lets see Bob Dylan,Willie Nelson....now who else

(I'm obviously joking about these 2 being great with guitar)

[Edited on 11/5/2019 by bettyhynes]

I guess a lot of it comes down to how you define "great". Technical skill is only a small part of it in my book. Innovation, taste and the ability to move me are what I look for. My favs are Duane, Dickey, BB and Albert King, Robbie Robertson, Jerry Garcia, James Burton, Roy Buchanan and George Harrison - a very underrated slide player.

I'd agree heavy with this list sans RR. Throw in Johnny Winter, Robben Ford, Toy Caldwell, Marc F'n Ford, Luther Dickinson, Jimmy Herring, Charlie Starr, Hughie Thommason, Leo Kottke, others too, and no acoustical player can get a crowd jumpin' better than Tommy Emmanuel!

There's riff masters like Gary Rossington, Rich Robinson, Tony Iommi, etc that rate.

There's loads of talented players that I respect their skill set, but they bore me to tears. I won't name them but will give you 2 offenders RC and EJ.

There's more that 20 in my Top 20?

Any love for Alvin, Another great plucker!

I guess a lot of it comes down to how you define "great". Technical skill is only a small part of it in my book. Innovation, taste and the ability to move me are what I look for. My favs are Duane, Dickey, BB and Albert King, Robbie Robertson, Jerry Garcia, James Burton, Roy Buchanan and George Harrison - a very underrated slide player.

I'd agree heavy with this list sans RR. Throw in Johnny Winter, Robben Ford, Toy Caldwell, Marc F'n Ford, Luther Dickinson, Jimmy Herring, Charlie Starr, Hughie Thommason, Leo Kottke, others too, and no acoustical player can get a crowd jumpin' better than Tommy Emmanuel!

There's riff masters like Gary Rossington, Rich Robinson, Tony Iommi, etc that rate.

There's loads of talented players that I respect their skill set, but they bore me to tears. I won't name them but will give you 2 offenders RC and EJ.

There's more that 20 in my Top 20?

I think Robbie is another one of those underrated guys. He usually played to the song and didn't do extended solos - but his style really moves me. And he could definitely stand toe to toe with more generally recognized players when he wanted to. He had no problem keeping up with EC in The Last Waltz. Or listen to his ferocious playing on John Hammond Jr's "So Many Roads" record. Duane said RR was one of his favorite players - that's a pretty good endorsement.

Joe Bonamassa has told Guitar Player Magazine that Jeff Beck is the greatest electric guitar player in the history of rock. Joe talks about Jeff's work in 1968 when Jeff basically played just a Les Paul through a Marshall. Said how Jeff has reinvented himself several times over 6 decades and how Jeff's use of a Stratocaster is so unique and creative.

Joe also mentioned how he was so influenced by Gary Moore and Walter Trout, how they just let it rip playing loudMarshall's. And that his playbook owes a lot to Gary Moore.

Roy Gallagher and Robin Tower also are big influences on Joe. Tower doesnt get much praise but Trower's tone on those Stratocasters over the years is just fantastic.

But I remember Joe saying when he was young going to see The Allman Brothers and Dickey Betts and Dan Toler where making those Les Pauls stomp you through those Marshalls. I was the first time he has witnessed that.

This is a debate that cannot be won or lost...

who's the greatest? might be whomever your listening to right now or someone from a far distant past..

Chuck Berry, Ike Turner. T-bone Walker... Joe Bonamassa, Tom Morello, John Mayer.... it's all good music & playing.

Now I will say when Dickey is really burning - that's tough to beat in my opinion... I also think you should mention Dickey & Duane together... two sides of a valuable, historic coin.

Yes Duane and Dickey and Berry too fit together like Butch and Jaimoe.

A few years ago Warren said Beck is his favorite and Clapton is close.

Now I will say when Dickey is really burning - that's tough to beat in my opinion...

Mmmmmm. As good as Dickey was, you have to admit that his playing is pretty "one-dimensional". In the ABB genre, he is, "Tough to beat"...... But c'mon man....

I don't get Jeff Beck. 90% of what he plays seems like "musical masturbation" to me.

I have two friends that are pretty good guitar players as well as very versed in guitar history. One thinks Beck is the greatest ever (no question, whatsoever) but the other has a similar opinion to mine.

IMO there’s 2 Jeff Becks - the Truth/Beck-ola/Jeff Beck Group one
& the one who did Guitar Shop, There & Back & the mostly nondescript (to my ears) instrumental player

The 1st Jeff Beck Is to this day hard to top for me (along w/other players), watta treat when he did a few shows w/Rod S recently

[Edited on 10/26/2019 by Stephen]

I dunno Vince, Dickey has blown my doors off almost as often as most others
Have always thought that of all the Brothers, Dickey was the most musically cast adrift after Duane died - he, Duane & Oakley had it going so bad, unbelievable

Cool that Warren digs Jeff Beck too - many artists dabble in various styles - really tried to like those later Jeff instrumental albums - realized he was in a whole new bag, listened open minded - just not my cup of tea, but those early ones, esp Jeff Beck Group, & Rough & Ready - ou-tta-sight - really like Beck Bogert Appice too

Again there’s no greater/greatest in all this, fun to discuss tho

Always amazes me how little love/respect Clapton gets. I suppose his later work is too mellow with not enough guitar. Someone mentioned how some are innovators and some are not, well to me Clapton is the most copied. Today it may seem commonplace but it wasn't in the 60's. I saw Cream and the Dominoes ( w/o Duane ) and for my ears they were 2 of the best shows I have ever seen and heard. I first heard about Clapton when I was in high school, approx. 1966, when i saw the Beano album. It has been a love affair ever since. The ABB was my favorite band but after Duane I took a long break. I've seen them all, Hendrix, Santana , Page, Beck etc. and for me the 2 closest are Duane and Derek, who have both played with EC and been influenced by him. "To me", he is the man and has written the musical score for my life.

Maybe it's just a given and taken for granted unfortunately.

IMHO, When Eric really leans into his guitar and starts to drive those pickups through his amps tuned and hits that sweet spot between keeping clean and breaking it up,overdrive......it does not get much better than that . That tone he is getting when doing it is almost blissful to me. And I am not even a strat guy! I rarely hear people pull that off that good. I strive for it. Derek is about the only other one I hear that can do it that well.

Tone is so important. It not only comes from the instrument , but more so from the player. Feel,touch,soul,technique,heart.....

Derek has some of the best tone out there. He keeps it natural from what I can tell. No effects for the most part I believe. Player ,guitar,cord and amp. That's how I do it, but not even close to what he does though 😛 !

[Edited on 11/8/2019 by jszfunk]

[Edited on 11/8/2019 by jszfunk]

[Edited on 11/9/2019 by jszfunk]

But I remember Joe saying when he was young going to see The Allman Brothers and Dickey Betts and Dan Toler where making those Les Pauls stomp you through those Marshalls. I was the first time he has witnessed that.

Kinda chuckled when I read that part. He must have been pretty young seeing that era of the band given he was born in 1977.....unless I am missing something.

Now I will say when Dickey is really burning - that's tough to beat in my opinion...

Mmmmmm. As good as Dickey was, you have to admit that his playing is pretty "one-dimensional". In the ABB genre, he is, "Tough to beat"...... But c'mon man....

I agree about when Dickey is burning. I have seen a few shows with the ABB where he really got" out there " and deep...almost away from the band in away. Pretty special stuff.

Sorry, but Dickey being one dimensional ? I would beg to differ on that one.

Endless conversation on this topic, but fun.

I will not name names, might start a riot...but you can be a great musician/guitarist but that does not always equal being able to write good songs. To me that's an important part of the equation.

As far as the greatest? There is no one....maybe a ton to name . Would not know where to start and end. I like them all and from Kottke to Angus, Django to Schenker, Chris Whitley to Blackmore,Bolin to Charlie Christian, Peter Green to the guys in Maiden and Priest, etc.....

cant forget this guy!!

Absolutely impossible question to ever answer. The honest truth is that no rock player that ever lived could accomplish playing some classical piece. That said the classical player may not be able to play slide.

I agree that it's impossible to pick "greatest" but I have seen Steve Howe and Steve Morse both pull off classical pieces incredibly well. Steve Morse is one of those scary players that can do several genres justice and makes it look easy. I saw him with the Dixie Dregs, solo, w/Kansas, w/Deep Purple, etc. That being said, I still like to listen to Warren more than Steve or other "technical" players. It's just a personal preference.

Jszfunk. My bad. I did some searching and found the article. Joe Bonamassa was talking about a Gibson Les Paul Goldtop that Dickey bought and Dickey had it changed to a sunburst by having red paint added to the guitar with the gold still visible in the middle of the body. It was one of several Les Paul's Dickey purchased between late 1970 and 1974 when Dickey finally found the Les Paul he called Goldie. Dickey was playing an ES-335 when the ABB was formed then in late 1969 switched to a Stratocaster then to an SG in mid 1970 and being impressed with the tone Duane was getting with Les Paul's, Dickey decided to switch to a Les Paul. But according to Joe Dan Petty, Dickey didn't like his first Les Paul, I think Dickey bought it in Detroit, and Red Dog talked about another Les Paul Dickey got angry with and destroyed it. Red Dog said he got it off the stage and put it in the dumpster. I know Dickey had a beautiful sunburst Les Paul with zebra pickups but didn't stay with it either because it was hard to keep in tune. Goldie though was Dickey's number one for over 20 years. Still to this day a fantastic sounding guitar.

But Dickey did use the Goldtop changed to a sunburst on the Fillmore East album. And in the late 1970's Dickey gave it to Dan Toler and it was in 1983 that Joe Bonamassa saw/heard that Les Paul played by Dan Toler at the New York State Fair when Joe was a kid. Joe said hearing that Les Paul made a big impression on him at age 6.

Dan Toler sold the guitar sometime after he switched to a red Stratocaster and the owner let Joe play that very guitar at one of Joe's shows.

Dickey is one deminsion but had his own unique style. Like B. B. King, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, you quickly can tell its Dickey playing because nobody sounds like Dickey. Well except Dan Toler when he was in the ABB.

When Dickey was locked in, Dickey stood toe to toe with Duane Allman, Warren Haynes, Jack Pearson and Derek Trucks and none of them blew Dickey off the stage.

Dickey's solo on One Way Out from Eat A Peach is one of Jimmy Herring's favorite solos. Jimmy said the tone and energy is so powerful. Fillmore East has great playing from Duane and Dickey and Dickey is excellent on Brothers and Sisters on all tracks.

When you factor in Dickey's sence on melody and song writing, Dickey is probably the best guitar player the ABB ever had. My favorite passages on Fillmore East are Duane's slide and his solo on Liz Reed. But Dickey has great guitar playing all over that album. Gregg and Dickey's songwriting is crucial to help laying the cornerstone of the band.

As good as the last lineup was, the songwriting didn't come close to the wonderful songs Gregg and Dickey wrote between 1969 and 1973. Those songs make up most of the ABB songbook.

Dickey Betts is HUGE in ABB history. HUGE.

Dickey is huge in musical history because the ABB music we love would never have sounded like what it does sound like without him.

There has been some discussion of him being one-dimensional. Let's dispel that or at least clarify the term. I think of the term as an insult or a suggestion of limitations; it is not a compliment like saying that his sound is instantly recognizable. I think of George Thoroughgood as enjoyable but one-dimensional. Maybe Angus Young and Alvin Lee also.
Dickey Betts does have a very recognizable sound, but he can play rock, blues, country, jazz; he can play ballads or balls-out rockers; he can do acoustic or electric, brilliant instrumentals or soulful vocal tunes, "out there" psychedelic jams or balls-to-the-wall hard rock. He is multi-dimensional while having a signature sound.

Dickey Betts does have a very recognizable sound, but he can play rock, blues, country, jazz; he can play ballads or balls-out rockers; he can do acoustic or electric, brilliant instrumentals or soulful vocal tunes, "out there" psychedelic jams or balls-to-the-wall hard rock. He is multi-dimensional while having a signature sound.

Couldn’t agree more (as would most ABB fans) -
Of course his fans have most of it anyway but I would buy it all over again if a “Best Betts” box set were ever issued - Dickey’s work deserves to be all under one roof chronicling the length & breath of his career -
then we’d have box sets of two guitar players, he & Duane, whose playing revealed no sense at all of ‘limits’ or ‘categories’ in music - & whose paths crossed for that all too brief time

At the very least Dickey deserves an “All My Friends” type of tribute show - to me he’s one of the greatest guitar players

[Edited on 11/9/2019 by Stephen]

Absolutely impossible question to ever answer. The honest truth is that no rock player that ever lived could accomplish playing some classical piece. That said the classical player may not be able to play slide.

I agree that it's impossible to pick "greatest" but I have seen Steve Howe and Steve Morse both pull off classical pieces incredibly well. Steve Morse is one of those scary players that can do several genres justice and makes it look easy. I saw him with the Dixie Dregs, solo, w/Kansas, w/Deep Purple, etc. That being said, I still like to listen to Warren more than Steve or other "technical" players. It's just a personal preference.

Oh there are definitely players that can cross over. Those are two of them. Both would also tell you in an instant that there are classical players that do things that they can only dream of.

But great examples of players that can do things that many mentioned here could not even attempt.

That is why there are no greatest. Some people are blown away by Neil Young's one note solos. If it works for them then it is great I guess.

Jszfunk. My bad. I did some searching and found the article. Joe Bonamassa was talking about a Gibson Les Paul Goldtop that Dickey bought and Dickey had it changed to a sunburst by having red paint added to the guitar with the gold still visible in the middle of the body. It was one of several Les Paul's Dickey purchased between late 1970 and 1974 when Dickey finally found the Les Paul he called Goldie. Dickey was playing an ES-335 when the ABB was formed then in late 1969 switched to a Stratocaster then to an SG in mid 1970 and being impressed with the tone Duane was getting with Les Paul's, Dickey decided to switch to a Les Paul. But according to Joe Dan Petty, Dickey didn't like his first Les Paul, I think Dickey bought it in Detroit, and Red Dog talked about another Les Paul Dickey got angry with and destroyed it. Red Dog said he got it off the stage and put it in the dumpster. I know Dickey had a beautiful sunburst Les Paul with zebra pickups but didn't stay with it either because it was hard to keep in tune. Goldie though was Dickey's number one for over 20 years. Still to this day a fantastic sounding guitar.

But Dickey did use the Goldtop changed to a sunburst on the Fillmore East album. And in the late 1970's Dickey gave it to Dan Toler and it was in 1983 that Joe Bonamassa saw/heard that Les Paul played by Dan Toler at the New York State Fair when Joe was a kid. Joe said hearing that Les Paul made a big impression on him at age 6.

Dan Toler sold the guitar sometime after he switched to a red Stratocaster and the owner let Joe play that very guitar at one of Joe's shows.

Dickey is one deminsion but had his own unique style. Like B. B. King, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, you quickly can tell its Dickey playing because nobody sounds like Dickey. Well except Dan Toler when he was in the ABB.

When Dickey was locked in, Dickey stood toe to toe with Duane Allman, Warren Haynes, Jack Pearson and Derek Trucks and none of them blew Dickey off the stage.

Dickey's solo on One Way Out from Eat A Peach is one of Jimmy Herring's favorite solos. Jimmy said the tone and energy is so powerful. Fillmore East has great playing from Duane and Dickey and Dickey is excellent on Brothers and Sisters on all tracks.

When you factor in Dickey's sence on melody and song writing, Dickey is probably the best guitar player the ABB ever had. My favorite passages on Fillmore East are Duane's slide and his solo on Liz Reed. But Dickey has great guitar playing all over that album. Gregg and Dickey's songwriting is crucial to help laying the cornerstone of the band.

As good as the last lineup was, the songwriting didn't come close to the wonderful songs Gregg and Dickey wrote between 1969 and 1973. Those songs make up most of the ABB songbook.

Dickey Betts is HUGE in ABB history. HUGE.

No doubt. Dickey is an all time great, and is probably to me, 1a to Duane's 1. I would disagree that Dickey was the best guitar player ever in the ABB, but it's pretty darn close. Dickey was once asked in an interview which guitarist that he played with brought the most to the ABB, and he said, no doubt it was Duane. I don't think it was an accident that both Gregg and Dickey wrote most of their classic songs while Duane was alive, or shortly thereafter. I think he inspired the band and they responded with great work. Also I believe Duane played a huge part in arranging and shaping the songs they wrote into the classics they became - just like he did with "Layla", which would have just been a pretty little ballad without Duane coming up with the famous lick and suggesting the song be sped up and turned into a rocker. I don't think Duane's impact can be overstated. But that doesn't detract in anyway from Dickey's greatness - they both richly deserve the status they have earned.

My old lady overheard someone say to me, "I hear you are a great guitar player." I said, "Nah, I'm okay I guess."

So she got me this shirt:

At the very least Dickey deserves an “All My Friends” type of tribute show - to me he’s one of the greatest guitar players

[Edited on 11/9/2019 by Stephen]

+1000! Film it Nashville... get brother Lee Roy Parnell, Jack P, Warren, Derek, Charlie Daniels... allman betts Band... Guitar Heaven!

 

Technically Gary Moore may be the best hard rock shredder I ever heard. But he never makes those lists either. There are many really talented guitar players and Warren and Derek are among them.

10 years ago or so there was a top 100 list put out and Hendrix was number one, Duane Allman was number two and Warren , Derek and Dickey made that list but were not in the top ten. Gary Moore didnt make it at all.

Find "The Messiah Will Come " by Gary on YouTube and it's an audience tape and he is playing a red Fender Stratocaster. I am almost certain NONE of the guitar players on any list or any that have been the the Allman Brothers could play note for note what Gary Moore does on that video. I mean nobody.

The lists are very subjective, what I’ll say about the lists is that any list where Gary Moore isn’t in the top 3 just ain’t worth printing. For anyone who doesn’t know his work, search Parisienne Walkways at Montreaux and give it a look. Gary’s scorching tone, endless sustain, beautiful vibrato are all on full display on that one..... and I’m in total agreement with the post above that the Edge is one of the most over rated players there is. BTW, I’m older than him and was called Edge before he was born.