Metropoulos Forum

Greatest Guitar Players of all time.

IMO s/b Hendrix, Beck, Clapton and Page. They laid the foundation for everything that followed.


http://www.theranking.com/the-greatest- ... tarists-hw#_=_" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

EDIT -
And the fact that three of the four came through the Yardbirds is astounding. Must of had some good water in that neighorhood!

Ditto.

Those are my big four, Chief.

Don't forget to add Peter Green to that list. +1

Gary Moore, once responded when asked in an interview,

Were you intrigued by what Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page were doing with the Les Paul?

"Eric Clapton with The Bluesbreakers and Cream I really liked. I thought he was just great. He did a lot for guitar playing, there's no doubt about. I've never see Jimmy Page live. And it doesn't really bother me. To tell you the truth, he's never been one of my favorite guitar players. I've always appreciated him on another level as a songwriter. Out of all those guys, I think he was the most overrated. I think the other guys were just in a different league. People used to say I sounded like him and I took that as an insult. I could see what they meant because there was a certain echo I used to use, and I didn't use it after that."

I was surprised that Gary didn't mention Rory Gallagher as a guitar player he was inspired by. He mentions Peter Green, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix but no Rory. I guess Gary was considering more refined guitar players like himself since he was very hard on himself and expected no less from others, not to take anything away from Rory Gallagher or Jimmy Page.

I tend to agree with GM's take on Pagey, he can go from miserably sloppy to brilliant in the same song. But all those other guys together didn't write, play ,record and produce half the classic rock riffs that JP did!

And I Rory really should be included in that list but doesn't get his due respect from enough people. He was pretty much in on the ground floor as well. After all when asked of Hendrix how does it feel to be the best he said "dunno, ask Rory."

You want to see a list that will piss you off. Google the Spin magazine top 100 Guitarists. I read that list and it made me want to barf.

mightymike wrote:You want to see a list that will piss you off. Google the Spin magazine top 100 Guitarists. I read that list and it made me want to barf.

There's another very good reason for the saying, "consider the source". My reply to their poll is, "Spin On This".

How can Jeff Beck be 8th and 34th?

Is it that new math?

I would rank Jeff Healey higher.

Slash is up there a bit eh?

And where is C.C Deville?

vanhalen5150 wrote:How can Jeff Beck be 8th and 34th?

Is it that new math?

I would rank Jeff Healey higher.

Wow, forgot about him. Saw him several time. passion on a scale of Rory Gallagher. BTW, where is HE????

mightymike wrote:You want to see a list that will piss you off. Google the Spin magazine top 100 Guitarists. I read that list and it made me want to barf.

Well, when this is the "though(?)" process what do you expect from morons???

"To celebrate the new generation of shredders profiled in our May/June "Loud Issue," the SPIN staff decided to find some wheedle in a haystack, taking on the impossible task of ranking our favorite guitar players of all time. Traditionally, the "greatest guitarist" timeline begins with Robert Johnson magically conjuring the blues, nears perfection with Eric Clapton mutating it beatifically, and then ultimately reaches a boomer-baiting Rock and Roll Hall of Fame apotheosis with the free-spirited Jimi Hendrix shooting it into space like feedback-laden fireworks. For this list, we veer toward the alternative canon that kicks in with the Velvet Underground trying to erase that form entirely, making guitar solos gauche and using instruments as sadomasochistic tools for hammering out sheets of white heat.

As you will see, our list embraces outsiders, trailblazers, outliers, and Eugene Chadbourne playing a rake. We don't worship "guitar gods," but prefer our axe-wielders to be resourceful, egalitarian, flawed, and human. We're not drawn to Olympic feats of fleet-fingered athletics, unless they're used for unique and exploratory ends. We see the mewling histrionics of Jeff Beck as tyranny instead of catharsis. The name Derek Trucks is practically alien to us."

I like all these other guys plus many not mentioned here, but I'm sticking to the original Hendrix, Beck, Clapton and Page and then everyone else, regardless of whose first or better. These guys were the ones, way before my later hero Ed appeared...

I liked Hendrix's innovation. Hell, just the 'whicka whicka whicka whick' that is doubled up by the drum on 'Machine Gun' is a great example of how he basically wrote the first thrash metal riff.Imagine if he had kept that going for an entire verse, it would have sounded just like most modern Thrash riffs . Clapton, imo, sort of lucked into his situation. He was probably the 'first' Englishman to really outright CLONE BB & Freddie's style. He played it safe,playing-wise, and appealed to a real wide audience (who also, played it safe, you know,8 to 5 types). His tone on that 'Beano' Blues Breaker album was/is his greatest achievement though,imo.
Beck was very Eccentric and was always pushing forth creativity, etc.

I actually disagree with Gary about Page. Not only was he the strongest writer of those mentioned, but I like more of his solo's as well. The Studio 'Since I've Been Loving You','Stairway To Heaven' Ten Years Gone", and that live (probably 'studioed' 'No Quarter'. That is some STELLAR stuff for sure

I liked Guitar Players list of the fifty most influential and greatest rhythm guitarists from a few years back.
Check it out many great ones in that list..
yngwie308