Who's the best guitar player of all time to you and why?

Jimmy Raney was great - a true inspiration! And Eric Gales - I saw him when I was 13 yrs old (1991 or so...), that was a real bang on and the reason why I wanted to play electric guitar. Beside that, I have many guitarists which I like but when it comes to the best player ever - I don't share such names.....they may change in my book over the next years maybe? So what? Yeah - so what! :D

@ Jefferski: Great, someone who likes Bebop Deluxe - "that" was a great band!!! :)
 
WAY too many to list, compounded by the fact that as a guitarist, I can deeply appreciate what other guitarists do even when their chosen genre is not what I'm into personally. A great example is the OP's choice - Vito Bratta. What an incredible jewel of a player from an otherwise cheesey pop hairmetal spandex band from the late 80's. Vito was like EVH only with much MUCH better tone, more fluidity and better melody. Just a freakin great rock player. It's too bad he got fed up and quit so long ago.
 
For me the short list runs like this

SRV
common, it SRV!! enough said

Paul Gilbert
and Eric Johnson
I'd say they are (to me) the best all-round, any style and make it believable, players there are.

Jeff Beck
Excellent emotion and no ego

Jerry Reed
Thats right I said JERRY REED! look him up he's quite amazing

and two none guitar honorable mentions:
Bela Fleck
Victor Wooten

:D
 
OH!! I almost forgot...
Brian Setzer!!
I believe he could read a book, work a math problem, carry on a conversation, sing, and STILL play the guitar!!
He's got some kind of wierd ability to separate his mind.
I think this is also why I like Jerry Reed
 
*****ALEX LIFESON*****
He is the Quintessential guitarist. Never boring, or predictable. I think his longivity says alot too.
But I tip my hat to Jeff Beck and even though its not my style of music Randy Rhodes.
 
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Ok most versatile in a full band with vocalist Steve Howe, Most versatile in his lifetime Morse, and probably could play anybodys stuff if he chooses but seems to be mostly fusion on albums Guthrie. Though hey nobody puts a bigger smile on my face than Jerry Reeds instrumentals. Melodic jazz what no Earl Klugh fans?
 
I thought I could name just a few but the more I think about it the more impossible it is. So many players of different styles. B.B. King to Rhoads and Malmsteen and back to Page. Although not widely mentioned as one of the great rock guitarists, I've always found the tone and style of Matthias Jabs one of my favorites. I heard a live recording of Clapton playing Classical Gas that made my jaw drop not long ago. A guitarist that play something even better live, albiet different than the studio recording, is always impressive to me and this is where Lifeson comes in. And round and round we go...
 
Hmm..i don't really have a favorite, there are many guitarists i have thought WOW down the years..but to me it boils down to the music and particularly the solo's (clique..but i love solo's) they come up with..EVH does nothing for me but the wow factor..another guitarist with a 10% of his technique could produce a solo that could bring tears to my eyes and touch me emotionally in a way that "great" guitarists never could..

Then sometimes your in the mood for nothing but showboating...i need Oprah of Dr Phil... :D
 
The guitarists who impress me most are those who can play only a couple of notes and you know straight away who it is. They're not all technical geniuses, but they have what we're all looking for IMHO: their own identity. People like:

Chet Atkins
BB King
Mark Knopfler
Robben Ford
Jeff Beck
Santana
 
For me: Eric Johnson, Tommy Emmanuel, Pat Metheny, EVH, Jimmy Page, Steve Howe, Jimi Hendrix, SRV, Lindsey Buckingham, Alex Lifeson, David Gilmour, Trevor Rabin, Andy Summers. Honorable mentions to Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, Steve Morse, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, there's just too many to list.
 
hyderipper said:
I heard a live recording of Clapton playing Classical Gas that made my jaw drop not long ago.
Click to expand...
Gotta give credit where credit is due. That tune is Mason Williams all the way, not Eric Clapton. I've never seen or heard a recording of Clapton covering that tune, though many still believe he wrote it. The recordings I've heard that claim to be made by Mr. Clapton are usually copies of Mason Williams' 1968 version, or occassionally a live cover by Tommy Emmanuel.

I have fond memories of Classical Gas. I was captivated by it when it was released, and it was the first "serious" tune I learned how to play, way back in '69.
 
Tony Macalpine---I have listened to more of him as a soloist than any other, he is amazing, like and Interesting Ingwie, to an interesting Mclaughlin, to a fun blues player. Overall I have listened to more Petrucci, probably than any other non soloist, but would include Ingwie as well as Michael Romeo (again a more interesting to listen to Ingwie).
 
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Jerry Garcia - melodic emotional noodling....could listen to it for days. Mississippi John Hurt - syncopated picking rhythms.....I listen in awe.
 
Rex said:
Gotta give credit where credit is due. That tune is Mason Williams all the way, not Eric Clapton. I've never seen or heard a recording of Clapton covering that tune, though many still believe he wrote it. The recordings I've heard that claim to be made by Mr. Clapton are usually copies of Mason Williams' 1968 version, or occassionally a live cover by Tommy Emmanuel.

I have fond memories of Classical Gas. I was captivated by it when it was released, and it was the first "serious" tune I learned how to play, way back in '69.
Click to expand...

Yes I know Mason wrote it and his version remains the staple. I guess I assumed it was common knowledge. The Clapton version I referred to is I believe extremely close or exact. My comment was purely about a great solo live performance. I had it somewhere but damned if I can find it now :(
 
Let me know if you find it. I've heard great, highly stylized versions by Tommy Emmanuel, but never a Clapton version.
 
It's pointless speculating on who's the best. It's subjective. All I know is that I appreciate anyone who has devoted their life to playing this crazy instrument in this even crazier industry.

No matter who I've listened to I know that they have been the best, for me, at that time in my life when I needed them. Sometimes I need to drop my jaw on the floor listening to McLaughlin or Di Meola. Sometimes I need to feel the pure joy of just playing through Setzer or Steve Morse. And sometimes I need a real good laugh from a trademark solo of Nigel Tufnel.
They are all just as valid, just as artistic and just as important in their contributions as any other art form.
 
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