Hokeyboy

Wot? No Guy Mann-Dude?!?!!?!?!

A complete and utter travesty.

wendersfan

Wow. You think that because you play guitar that gives you some special right that makes your opinion worth more than other peoples? Wrong.

Just to get things out in the open, I've played guitar a full decade longer than you have, and, in terms of defining who's a great guitar player and who's not, that fact is completely meaningless.

Allow me to let you guys in on a little secret, something you might have forgotten along the way. The guitar is a musical instrument. The point of playing guitar is to produce music. It's not to play faster than anybody else, or play more scales, or different scales, or anything like that. It's to make music. To show you what I'm talking about, let me say that, IMO, George Harrison was ten times the guitar player any of these "virtuosos" that keep getting thrown around in this thread. better than Vai, better than van Halen, Malmsteen, Steve Morse, better than any of 'em. Why? Because the music he played will live on longer than anything some Berklee trained scale playing shred-monster will ever do.

Besides, the entire concept of ranking guitar players is completely absurd and pointless. It's an attempt to quantify art. How the hell are you supposed to do something like that?

Rypro 525

Because the music he played will live on longer than anything some Berklee trained scale playing shred-monster will ever do.

I think Hendrix was a bit high to go to college to learn to play

fallow

Illinois Enema Bandit

Rather interesting that May was listed at 39

Myself, I agree with wendersfan: the Vais, Satrianis et al of the world don't particularly impress me...playing scales at warp speed and other such shredding cliches, are, at the end of the day, so much wankage, IMO. Give me a player who has soul and feeling, who knows when NOT to play

Sessa17

First off, I never said anything about my opinion being worth more than others. I just feel that how can someone who never played guitar, judge who is a better guitar player.

Second, let me let you in on a little secret Mr. Attitude. The article is about who is the "BEST" guitar player of all-time. NOT, "what is the point of playing guitar". So for the sake of this thread & article, there is a way to quantify it. For this thread & article it's irrelevant what the point to playing guitar is, & what makes you decide what the point of playing guitar is anywaym you state things that are EXACTLY like what you are angy about me stating. Perhaps the point to some people is simply to make money, to others it may be for art sake.

Third, you rationale just doesn't make sense & from someone who has played guitar for supposively over 30 years, I am even more puzzled by it. So by your rationale, b/c the studio guitarist played one power chord rift on a Britney Spears song that will be heard on the radio for 10-15 years or longer. He is a better guitar player than a person who has spent 40 years studying & playing classical guitar & now plays at a famous New York lounge b/c the guy who played one power chord rift, his music lives on through the radio & more people here it. And by your mindless rationale, the only reason that Harrison is a better guitar player than the other guys you mentioned, is ONLY b/c he was born first. Are you just a blind Beatles fan? The ONLY reason yoy make for Harrison being a bette guitar player is that his music is around longer. That is just retarded. You aren't even taking into account musical prowess & ability (which Harrison has an infinite amount of). And Vai & all these other guys, there music still lives on. Why according to you does it not? Simply b/c you don't listen to it that means it's dead? Get a clue.

And 4th, if you feel as you state several times, that this argument is pointless. Then why the hell did you read the thread & then feel the need to do EXACTLY what you feel is pointless by posting who you think is the BETTER guitar player. I hope you play guitar better than you make an argument.

wendersfan

Then why did you feel the need to mention your extensive experience, if not to impress us with your expertise?

Quote:

Second, let me let you in on a little secret Mr. Attitude. The article is about who is the "BEST" guitar player of all-time. NOT, "what is the point of playing guitar". So for the sake of this thread & article, there is a way to quantify it. For this thread & article it's irrelevant what the point to playing guitar is, & what makes you decide what the point of playing guitar is anywaym you state things that are EXACTLY like what you are angy about me stating. Perhaps the point to some people is simply to make money, to others it may be for art sake.

My point wasn't, "what's the point of playing guitar?", it was, judging guitar players by their dexterity or musical knowledge isn't the same as judging them by the music they create. I think the latter is more important.

Quote:

Third, you rationale just doesn't make sense & from someone who has played guitar for supposively over 30 years, I am even more puzzled by it. So by your rationale, b/c the studio guitarist played one power chord rift on a Britney Spears song that will be heard on the radio for 10-15 years or longer. He is a better guitar player than a person who has spent 40 years studying & playing classical guitar & now plays at a famous New York lounge b/c the guy who played one power chord rift, his music lives on through the radio & more people here it. And by your mindless rationale, the only reason that Harrison is a better guitar player than the other guys you mentioned, is ONLY b/c he was born first. Are you just a blind Beatles fan? The ONLY reason yoy make for Harrison being a bette guitar player is that his music is around longer. That is just retarded. You aren't even taking into account musical prowess & ability (which Harrison has an infinite amount of). And Vai & all these other guys, there music still lives on. Why according to you does it not? Simply b/c you don't listen to it that means it's dead? Get a clue.

That's a lot to respond to, much of it puerile and inflammatory. First off, I used Harrison as an example not so much because I'm a Beatles fan (which I am, BTW), but simply because he's a guitar player that just about everyone here has heard and is familiar with. I could have easily used Steve Cropper or James Burton as my example, but I was afraid the point would get lost.

To respond to the most provocative argument you made, I'm unconcerned about whether or not a studio guy that played on a Britney Spears song gets fame or not, since you completely missed the point of my argument. My argument was that (using Harrison again as an example) the intro riff to "I Feel Fine" or "Paperback Writer" is worth more than every single note Steve Vai ever played. I don't care how fast Vai can play, or how versed he is in the Phrygian mode, what I'm saying is that, for all his skill, it just doesn't come across as being all that musical; it's more just like athletics than anything else. I don't think it's because Harrison's music has been around longer, I think it's because it's going to last longer, and be remembered more fully and fondly than anything someone like Vai has done.

To take up your Britney Spears statement for a moment, nice straw horse. However, it did make me realize that it's not all that farfetched. Specifically, I'm thinking about the acoustic guitar riff that drives John Mellencamp's "Jack and Diane". In case you don't know, it was played by Mick Ronson. I'd argue that that one riff defines Ronson more than all the work he did back in the 70's with Bowie and Ian Hunter. It's a beautiful riff, full of power and grace and style. Now, if a riff like that found it's way onto a Britney Spears song, then bully for the guy who played it!

Quote:

And 4th, if you feel as you state several times, that this argument is pointless. Then why the hell did you read the thread & then feel the need to do EXACTLY what you feel is pointless by posting who you think is the BETTER guitar player. I hope you play guitar better than you make an argument.

Exactly how long have you been using the internet? It's what we do - we argue about pointless crap.

I don't know how good a guitar player I am, but I know I'm better than at least half the guys on the stupid Rolling Stone list. Lou Reed? Gimme a break...

Sessa17

Only to give at least some credence to the bold statements I was about to make. I know guitar, I know what it takes to be a talented guitar player. And I can tell the difference b/w a guy who plays one power chord on 6 different albums from a guy who is a guitar virtuoso. I don't think someone who never picked up a guitar in his life can tell this difference. That is all.


quote]
My point wasn't, "what's the point of playing guitar?", it was, judging guitar players by their dexterity or musical knowledge isn't the same as judging them by the music they create. I think the latter is more important.[/quote]

I can understand that point. However, that is NOT what the article or this thread is about. The thread isn't about what you or I think is more important. For arguement's sake, the thread is about who the "BEST" guitar player is, & BEST means you can quantify it in some way. To me that way is simply the ability & prowess of the musician. You can't judge them by the "music that they make" b/c what sounds good to you may be crap to another. But you CAN judge them, if you know about guitar, on their ability with the instrument. Thus I think you can agree that a Leo Kottke is purely a better guitar player than some guy from a punk band.

Quote:

My argument was that (using Harrison again as an example) the intro riff to "I Feel Fine" or "Paperback Writer" is worth more than every single note Steve Vai ever played. I don't care how fast Vai can play, or how versed he is in the Phrygian mode, what I'm saying is that, for all his skill, it just doesn't come across as being all that musical; it's more just like athletics than anything else. I don't think it's because Harrison's music has been around longer, I think it's because it's going to last longer, and be remembered more fully and fondly than anything someone like Vai has done.

This is where your argument is just not valid & doesn't make sense. It's not your place to decide this & it's irrelevant to being a better guitar player. TO YOU Harrison's intro riff is "worth more than every single note Vai has ever played". To somebody else it may be the other way around. Personally, I can't stand the Beatles, although I think Harrison is by far the most talented of the former band. That is my point, in terms of this article we are arguing "Best" not "favorite". I think the only way one can do this, is to simply look at their prowess w/ the instrument. Again, it's why I think Vaughan is the greatest that ever lived. There was no style, no range, nothing he could not do with a guitar, he could literally listen to anything & then play it just like that. Add the way he modified his guitar just makes it more incredible & then on top of that, add the fact that the guy put more passion in to one note that most musicians do on an entire album, just look at any performance of the man. His feelins come through in just the simple way be holds & bends a note.

Quote:

To take up your Britney Spears statement for a moment, nice straw horse. However, it did make me realize that it's not all that farfetched. Specifically, I'm thinking about the acoustic guitar riff that drives John Mellencamp's "Jack and Diane". In case you don't know, it was played by Mick Ronson. I'd argue that that one riff defines Ronson more than all the work he did back in the 70's with Bowie and Ian Hunter. It's a beautiful riff, full of power and grace and style. Now, if a riff like that found it's way onto a Britney Spears song, then bully for the guy who played it!

I see where you are coming from & I agree to an extant. But again, it's irrelevant to the point of the article.

Quote:

Exactly how long have you been using the internet? It's what we do - we argue about pointless crap.

I don't know how good a guitar player I am, but I know I'm better than at least half the guys on the stupid Rolling Stone list. Lou Reed? Gimme a break...

You are right, & I in no way meant to attack you if it came off like that. I was just puzzled by your points & contradictions. And I agree, there will always be musicians that can play circles around me, but I KNOW I'm more competant & versatile on the guitar than the Kurt Cobain's of the world.

MJKTool

My "greatest" guitarist of all time is Adam Jones. Because he above anyone else has brought me the most joy from his music.

Turd Ferguson

This argument reminded me of a joke:

Q: How many guitarists does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

A: 6- one to screw it in and 5 to stand around and say "I could do that."

Seriously, the list means nothing. We all have different opinions which we are entitled to despite the opinions others may have. I previously said that I think SRV is #1. If Les Paul logs on to this board and tells me different, I doubt my opinion will change. For me, a great guitarist makes the instrument speak and transmit pure emotion that goes straight to your core. That's why I don't like technicians like Steve Vai. He's technically brilliant, but I don't feel anything from his music. If anyone out there thinks he's the best, more power to you. Let's talk abou the music and forego the prick waiving, shall we?

Rogue588

Quote:

Originally posted by Turd Ferguson
Seriously, the list means nothing. We all have different opinions which we are entitled to despite the opinions others may have.

Word. Amazing how must dust these lists kick up..

Hell, I haven't even seen the guys I think are good guitarists mentioned..Prince & Eddie Hazel. But, that's just MO.

F For Fake

Oops, I meant Johnny. I'm not really a doofus, I just type like one.

And yes yes yes to Bob Quine!

Crazy Aoshi

I don't see John Petrucci, Steve Vai or Joe Satriani on there....the list is meaningless IMHO. Sure Hendrix belongs there, he's a pioneer...but Cobain? Why? Whewn I was in high school, there were guitar plays I knew better than him.