Mordred

I just remembered... where the hell is Michael Schenker? Have people really forgotten UFO/Scorpions/MSG?

Considering he's the hero of probably half the metal guitarists on this list I can't imagine him being left off. He'd easily make my top 10. Now i'm pissed about the bad taste again

Illinois Enema Bandit

What, no Nigel Tufnel?

Another guitar wanker list

*yawn*

VHS?

And where is Vivian Campbell and his magic guitar!

BoatDrinks

One thing folks here should know: Speed does not equate with greatness. There is so much more to playing the guitar than being fast. So many of the guys in the top 20 of this list are guys that came up in the 80's when guitar playing suddenly became like the old west: the faster you were, the better you were. Good thing that theory only lasted a few years...

The greatest guitarist I've ever heard (without question) is Roy Buchanan. Where's he? In a Rolling Stone article back in the early 80's they asked Eddie Van Halen what it was like to be the greatest guitarist in the world and he said, "I don't know - you'd have to ask Roy Buchanan."

Another guy that I think musicians and critics alike would put in the top 5 let alone the top 100, is Vernon Reid... where's he?

This list is truly silly.

Rypro 525

this list was created by voted by 778 readers/staff/celebrity guitarists

Gdrlv

Sure almost all will disagree with me here, but any list of the best guitar players that doesn't include Jerry Garcia (and I'm not even a big Deadhead) or Trey Anastasio is a complete joke in my opinion. Two of the most technically skilled and passionate guitar players I've ever heard, and they're nowhere to be found...

Alyoshka

I remembered Trey Anastasio when I was driving in my car this afternoon. Personally, I think he is much better than Jerry Garcia but both need to be on the list.

demonio

I can't believe what I'm reading, do you honestly believe this? I'm a fan of Zep more than anybody but Page is nowhere even close to Hendrix......Myself being a guitar player gets pissed off everytime someone says Hendrix is overrated. When the man invented an entire style all his own that still cannot be simulated today by anyone. If you've ever seen alot of guitarists in your day you'd know exactly how great he was. Beyond the top few guitarists I dissagree on the majority of the list, its sad to see Kurt Cobain and James Hetfield ahead of Zakk Wylde, and Slash so high up when Zakk is better than him.........but not like the list really means alot though, HOWEVER it would mean even less if Jimi didn't top the greatest axemen of all times.

RaMMaR

Although, as a Living Colour fan (waiting on pins & needles for their new album), i am kinda biased. How Slash made it and not Vern is beyond me....

Mordred

Yes I honestly believe that. I think Hendrix was a very competent guitarist and his innovation and pushing the sheer boundaries and limits of the kind of sounds you can beat out of a guitar are pretty damn impressive. However I don't think he's a "great" guitarist. Certainly one of the most influential, but I normally find myself rather listening to another guitarist. Would you rather listen to Hendrix's Little Wing (a decent song) or SRV's cover? I'll take Stevie's transcendent and mind-blowing homage. In 8 short minutes he sets to shame every other blues number I've ever heard. Hendrix's "Watchtower" is a near perfect guitar song, as are several other of his hits, but beyond those and his impressive live performances, I just don't get a whole lot of the man. I wouldn't rank Page #1 either, but I'd rank him higher than Hendrix who would probably be around #15 on my list.

It's my opinion that Hendrix is considered by many non-musicians as the greatest guitarist ever because they've been told it's true so many times. What I say is pretty much heresy, but I'm not afraid to admit that Hendrix just doesn't do it for me. I have several of his albums and I listen to them regularly, but greatest guitarist? Not even close.

Yes, I've played guitar for about 9 years now (got started late ). Yes I've seen a lot of great guitarists and heard hundreds more. I'm big into blues, hard rock, metal, neo-classical, etc. I agree that Kurt Cobain and Slash shouldn't be near the top of the list at all... rhythm guitarists probably shouldn't qualify either so there's no way Hetfield should be top 20. Yes Zakk Wylde ought to be top 10, the man is incredible.

It's my belief that guitarists like Rhoads, Cobain and (to a lesser extent) Hendrix all benefitted from dying young. They got put upon a pedestal and their worthiness is heightened in people's minds. They didn't have 10 years with no hit singles for people to forget about them. Would Robin Trower have made this list if he'd died when he was 32? Maybe, but he certainly won't today.

Mordred

Andalusia

Dying young is not how Hendrix earned the respect and accolades from countless others, but rather it was his *gasp* guitar playing. And the "Little Wing" comparison is unfair, just because Hendrix never had an 8-minute version. You don't think he could've pulled it off if he wanted to? And look at "Voodoo Child". SRV's version just does not top Hendrix's.

But I don't wanna turn this into a Hendrix vs. SRV debate, 'cause they're both fantastic musicians. I've been playing guitar for around 15 years, so I take these things a bit more seriously then I probably should.

-edit to add-

And what, there wasn't any room on that list for the Pixies' Joey Santiago?

Gdrlv

Of course not. Had to make room for the brilliant guitar gods in Korn, Sum 41, Blink 182 and Limp Bizkit after all...

Mordred

I know it was his guitar playing, but I think his image is greatly benefitted by dying young. He didn't have time to start sucking... he didn't have to weather shifts in popular music... he didn't have a period where he didn't release albums... he didn't turn into a pansy (Clapton I'm looking at you).

Lets face it, dying young certainly benefits musicians and makes them larger than life. Can you think of many moderately popular musicians who died in their prime who aren't looked on by the general public as near super heroes? Some of them deserve the accolades, and some don't, but they all get a great boost from dying. I remember walking into used CD stores back before Cobain died and seeing rows of Nirvana CDs... often 5-10 of each. After he died, they got bought up quick. Dying is a plus in peoples minds. No one wants to criticise the tragically deceased.

Mordred

Burnt Alive

This has to be the worst "top 100/10/50/whatever" list I've ever seen!

Where are Brian Setzer, Eddie Cochran, Link Wray and the best guitarist of all time, DICK DALE?

Nick Danger

I don't recognize all the names, but it looks to me like the blues produced three great guitarists, jazz one, country one, bluegrass none, Carribean/Brazilian none, and classical none.

demonio

I think the bottomline here is this list should have had alot more thought into it overall, I think the top spot is correct, however theres alot of room for improvement........alot of people on the list can't play forsheet

CapRockBrewingCo.

No thanks... That list features a lot of "show-offs" that I consider to be overrated. Loud and fast doesn't necessarily mean good. Many fine guitarists get no credit for being subtle and tasteful. What is the criteria for this list? Chet Akins is on there, so should all country artists be considered? Seriously. Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Jerry Garcia, and David Grisman should all be on that list. Gary Louris and Ry Cooder as well.

lordzeppelin

Yeah...Kurt Cobain is better than SRV...sure. F this list.

Shimmer35

64 - Mike McCready (Pearl Jam)

64??????? WTF?

modiman

I couldn't agree more! This list sucks. I mean come on now, there is no way Cobain is even remotely close to being in SRVs ball park.

/ modiman.

Rypro 525

local radio djs had eddie van hallen at #1, hendrix at #2, page #3, srv #4, and claptin at #5

Bushdog

Two guys from Sum 41 on the list?

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

BenFolds

Yeah, you people are not making a big enough deal of this. Not one, but two members from sum41 on the list. These guitarists don't appear to have strong technical proficiency or any innovative style at all. I'd complain about other things but nothign beats this.

On a sidenote, i agree that Mike Mcready from Pearl Jam should be way higher and where the fukc is Warren Haynes from allman brothers/gov't mule.