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15 best guitar players of all time

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Bill_Graham
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Interesting list with a lot of old blues players. Not your typical list of 1960-1980 guitar heroes

https://singersroom.com/w12/best-guitar-players-of-all-time/


 
Posted : June 24, 2023 4:11 pm
robertdee
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Interesting list indeed!! Muddy Waters in first place and the usual number one, Jimi Hendrix in 6th place and Leadbelly made the list!! 

On that note, I was reading online this afternoon that Joe Bonamassa and Steve Vai said Matteo Mancuso his the hottest guitar player out there now. Move over Eric Johnson and Richie Blackmore!! 

I said to myself. It must be a joke. I've NEVER HEARD OF MATTEO MANCUSO!! 

But here he is and got big praise from Joe and Vai!! 


This post was modified 2 years ago by robertdee
 
Posted : June 24, 2023 10:03 pm
Rusty
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Subjective as always.  At least they narrowed it down to 15!  😉 


 
Posted : June 25, 2023 2:57 pm
robertdee
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@rusty Subjective is the word indeed. 

Every list I've seen, I always think of a few guitarists who didn't make the list I think or like better than some who did. 


 
Posted : June 26, 2023 6:59 am
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Rusty
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@robertdee However many end up on a "greatest" list - I can usually come up with at least that many more who are every bit as deserving or even more so.  Personal tastes and subjectivity aside - I still can't get past the idea that Joan Jett is 23 numbers ahead of Dickey Betts!  (RS Top 100 Guitarists list) 😉 Opinions are like ... well, you know what they're like.


 
Posted : June 26, 2023 9:41 am
Bill_Graham
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I take these lists with a grain of salt, and don't put much stock in them, as you are never sure what criteria the creator of the list used in their ratings. 

I thought this list was different and unique but hardly what I would call the greatest of all time but then again it is subjective.

JMO but a list created by fellow musicians is more interesting to me as their peers at least have some context to give an opinion but it is still and opinion after all.


 
Posted : June 26, 2023 9:51 am
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robslob
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I came up with my own list this morning.  THIS LIST IS IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER AT ALL.  I think it would be more appropriate to call it "My 15 Favorite Guitar Players" than the "best" because I can only really put down musicians that I am familiar with, either from seeing them live, hearing their records, or both.  And yes, I count myself lucky to have seen Joe Pass solo, Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, a 200 seat venue, maybe 1987.  A truly jaw dropping experience, especially when he did Somewhere Over The Rainbow.  You could have heard a pin drop.  Side note:  Even at 15, this is very tough to narrow down.  For example, I had Al DiMeola on my list originally.  Then I realized that I left off Warren Haynes, who is one of my favorites.  DiMeola is certainly one of the all-time greats but at times in his career he has gotten caught up in that "thousand notes per minute" thing which bores me pretty quickly.  I'll go with someone like Warren or Steve Cropper over DiMeola.  Fast, technically proficient players in general are not my thing.  I'm more for variety, emotion, feeling.  Cropper may be the most influential R&B guitar player ever.  And after seeing Led Zeppelin three times between 1971 and '73, Jimmy Page is always going to have a place in my heart.  I would be extremely critical of anyone who could leave Robben Ford off of this list.  I know I've seen him a dozen times going back to 1982 when he was regularly gigging solo in L.A. with his own All-Star band.  In 1989 I saw Ford in Miles Davis' band (Wowie Zowie, folks. Talk about some hard core fusion music).  

1.  Jimi Hendrix

2.  Duane Allman

3.  Dickey Betts

4.  Warren Haynes

5.  Derek Trucks

6.  Eric Clapton

7.  Steve Cropper

8.  Robben Ford

9.  T-Bone Walker

10.  Larry Coryell

11.  Jimmy Page

12.  Jeff Beck

13.  Chuck Berry

14.  Joe Pass

15.  Carlos Santana

 


This post was modified 2 years ago 6 times by robslob
 
Posted : June 26, 2023 10:04 am
Stephen reacted
Rusty
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@robslob That's a great list.  If I made a list it would pretty much be a list or personal favorites - or favorite FAMOUS (known) players.  You can find some amazing players on local levels - your own town or places you visit.  Friday night I saw this guy from Savannah, Ga named Anders Thomsen.  He plays a country/rockabilly style similar to players like Marty Stuart and others.  He even builds his own guitars and amps!  He was playing in a local bar/restaurant to a crown of about 20 people.  There's a plateau that really good players reach.  Once there, it's a matter of taste in music, style or tone because they're all amazing.  Anders is up there!  Here's a taste:

https://www.google.com/search?q=anders+thomsen+music&oq=anders+thomsen+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i512l2j46i512j0i512l2j0i22i30l4.10203j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:877b4e6a,vid:CWVTPkugSXs

 


 
Posted : June 26, 2023 10:33 am
robertdee
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@robslob That IS a great list. I don't count speed much. I'm more feel and emotion. Eric Johnson can do both real well. 

I like your top three. Duane and Dickey are tops with me but I have to yield to Jimi on All Along The Watch Tower. What exciting rock guitar that is!! Back when they played All Along the Watchtower on the radio, everytime I pulled up next to a car, the guy would have his radio turned up as loud as it went! 

Let's turn it up right now!! 

I remember when it became a big hit, a reporter asked Bob Dylan what did he think of what Hendrix did with his song? Dylan said "That's Jimi's song. Only thing I did was write it". 


This post was modified 2 years ago 2 times by robertdee
 
Posted : June 26, 2023 1:43 pm
robertdee
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Another list!! TOP LIVE BANDS OF ALL TIME!! 

&sub9=GiAWoaGZ2rAUqN0Q0VzR_QX7XXvewo7p_SgbmTxZ_57IfCD09U4o2amG-vCS9ebIAQ&ref_id=GiAWoaGZ2rAUqN0Q0VzR_QX7XXvewo7p_SgbmTxZ_57IfCD09U4o2amG-vCS9ebIAQ&tblci=GiAWoaGZ2rAUqN0Q0VzR_QX7XXvewo7p_SgbmTxZ_57IfCD09U4o2amG-vCS9ebIAQ#tblciGiAWoaGZ2rAUqN0Q0VzR_QX7XXvewo7p_SgbmTxZ_57IfCD09U4o2amG-vCS9ebIAQ


 
Posted : June 26, 2023 6:12 pm
stormyrider
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The list on the OP is interesting, if nothing else because it's different. 

I like your list RobSlob.

One guy who doesn't get mentioned enough, imo, is Terry Kath. 

Everybody has their favorites. 


 
Posted : June 27, 2023 5:29 pm
KCJimmy
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Posted by: @stormyrider

The list on the OP is interesting, if nothing else because it's different. 

I like your list RobSlob.

One guy who doesn't get mentioned enough, imo, is Terry Kath. 

Everybody has their favorites. 

Agree 100%. It seems I appreciate Terry Kath's talent more every time I hear him. 

 


 
Posted : June 27, 2023 6:25 pm
StratDal
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He has to be on the list.  He does it and he's done it all.

 


 
Posted : June 27, 2023 9:01 pm
robertdee
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@stormyrider I saw Terry play about 1970 in Greensboro, NC. He really put his foot on the gas several times that night. This looks like the same lineup and I think the same guitar. 


 
Posted : June 28, 2023 7:44 am
Stephen
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Posted by: @bill_graham

I take these lists with a grain of salt, and don't put much stock in them, as you are never sure what criteria the creator of the list used in their ratings. 

I thought this list was different and unique but hardly what I would call the greatest of all time but then again it is subjective.

agree w/this - many criteria to consider, 4 instance how could one pick between EVH & Randy Rhoads in a hypothetical “hard rock” category - then some would chime in “it’s Jimmy Page hands down” - 

& all would be correct!!!😆🎵😎🎸

cool lists - Django’s presence compensates for Duane & Dickey’s absence - rob’s list is closer to what I like, but dig the obscure deserving 15 names in that 1st list too - 

🎸it’s the story of, the glory of music, Leo Fender, Les Paul, electric & acoustic guitar 

 


This post was modified 2 years ago by Stephen
 
Posted : June 28, 2023 10:01 am
robslob
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Here's a little something to give evidence of why Larry Coryell made my list.  I shot this at Yoshi's in Oakland in 2015 and I'm proud that it's up to 2,000 views.  Sometimes you are just REALLY glad that you had that camera up and running!  RIP Larry Coryell.


 
Posted : June 28, 2023 12:01 pm
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