Guitar Heroes: Your Top 20 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time! - Page 2

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Originally Posted by Cousin Barnabas 

For those of you only familiar with Unknown Hinson from his work on Squidbillies, I present ....

 

That's a SERIOUSLY bitchin tone he's rocking there.

Couple more guys worth mentioning:

Phil Manzanera:

(Phil's mostly done by about the 1:39 mark)

Rick Miller, of Southern Culture on the Skids, is a fun, meat-and-potatoes Chuck Berry by way of Dick Dale player, but what I like best about him is that he comes on with that ratty-looking Mosrite, and for ninety sweaty, foot-stomping minutes, never swaps it out or even tunes the fucker.
 

And taking a tour of all your favorite players with the one and only Junior Brown:

Les Paul = Hendrix - acid:

Danny Cedrone of Bill Haley & His Comets more or less invented the rock solo with this classic:

Best part of that solo is that Rock Around the Clock was at least the third time he'd repurposed it, but who can blame him?

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Originally Posted by Fat Elvis 

That shit caused riots back in the day.

That kiss curl? You fuckin' KNOW it did.

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Originally Posted by Fat Elvis 

That shit caused riots back in the day.

Hell, just listening to it NOW makes me wanna mug an old lady & punch Glenn Ford in the balls.

If we're going with 50's guitar legends, you can't go wrong with Scotty Moore and James Burton for that matter.

Speaking of someone influenced by those two men, I give you Lindsey Buckingham.

Just incredible.

I can't believe only one list has Frank Zappa.  He is a top five guitarist in any category.  

I can't believe only one list has Frank Zappa.  He is a top five guitarist in any category.  

Jimi Hendrix

Eric Clapton

Frank Zappa

Duane Allman

Jimmy Page

Jeff Beck

Stevie Ray Vaughn

Whenever I hear this solo I get why Richie Blackmore has such a high opinion if himself.

Not one mention of Chet Atkins!

Chet Atkins is great of course, and so is this dude sitting next to him.

Chet disciple Tommy Emmanuel tends to veer towards middle of the road but there's no doubting his chops.

Gah....I left one off. For tasteful playing, absolutely one-of-a-kind tone, and some pretty great songs, I cannot forget James Mankey of Concrete Blonde. Pick any song of theirs, really, and it's immediately apparent how criminally unsung this guy is. 

I'm pretty much on board with all the suggestions on this thread, but one name I haven't seen mentioned yet is Robby Krieger of The Doors. I know Morrison and Manzarek get the lion's share of attention but Krieger's jazz and flamenco-influenced rhythm playing and soloing added something special. Underrated is a difficult word to bandy around when talking about the guitarists from one of music history's best known bands, but I often find his contribution and chops overlooked in conversations like this.

Plus he wrote most of their music and the lyrics to a few, fairly well-known songs...

Also, no love for Satriani? I'm no guitar historian but I can't think of anyone else who sounds like him, his technique is insane, and some of his songs are pretty good tunes.

Here's one particularly for Nathan-- I hadn't realized that Robert Randolph has formed The Slide Brothers, with Calvin Cooke, Chuck Campbell, Darick Campbell and Aubrey Ghent,

I don't know that four slide guitars are necessarily four times as enjoyable as one, but it makes for some fascinating playing. They were on Leno last night, but I don't think I can directly link the video:

http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/musical-guest/robert-randolph-with-the-slide-brothers/index.shtml

Adam Nutter of The Music is a pretty underrated guitarist in my opinion. He kind of reminds me of Jimmy Page in his ability to create epic riffs.

Spooky. I was just listening to that album today and thinking I needed to give some credit.

Fekkin' awesome live band too.

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Originally Posted by NathanW 

Adam Nutter of The Music is a pretty underrated guitarist in my opinion. He kind of reminds me of Jimmy Page in his ability to create epic riffs.

That album has some killer guitar licks, for sure.  What ever happened to these guys?  I caught them in 2002, on one of the side stages at some shitty DC nu-metal / alt-rock festival, and I distinctly remember them blowing every other act out of the water.  I even bought their t-shirt, which is still in the wardrobe rotation today.

Robin fucking Trower.  I've seen him live a couple of times...the man is incredible.

So many great musicians mentioned here. Few I didn't see:

Rick McCallum (The Afghan Whigs) - When We Two Parted

Daron Malakian (System Of A Down) - Chop Suey, B.Y.O.B.

Stephen Carpenter (Deftones) - You've Seen The Butcher / Minerva

Nick McCabe (The Verve) has been listed but I'll put him here again.

And since I was once a teenager, I'll mention my favorite shredder: Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom).

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Originally Posted by Fat Elvis 

Has anyone acknowledged Mike Campbell of the Heartbreakers yet?

 

Also great, slide guitar master Derek Trucks of the Allman Bros.

 

Someone who i used to dissmiss but now kind of dig thanks to Sirius XM's "Deep Tracks" (which plays him a lot) - George Thorogood.

Campbell absolutely on my underrated list.

I was Program Director at my college station when Thorogood's first album came out. Got a preview copy, saw that his band was "the Destroyers", and figured it was another in the endless parade of derivative punk bands. Working my way through the stack of new releases in the "B" studio, I finally put on his LP, and in a few seconds had thrown open the door and yelled at everyone to get in there and listen to that shit. Not that he was anything close to the greatest guitarist I'd ever heard (by that time, I'd seen both Buddy Guy and B.B. King a couple times each), but in the context of the time, he was a complete breath of fresh air.

A couple months later, saw him at a small club, and by the time he was Chuck Berry duck-walkiing across our table, he'd just cemented that.

That he later verged on self-parody, due largely to the real limitations of his musical vision, hasn't really dimmed those memories.

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Originally Posted by fuzzy dunlop 

 

That album has some killer guitar licks, for sure.  What ever happened to these guys?  I caught them in 2002, on one of the side stages at some shitty DC nu-metal / alt-rock festival, and I distinctly remember them blowing every other act out of the water.  I even bought their t-shirt, which is still in the wardrobe rotation today.

They broke up in 2011. It's a shame as their last album was actually pretty good.

Gave her a nod in the Americana thread, but let's hear it for Sister Rosetta Tharpe:

I didn't notice if he was cited in this thread, but R.I.P. Alvin Lee

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Originally Posted by Jeb 

Gave her a nod in the Americana thread, but let's hear it for Sister Rosetta Tharpe:

 

Man, she's rockin' some killer tone there. In a better world, she'd be on the dollar bill.

Back in the late 80s IRS kicked off a "No Speak" label offshoot, and the first release they had was called Guitar Speak. I haven't checked to see if it's on Spotify, but here are some clips from the concert they had (it looks like the whole shebang is on YouTube). The lineup on the album is pretty much a Murderer's Row of underappreciated axemen (Ronnie Montrose, Robby Krieger, Phil Manzanera, Alvin Lee, Pete Haycock).

A lot of Frank Zappa's reputation is based on his technical ability, which isn't completely fair as he could simplify things and play with a lot of soul. Like here, IMO one of the best guitar instrumentals ever:

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of Mars Volta. He's an amazing player, Mars Volta get's a lot of shit for being self-indulgent (and they mostly can) but when Omar cut's loose, holy shit.

Prince, ripping it the fuck up on WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS.

I'm tempted to cross post this next one in the drummer and bassist threads:

Liquid Tension Experiment, ACID RAIN

John Petrucci on guitar,

Tony Levin on Chapman Stick

Mike Portnoy on drum

Jordan Rudess on keyboards

This could go in any guitar thread but since this one currently bubbling...

So cool.

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Originally Posted by Judas Booth 

Prince, ripping it the fuck up on WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS.

 

 

You know, as legendary and incredible as it is, I've never quite got past the notion that this should have been a tribute to a beloved and influential composer, singer, guitarist, film producer and humanitarian, rather than an onanistic guitar orgy by His Purpleness.

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Originally Posted by Jeb 

 

You know, as legendary and incredible as it is, I've never quite got past the notion that this should have been a tribute to a beloved and influential composer, singer, guitarist, film producer and humanitarian, rather than an onanistic guitar orgy by His Purpleness.

Point taken but the alternative might've been a musty, onanistic guitar orgy by the song's original soloist, Clapton. Or even worse, a 5 minute harmonica solo by John Popper.*


*But only if Harrison had died in 1996.

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Originally Posted by Jeb 

 

You know, as legendary and incredible as it is, I've never quite got past the notion that this should have been a tribute to a beloved and influential composer, singer, guitarist, film producer and humanitarian, rather than an onanistic guitar orgy by His Purpleness.

I know some people feel that way, but watching the clip, firstly George's son Dhani seemed thrilled by Prince's performance, and he's the guy who'd probably be most affronted if it were out of line. Also there's some really subtle interplay of Prince looking at some of the other guys and them smiling and nodding - I tend to think that he got the go-ahead to rip it up, either backstage beforehand, or just through some cues from the guys onstage that we didn't pick up. 

And man, did he ever rip it up. 

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Originally Posted by Chavez 

 

 

I know some people feel that way, but watching the clip, firstly George's son Dhani seemed thrilled by Prince's performance, and he's the guy who'd probably be most affronted if it were out of line. Also there's some really subtle interplay of Prince looking at some of the other guys and them smiling and nodding - I tend to think that he got the go-ahead to rip it up, either backstage beforehand, or just through some cues from the guys onstage that we didn't pick up. 

 

 

And man, did he ever rip it up. 

That's exactly the vibe I get from it too.  He seems to look back a couple of times, like he's asking 'can I keep going?'  The reactions from everyone watching him is definitely 'Keep going!'

When you're on, you're on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judas Booth 

Prince, ripping it the fuck up on WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS.

 

Gives me goosebumps.  and that's exactly why Prince is, and always will be, #1 on my lists.

I don't find it wanky in the slightest.  He doesn't overshadow, he's clearly jamming WITH everyone else on the stage, and they all look like they're having a ball (as noted above).  Prince is, I think, first and foremost a musician.  And he loves playing with and being around other musicians.

I imagine he would be a complete blast to jam with.

And holy fuck that man can play.  Seriously, if any guy was ever going to be able to turn me, it would be him, having seduced me with his guitar skills.

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Originally Posted by Andy Bain 

Seriously, if any guy was ever going to be able to turn me, it would be him, having seduced me with his guitar skills.

No kidding. That little fucker had me at "Batdance"!

Prince on SNL doing 'Fury'.

http://tony.buzznet.com/user/video/1622/prince-new-song-snl-fury/