Best guitarrist?

JaBlue · #1 02-25-2005, 05:05 AM

Best being defined as a combination of ability, musical knowledge, experience, and diversity in the music that they play [to exclude the Zakk Wyldes]. Also, if you want to say it was someone primarily because they're so revolutionary (hint: please don't say Jimi Hendrix) then that's cool, but they should have the other qualifications too.

I'm going with Joe Pass.

istewart · #2 02-25-2005, 05:10 AM

Some of the best, various reasons I guess. Excluding Hendrix [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Page
Satriani
Clapton
Vai

Page is definitely my favorite, Petrucci a close second.

JaBlue · #3 02-25-2005, 05:12 AM

I excluded Hendrix for a couple of reasons:
1) his career was short
2) he gets way too much credit given that most of his sweet moves have been done before by Chuck Barry
3) He was almost always a horrible live musician

istewart · #4 02-25-2005, 05:19 AM

[ QUOTE ]
3) He was almost always a horrible live musician

[/ QUOTE ]

I do not think this can be said.

JaBlue · #5 02-25-2005, 05:24 AM

Given that he almost always performed drunk and high, it can very easily be said and is also true.

istewart · #6 02-25-2005, 05:34 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Given that he almost always performed drunk and high, it can very easily be said and is also true.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't see the correlation between being intoxicated and consistently giving poor live performances. Take Santana at Woodstack for example.

Hendrix had quite a few great live performances. Woodstock, Berkeley and Isle of Wight all come to mind ATM.

jokerthief · #7 02-25-2005, 05:20 AM

Page is the most overrated guitar player who ever lived. That's not to say he didn't make good music but anyone who has even a little musical aptitude and has been playing for a year should be able to learn anything he plays.

istewart · #8 02-25-2005, 05:23 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Page is the most overrated guitar player who ever lived. That's not to say he didn't make good music but anyone who has even a little musical aptitude and has been playing for a year should be able to learn anything he plays.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a gross exaggeration, but no, he wasn't a technical god. His songwriting is great though and he's very, very accessible.

jokerthief · #9 02-25-2005, 05:45 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Page is the most overrated guitar player who ever lived. That's not to say he didn't make good music but anyone who has even a little musical aptitude and has been playing for a year should be able to learn anything he plays.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a gross exaggeration, but no, he wasn't a technical god. His songwriting is great though and he's very, very accessible.

[/ QUOTE ]

The last part of your reply got me thinking. If by very accessible you mean that his songs are accessible for casual players to learn, then you would have a decent arguement for most influential player of all time. The best guitarist, however, needs to push both the technical and stylistic envelope in my opinion. My vote would be Tim Reynolds or Leo Kotke.

JaBlue · #10 02-25-2005, 06:42 AM

Leo Kottke plays a pretty [censored]' mean 12-string.. his vocals really ruin the songs a lot though [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img].