Favorite Guitarists of All Time???

[Spacewig]

Forum members: Just curious who your all-time favorite guitarists are? Not necessarily the best, or most technical, just your favorites. Here are my top five, (In no particular order);
1. Randy Rhoads
2. Vinnie Vincent
3. Ronnie LeTekro
4. Yngwie Malmsteen
5. Eddie Van Halen

[Slayer]

Those are good ones. I will consider this and see if I can get it down to a top 10 or even a top 20? The issue is once a guitarist reached a certain level of technique it just becomes personal preference who is the best.

Kev

We should also do a worst guitarist list

[Spacewig]

I was really into Marty Friedman during the 90's. More recently, I was just introduced to Chris Broderick. I didn't know much about him at the time, but his technique & playing were quite impressive.

[Slayer]

I've been listening to Marty Friedman's Inferno recently. Minus the vocals his playing is absolutely amazing

[Spacewig]

cool. I haven't heard Inferno, I'll have to check it out. One of the worst on my list might just be Ace Frehley! lol Don't get me wrong, I like what he did with KISS, but the last two times I saw him his playing was sooo sloppy! Like he wasn't even trying! :\

[Slayer]

You and I share that opinion. As you read the archives here you will find that I have been really hard on Ace. I really like him as a personality but not as a player but I wish that I could. I get annoyed thinking of the millions of dollars that he has pissed off but it was always his own money to lose. I love guitars and I'm not a good guitar player. I was much better when I was younger but for the last 20 years I've worked usually over 60 hours per week building my career to be secure financially. (I'm 49 Now) This doesn't leave much time to practice but you know if it was my career to play guitar I would be a solid player and put in all the effort just as I do in the career that I chose. Ace hasn't put the time and effort in since the mid 1970's and people cringe when I say this but Paul Stanley is likely a better over all guitar player than Ace. The thing is Paul though a solid player realizes that he isn't world class but Ace doesn't LOL. I'm ok with a few tunes on Space Invader but basically everything that he does disappoints me but I still buy it hoping that he will surprise me but he never does. I've said it a million times until the members here ears bleed but that Ace was a better player 1977 and before than he is since. Of course if you have read the Archive's here you likely know that just making the statement that you made was planting the seed to set me off on Ace LOLROTF

We are glad that your here Spacewig and I will contribute to this thread once I have given the subject some thought!

[Genebaby]

Not exactly in order.

1. Randy Rhoads
2. Vinnie Vincent
3. Warren DeMartini
4. Frank Hannon
5. Slash
6. EVH
7. Nuno Bettencourt
8. Gary Richrath
9. Ace Frehley
10. Bruce Kulick

[Slayer]

Ok in no specific order:

Ulrich Roth - one of the first ultra advanced rock players, his style is Hendrix meets Neo Classical
Frank Marino - Hendrix inspired but much more than that. Maybe the first to use tapping and hammer ons
Ed Van Halen - certainly a style bench mark
Marty Friedman
Paul Gilbert
George Lynch
Warren DiMartini
Dave Meniketti - an artist
John Sykes - an artist
Brad Gillis
Jeff Watson
Yngwie Malmsteen - style benchmark
Vincent Cusano - style benchmark
Vivian Campbell
Al Dimeola - style benchmark
Randy Rhoads - style benchmark
Greg Howe
Michael Batio - style benchmark
Rafael Moreira - one the best newer players
Doug Aldrich

[Spacewig]

Yep, definitely some good talented guitarists on both of your lists. Three other guys that I really admired were Jeff Waters/ANNIHILATOR, Mark Reale/RIOT, and Wolf Hoffmann/ACCEPT, (Wolf also has a home & spend time here in Nashville).

[shramiac]

I rotate between Vinnie, Randy and "Megadeth era" Friedman as my favourites, with a touch of Petrucci and vintage Lynch for the lyrical-ness of his playing! And of course vintage Yngwie if I'm in the mood! As I get older, I'm starting to admire EVH more and more!

[Genebaby]

In his day EVH was fantastic, great player, great songs.

[Spacewig]

Honestly, I was never a "Huge" EVH fan while I was growing up. But yeah, I knew VH1 & 1984 which I always loved & thought were pretty awesome. It wasn't until 4-5 years ago that I took the time to go back listen to the entire early catalog. Van Halen II really blew me away! Back in the 70's -early 80's Eddie was a God, & miles ahead of the game! It's given me a new appreciation for EVH as a guitarist. Now how the f**k he screwed things up with Valerie is another story...lol

[Slayer]

Very well said Spacewig!

[shramiac]

Oh that poor, abused Ibanez Destroyer!

[Spacewig]

Oh that poor, abused Ibanez Destroyer!

The only guitar that has been more beat up and abused is Chris Holmes' "Yellow beast". Have you guys seen that?? Wow, what a piece....

[PinkWiz]

Steve Lukather
Harry K. Cody (Shotgun Messiah)
VV
Ace
Richie Stotts (Plasmatics)
Shoyo (EZO)

[doublev2]

Lynch, friedman, vincent, sykes,
But that's just a quick thought.

[heavystef]

1. Randy Rhoads
2. Paul Gilbert
3. EVH
4. Steve Vai
5. Steve Hackett
6. VV
7. Karl Groom (Treshold)
8. Michael Schenker (the only one who ever made me cry... while playing LIGHTS OUT)
9. John McLaughlin
10. Paco De Lucia

[VVWarrior82]

Off the top of my head:
Vinnie Vincent, Chris Poland, James Murphy, Ulrich Roth, Jake E. Lee, Eddie Clarke, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser, Denis "Piggy" D'Amour

[VVWarrior82]

Oh yeah and Adrian Smith of course. Can't forget him.

[doublev2]

Jason Becker but just not enough out there.

As for other non metal I like Barney Kessell and Charlie Christian as well. Grant Green and Laurindo Almeida as well.

I really like Robben Ford too and like I said Vinnie Moore blew me away live but maybe not as much in the studio

[doublev2]

of course Hendrix and Harrison as well. Both had an edge you don't find anymore. I guess they were intellectual players.

[PelagicJoe]

Jeez, this is a tough one. In no particular order....

Yngwie Malmsteen
Andy LaRocque
George Lynch
Glenn Tipton/KK Downing
Paul Gilbert
Wolf Hoffman
Dave Murray
Randy Rhoads
Jake E. Lee
Michael Angelo Batio
Alexi Laiho
Chuck Schuldiner

Just to name a few

[poserboy71]

Not to say that I even come close, but the guitarists that I fantasize of sounding like and /or looking like when I play are:Vinnie Vincent, George Lynch, EVH, Joe Perry, Rick Nielsen, Jake E. Lee, Brian Setzer,Yngwie,and... ...ME !