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Guitar Players - Who's the best? 19 members have voted

  1. 1. Who's the best?

    • Mark Knopfler
    • Jerry Garcia
      0
    • Dave Matthews
      0
    • Eric Clapton
    • Other

Please sign in or register to vote in this poll.

Featured Replies

The best? Unpossible...my favorites change but my favorites gravitate to Audley, Grissom, SRV...to name a few. 

I’m kind of afraid to ask, but I’m going to anyway: what were the poll options in the OP? Can’t see them on tapa.

No love for Nigel Tufnel?  This list doesn’t go anywhere close to 11.

14 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

John Mayer is the best Dead associated guitarist 

Run Away Nuclear Bomb GIF by Identity

Man you just want to watch the world burn

7 hours ago, tbone_ said:

I’m kind of afraid to ask, but I’m going to anyway: what were the poll options in the OP? Can’t see them on tapa.

    • Mark Knopfler
    • Jerry Garcia
    • Dave Matthews
    • Eric Clapton
    • Other

 

Wow. Ok.

Edit: There has to be some angle to this post. Elvis had always seemed like a mostly sane actually grown up human, especially when he’s posting pics of his woman. Was this the top 4 in some new Rolling Stone poll or something?

When I'm considering who the best guitar players are, Dave Matthews always comes to mind.  Him and Monte Montgomery.

I sense sarcasm
Wow. Ok.

Yeah it’s a list of who isn’t.

Just terrible.

We all know there is no “best” guitarist, and most of the metrics one could come up with would be very subjective.

If I got to sit and watch any guitarist in his prime for a full set who would it be?

SRV

So I’ll throw this out there -

1. if you could pick any guitarist right now to sit front row and watch a full set who would it be?

2. If you could pick any drummer to play a full set with you (for you guitarists) who would it be?
6 minutes ago, Handcruser said:

So I’ll throw this out there -

1. if you could pick any guitarist right now to sit front row and watch a full set who would it be?

Agreed, SRV.

Quote

2. If you could pick any drummer to play a full set with you (for you guitarists) who would it be?

Jimmy Chamberlin, and I'm nowhere good enough to share that stage.

good questions. 

1.  Is this in the guy's prime?  Or now (so no dead people)?  I think either way I'd probably still say Jimmy Page.  

2.  I can play the guitar, but I wouldn't call myself a guitarist.  Now, if I'm building a band around the guitarist and drummer, I'd say Ginger Baker, John Bonham, or Patrick Carney.  If you're talking like "accompanying drummer" like "accompaniment piano", from all inside baseball reports---you want  Bill Bruford, Jim Keltner, or Hal Blaine (hon. mention to Bill Kruetzmann).  

Going back to John Mayer as best Dead-Adjacent guitarist?  You're not that far off.  The couple times I saw him with Dead & Co. live, I was blown away, and have watched hundreds of hours of sets over the last 8 years and was really impressed.  Hard to say if he could have written/improvised that same stuff without the multi-decade blueprint laid out before him.  I don't know if he has the originality bones to match Garcia/Weir, but the execution was certainly there.  Bob is an underrated guitarist, but he's not in Mayer's orbit.  Garcia #1.  Then at #2-Trey Anastasio (Fare Thee Well).  I'd say #3 comes from the pool of Warren Haynes, John Mayer, and Jimmy Herring.  (with the other 2, in no order being #4 & #5).  Then Bob Weir.  And then any of the dozen or so guys who've sat in/toured with Other Ones, Furthur, Phil Lesh Band, Ratdog, Wolf Bros., the Dead, Planet Drum/Rhythm Devils, et. al.    

Yea Stevie Ray because I never saw him live. Most everyone else I have.

I’d like to jam with Vinnie Paul.

In pretty SRV wouldn't be a great show right now since he died 30 years ago.

 

I'd honestly have a hard time with this question as I'm a much bigger fan of songs than guitar playing. I've seen Slash, Jimmy Page multiple times. Saw Dime a bunch when he was alive. Would probably be someone esoteric like Richard Bennett or Vernon Reid.

 

As far as drummers, Glenn Graham, full stop. Steve Gorman honorable mention

How are we going to see them right now? Are they frozen at the moment they died, do they get to be their 20 year old selves? Do the guys still alive have to be their current selves.or can they be 20 years old?

 

How would that possibly work?

On 7/5/2023 at 8:55 AM, jimmyjazz said:

So, Steve Lukather?

Was gonna say...

Now, if dead guys AREN'T allowed, then while I'd like to say Jimmy Page or Brian May, neither of whom I've ever seen, I'd say I'd love to sit front row and watch:

Andy Summers

I mean if we can have dead guys, Jimi Hendrix and nobody else is close

Also: How the everliving fuck did Edward Van Halen not even warrant a single mention on page 1?

Definitely troll bait thread.

I'm here for it. And I'm here to tell you ALL OF YOU ARE WRONG AND SHOULD FEEL BAD

Just now, Celery Man said:

Personally I would see Jesus play

Not play baseball though. I heard he couldn't hit a curveball

3 minutes ago, Handcruser said:

Anyone dead or alive. In their prime.

Well then Hendrix and anyone who disagrees is wrong

3 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

Also: How the everliving fuck did Edward Van Halen not even warrant a single mention on page 1?

Ahem.

Quote

The best part of it is it's not even limited to "players who are still alive".  Forget the fact that Jerry Garcia doesn't belong, he's dead, just like Jimi and Eddie and Duane and Stevie Ray and and and . . .

 

Just now, G650 said:

Not play baseball though. I heard he couldn't hit a curveball

not usually a strong component of a closing pitcher's game

Just now, Celery Man said:

not usually a strong component of a closing pitcher's game

I would hire him to design my house though, because he was an architect, previous to his career as a prophet

but for real alive or dead guitarist front row whole set, Robert Johnson. Not even making the case that he's the all time greatest (seems like an easy case could be made for most influential), but it would be the most illuminating. If I have sole rights to record the thing it would also be immensely profitable.

7 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

but for real alive or dead guitarist front row whole set, Robert Johnson. Not even making the case that he's the all time greatest (seems like an easy case could be made for most influential), but it would be the most illuminating. If I have sole rights to record the thing it would also be immensely profitable.

Funny you should mention that, friend.  I happen to know the man who has the sole rights to the music of Mista' Johnson.  You may know him.  Real ear for talent.  

3 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Ahem.

 

i never pay attention to your posts anyway, you should know that by now

Personally I would see Jesus play

Jesus is a bowler
12 hours ago, YGIFS said:

 #2-Trey Anastasio (Fare Thee Well).  I'd say #3 comes from the pool of Warren Haynes, John Mayer, and Jimmy Herring

My deadhead friend dragged me to a Dead show with Herring on guitar and Joan Osborne on vocals. Not my type of music but Herring was outstanding. I've only ever seen Trey on youtube and to my ears he's nowhere near Herring.

Maybe Trey is better for that type of music which as I said is not my thing.

Lindsey Buckingham has to be up there for originality of play style and technical prowess. 

17 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

The best Fleetwood Mac associated guitarist is Mike Campbell.

Do you even Peter Green bro

Honestly “Mike Campbell is the best Fleetwood associated guitarist” may be the perfect framing for the conversation on “what is a best guitarist”. Admittedly I could dive deeper into Peter Green era Fleetwood but Mike Campbell is an all time great across the board if you eliminate stuff that nobody cares about.

Edited by Celery Man

I'll submit Jack White to the "guys still alive" list. 

11 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

Honestly “Mike Campbell is the best Fleetwood associated guitarist” may be the perfect framing for the conversation on “what is a best guitarist”. Admittedly I could dive deeper into Peter Green era Fleetwood but Mike Campbell is an all time great across the board if you eliminate stuff that nobody cares about.

Definitely.  I will say Peter Green though is an icon, that's not some obscura. Danny Kirwan would be the one for that era who you would debate vis a vis Campbell and relevancy, criteria etc...

I grew up when Page, Clapton, Richards and Gilmore were in their prime, so they're always high on my list. But Hendrix, in my view, stands alone. 

Gotta give some love to Chuck Berry.

18 minutes ago, Woodrow Call said:

Gotta give some love to Chuck Berry.

That's the one that really was just hanging right there in the back of my mind.

1 hour ago, Cheeseweasel said:

Bob Welch gets pushed aside again...

I saw him solo (with band) in 1978.  "Ebony Eyes" LOL.

37 minutes ago, Woodrow Call said:

Gotta give some love to Chuck Berry.

And his cousin Marvin for the tip.

I mean when he is competing with the Fleetwood Mac guitar lineup... Sorry bout your luck Bob.

May be an unpopular opinion, but Nuno Bettencourt is my jam. Technically impressive, and his tone is out of this world (essentially a Pro-Rat pedal into a 5150-like amp.

21 minutes ago, Superhero said:

May be an unpopular opinion, but Nuno Bettencourt is my jam. Technically impressive, and his tone is out of this world (essentially a Pro-Rat pedal into a 5150-like amp.

Hole Hearted just came on the radio so this is timely

How does the 5150 differ from the Marshalls Eddie used early on?

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