff member
If you like Clapton that much, you should check out Adrian Gurvitz. Same kind of sounds but better. He didn't stop growing after "Layla" became a hit like Clapton did, although he did fade away after his collaborations with Ginger Baker and other hard core British progressive rockers failed to capture the American market.
If you want somebody who's as fast and precise as Malmsteen and Vai but can also slow down and lay down some sweet licks, I don't see enough votes for Joe Satriani.
Morello, yeah, I forgot about him because I never remember his name. I'd call him the most creative guitarist in contemporary rock and roll. Kick anybody off the list to make a spot for him. It's time to recognize current talent.
If you want somebody who's as fast and precise as Malmsteen and Vai but can also slow down and lay down some sweet licks, I don't see enough votes for Joe Satriani.
Morello, yeah, I forgot about him because I never remember his name. I'd call him the most creative guitarist in contemporary rock and roll. Kick anybody off the list to make a spot for him. It's time to recognize current talent.
He might not be as pure as other blues players, but he's got such a lovely blend of rock and blues, it's really unique. 'Rock's ambassador to the blues' is a good discription I heard once.
Gypsy jazz! Great musician, very innovative and influential. I don't know about in America, but he still has a following on continental Europe. A jazz festival takes place every year (in France) in celebration of him. I just like his moustache though.:bugeye:
That description seems rather fitting, then. Personally, I think the best blues song by a rocker I've ever heard is Paige on Since I've Been Loving You. The guitar in that is amazing.
I really don't think he has much of a following in North America. Maybe in the States, but I've certainly not found another real Django fan in Canada.
I've seen Satriani play (Birmingham, England) - awesome! He can really pull it off live, and make it look easy whilst he's at it. I've seen Vai too, and Satch came across far better. His sound, and musicality all came across. Plus, he was as 'cool as a cucumber', and didn't seem as pretentious as other 'big' names. Shall we just ditch this idea that you can choose only three "best" guitarists? It's impossible to choose really, with so much talent out there. I tend to find that, for most guitarists, my preferences shift quite regularly anyway. Malmsteen this month, Albert Lee the next...
Another player that I get into every now and then is Eric Johnson. What a great player. But there's something about his playing that still manages to annoy me - I think his solo playing sounds very 'stiff' or contrived (Vai's playing is like this too). He goes for this 'perfect' sound, but he might as well take up classical music if he wants to sound that stiff. Surely that's defeating the object of the rebellious nature of rock guitar anyway? Who cares if there's a bum note on the album? Good, it might make it sound like he's really playing. Instead, his albums are a bit 'anal'. I'm not saying they're bad or anything, it's just... you know what I mean! Alright, listen to an Eric Johnson album and then put on a good Rolling Stones one straight afterwards. That ought to do the trick!
Fraggle Rocker
Staff member
Django, Eric Johnson
I'm with you on Eric Johnson. I really want to like him because he's so talented, but everything he does seems too tight. Perhaps it would be worth seeing if he can loosen up on stage. Although I'd be happy if somebody could just point me to one of his albums that is not overloaded with those mediocre vocal tracks. Has he ever made a pure instrumental album?
Jazz guitar? I'll take Al DiMeola any day. He has a remarkable range of styles, from hard rockin' fusion to sultry tropical Latin to mile-a-minute hot jazz, and he really puts his soul into his improvisations. Back in the 1970s he used to open for headliners as diverse as Jean-Luc Ponty, Renaissance, and Tangerine Dream, and all those diverse audiences would arrive on time to be sure and catch his act.
I'm with you on Eric Johnson. I really want to like him because he's so talented, but everything he does seems too tight. Perhaps it would be worth seeing if he can loosen up on stage. Although I'd be happy if somebody could just point me to one of his albums that is not overloaded with those mediocre vocal tracks. Has he ever made a pure instrumental album?
Jazz guitar? I'll take Al DiMeola any day. He has a remarkable range of styles, from hard rockin' fusion to sultry tropical Latin to mile-a-minute hot jazz, and he really puts his soul into his improvisations. Back in the 1970s he used to open for headliners as diverse as Jean-Luc Ponty, Renaissance, and Tangerine Dream, and all those diverse audiences would arrive on time to be sure and catch his act.
Anyone listen to Symphony X? Romeo is a guitar god too.