T1000

He is the greatest guitarist ever. Maybe not the most influential (Hendrix gets that), but no one comes close to his technical ability, or his song writing ability. He is a genius.

It's too bad that bands today don't take the time to learn the guitar instead of playing the same basic chords/riffs.

B5Erik

Hell, I remember being impressed by Steve Vai when he was in Alcatrazz (he replaced Yngwie Malmsteen). When he joined David Lee Roth's band I told all my friends who were into Van Halen that Roth got an upgrade on guitar - Vai can play cirlcles around Eddie.

I still love, "The Attitude Song," too. One of the best instrumentals ever.

grunter

Aren't threads like this just basically troll-bait?

Ky-Fi

Sorry, I don't think I can get past that image of him etched in my mind from the first David Lee Roth video he was in, with the purple sequined outfit and the knee-high white boots, twirling his guitar all the way around his back, and looking as if he honestly believed he was "sexy". There are some mistakes in the world of Rock n Roll that you just can't recover from, even if you can play a blisteringly fast 75 minute guitar solo.

slateef

satriani still owns him...

atlantamoi

Biting my tongue and trying not to come up from under the bridge.

pelenor

Stevie Ray Vaughn. 'nuff said.

TheMadMonk

Yeah, I remember getting into these kind of arguments about who is the best guitar player ever. Back when I was about 14. Not worth my time arguing about this anymore.

benedict

I suppose a bit like Ozzy, Graham Bonnet did bring on some gifted guitarists.

DVD Josh

Lord yes.

I've stopped getting into the arguments. I just say that the below is a non-exclusive list of the greatest guitarists of all time in no order other that what comes to mind first:

Hendrix
Page
SRV
Clapton
EVH
Vai
Satriani
EJ

I'm sure there are 100 more I can't think of right now and you can make an excellent argument for them.

The thing about guitar is that there can be no best. Styles and tastes differ. If you were to ask Vai whether HE thought he was the best, I can promise you he'd name another (probably EVH).

Azione

God, I haven't heard his name in ages. I remember him with Rainbow. I've always felt Satriani was the best technical player I've heard, but Vai is right up there.

emhello

If you're just talking technical prowess, Al DiMeola in his heyday would have blasted Vai off the stage.

DVD Josh

Let's not also forget Ralph Macchio

Andalusia

Crossroads, oh so classic!

T1000

Crossroads doesn't count!

Everyone knows Steve Vai played it all, he just did it to make Macchio look good...

The Bus

I don't think putting technical ability above everything else is a good way to rate a guitarist. Maybe a machinist, or an engineer, but guitar playing is an art form. As such, I'm usually not impressed by anyone who can "play fast" or "play something that's hard to play". I'm impressed if the technical merits of a song transcend rote skill, for example, in Ralph Towner's "Elan Vital" which AMG describes as such:

"Nowhere is this more evident than on the striking "Élan Vital." Towner opens the track and Goodhew follows him playing soprano. There are three melodic exchanges, each more far-reaching than the last, before Towner goes off with Christensen trading fours and slipping through chorded wreaths and trills of augmented sevenths and ninths. There is a space at midpoint where Johnson, for the sake of adding color to the melodic abstraction, begins by playing chords and then others based on those, singly, then doubly, until the bass sings!"

What do they mean by that nonsense? I have no idea. But it sounds great. At the same time, take something like Wolf Parade's "Ground for Divorce" (track 3 from the new CD) where the bassline seems to be playing scales. I could probably do that after 30 minutes if someone showed me. Does that make that song any less powerful? No.

Now, Hendrix, Clapton, and SRV all combine these two elements. Vai I can't comment on, but Malmsteem to me seems one of those guitarists that people like because he can play really fast.

I like some jazz guitarists (Ralph Towner for example). But others, like Al DiMeola, put me to sleep. I saw him live a couple of years ago and I just didn't "get" him.

I'm sure I'm going to get torn a new one by a couple of people here but that's just how I feel.

TheMadMonk

So, you feel Ry Cooder didn't really contribute anything to the film?

wendersfan

I think Vai is one of the most annoying guitar players I've ever heard.

atlantamoi

If I had to choose a guitarist for wankery I'd have to go with SRV or someone like Brian Setzer. I want grit and mess with my showing off. Vai is all about technical ability and there isn't much more boring than that. Although wasn't he involved with P.I.L.'s "Album" album?

wendersfan

I think so, but after Levene left the band I lost interest.

DVD Josh

I would agree that Setzer is among the guitar gods. Every time I see him live I can't believe how good he is.

T1000

He played all the slide parts, I believe? Not sure.

I agree with the Malsteem comment. He is a robot. He just plays insanely fast and that's about it.

Vai, while very technically gifted has a lot of soul in his playing. He's made a lot of beautiful songs without resorting to needless shredding. Whispering a Prayer for one.

Clapton's another guitarist that I aspire (sp?) to.

Johnny Zhivago

22 posts and no mention of Zappa... In a Stevie Vai thread no less. Ridiculos.

See above.

DVD Josh

I think EVH would be on his shortlist. He's always said that transcribing Eruption was as much a labor of love than anything else.

T1000

I didn't like Flexable at all. That's the main reason I didn't mention his Zappa era.