Who's Your Favorite Guitar Player?

[DethMetal]

We've seen many great guitar player on rock, metal, and blues over the years. We've been treated to greats like David Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Hendrix, Dimebag, and many others that I really don't care to list. So, out of all of the guitarists you've heard, who is your favorite to grind that axe?

I know that my answer is lame, but I don't think I can pick one. I've run across too many great guitar players to pick who my favorite is out of the bunch. I can give you some of my favorites though:

Brendon Small- He is the creator of Dethklok, Metalocalypse, Home Movies, and now Galaktikon. If you're a fan of hard rock or metal, check him out. Brilliant guitarist, great composer, and one of the main reasons he's one of my favorites is because he can shred with the best of them, but he looks like a regular guy.

James Hetfield: "Damage Inc.", "Fight Fire w/ Fire", this guy can shred like a monster. He's a riff-playing machine. It's insane how fast he can pick a guitar.

Jimmy Page: What Page did with a guitar is very special if you listen to the guitar track alone. It's not like these punks today who need to lay down four rhythm guitar tracks because they can't play rhythm. You can just listen to the guitar for "Stairway to Heaven" alone, or "Heartbreaker" or "Black Dog" and tell that he was nailing it when Led went into the studio.

Joe Bonamassa: I'm not even a huge blues guy; I'm pretty much a heavy metal type of fellow. But as far as guitar playing goes, this guys rocks. Listen to "Sloe Gin" or "So Many Roads" and tell me that he is nothing short of a fantastic guitar player. He implements a little bit of everything from blues, jazz, and rock into his music.

Just so we're clear, this isn't exactly who you think is the best guitar player ever; just who you like the most.

 

[akrassikauda]

Dimebag. Killers,Hollow,Dom/Hollow live then at at the end changes it to Demons. Dimebag was one of a kind. The opening riff to Walk its like you know it's go time he puts you in that moment with Phil's lyrics if you're heading into a fight this is the track. Hollow how he gradually goes from soft to heavy in an instant is really good.

 

[This Is My Name Thank You]

One of my all time favorites and may he R.I.P is Diamond Darrel (aka Dimebag). His shredding and guitar skills are amazing. Whilst he may not be my all time favorite guitar soloist, he is still one of my all time favorites. The way he can shred and make are rift sound so heavy and crushing was superb. From his days with Pantera to his final days in Damageplan, his rifts and shredding was awesome. His style of play has influenced many bands out there in the Metal world today. He is a true legend and is missed everyday.

Eric Clapton, he has to be one that should/has to be mentioned. This guy can play a guitar. His solos, songs, and voice fit so well together. The way they mesh makes all his music sound beautiful and amazing. The blues style of play that he does is untouched in my eyes. His sound puts me into a nice relaxed mood and is someone who is truly a great guitar player.

I am also a huge fan of Mark Morton and William Adler (sp), these guys work really, really well together -- the music tells a story of as it has been written by one man and played by two at the same time. The ingenuity the both have with the rifts to there timing is amazing. They mesh really well together. The solos fit so well into the songs that it would be hard to picture a solo sounding different with the song. These guys work just as well as Kirk and James from Metallica. An those two are amazing song writers as well.

There are a lot more guitar players I really enjoy, for honorable mentions: Jerry Cantrell -- Slash -- Matt Heafy, Cory Beaulieu -- Hendrix.

 

[Death Before Disco]

I'd go with Jimmy Page as well. He just has so many epic solos. As overplayed as it is, the Stairway solo is still incredible every time I hear it. The opening to "Over The Hills And Far Away" is probably my favorite Rock opening. Also, check out "White Summer, Black Mountainside" and you'll be blown away.

 

[Chess]

Although not an individual I do love:

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Also have to say I loved Slash back in his heyday with GnR. I am not a massive metal fan so I do not have a vast knowledge

 

[Alex]

Definitely going with Jerry Cantrell from Alice In Chains.

While not a name most people would initially think of, he is a brilliant guitar player, creating brilliant riffs and great solos. Heck Dimebag Darrell said Cantrell's work on Alice In Chains' Dirt influenced him as a player.

Heck some people compare him to Tony Iommi (himself a brilliant player) because of the ability to create those brilliant riffs.

I was reading a description of Jerry Cantrell on a band t-shirt site and it said 'Just listen to We Die Young, arguably the greatest riff Tony Iommi never wrote'

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[Uncle Phatso]

A lot of people stole my choice, well posted before me. Mine is Dime, but I will pick a second guitarist. Tosin Abasi, he plays in an instrumental progressive metal band called Animals as leaders. He shreds, I wish I could tell you half of the shit he does. But tbh, I have no clue. But for my money, today he is one of the most technical guitar players.

It's not that he plays an eight string guitar. It's just how he bends the reality of what I thought was great guitar playing. He's leaps and bounds ahead of most in just straight guitar playing.

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[HailTheGillberg]

Good question!

It's hard to pick a favorite, as I admire quite a few guitarists for their proficient and often unique work. I'll list a few of them, though...

Vito Bratta: As the guitar player for my favorite Pop Metal band of all time (White Lion), Vito had a certain emotional quality in his guitar playing that was hard to find in many guitarists within the genre. It is not incorrect to say he adapted Eddie Van Halen's playing style to his own. However, his ability to 'make the guitar cry' is something I thought he did better than Eddie.

Mark Knopfler: I am a huge fan of 'bluesy style' solos, and Mark Knopfler was a master (still is) at nailing these. He knows just the right note to accent at just the right time, never needlessly shredding or blistering notes for the hell of it. His sound is truly unique!

David Gilmour: The OP mentioned David Gilmour; a choice that I wholeheartedly agree with. While he could shred, that isn't the style that made him famous. A master of the minor pentatonic scale, some of his solos (such as the one featured on Comfortably Numb) are simply breathtaking. It's technical proficiency at its finest! Not to mention the fact that the extended guitar solo at the end of "High Hopes" never fails to send shivers down my spine.

There's my two cents, anyhow.

 

[AndThat'sTheBottomLine]

Very good question.

Eddie VanHalen-Surprised nobody has said this yet. His work is some of the best ever. I remember listening to Eruption for the first time ever thinking, "How the fuck does he do that?"

Jimmy Hendrix-Another who died way to young but did things with a guitar nobody has ever done.

 

[JWGunslinger]

Gotta say Ted Nugent, he doesn't get the respect he deserves as a guitarist because of his outspoken personality and political views. If you look at him without letting politics come into play you know that Uncle Ted is one of the best men to ever pick up a guitar. When it comes to playing he's a perfectionist, he throws out licks like he breathes, it just comes natural and if you see him play live your mind will be blown when you see him hit a solo. This is a guy who makes up a new solo every few shows just for fun, he'll throw down one on the spot at a show and you'd think he'd been playing it that way for years. He's written some of the best songs(guitar wise) ever and is one of my guitar heros along with Zak Wylde, Dimebag, Eric Johnson and Eddie Van Halen.

In case some of you don't know much of Ted's stuff here's some golden material
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Also check out the blues he rocks on the second half of this one
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[The 1-2-3 Killam]

My favorite current guitarist is John Mayer. I know he's a tool, and his studio music is shit, but he truly is one of the all-time great guitarists. And you have to expect that from a guy whose greatest influence is Eric Clapton; a man he's been able to spend a great deal of time with. If you haven't seen the LA "Where the Light Is" show...man, you're missing out on some of the llive performance ever.

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As for who's the best ever? Or more importantly...who's my favorite guitarist ever? Mayer is up there. Eric Clapton edges him out. I think Henrdix is widely considered the best; I disagree, but I won't take anything away from him. Jimmy Page undoubtedly carried one of the greatest rock bands in history, with uh...you know, Robert Plant helped. Brian May didnt' get a ton of exposure in a lot of the songs, but when the guitar finally did come in, it was always memorable.

In the end it's going to come down to two, that I absolutely cannot decide between. It's either Steve Vai, or John Petrucci. You decide, because I've been trying to for years...

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