DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Greatest Guitar Player of All Time!! Who is it?

I've been playin for about 3 years now. It's something I picked up after i got out of high school and decided not to play baseball in college. I've been absolutely obsessed with the blues and music in general ever since.

My influence are John Mayer because his song Covered in Rain got me interested in the instrument in the first place. I don't know how people view him on here, but don't judge him by studio and radio stuff. He will go down as one of the greatest of all time. Very Claptonesque.

Anyways... Mayer led me into Hendrix more so than I was before picking up the guitar and I started listening to the Blues (Albert and BB King, SRV, Clapton, and so on.)

Now I must say after all the time I've put into playing and listening to the blues and other guitarists that Hendrix and SRV are neck and neck for #1. Here is my list...

#1A - Jimi Hendrix
#1B - SRV (Jimi goes above him because SRV even admits Jimi's the best.)
#3 - Eric Clapton
#4 - Buddy Guy
#5 - BB King
#6 - Albert King
#7 - Jimmy Page
#8 - David Gilmour
#9 - Duane Allman
#10 - Slash

Honorable Mention - John Mayer, John Frusciante, Joe Bonamassa, Jonny Lang. All 4 are still young with maybe the exception of Frusciante depending upon your opinion of young in the music business.

Just wondering what all you guys thought. I know my list is full of blues players and people who have inspired me so I'll be interested to see comments.

Damn, ya forgot one of the best..........Malmstein

Can't really argue with that order other than putting Satana somewhere near the top of that list.

No way Slash is before Eddie Van Halen.

true. Forgot about him. Angus Young from AC/DC should also be on this list.

Way too many great guitar players to name ONE as the greatest!

You will have arguements all day long forever and ever.....too many different styles of music!

Your list has many greats, but the list should have about 100 or more great guitar players.....it is all about taste!

Much of it has to do with the music we all listen to....JMHAO!

As should
Steve Vie(spelling)

To hold up the Country end of things........Vince Gill is as good as they get. The guy can really pick.


Brad Paisley is pretty darn good too.

How about Chet Attkins one of the best ever jmo.

Rolling stone magazine did an issue of the 100 greatest guitar players of all time. I think Hendrix was number one in their list. I don't think you will find many people who will disagree Hendrix was the greatest ever. It's after him that it becomes questionable. imo

He was way ahead for his time, as for being the best?
Not sure I could rate him that high, top 10 for sure, again jmo.

It's cool, your entitled to it.

Who is the best in your mind?

I would have to go with Clapton or cant think of his name! He sang money for nothing.

Dire Straights. Their guitar player is pretty damn good.

What the hell is his name? Its driving me nuts!

Thank you! now I can sleep tonight!

hehe. I'm listening to that song now.

He can realy play! wish I was as good as half these people

Wish I would have stuck with guitar lessons when I was little. I wanted to play electric but my parents wouldn't get me anything but an acoustic. So I lost interest.

Dire Straits first album is real bluesy....I like some of the spanish guitar players...I can`t say who`s the best...many do a great job at there own style....

What was the guy...Kenny wayne shepard....thought he was good also.....

Acoustic takes better work. With electric, you can bend notes easier to cover a bad note....with acoustic, it is there for everybody to hear. There is no covering it.


It is like piano....you hit the right key or you don't.

My favorite spanish style guitar player is Paco De Lucia. Those that are into that should check him out. By far the best in that genre IMO.

That is all I pick on anymore,mostly my old Yammaha its all beat up from camping and such, But it still sound sweet

Anybody like Chuck Berry?

He's got some good guitar picking in some of his songs. Johnny B. Goode is a classic.

I was actually having this debate last night actually with a bandmate of mine.


Its so hard to pick just one. When I'm looking at Best, I gotta look for someone who can do everything.

Clapton can do blues, pop, rock, soloing, acoustic. He can do most everything. I think hes gotta be my choice for top because he's the most versatile.

Eric Johnson is incredible too.

Jimi was good because he essentially made soloing popular.

Bob Dylan is probably the best song writer ever...not guitarist, but you cant leave him off.

Jerry Cantrell and Kurt Cobain are most likely the best Grunge guitarists ever. Jerry Cantrell can do alot also. I put him up there.

SRV obviously.

Kirk Hammett is one of the best Thrash metal guitarists. and James Hetfield used to be an amazing rhythm guitarist.

Johnny Strummer (The Clash) and Johnny Rotten (i think he was the Sex Pistols guitarist) and the guitarist from the Dead Kennedys are prolly the best punk guitarists ever.

Andy McKee is amazing with an acoustic in his hands

Jimmy Page is amazing

Angus Young

Santana rates up there with Clapton because of his versatility. Clapton and Santana are the most versatile in my opinion, which makes them best I think.

I dunno. They still only stick to their style. I couldnt see Santana truly rocking out old school Metallica style.

I wish there were more guitarists that could do other things, but most everyone is a one or two trick pony. They dont transcend any genre enough to really make them stick out as better than anyone else. Its so hard.

but Clapton and Santana get my vote

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_of_all_time

I actually have this poster on my wall.

oh yes..what he did for the flamenco guitar...awesome...

Another guy that was mentioned but hasn't really been said by anyone is Duane Allman. The man could kill that thing.

Very few outside the guitar circle know about him but another name is Jeff Beck. One of my favorites.

John Mayer is a hero of mine for other reasons than guitar, his female conquests are legendary already...Jennifer Love Hewitt (with no cellulite), Jessica Simpson, Minka Kelly to name a few.

But back to the subject...

Hard to say. Personally, I appreciate Slash, Ace Frehley, Clapton, Vai, and Hammett in no particular order. But one that just stands out is Dimebag Darrel Abbott, RIP. This guy did some crazy stuff with the guitar. Granted, his music may not be your piece of pie, but he was certainly a "God" in the heavy metal world of guitar playing.

A good friend of mine just visited his grave in TX ---

A little of the master....Chet Atkins

http://www.youtube.com/v/n-c66SJPuUI&feature=related

My personal favorites:

Jimi Hendrix
Eddie Van Halen (This guy can still wail away on the guitar.)
Rory Gallagher
Chris Duarte
Link Wray
Sonny Landreth
Eddie Cochran
Bobby Ingram
Steve Hunter
Dick Wagner

Hendrix hands down.....