I'm usually a lurker around here because I don't consider myself an expert fisherman, but as a guitar player I'll chime in on this.

A few years ago I saw Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt and a Texas songwriter named Joe Ely at Vets Aud. in Prov. They each played solo acoustic, took turns doing a song of their own and accompanied each other. Hiatt was fabulous! Halfway through the show my wife said, "Who's the guy in the middle? He's a way better guitar player than the other two."

When the "best guitar players" question is asked acoustic players are largely ignored. IMHO it's a hell of a lot easier to crank up the distortion and start bending strings than it is play an acoustic well, that is, to finger pick a melody and bass line together with the RIGHT hand. My additions to the list:

Leo Kotke
David Bromberg
Willie Nelson.....yes, that Willie Nelson. The man can play!

gene ween should be on that list :hihi:

Who ever made that top 100 list is quite an idiot in my opinion. I have seen tons of shows in my day. For Eddie V to be # 70 come on. I have never seen any body play like that dude. Steve Vie and Yngwie Malmsteen would play most of the others right off stage.

I totally agree with your comments on acoustic players, acoustic guitar is really the true test of a great guitarist if you ask me because it is just the man and the guitar. That said some of the great rock/blues guitarist could also play a great acoustic, Clapton, Jimmy Page, Pete Townsend among others, all did some amazing acoustic stuff.

robert, leo kotke is awesome!

as rockport said the late 80's early 90's where filled with sex drugs and rock and roll.. unfortuneatly in that order... You can say but Kurt was a heroin addict.... but the difference is, it wasnt glorified. The music was. Cobains genius lies in the simplicity of the songs he wrote.. He's not the first to make simple songs sound amazing. A little band called the Beatles built their empire on I IV V.

Great guitarist, probably not in my top 10. Greatest creative mind... number 1. He, Nirvana, single handedly put rock music back on track killing the hair band scene.(we should all be thankful for that) By definition they left the alternative genre when Nevermind hit. But that's what music needed at the time. He tapped into that teenage angst and ran with it.

Basically Im just thankful rock and roll was pure again for quite a while. If nirvana popped up anywhere else in time i doubt they would have been as huge.


Right now I think e-mo might kill me.

deaner:bgi:

captian fantasy will melt your face off

we could start a whole other topic on this :):hidin:

Danny Gatton to me was probably one of the most talented,unknown guys out there. He is gone, took his own life, much like Roy B. and similar but way more chops. Les Dudek, F.Z., Grant Green, Gary Moore, Dave Mason, Robben Ford, Robin Trower, Albert Lee, Joe Satriani, Tony Rice, Greg Howe, Alan Holdsworth, I mean you could go on forever. When you say underrated do you mean guys that are not commercially popular or do you mean people that are truley great players but are not household names. Do you consider unknow as underrated? Kind of goes hand in hand I think. P.

this thread is exactly why i cannot look at those top 100's

hell, i saw a guy play at the blackburn tavern in gloucester this weekend who was better than a few of those guys on the list

im with you, music is an art, not a sport, there is no "best".
fun conversations though, I always like to see others opinions, even though guitar is very close to my heart and I get ticked off sometime. To see you mention Eddie Hazel and Prof M, Danny Gatton, I am a happy man

That list is ridiculous. Joan Jett in the top 100:biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :biglaugh: :doh: WTF. Flush that list. It is too wide a spectrum to figure out the best. There is no best.

do you feel like crap if your #100 AND behind joan jett?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4PoZ...elated&search=

:hidin:

the whole 100 list thing is ridiculous because of course not everybody is going to agree, everybody has different tastes in music, some people like jam band type guitar style, some like blues, some like acoustic. who really cares who is the best? music is meant to be enjoyed, not compared to death.
Nebe, that was some sick stuff there too...

And Believe me I am Very Thankful of that.......When hair bands were the norm is when I embraced ZLX and all of the older music like never before. But I also don't think they Single-handedly did it. I think that Groups like Sound-Garden and Alice in Chains had a big hand in turning rock back into something worth listening to at the same time.

Its funny you mention this because this is always one of the Dis-agreements I have with my Bro-in-law. This is the one we become Really Heated about. He always say that Cobain was a genius because he tapped into what the youth were all about, especially in regards to Smells like teen spirit.

I used to say Gee, Teen Angst and a Disregard for the older generation.....like that hasn't been done before....I mean do we label Dee Snyder a genius because "We're Not Gonna Take It" or the Beatie Boys because they want us to "Fight For Our Right to Party"...its not genius to know that Kids are Pissed at thier parents

When Grunge came on the scene is when I started to listen and appreciate the newer bands again, Music was raw and actually Meant something again instead of Over-indulgence and Self-Serving BS that the hair bands were all about. and I believe that a lot of his success came from the fact that people were tired of that and wanted something with Substance again.

I guess its just me but I always feel like he gets elevated a lot higher than he really should be because of the Tragedy of his life.

How about this one...Guitar worlds top 100 Metal Guitarists....different look. This is a great Thread to kill the day too. Its good to see what everybody's take is on music.

1. Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)
2. Kirk Hammett & James Hetfield (Metallica)
3. Angus & Malcolm Young (AC/DC)
4. Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne)
5. Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
6. Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
7. Dimebag Darrell (Pantera, Damageplan)
8. Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society)
9. Adam Jones (Tool)
10. Kerry King & Jeff Hanneman (Slayer)
11. Dave Murray & Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden)
12. Jimi Hendrix
13. Glen Tipton & K.K. Downing (Judas Priest)
14. Ace Frehley & Paul Stanley (Kiss)
15. Slash (Guns N' Roses)
16. Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow)
17. Yngwie Malmsteen
18. Joe Perry & Brad Whitford (Aerosmith)
19. Dave Mustaine & Marty Friedman (Megadeth)
20. Chuck Schuldiner (Death)
21. Brian May (Queen)
22. Michael Schenker (Msg, Ufo)
23. Nigel Tufnel (Spinal Tap)
24. Jeff Beck
25. Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine)
26. Head & Munky (Korn)
27. John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
28. Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)
29. Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard)
30. Daron Malakian (System Of A Down)
31. Scott Ian (Anthrax)
32. Tom G. Warrior (Celtic Frost)
33. Chris Degarmo & Michael Wilton (Queensryche)
34. C.C. Deville
35. Marten Hagström & Fredrik Thorndendal (Meshuggah)
36. Alex Lifeson (Rush)
37. Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big, Racer X)
38. Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains)
39. Mantas (Venom)
40. Jason Becker (Dave Lee Roth)
41. Phil Collen & Steve Clarke (Def Leppard)
42. Mikael Åkerfeldt & Peter Lindgren (Opeth)
43. Fast Eddie Clarke (Motorhead)
44. Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme)
45. Warren Demartini (Ratt)
46. Mick Mars (Motley Crue)
47. George Lynch (Dokken)
48. Ted Nugent
49. Jake E. Lee (Ozzy Osbourne, Badlands)
50. Rudolf Schenker & Uli John Roth (Scorpions)
51. Oystein "Euronymous" Aarseth (Mayhem)
52. Scott Gorham & Brian Robertson (Thin Lizzy)
53. Steve Vai (Dave Lee Roth)
54. Reb Beach (Winger, Dokken)
55. Trey Azagthoth (Morbid Angel)
56. John Sykes (Thin Lizzy, Blue Murder)
57. Hank Shermann & Michael Denner (Mercyful Fate)
58. Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi)
59. Jon Donais & Matt Backhand (Shadows Fall)
60. Stephen Carpenter (Deftones)
61. Alex Skolnick & Eric Peterson (Testament)
62. Brian Tatler (Diamond Head)
63. John Christ (Danzig)
64. Scott "Wino" Weinrich (The Obsessed)
65. Pepper Keenan & Woody Weatherman (C.O.C.)
66. Tommy Victor (Prong)
67. Leslie West (Mountain)
68. Vernon Reid (Living Colour)
69. Glen Buxton & Michael Bruce (Alice Cooper)
70. Bjorn Gelotte & Jesper Stromblad (In Flames)
71. Jim Matheos (Fates Warning)
72. Gary Holt & Rick Hunolt (Exodus)
73. Donald Buck Dharma Roeser (Blue Oyster Cult)
74. Michael Amott (Arch Enemy)
75. Robert Fripp (King Crimson)
76. Andre Olbrich (Blind Guardian)
77. Joe Satriani
78. Frank Hannon & Tommy Skeoch (Tesla)
79. Ty Tabor (King's X)
80. Mark Morton & Will Adler (Lamb Of God)
81. Dino Cazares (Fear Factory)
82. Pete Townshend (The Who)
83. Jon Schaffer (Iced Earth)
84. Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius)
85. Neil Young
86. Abbath Doom Occulta (Immortal)
87. Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray)
88. Uffe Cederlund & Alex Hellid (Entombed)
89. Leigh Stephens (Blue Cheer)
90. Jim Martin (Faith No More)
91. Michael Romeo (Symphony X)
92. Bill Steer (Carcass)
93. Piggy (Voivod)
94. Tony Bourge (Budgie)
95. Sammy Hagar (Van Halen)
96. Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom)
97. Akira Takasaki (Loudness)
98. Michael Angelo
99. John Kay & Michael Monarh (Steppenwolf)
100. Nick Bowcott (Grim Reaper)

Dee Snyder is actually a very smart guy. I was watching something on Vh-1 the other day about when parental advisory labels were issued to music. He was basically the spokesman for the hard rock bands of the time.

In no way am i saying it hasnt been done before believe me. Im just saying that the style he brought was needed at the time. if it wasnt, then nirvana would still have made music but hair bands would still rule.

I agree said bands help the turn... but you have to say nirvana paved the road.

What are bands tapping into today?? arnt teens still angry.....??? not according to the whiny crap i hear. again.. just an opinion

amen

Probably the Only Time you would see Dee Snyder and John Denver in the same room......

ahah yea that made me chuckle

barber from the biscuits blows trey away. he's also trey's favorite guitarist :uhuh:

Yngvey Malmsteen (who cares how you spell it!) and Steve Vai are nothing but alot of noise! They can't hold the jock of some of classic rocks heavy hitters! Best I ever saw was Stevie Ray.....head, shoulders and ankles above any of the rest I have seen! And I seen a few!

Eddie Van Halen.....was great but in his own genre. He could not play with the Claptons and SRV's of the world!

I like that metal list a little bit more, illustrates my point exactly, everybody has different tastes, you could have endless lists really.
How could we forget Nugent? If not for his guitar skills, but for his gut-busting style?
And speaking of gut-busting, what about Kyle Gass from Tenacious D?

Kyle is always forgotten about.

Kyle :rotfl:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0udP-LzDhp8

Yah...I am just old!:doh:

Does Jack Black even understand anything that comes out of his mouth? I don't get his shtick at all!:smash:

I can't believe butt baby is up on you tube! oh my god that is nuts!

serioulsy though, Kyle can play a mean acoustic!

Jimmy Hendrix on the tonight show with Johnny Carson said Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top was his favirote guitarist . That should get you on the top 100 ... Can't believe Carlos Santana isn't on it either.. Soul Sacrifice ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZZ_Top

One persons noise is another persons music. Is it not all noise? SRV is very good but, IMO and it is only my opinion, to compare him to several of the schooled jazz guitarist's such as Joe Pass or a Chet Atkins or Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour style I'd have to say no contest. Just my opinion so relax. Thank god everyone doesn't like the same flavor or it would be a boring world.

True ... I can find music I like in all styles... I can even dig Ludwig van Beethoven ...Especially in a different context like Clockwork Orange . Clockwork Orange soundtrack turned me onto classical . those guys were mad men ..

nope- carlos is on that list- somwhere in the top half.

See what I started :D

Its all Good though....Some good constructive dialog going on here

yep... this is the fastest growing thread ive seen in a long time...
good job RIRH!

IMO 1 SRV
2 ERIC C.
3 LESLIE WEST

Johnny Winter should be WAY higher than #74.Listen to JOHNNY WINTER CAPTURED LIVE and you will be convince and converted.

No Doc Watson ??

Junior Brown
Robert Cray
#^&#^&#^&#^&ie Betts
Toy Caldwell

Kim Mitchell by far is one of the most underrated guitarists ever.He is awesome.

Gary Hoey
Ted Nugent
"Dimebag"Darrell Abbott
Dave Murray

In no particular order.

Those lists are always a crock, can't take them seriously. I'm a huge Nirvana fan but Cobain was no great guitarist. I would rank him slightly higher than Joan Jett :hihi:

I haven't seen someone mentioned that I think is way underrated.

Jeff Healy.

Don't think he's put out anything in years, but c'mon, the guys been blind since he was like 4 years old, plays with the guitar laying flat on his lap and he's better than half the people on those lists. Don't think he's good? Listen to Can You See The Light.