Best Guitarist (reconsidered)

It's strange my very good guitarist and friend didn't like him at RAH too "stadium rock" whatever that means. I,on the other hand thought it was great, as was the smaller concert we had seen previously where my mate had enjoyed it.

To be fair there are a lot of very good guitarists about. Joe is quite special though.

I sat with your very good guitarist friend at that gig and I totally agree with him. It left me cold, all the posturing and theatrics. I think the RAH gig went to his head.

Hi BigH47,

Off to bed shortly, I expect some comments overnight, ( after all, my Freddie Mercury topic, started last December, still attracts the odd reply!

For me, the man plays with great blues feeling, but live, with such accuracy around the fretboard.

As I said, I play myself, in the past semi-profesionally, but I am in awe of this guy live.

Must practice more  !

Dave.

I like him a lot. We saw him in Vancouver last year. Technically brilliant and very entertaining. Loud, too.

The whole visual package: JB-branded amps, posturing, suit and sunglasses is done semi-ironically in my view so it doesn't annoy me. He's laughing at it as much as we are.

His guitar collection is to die for, especially if you are a Gibson fan.

Several factors considered - technical wizardry, stage character/ persona, image, entertainment value and total musical output then my vote would be for Dimebag Darrell.

He possessed the ultimate in front-end shredding power, his contribution to rock and metal was to raise the standard of guitar playing for everyone else that came along afterwards.

When Pantera was playing live it was weird to hear rhythm guitar drop out during solos because it was only Darrell on his own, no luxury of twin or triple axe attacks like for Judas Priest or Iron Maiden. Nevertheless Darrell could carry the momentum alongside Vinnie Paul on drums (world class drummer) with aplomb. With a metalhammer award named in Darrell's honour, countless recognitions and tributes it was a sad loss when he became no more.

You have started an interesting subject. I would see several guys but let's just mention two:

John Petrucci - rock

Stanley Jordan - jazz

For me it will always be Stevie Ray Vaughan. He can play as fast as you like, but has an ingredient that many are missing. Soul.

Here's an example. Buddy Guy's ' Leave My Little Girl Alone'.

My vote goes to Segovia.

Here is a little youtube film of him performing Bach "Little Prelude in C minor" - though he made a superb commercial recording of it on DG, which can still be had today ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmTnLcOYEGE

ATB from George

PS: Here he is playing [no video though] Bach great "Chacconne in D minor" which shows that technique is crucial but only the starting point. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCnBn2HKCJ8

I loved Tom Morello's work with RATM. His later guitar stuff, perhaps not so much. 

Yep. He was a good'un.

I enjoyed the  Joe Bonamssa albums but always that his  playing lacked  some grit or power.  I've been playing Rory Gallgaher, Johnny Winter, Jack White  and Gary Moore all top bluesmen . I also really like Neil Young's  distorted guiter tone .

If we are talking generally about the most technically gifted guitarist rather than blues then one must consider Bereli Lagrene who is just amazing.

All the above are excellent choices. But I'd ask all those rock guitarists to stand aside for James Marshall Hendrix and Paul Kossoff.

The greatest guitar "technician" I have ever seen is Tal Farlow. He was one of the few people that made a Gibson L5 look small! He was a tall, pale, cadaverous man with enormous hands. Looked more like a mortician than a world-class jazz guitarist, though I beleive he made a living as a sign-writer when he wasn't touring. Odd folk, jazzers.

I saw him at the Band On The Wall in Manchester in the mid-80's. He started with a "ballad" that was played at a blinding speed but always hamonically interesting.

He then continued to play a selection of jazz standards where he solo in full chords, not just fast scales (that he could do in his sleep), culiminating in a version of All The Things You Are (aka All The Chords You Know) that was incendiary. We shouldn't forget also Joe Pass and GB's own Martin Taylor.

Actually, you don't need to be a great technician to make great music - you need heart and soul and to "say something" when you play. Many of the speed merchants are very gifted but they don't play music.

Regards,

Vlad

With Prince now back with a possible tour happening, and catching him on Jimmy Fallon recently, he is a seriously under rated player. One of my all time favs.

And talking about tours, Nine Inch Nails are doing some shows later in the year with Adrian Belew on board. Now this will be very interesting to see...

I'm with GML and Vlad.

Being the best or even  good guitarist has nothing to do with technical brilliance, it's about soul and feeling. It's like saying the worlds greatest footballer is the guy who holds the world record at keepy uppy. You wouldn't want to watch keepy uppy for 90 minutes.

These guys have a lot of soul and feeling. Although Roy is also technically brilliant.

A little unknown guitarist called Roy Buchanan.

Great minds Tony.

Indeed!

Mark Knopfler

Have always enjoyed guitar music and these days have a very large collection. The 'Best Guitarist' debate always generates a lot of passion. I think the reality is that most peoples perspective tends to be based initially on their preferred musical tatses rather than the musicians abilities. Many fans get swept along with the seemingly technically challenging high speed widdling but so often its very much about touch and feel and what notes are not played. I played guitar quite badly for many years and tried to mimic the Rock and Blues players along with some Jazzers. However it was only when my son went to Uni to read Commercial Music and majored in Guitar Practical that my horizons were truly widened. His performance pieces evolved from the usual Steve Vai, Joe Satriani repetiore in year one to some truly amazing material which I had never heard of.  Try and listen to some of the following for something different...

Electric Jazz - Rock

Shawn Lane (sadly deceased) Powers of Ten or Powers of Ten Live.

          For a jazzier performance from Shawn listen to 'Personae'

Guthrie Govan - Still to be heard live on occaisions at my local 'Basement Club' in          Chelmsford,Essex. His solo album Erotic Cakes is very special Indeed. More recenlty he is playing in the 3 piece supergroup 'The Aristocrats'  and their album The Aristocrats is well worth hearing.

You can also hear Guthrie on a superb guitar album Lee Ritenours '6 String Theory' If you like guitar playing this album is a must have -  the guest list is quite something.

Accoustic

Naims' own Antonio Forcione always good to listen to, however try

Andy McKee , John Gomm and Preston Reid for some truly stunning accoutic fingerstyle gymnastics. I saw all three in concert a few months ago , a really memorable experience.

Left Field........Christophe Godin - He demonstrates the most fun you could possibly have playing and listening to guitar. Rock /Jazz style he plays in a 3 piece known as 'MORGLBL'  try 'Jazz For The Deaf' or 'Grotesk'.  A french guitarist but occaisionally does demo tours and seminars in the UK if you have chanced just go and see him play for guitar fans it has to be on your bucket list.

If you can find a copy of Coryell by Larry Coryell, in the same league as Hendrix 

I've gigged and recorded with Larry Coryell, and while he is indeed one of the great guitarists, he would be the very first to say that he is not in the same league as Jimi Hendrix ... in fact, he would say that no one is, and he'd be right.

Wow.....all personal judgement.

Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia, John McL, Eric Clapton, Koss, Green, MK, Cooder (birthday tomorrow), Carlton etc

Joe Bon my B-I-L makes me listen to - no doubt very gifted but I do find the newer generation somewhat over produced. But as I say subjective.

Absurd discussion: James Marshall Hendrix, no one else has come close.

Yes, I agree.  While I haven't heard some of those mentioned earlier, Jimi made a guitar do things that no one previously or since could do and his playing is instantly recognisable in a similar way to the voice of Sinatra.

MDS.