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Who is the best guitarist that has ever lived?
Who is the best guitarist that has ever lived?
I like this response from Andrew Ryder.
“In all honesty, if you combine inventiveness, taste (which is of course subjective), economy, speed, cleanliness, accuracy of bends, variety of technique, memorability of lead lines, accuracy of timing, best rhythm playing (in terms of strumming speed/accuracy/variety, timing accuracy, variety of chords and chord positions), best dynamics, knowledge of modes, scales, and tunings, ability to get great tone, best phrasing, fastest picking, accuracy of bends and slides, etc. etc. etc. the answer is probably no one on any of these lists.
I could give you some of the “conventional” answers — (the ones cited most often by their peers as being “influential” in their genre):
Andrés Segovia — classical
Django Reinhardt — jazz
Jimi Hendrix — rock
James Burton — country
Albert King — blues…but that doesn’t even begin to address funk, R&B, folk, Klezmer, flamenco, experimental/noise, punk, metal, thrash, hardcore, new wave, etc. etc. etc. (and I don’t necessarily agree with all of them).
…but honestly — I’ve been playing for over 40 years, recording for over 30, and worked in music stores for over 10… and, in that time, I’ve heard literally thousands of guitarists (including most of the famous ones; I used to go concerts a lot) and I’ve only experienced about five or six of them whose playing either physically lifted me off my seat, or brought me to tears, (beyond all others). None of them were “known” and I can’t for the life of me remember any of their names; nor do I think I ever heard from (or of) any of them again. But on that night, at that moment, each was the greatest guitarist that ever lived.”
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29 Replies
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I think the answer is very subjective. A few off the top of my head would be Roy Buchanan, Buck Owens, Frank Zappa, Hendrix, J.Geils, Steve Miller, John “The cat” Gatto, Richie Blackmore, Greg Lake to name a few of MY faves. It will be fun reading everyone’s response!
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My vote is for the guy in Weird Al’s “Eat It” video who plays a frenetic solo in which the guitar starts smoking and eventually explodes, taking him out with it.
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Stevie Ray Vaughan for blues-rock
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I would like to say, aside from M&L&R…. My choices are :Eric Clapton, George Harrison, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Al Connelly, Jeff Healey, Carlos Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eddie Van Halen, Chet Atkins, Mother Maybelle Carter, and some others whose names aren’t coming right off to mind at the moment… ??
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This is something I’ve been always intrigued as to people’s opinions. I think there are as many answers as there are guitarists out there. The problem I see with Jimi is that he died so young and didn’t have much time to develop himself further, however good he was during that handful of years. While with Clapton or George, we could see much further into their abilities to create and expand. I’ve always thought that in all the lists out there, George is constantly underrated as a guitarist for him being a Beatle, which supersedes and eclipses everything else. Side by side, I think George is (was? is?) better than Eric, though marginally. Eric has a bit more of a feel but George can do things that Eric never could and more importantly for me, George is the absolute best at coming up with the best part to fit the song. And that is for me the definition of best guitarist, drummer, bassist, etc. John, though excellent guitarist, had no confidence in his guitar playing abilities, and would shy away from playing with other people, yet when he played with Eric (The Dirty Mac – Yer Blues) he held his own. Some guitarists, like Jimmy Page, I can’t consider because of who they are as a person, no matter how good they are with a guitar.
Two guitarists that are always overlooked are Bonnie Raitt and Melissa Etheridge. While Bonnie Raitt is more acknowledged, Melissa Etheridge is virtually overlooked. I had the luck to work for one of her shows and get a close up view of her playing in rehearsals and doing her show. I think there are very few guitarists, of any sex, that could hold their own next to her.
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Nice one Tomás, but that’s a big call thinking George is a better guitarist than Eric. I don’t think you’re going to get anyone to agree with you on that one except Beatle and George fanatics. I don’t think even George would agree and Paul certainly wouldn’t. George got Eric to play on ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps” so that McCartney and Lennon would take notice so he could get it on the album.
Paul was the best musician in the band and the only reason Paul took on the bass when Stuart Sutcliffe left is because he knew John wouldn’t play bass. So the Beatles ended up with their second best guitarist on lead.
Consider these points also:
Paul played lead on George’s ‘Taxman’ because George wasn’t up to it. He also played lead on many others.
When George temporarily left because he was fed up with Paul telling him how to play the lead, John suggested they get Eric in permanently.
I don’t think George is underrated at all. From what I’ve read, most musicians seem to have him assessed appropriately.
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Not at all Howard. There are plenty of people that agree with me, and Paul is one of them. Sorry to say you’re very mistaken here. George brought Eric in, not because the others didn’t consider him a good guitarist, he brought Eric in because he knew that when there was an outsider in the studio, Paul and John acted more politely, and they had been dismissing his song, which he knew was good. And it did the trick. Paul, John and George Martin apologized to George privately and in public many times since. Eric did come up with one of the most memorable solos in rock music that day (he felt immense pressure), but you can’t say George hasn’t done the same, not only on the White Album, but Let it Be, Something, the list goes on and on with amazing solos or guitar pieces.
Paul is a great guitarist, but he’s not as good as George and he has said so himself. The ‘Taxman’ solo by Paul, came because it was George’s song and he was having trouble coming up with something he liked, a bit of a block, while Paul was listening from the outside for a while, and he’s good at coming up with music parts ? But a handful of instances where he played “instead of” certainly doesn’t overcome the hundreds of times George got on with it magnificently.
As for John wanting to replace George with Eric, it was an off the cuff remark by a hurt John. When George walked out during Let it Be sessions, he remarked “Let’s get Eric, he’s just as good and not such a headache.” Clearly he didn’t want to replace George, since he was promptly asked to return. More so, he didn’t even think Eric was a better guitarist.
As to being underrated, it’s clear that few know that George was a serious slide guitar player, let alone one of the best. He had his “Rocky” guitar modified, by lifting the bridge, to play slide. That alone to me qualifies as underrated. Marwa Blues is a beautiful example.
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We have also forgotten Tommy Emmanuel for acoustic fingerpicking. And Gabriela Quevedo is also cool in this style.
BTW, there is a Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 top of the best guitarists of all the time:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-guitarists-153675/jimi-hendrix-7-37992/
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Interesting assessment from Rolling Stone magazine Ivan. They included a very large panel of well known musicians and guitarists to come up with their top 100. Their top five are: Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards and Jeff Beck.
I like this response from Luke Harrison.
“Rolling Stone put him (George Harrison), in the 11th spot in Greatest Guitarists of All Time. I’m not sure what place he received on Gibson’s list, but I do imagine he’s not over 20.
George Harrison was a great guitarist. And people who can’t see that aren’t real guitarists themselves. Some people think “shredding” makes you a great guitarist, but there’s MORE to that.
Let’s take a look at what George did with the guitar…
Listen to George’s guitar solo in “Till There Was You”. George took a 1950 classical guitar, and turned the whole song upside down with it. Not literally. The solo in that song was constructed so well, all thanks to George. There are many ways of playing this solo. From an F chord on the 2nd fret, all the way down to the 7th chord.
You know George’s famous lead guitar part to “You Can’t Do That”? Take a Listen to it… He literally just came up with it almost instantly. George said it himself, that he just said “I came up with that.” When asked how, he replied “I was just standing there and I thought, I had to do something.”
Listen to George’s chord voicing in the song “And I Love Her”. It’s beautiful.
George was the first guitarist to make a backwards solo. In the song, “I’m Only Sleeping”, George implemented the first backwards guitar solo and it was amazing.
I’ve played guitar for over 10 years, and I’ll never be as good as George. George had a special talent with the guitar. And as a guitarist, I will always pay him great respect for his amazing guitar work.
And sure, some guitarists might think he wasn’t that great compared to Jimmy Page. And I agree, Jimmy Page might’ve been better. But it doesn’t change the fact that George was still a great guitarist, better than most. All in all, you’re not a real guitarist if you don’t see gifted George was with the guitar.
Also, in Rolling Stone’s Greatest Guitarists of All Time, John Lennon holds the 55th spot. Just a fun fact for you.”
It must be noted that Rolling Stone magazine is looking at Rock/Blues guitarists mainly and as my original post indicates, there are many genres to consider.
I respect your passion for everything Beatles and George Harrison, Tomás, but I think you would have to agree that you are in a very small minority of fans if you truly believe George to be the best ever, or even better than Eric Clapton.
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Very interesting and knowledgeable discussion fellows. What makes it fun of course is the fact there is no right answer. As for me I love the answer Howard quoted at the top from Andrew Ryder. As far as I’m concerned, as a player and as a true fan of the instrument for virtually my entire life and across many styles of play, nobody beats Tommy Emanuel. There is simply no distance between what is in his mind and what comes out of his guitar.
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Wow Stephen, how can I forget about Tommy?! He is beyond incredible. And for ukulele fans check out a young man on Youtube named Feng E! This kid is UNBELIEVABLE! He’s also amazing on a guitar as well. Lisa may already know of this young man.
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I can’t help thinking what a wonderful duo session Mona and Lisa could make of this song accompanied by nothing more than a guitar and banjo!
Tommy Emmanuel – Somewhere Over The Rainbow
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That rendition with guitar is nice Howard, but I think that song needs to be done with a Uke.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5JicO2bKec
Maybe a cover one day of Somewhere Over the Rainbow What a Wonderful World on Lisa’s Uke would be out of this world.
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My vote originally would have been for Glen Campbell, but even he conceded that Steve Lukather of Toto is likely the World’s best popular music guitarist. Steve was Ringo’s choice for the Beatle’s 50th anniversary tour and my choice for best guitarist I have heard in popular music.
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Steve Lukather is another grossly underrated guitarist. Tommy Emmanuel is impressive in his finger-picking style, with his own signature. I’ve tried to lift some of his techniques (the more basic ones ?)
As for Rolling Stones magazine’s lists, I’d take them with a pinch -make that a barge- of salt. Keith Richards at #4? hmm, better than BB King, SRV, David Gilmour, Jeff Beck?? No I don’t think so. Great guitarist, inventive, but let’s be real.
Howard, I didn’t say that most people thought like me about George being better than Eric, just that a select few think like I do.
Rolling Stone’s top song of all time? “Like a Rolling Stone.” I think they are poking fun at themselves and “best of” lists. It’s all subjective.
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I agree Tomás, Rolling Stone is a joke anyway. That guitarist list is certainly a joke! Richards over Roy Buchanan? Richards over Mark Knopfler? Is Richards good? Yes he is but better than those 2 guys? No way. At least in my opinion. It’s like the so called “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame”. It should be renamed the “Music Hall of Fame” since so many non rock & roll acts get in and so many rock acts that deserve to get in don’t.
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