Jimi Hendrix - Greatest Guitarist Evah ? (1 Viewer)

[Bluesbomber]

Hendrix cnacelled a show to go see Buddy Guy and I belive he once said Terry Kath is the best guitarist.

Buddy prededed, outlasted and perhaps outpartied the both of them. throw in SRV and Tommy Bolin and I'm good with any of them.

But when it comes to yodelin, dancin and playin a homemade cieling fan guitar don't sleep on

 

[cstu]

Estas Tonne

 

[D_House]

I'd say the opposite of most here... I think he's the greatest, but not the most influential.

 

[PIK95]

Prince?

 

[audiophile]

No.

One of the most influential and inventive electric guitar players ever? Yes.

 

[audiophile]

Over - Rated *clap* *clap* *clap-clap-clap*

BB, usually I respect your opinions on music, but this is flat out wrong.I think Clapton is just OK as a songwriter, but as a guitarist??? The Cream stuff that he did in the late 60's compares with anything ever done on the instrument from a rock perspective.

I respectfully disagree.

Hendrix himself was blown away by Cream. EVH also has come out as a huge Cream fan. Hendrix was certainly more inventive and a better songwriter, but Clapton has a very prominent place among the guitar gods very near the top.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a fan. But he doesn't rate a nom for greatest guitarist ever. If top ten is very near the top, I'm okay with that.

Top Ten is pretty high, right??? I don't think that screams overrated. Kurt Cobain, to me, is an overrated guitarist. If I see him anywhere near the top 20 in one of these polls, I'll scream and this is coming from a Nirvana fan that would put Kurt near the top of songwriters of the last 25 years or so.Clapton is better than 99.9% of all guitarists. I would put Hendrix, EVH, and SRV in their own tier. Clapton would be in the next tier for me. You could argue whether or not he belongs near the top or bottom of that tier. I would put him near the top of that tier.

I put him at around 10 and he was nominated in this thread for 1. There are a lot of folks who think he's in the running for greatest ever. That's why I think he's overrated. I'm not saying he sucks. Buckethead is better than 99.9% of all guitarists. I still wouldn't nominate him for best ever.

Buckethead is total guitar wankery. Incredible skills? Yes. Soulful playing? No. Shredding solos? Absolutely. Crafted melodies? No. Super talented guitar player? Yes. Songwriter/musician? No.

 

[Mister CIA]

Like others have already said:

Most influential? Probably.

Greatest? Nope.

Are you a Rush fan?

 

[Mister CIA]

Two words: Robert Johnson

Hi Tim.

 

[Mister CIA]

David Gilmour vote here

Who is second on your list? Neil Young?

 

[Mister CIA]

How did the thread get this long without a Clapton nod?

Sacred Cow thread is down the hall and to the right.

 

[Mister CIA]

If I'm king for a day of the Milky Way galaxy and I have to pick one guitarist's body of work to put on a rocket ship bound for Andromeda, I'm going with Jimi.

 

[Mister CIA]

Greatest and Best are 2 different things. Someone can be the greatest and not be the best, and someone can be the best and not be the greatest.

Mmmm, beer.

 

[Wayne Kenof]

I dont know if you can really narrow it down to who is the "greatest guitarist of all time"

there are many great guitarist in our time.

Jimmy Page

Slash

Yngwie Malmsteen

BB King

EVH

SRV

David Gilmour

Randy Rhodes

Ritchie Blackmore

 

[Apple Jack]

Django or Jimi for "best." Jerry the highest highs and my favorite for that reason.

 

[tonydead]

Not even a mention for Eddie van hallen? Best I've ever seen. I've seen yngwie booed off the stage.

 

[brianj74]

Hendrix is the best by a far margin.

Anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong and/or just stirring up #####.

 

[Workhorse]

As for current guys, Nels Cline tops my list. Check out the variety and range of his work:

http://youtu.be/XfBSbKAPeUs

http://youtu.be/zllST8Wzf4U

http://youtu.be/ODaAV1IYQsM

 

[Quez]

Craziest Eddie Van Halen solo ever!: http://youtu.be/A2I0a7EwWa8

 

[Tom Servo]

What about Joe Satriani? Just curious.

 

[Limp Ditka]

Not even a mention for Eddie van hallen? Best I've ever seen. I've seen yngwie booed off the stage.

You're not very observant, are you?

 

[Limp Ditka]

Not even a mention for Eddie van hallen? Best I've ever seen. I've seen yngwie booed off the stage.

You're not very observant, are you?

Oh! Wait. You're right. No one has mention Eddie Van Hallen

 

[Guest]

She's so good, you can "listen" without sound.

 

[tom22406]

What about Joe Satriani? Just curious.

Satch and Steve Vai have to be in the conversation at the very least.

Vai is the best I've ever seen live.

 

[Wayne Kenof]

Not even a mention for Eddie van hallen? Best I've ever seen. I've seen yngwie booed off the stage.

You're not very observant, are you?

Oh! Wait. You're right. No one has mention Eddie Van Hallen

I dont know if you can really narrow it down to who is the "greatest guitarist of all time"

there are many great guitarist in our time.

EVH

 

[Wayne Kenof]

What about Joe Satriani? Just curious.

Satch and Steve Vai have to be in the conversation at the very least.

Vai is the best I've ever seen live.

Steve vai is awesome to say the least.

 

[DocHolliday]

It is so tough to pick a greatest guitar player. So much of it depends on your musical taste.

My list of 10 greatest guitar players are what I like to listen to. Some technical guitar wizard can have his own list. Just because someone is a phenominal guitar player (Yngwie), does not mean I want to listen to their playing for more than 5 minutes. My list is not in a particular order.

Neil Schon

Rhoads

EVH

Jimmy Page

George Lynch

Gilmour

Slash

Jimi

Zakk Wylde

Viv Campbell

It is tough to leave SRV and Iommi off the list but I prefer to listen to the other guys. That does not mean SRV is not great. His work was tremendous. I admire it so much that I have attempted to learn some of his solos. It ends up being a disaster. He not only had great skills but also played with a soul that I do not have and can never learn. He is much like Jimi.

 

[Wayne Kenof]

She's so good, you can "listen" without sound.

... Wait was she playing a guitar? :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

 

[DocHolliday]

What about Joe Satriani? Just curious.

Satch and Steve Vai have to be in the conversation at the very least.

Vai is the best I've ever seen live.

They are great guitar players but like Bonamassa, I tend to get bored with their songs/music.

 

[dickey moe]

Greatest rock guitarist ever.

 

[dickey moe]

As for current guys, Nels Cline tops my list. Check out the variety and range of his work:

http://youtu.be/XfBSbKAPeUs

http://youtu.be/zllST8Wzf4U

http://youtu.be/ODaAV1IYQsM

Love him. Adding him to Wilco was brilliance.

 

[tonydead]

Not even a mention for Eddie van hallen? Best I've ever seen. I've seen yngwie booed off the stage.

You're not very observant, are you?

Was the Eddie comment or the Yngwie comment that got your panties in a bunch? I guess we should just let you tell us who's the greatest and close the thread.

 

[Limp Ditka]

Not even a mention for Eddie van hallen? Best I've ever seen. I've seen yngwie booed off the stage.

You're not very observant, are you?

Was the Eddie comment or the Yngwie comment that got your panties in a bunch? I guess we should just let you tell us who's the greatest and close the thread.

I think it's that Van Hallen guy you mentioned

 

[D in the D]

Now, imagine Hendrix was white......

 

[Wayne Kenof]

Now, imagine Hendrix was white......

SRV

 

[Al O'Pecia]

I dont know if you can really narrow it down to who is the "greatest guitarist of all time"

there are many great guitarist in our time.

Jimmy Page

Slash

Yngwie Malmsteen

BB King

EVH

SRV

David Gilmour

Randy Rhodes

Ritchie Blackmore

No Joe Satriani?

 

[Wayne Kenof]

I dont know if you can really narrow it down to who is the "greatest guitarist of all time"

there are many great guitarist in our time.

Jimmy Page

Slash

Yngwie Malmsteen

BB King

EVH

SRV

David Gilmour

Randy Rhodes

Ritchie Blackmore

No Joe Satriani?

of course. was just naming off a few

 

[zDragon]

Add a vote for SRV

 

[Tom Servo]

What about Joe Satriani? Just curious.

Satch and Steve Vai have to be in the conversation at the very least.

Vai is the best I've ever seen live.

Vai was the other one - but I couldn't think of his name.

They're not tops, but I was thinking borderline in/out top 10.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Now, imagine Hendrix was white......

SRV

Now imagine someone who is still alive.

 

[Tom Servo]

Now, imagine Hendrix was white......

SRV

Now imagine someone who is still alive.

 

[Mr. Ected]

Not even a mention for Eddie van hallen? Best I've ever seen. I've seen yngwie booed off the stage.

You're not very observant, are you?

Was the Eddie comment or the Yngwie comment that got your panties in a bunch? I guess we should just let you tell us who's the greatest and close the thread.

I thought it was this...Post #12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GSpbuFSr2o = SRV

 

[tom22406]

What about Joe Satriani? Just curious.

Satch and Steve Vai have to be in the conversation at the very least.

Vai is the best I've ever seen live.

Vai was the other one - but I couldn't think of his name.

They're not tops, but I was thinking borderline in/out top 10.

Agreed on borderline top 10 for both but clearly in the ballpark.

Another for me is Paul Gilbert who never seems to get brought up in the greats topic but is one of the players who blew me away when I saw them live.

Saw the G3 show with Gilbert,Petrucci and Satch and it was nothing but awesome.The Eric Johnson version was also pretty good but I never got to see it live,only a recorded version.

 

[Mr. Ected]

No love for Steve Howe?

I've Seen All Good People (and Acoustic)

How about Tom Scholz?

Solo/This Time

Or even Rik Emmett?

Midsummers Daydream

 

[B-Deep]

So much better to discuss favorite than best. Music is subjective

 

[bigbottom]

Over - Rated *clap* *clap* *clap-clap-clap*

BB, usually I respect your opinions on music, but this is flat out wrong.I think Clapton is just OK as a songwriter, but as a guitarist??? The Cream stuff that he did in the late 60's compares with anything ever done on the instrument from a rock perspective.

I respectfully disagree.

Hendrix himself was blown away by Cream. EVH also has come out as a huge Cream fan. Hendrix was certainly more inventive and a better songwriter, but Clapton has a very prominent place among the guitar gods very near the top.

Don't get me wrong. I'm a fan. But he doesn't rate a nom for greatest guitarist ever. If top ten is very near the top, I'm okay with that.

Top Ten is pretty high, right??? I don't think that screams overrated. Kurt Cobain, to me, is an overrated guitarist. If I see him anywhere near the top 20 in one of these polls, I'll scream and this is coming from a Nirvana fan that would put Kurt near the top of songwriters of the last 25 years or so.Clapton is better than 99.9% of all guitarists. I would put Hendrix, EVH, and SRV in their own tier. Clapton would be in the next tier for me. You could argue whether or not he belongs near the top or bottom of that tier. I would put him near the top of that tier.

I put him at around 10 and he was nominated in this thread for 1. There are a lot of folks who think he's in the running for greatest ever. That's why I think he's overrated. I'm not saying he sucks. Buckethead is better than 99.9% of all guitarists. I still wouldn't nominate him for best ever.

Buckethead is total guitar wankery. Incredible skills? Yes. Soulful playing? No. Shredding solos? Absolutely. Crafted melodies? No. Super talented guitar player? Yes. Songwriter/musician? No.

Precisely my point.

(Unless of course you're arguing that he's not better than 99.9% of guitarists, which happens to be empirically true).

 

[rustycolts]

Robin Trower always a favorite of mine.I feel he should be mentioned in these greatest discussions seems to be underrated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmoMb0gNFrA

 

[Tom Servo]

So much better to discuss favorite than best. Music is subjective

I think while each person's "best" may vary, I think there would be about 10-15 we could agree on that are top of the class.

 

[Todem]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GSpbuFSr2o = SRV

Love Eddie.

The most influential guitarists who had the biggest impact on my own approach to playing and writing were

1. Alex Lifeson

2. Edward Van Halen

3. David Gilmore

4. Jimmy Page

5. The Edge

6. Jake E. Lee

7. Dave Navarro

8. Rich Robinson

9. Jimi Hendrix

10. Randy Rhodes

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Just saw a 2011 Rush concert last night on tv. Lifeson still has incredible ability.

 

[Ghost Rider]

I've seen yngwie booed off the stage.

I've heard stories of when he opened for Triumph in his early days, and he was routinely booed off the stage. It didn't help that when Triumph took the stage, Rik Emmett put him to shame.

Rik Emmett might not be the greatest guitarist ever, but's he certainly in the conversation of best rock guitarists ever.

Still hard for anyone to top Jeff Beck.