Who is the Best Guitarist of All Time?

[Triple_D]

Glen Campbell...seriously.

OK, I don't think it's fair to call anyone guitar player "the best". But Glen Campbell is right up there. He was a big part of the Wrecking Crew, back in the 1960's. They were an incredibly talented group of musicians, who literally recorded thousands of records, with everyone from Frank Sinatra, to the Beach Boys. They could play anything. Everyone wanted a Glen Campbell solo on their record. I'm sure there are others who can play faster, but I don't think anyone plays better.

Here he is with Leon Russell (another member of the Wrecking Crew).

http://youtu.be/Vm3NoFsaKQ0Jerry Reed is another raw talent. He is one of four guitar players who Chet Atkins once called a "C.G.P."... A Certified Guitar Player.
Here he is playing Lightning Rod.

http://youtu.be/qOGiW-y-Vhs

And when you put Glen and Jerry together, it was just plain ol' fun.

http://youtu.be/7yYa1NJ7BuA

 

[fourier jr]

jA-YXCHoXsY[/youtube]

 

[fillipeano]

how about kirk hammet?

I just saw Metallica in Saturday...My respect for Kirk has gone up quite a bit

 

[fourier jr]

 

[fourier jr]

BEr-lTU5DzU[/youtube] [url]JbC-ObuHU74[/youtube]

 

[Jackel]

I just saw Metallica in Saturday...My respect for Kirk has gone up quite a bit

Kirk has improved a lot in recent times. He got very sloppy and relied on his Wah, but he's definitely got himself back up to scratch.

I'm going to have to go with Joe Satriani. I've seen him live a few times and his control and mastery of the guitar is unreal. It may as well be extra limb on him.

 

[mishrashubham]

Great stuff, mathwonk.

Here's Rodrigo y Gabriela -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-qgum7hFXk

This has to be their best piece.


BTW what do you exactly do to embed videos?

 

[fourier jr]

This has to be their best piece.



BTW what do you exactly do to embed videos?

type this
[noparse][/noparse]

 

[mishrashubham]

type this
[noparse][/noparse]

I actually tried that but it did not work. Seems to be happening now. Thanks

 

[Physics-Learner]

there may not be anyone on this forum who really has the knowledge to give an opinion.

all these "bests" of such and such have more to do with how one likes the music.

to be any sort of judge of a musician, i think one would need to be a professional musician, or at least have that sort of capability.

i have no way of knowing how good some guitarist is, since not only do i not play at a high level, i play at no level at all.

 

[Lacy33]

Tiny Tim.

 

[turbo]

to be any sort of judge of a musician, i think one would need to be a professional musician, or at least have that sort of capability.

i have no way of knowing how good some guitarist is, since not only do i not play at a high level, i play at no level at all.

I was at a Robben Ford concert years ago in a very small venue with $$ front-row seats. The woman next to me told me that her husband managed the Atlantic Blues Festival, and that he had gotten Jimmy Vaughan lined up for next year. Then she said that her husband thought Jimmy was a much better guitarist than his late brother Stevie Ray. I knew right then that her husband was no guitarist. Didn't even have to talk to him.

35 or so years playing professionally (part-time on weekends, generally) gives you a pretty good feel for who is creative and talented, and who just has some above-average chops.

 

[Triple_D]

Mick Taylor with John Mayall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjaYgH3ijbE&feature=related

And the Stones really came alive, once they got Mick Taylor in the band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAQ7mIkZtxQ&feature=related

 

[SuicideSteve]

As far as virtuosity goes I have always liked Buckethead, he puts out a very wide range of music. He is known for "shred" but I find his other music very soulful and elegant. Not to mention he has a new album of completely original material out almost every three months.

Another thing I always hold as a standard for guitarists is how good they are live and i must say buckethead is phenomenal live!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Et6BSDMNLY&feature=related

 

[ViewsofMars]

I like PAT METHENY right now . Last Train Home (Railway Version) I guess it's because I will be forever in love with trains.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmJdCpEPIWs&NR=1

 

[fourier jr]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEAniIezOlo

 

[turbo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEAniIezOlo

I can't get that one here, fourier. Lenny was from Maine, and was very talented. The only time I managed to get to see him live he was so strung out that he could hardly play. It was sad.

I could have sat in for him and made the audience happier, IMO. I have a friend who was close to his parents, and watched his decline 2nd hand.

 

[thegreenlaser]

I've been playing guitar for quite some time now, and while I used to drool over the likes of Buckethead and Malmsteen with their blazing fast technical work, I have to say that I've grown less impressed by it as my skills have progressed. Sure, they're miles ahead of me, I won't deny that, but I've started seeing that playing fast for the sake of playing fast is usually just a matter of mindlessly playing scales and riffs for hours on end (I've done it myself sometimes). I'll admit that it's skillful, but fast playing or even intensely complicated playing just to show of your technical prowess just fails to really pique my interest.

That said, while he's probably not the best guitar player ever, I'm going to have to throw a vote in for Teppei Teranishi from Thrice. I think what I admire most of him is that he's subtle. He plays some pretty difficult stuff, but there's no way you could tell by just listening to the music. Every time I go to learn the guitar line to a Thrice song, I completely underestimate how difficult it's going to be to learn. It's because when he plays a solo or a slick lead line, it always seems to just blend into the song and make the song sound good rather than making him sound talented.

That's really when I find I can truly appreciate an instrumentalist. When your first thought is "Wow, that's an intensely complex piece of music," then I think the song has already failed. What really impresses me is when the music gets to me; when I can't help but feel dragged through a sea of strong emotions as the song progresses, and it's only when I try to recreate those emotions myself on my guitar that I realize how complex the music really is.

I don't want to say that all fast playing is emotionless, talentless garbage, because that's not true. Fast playing can create some beautiful emotions, it just tends to be through the choice of the sequence of notes rather than through how each individual note is played. Again, though, I think a good test comes from whether your first impression is awe inspired by the musician's skill versus an emotional response. To me, good music can't help but create an emotional response in the listener. In my opinion, the best guitar player is the one who creates so strong an emotional reaction through his/her technical brilliance, that you don't even notice how talented a player they are.

 

[Immanuel Can]

At this point in time I think Guthrie Govan and Tosin Abasi take the cake.

Guthrie Govan Improv-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUZK9dasP8s

A song of Tosin Abasi's band, Animals as Leaders-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1XSaMv1Mcc

 

[fourier jr]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uFes1K6zC8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc8jW91nSh8

 

[fourier jr]

can't believe I forgot about barrios-mangore:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCE5aPnB5aI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnDmiMlK1kU

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

One more vote for Paco de Lucia. I like this piece until he starts playing it too fast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2G4EJcCAZE

 

[DoggerDan]

Sorry, TripleD, but the last shows Mick in a corsett and pantyhose.

Their music was spectacular!

Good luck to him. And you.

 

[fourier jr]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8OT_yuhbVA

 

[QuarkCharmer]

One more vote for Paco de Lucia. I like this piece until he starts playing it too fast.

Yup. For me it's a toss up between him and Pena though. I simply don't know which is my favorite Paco.

Here is a nice buleria with a good tremolo part. I don't think people understand the technical difficulty in what he is doing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZERDQHUyYk

Of the more modern (read: living), I like Grisha Goryachev.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lAQqvvZReY

 

[fourier jr]

that 2nd guy is really good! I've never seen someone put another hole in the side of a guitar like that. He must get better sound from it or something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ijEbM6uzEQ

 

[fourier jr]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMt2zqH7jh0

 

[fourier jr]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtvilT2LZXc

 

[Vanadium 50]

Freddie Green. He's a man who could play nothing but quarter notes and still exactly place the eighth notes.

Thomas Offermann and Jens Wagner. They have spent over 25 years expanding the guitar repertoire. Their performance of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells is something everyone should hear.

 

[feathermoon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxvK67xKcW0

Always enjoyed Aquiles Baez. This is a cover of his song, I believe, but it sounds true enough.

 

[fourier jr]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQBhNXa-bMI

 

[PAllen]

I am in no position to nominate a best guitarist ever, but I like like my old vinyl records of "manitas de plata" and make the following claim only: best name ever for a guitarist.

 

[rhody]

Freddie Green. He's a man who could play nothing but quarter notes and still exactly place the eighth notes.

Thomas Offermann and Jens Wagner. They have spent over 25 years expanding the guitar repertoire. Their performance of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells is something everyone should hear.

Sorry V_50, your tribute without a sample of his Green's work piqued my curiosity, here is a Freddie Green , big band sound, had he lived he would have been 100 this year.

Count Basie - The Elder (Freddie Green Chord Solo)



Freddie Green's tribute site

Listen to this: scroll to bottom of page, Count Basie without and with Freddie play the same piece. If you love big band sound that is.

I only know of a few who love Basie and the Big Band sound, now I know of one more...

Rhody...

 

[Astronuc]

Freddie Green. He's a man who could play nothing but quarter notes and still exactly place the eighth notes.

Thomas Offermann and Jens Wagner. They have spent over 25 years expanding the guitar repertoire. Their performance of Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells is something everyone should hear.

There is a sample - http://www.duosonare.de/klang.htm


Folks should consider Earl Klugh, George Benson and Chet Atkins.

Chet Atkins, George Benson & Earl Klugh -- Oh Lonesome Me =
Earl Klugh - This Time =

Chet Atkins built (and repaired) guitars and sound systems, as well as playing guitar.

 

[turbo]

Chet was a monster. His album with Mark Knopfler is one of my favorites of all time. He did albums with Jerry Reed, and Les Paul (chester and lester) and I have them all on my random-play lineup.