Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Who's the best/your fave guitar player (Friday music poll)?

Teal, I got to hear B.B. in concert and he's every bit the king. And you're right when you mention his 'economy' of sound. It brings to mind the quote by Arnold Shoenberg 'rests always sound well'. Too much of modern rock has forgotten how to roll--that comes with leaving space in your music for it to breathe--it really adds to the groove (see AC/DC for good examples). B.B. always got the most from the least and he's one of the few guitarists in history with a 'signature sound' that you can easily identify.

I also saw Setzer at the height of the swing revival craze. I was not/am not into swing, or even rockabilly, much but that guy CAN PLAY! He was amazing and his band super tight (and it was cool watching his bass guy 'shred' on that huge upright bass).

SRV rocks but all his good ones have been posted.
Zoom zooms
BB is king
Jimi jams
Steve Morse in his Dixie Dregs days! Oh man.

Dickey Betts was the star



Beck beckons


These 2!


While his best days IMO were with the Dixie Dregs Steve could pick

Mojo - yeah BB is a favorite as a player. I can appreciate what guys like Vai or Satriani do but to me that's just raw displays of ability. Can't say that at any point in my life I HAD to listen to something of theirs to express how I feel or anything like that. Great displays of ability but nothing has ever "spoken" to me like SRV, Albert, BB etc.

Cooincidence - I just got a text from my mother, she's down in Memphis on her Road King. Just left Rendevous ribs and is going to BB's club.

Should really mention two of the greatest rock songwriter/guitarists who blew on the scene and bitch slapped all the hair/glam bands into place...

Slash and Izzy Stradlin--certainly the 'guns' behind Guns 'n Roses.

Appetite is still one of, if not the, greatest rock albums ever.

Elmore James is seriously cool and should be on more people's lists...

Lotsa good ones here. John 5 is insane. Heavy Metal chicken picken?

Mark Knopfler playing Brothers In Arms.

JEff

Teal,

I sure wish I could have heard Stevie live. I was living in WI at the time of his last concert. Unfortunately, I was just a kid then raised in a fundamentalist Baptist home and that music was strictly taboo. I didn't come into it until much later in life.

You sure hit the nail on the head as far as feeling goes. That has always been my problem with Van Halen and much of the 80's guys. It's like their solos were just a means to show off the latest shred technique rather than taking the song somewhere. To me, the best guitarists always put the music/song first. That's what moves you--THEN you notice, 'hey, this guy is really good to boot'. That's why I'll aways be a blues guy.

How bout Johnny Winter??

Mojo - my aunt and uncle were at Stevie's last concert. Wish I could have been there as well.

Slightly off topic - Don't know how many will recognize the song but this guy took a syrupy modern R&B balland and gave it some real soul. Makes me wonder how many good/great songs are out there and just need to break out of the mold they were created in.



The original (holy chit - 94 already) -

Randy Rhoads and James Burton are two of my all-time faves. Randy might be the greatest metal guitarist ever, although that is open for debate.

I also love guys like Gary Moore, Tommy Bolan, Mick Ralphs, and Brian May. They may have been over-shadowed by other members of their respective bands, but were/are tremendous musicians.

There are so many great guitarists that it makes it impossible for me to pick just one favorite. A few that I have not seen mentioned yet are:

Peter Green
Derek Trucks
Robben Ford
Doc Watson
Leo Kottke

Ok with the all the Duane Allman votes and Dickie Betts mention we gotta throw in the only other true Southern Rockers--Skynyrd. Rarely, if ever, have three guitars worked so well together without stepping on toes or vying for the spotlight. Here's Steve Gaines' masterpiece (R.I.P.). Oh yeah, the new lineup with Hughie Thomasson and Ricky Medlocke isn't exactly lacking either.

Can't believe no one has mentioned the 'Velvet Bulldozer' yet. Those huge hands and fingers picking away on Lucy and his signature sound which can be heard in SRV, Jimi, Clapton, Buddy Guy, and a whole bunch of rockers whether they know it or not. Of the 3 Kings he's my fave and definitely the most influential.

Listen to some DBT. Before they let Jason Isbell go. 3 guitars. If you like Skynyrd- you'll prob like them.

Jason Isbell, Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley. (tho IMO they shoulda and coulda kicked Shonna to the curb and kept Jason - love his guitar/voice/songwriting)

Clapton and Hendrix, equal but very different distinctive styles. SRV could play both styles.

I gotta throw up some LLB to showcase their insane skill. This is what happens when you have three musically gifted bros who grow up playing together. Henry's guitar tone is PERFECT! And way better singers than SRV, Jimi, Clapton or pretty much most rockers. Enjoy.

Annnnd for some more great Texican blues with some great blues harp thrown in...

Song starts at about 6:00 min mark. Till then they're noodling around riffin' off each other.

True that

Sycamore

Nobody has mentioned Robin Trower. Under-appreciated.

At one time I was a fairly serious guitar player, but have to say that my attention was mostly grabbed by the bands - the whole package.

I could never get in to the guys who made speed and techie crap the show. Give me a Pink Floyd/David Gilmore "Comfortably Numb" or Dire Straits/Mark Knofler "Brothers in Arms" economy of "scale" guitar part to reach out and grab your beating heart out of your chest. Santana on Samba Pa Ti (SP?)

Les Dudek was another guy that sang with a guitar.

Randy Rhoads and Ed VH smacked us with some technique but it got carried away by others afterward.

SRV was so awesome live.

Jimi was an innovator.

Hats off to all of the guys like Iommi, Page, and the whole crew of late 60's, early 70's British rock.

Page is a funny sort. I almost can't stand to listen to Zepplin any more, but I'd almost bet that the only person who has played Stairway live more than me would be Jimmy Page, and I haven't played the song in 15 years. Can't listen but I sure used to imitate it often. Love me some "Rain Song".

WishBone Ash for some guitar harmony. Think "Jail Bait".

Skynerd was another trend setter, along with the Alman Bros.

ARS for some quality musicianship. Love to play those songs.

I could go on and on but truthfully it was the whole package that got me rather than a guitar player per se.

Clapton deserves metion, BTW....