[CheshireCat]

Originally Posted by thesteve

because we keep getting more new people whodon't read past the first page, or haven't yet learned that there isn't a best guitarist.

Indeed. That and the fact that these types of questions, along with the best guitar, best band, yadda³, makes up the lion's share of their conversation with their friends.

So, as DirkV above just illustrated, they get on here and the first thing they post on is who/what is the best guitarist/guitar, etc.

BTW, Dirk, welcome to the boards.

Chesh

[camofreak1000]

Originally Posted by thesteve

A few years ago, a guitar magazine ran a "greatest" list. Instead of naming an individual greatest, or a top 10/20/40/100, they divided guitarists into periods and styles. They had one called "the proto-guitarists" or "the progenitors" or something like that and included Merle Travis, Les Paul and Chet Atikins. They had "classical" for guys like Montoya and Segovia...this way, there isn't really a "best" or a "greatest"...all of the big players were put into there style or period and described, but not enumerated.

Ok so whoever reads this, make up a chart of the top ten guitarists, by decade and by style. and then we can all comment on it. so maybe it cant be decided who is the best guitarist of all time, but we can opinionate on who the best was for certain times and genres.

I'd just like to see what people come up with since I dont know to much outside of rock guitarist, which my knowledge is still limeted to a few.

[thesteve]

Originally Posted by camofreak1000

Ok so whoever reads this, make up a chart of the top ten guitarists, by decade and by style. and then we can all comment on it. so maybe it cant be decided who is the best guitarist of all time, but we can opinionate on who the best was for certain times and genres.

I'd just like to see what people come up with since I dont know to much outside of rock guitarist, which my knowledge is still limeted to a few.

see, this still doesn't really do anything. The reality is that guitar music is so diverse that you can't just laundry list them.

[CheshireCat]

Originally Posted by thesteve

see, this still doesn't really do anything. The reality is that guitar music is so diverse that you can't just laundry list them.

Not only that, but such a list can be quite counter-intuitive. For instance, Jimi Hendrix listed as one of his favorite contemporary guitarist a young ace by the name of Billy Gibsons (yes, that Billy Gibsons). One of the greatest innovators and virtuosos of the instrument, known for his surreal amalgamations, listed as one of his favorites a rather straight ahead blues rocker.

For that matter, Robert Smith of The Cure counts as his two biggest influences Neil Young and Jimi Hendrix. That sounds crazy, until you start comparing Smith's work with his influences, and you totally get it! Another add adjunct and/or amalgam to The Cure sound is none other than Led Zeppelin. While Robert didn't specifically reference them, Porl Thompson was a huge fan of Zeppelin, and Boris was particularly fond of Bonzo (as were most drummers of the last few decades).

If you listen to The Cure, you'd never immediately think, "oh, an amalgamation of Jimi, Neil, and Zep", and, yet, those are the big influences in play. I can also tell you that most Cure fans would have bristled at the thought, yet, that was the case.

Not only that, but while Floyd is not mentioned as an influence, one could make the argument and the mantle very clearly passed from Floyd to The Cure around 1982, much the same way the mantle passed from the Dead to Phish in the mid '90's, tho Trey would never admit it, and would likewise probably bristle at the notion. (Of course, no denying, a lot of deadheads went phishing after Jerry left us.)

In the third time's the charm dept., Miles was heavily influenced by Jimi's work when he recorded Filles de Kilimanjaro. No telling what he was influenced by when he recorded Witches Brew (sub the "W" for a "B").

Also, along those lines, what would be the criteria? Who innovated the most? Made the most important contribution to the art of guitar. Who sold the most? The list is endless, diverse, and no doubt self-opposing.

I think what would be interesting would not be "who was/is the best guitarist", but, rather, "who was the most influencial". While that would no doubt be a spralling list as well, it's much more open ended, and can offer a lot of insights into the music world for people looking to expand their knowledge.

Chesh

[gtrdave]

Originally Posted by camofreak1000

Ok so whoever reads this, make up a chart of the top ten guitarists, by decade and by style. and then we can all comment on it. so maybe it cant be decided who is the best guitarist of all time, but we can opinionate on who the best was for certain times and genres.

I'd just like to see what people come up with since I dont know to much outside of rock guitarist, which my knowledge is still limeted to a few.

There are no "best" guitarists...there are your favorites and many times the favorites are simply that because of their popularity and not because of their skill.

Charlie Christian was probably one of the better guitarists ever. He was also one of the first (if not THE first) electric lead guitarists.
He set a standard of guitar playing in the 1930's that many popular players over the decades since since then would only wish to attain.
You can check out some of his clips here:
http://www.charlie-christian.com/

If you want to learn about great guitar players through the decades, why not first go to the original?

[Hopeful]

Originally Posted by camofreak1000

Ok so whoever reads this, make up a chart of the top ten guitarists, by decade and by style. and then we can all comment on it. so maybe it cant be decided who is the best guitarist of all time, but we can opinionate on who the best was for certain times and genres.

I'd just like to see what people come up with since I dont know to much outside of rock guitarist, which my knowledge is still limeted to a few.

So, the question you're really asking is who we enjoy listening to - not necessarily the best. For your sake, I'll repeat one of my favorite guitarist jokes. How many guitarists does it take to play a solo?

Answer: 23!

Why? - one to play it and 22 to tell him how it could be played better.

Really, your tastes in music will change over time - mine have. If you think a certain rock guitarist is good, you might be blown away when you listen to a jazz guitarist or jazz/rock fusion player, or a classical guitarist, or flamenco player, or a country player, studio player, pop player and so forth. For me, it has been my appreciation for music that has introduced me to lot of good players. Keep you ears open, "consume mass quantities" and types of music (even if you don't care for the style) and you'll find out why some of us don't like these threads. The bottom line is, there are a number of great players out there, you just have to look for them. They are not hard to find and it will be a rewarding trip. Hey, even your guitar teacher might be a great player and you just don't hear any recordings of him.

[metropolis4]

Originally Posted by thesteve

because we keep getting more new people whodon't read past the first page, or haven't yet learned that there isn't a best guitarist.

Actually I think it's because they haven't discovered that the greatest guitartist to ever live is Steve Vai

[ieatdirt]

Originally Posted by Hopeful

So, the question you're really asking is who we enjoy listening to - not necessarily the best. For your sake, I'll repeat one of my favorite guitarist jokes. How many guitarists does it take to play a solo?

Answer: 23!

Why? - one to play it and 22 to tell him how it could be played better.

Really, your tastes in music will change over time - mine have. If you think a certain rock guitarist is good, you might be blown away when you listen to a jazz guitarist or jazz/rock fusion player, or a classical guitarist, or flamenco player, or a country player, studio player, pop player and so forth. For me, it has been my appreciation for music that has introduced me to lot of good players. Keep you ears open, "consume mass quantities" and types of music (even if you don't care for the style) and you'll find out why some of us don't like these threads. The bottom line is, there are a number of great players out there, you just have to look for them. They are not hard to find and it will be a rewarding trip. Hey, even your guitar teacher might be a great player and you just don't hear any recordings of him.

I think it's:

Answer: All the guitarists in the world.

Why?: One to play it and all the rest to criticize it.

[everyman]

I watched a worship set last weekend where a 16 year old kid played lead guitar lines constantly and loudly over every single praise song -- exactly the kind of playing that gives us electric guitarists a bad rep in church settings. Although the guitarist was undeniably talented, his playing was inappropriate to the setting and detracted from the efforts of the worship band.

My own thinking, then, as far as considering the "best guitarist" is not so much who is the most skilled, but is along the lines of who is the best at using the guitar to make musical statements? -- who is the best at making musical contributions to the overall group expression?

My nominee for best guitarist: Steve Cropper. He never wasted a note in his life and never failed to make the people he played with sound better.

[camofreak1000]

Originally Posted by Hopeful

So, the question you're really asking is who we enjoy listening to - not necessarily the best. For your sake, I'll repeat one of my favorite guitarist jokes. How many guitarists does it take to play a solo?

Answer: 23!

Why? - one to play it and 22 to tell him how it could be played better.

Really, your tastes in music will change over time - mine have. If you think a certain rock guitarist is good, you might be blown away when you listen to a jazz guitarist or jazz/rock fusion player, or a classical guitarist, or flamenco player, or a country player, studio player, pop player and so forth. For me, it has been my appreciation for music that has introduced me to lot of good players. Keep you ears open, "consume mass quantities" and types of music (even if you don't care for the style) and you'll find out why some of us don't like these threads. The bottom line is, there are a number of great players out there, you just have to look for them. They are not hard to find and it will be a rewarding trip. Hey, even your guitar teacher might be a great player and you just don't hear any recordings of him.

I like that joke, why 23 i dont know but thats a good one i like it. yeah i know music tastes change over time, you can even see that in different bands and how their styles have changed over years, i like a good variety of music, just perhaps its that i dont care for the guitar part in some of it. I like classical piano, but i havent really been able to get myself into like classical guitar. I'll listen to everything and keep and ear out and listen to anything anyone hands me, but i still havent seen or rather heard you could say something that has amazed me more than some guitarist that i have heard and seen. I'll agree that each guitarist is different with their own special style like a Classical guitarist would cream and electrical guitarist in a classical showdown and vice versa. so really the best guitarist, would be the person who can play anything, classical, electric and whatver kind of peice that is put in front of him. yeah i know why you dont like these threads, because there are so many guitarists that are good and what not and that it is a never ending discussionn and stuff, but it just something that will be discussed for ever and ever and really its just all opion anyway there is no way to prove who is the best.

[camofreak1000]

Originally Posted by everyman

I watched a worship set last weekend where a 16 year old kid played lead guitar lines constantly and loudly over every single praise song -- exactly the kind of playing that gives us electric guitarists a bad rep in church settings. Although the guitarist was undeniably talented, his playing was inappropriate to the setting and detracted from the efforts of the worship band.

Agreed.

[omensixaxe]

The human mind likes to think in certain increments. Good, Better, Best, Etc. I think that what is being said here is that this is not applicable in the least. Period.

*Bad Example Alert* Just imagine that maybe certain areas are almost other instruments. This gives another perspective on the differences between certain genres or playing styles. Would you compare a West Coast Jazz saxiphonist to a classical violinist? Likewise, a professional, established, classical guitarist(to go back to your example.) cannot truly be compared to a nu-metal rythym guitarist. It's not possible. This may sound obvious, but this is what some of us attempt to accomplish. Making a listing of the top ten all time guitarists is ludicrous. It's no wonder there are so many sterotypes regarding those who play guitar.

I guess that my point is that the perspective regarding this subject in general is so skewed that it does not become apparent that what's being asked literally cannot be done. This is why these threads keep popping up. This is why such debate spans six pages over several days.

As for Hopeful's joke, the number is truly irrevelant. But I think we understand the point he was making.

EDIT: In looking at it again, this was started mid-February. Forgive.

[metropolis4]

I think some people in here have been spending too much time in the theology forum!
Why are we looking into this so much? lighten up! it's just for fun! I don't think anyone is really claiming that there is a definitive answer, it's just a fun light hearted talk

[thesteve]

Originally Posted by metropolis4

I think some people in here have been spending too much time in the theology forum!
Why are we looking into this so much? lighten up! it's just for fun! I don't think anyone is really claiming that there is a definitive answer, it's just a fun light hearted talk

maybe no one was looking for a definitive answer this time around...but you'd be surprised how far someone will go to defend John Pettrucci or Steve Vai or (oh gosh) Kurt Cobain.

[gtrdave]

Originally Posted by thesteve

maybe no one was looking for a definitive answer this time around...but you'd be surprised how far someone will go to defend John Pettrucci or Steve Vai or (oh gosh) Kurt Cobain.

Yup. And the typical progression of these types of "light hearted" talks and people defending their heroes is a mindset that thinks (and maybe even says) X is the best and Y sucks.

Want proof? Start one of these "best guitarist" threads and have someone insert the names of the guys in Third Day...