Best guitarist today?

[Albatros]

Jimi Hendrix has(had) the best combination of being the coolest, revealing, powerful soulful, original, revolutionary guitarist! he was the big bang in guitar world and in music. imo.
Malmsteem sucks, what’s the point of saying something fast if it is shit?

 

[Talking Meat]

did your sarcasm meter break?

Well OK, you were being serious but most of the time (see: Albatros post right above) people seriously try to say Malmsteen sucks. Shred is is about one step below dogfighting on the popularity scale these days.

 

[HoursOfDebt]

i know i dont get why "shred" has such a negative connotation. Its not like its easy to play that fast.

 

[Tubbs]

There are some great guitarists around. I'd say for expression and originality... Allan Holdsworth. Nobody else sounds like him. Fredrik Thordendal tries, but fails.

Fredrik Thordendal may fail at emulating Holdsworth, but he's still one of my favorite guitarists.

 

[rayden_ad]

Paul Gilbert is a great songwriter and shreder.. Jari from wintersun as well.

 

[urinebath]

Tommy Emmanuel

YES!!!!!!! I just found out about this dude, Tommy Emmanuel. Do a search on YouTube.com, of course. Jesus H MAN!!!! Humor, wit, fantastic playing and improvisation. I think I would like to lock up all my gear and never play again.

(yeah...right...)

 

[urinebath]

Malmsteen can eat a frozen turd for all I care. C'mon... 2007 still wearing frilly girly crap and leather pants....

But seriously. Talent and Personality go hand in hand in my book. If someone is that "best" guitar player in the world thing, he'd(she) better not be a douche-nozzle.

Here are my top picks:
Paul Gilbert (for dead nuts accuracy and speed)
Al DiMeola (for fucked up timing and left hand picking style)
Jeff Loomis (for making me buy a 7String, and riffage)
John5 (for variety of styles all packed into one freak)
Jason Green (Favorite jazz/blues from NYC)
Steve Vai (for...well... no need to explain.)
Tommy Emmanuel (for acoustic guitar style and not afraid to use it as a drum)

 

[HoursOfDebt]

Malmsteen can eat a frozen turd for all I care. C'mon... 2007 still wearing frilly girly crap and leather pants....

But seriously. Talent and Personality go hand in hand in my book. If someone is that "best" guitar player in the world thing, he'd(she) better not be a douche-nozzle.

Here are my top picks:
Paul Gilbert (for dead nuts accuracy and speed)
Al DiMeola (for fucked up timing and left hand picking style)
Jeff Loomis (for making me buy a 7String, and riffage)
John5 (for variety of styles all packed into one freak)
Jason Green (Favorite jazz/blues from NYC)
Steve Vai (for...well... no need to explain.)
Tommy Emmanuel (for acoustic guitar style and not afraid to use it as a drum)

thats a very good list. i have to check out tommy emmanuel, i have never heard him before.

 

[opeth_353]

Tuff question, like asking me who I'd rather have sex with, Catherine Zeta-Jones or Halle Berry

My girlfriend looks like an Asian catherine-zita jones

Erm.. My favourite guitarists are Neige, Akerfeldt and.. All the acoustic guitarists who tap likes bitches but not in the cheesy solo way. Who play both rhythm and lead melodys.. Andreas Kapsalis etc.. Can't really remember names >< ooh.. Al di meola too of course.

Best guitarist, skill wise.. Paul Gilbert is just undeniably stunning... And i genuinely can't think of any other guitarists who are genuinely better than him.

 

[Metalstrm]

At last someone mentioned David Gilmour. I think he's definitely the best as regards emotional playing. Not the most technical for sure, in which case I'd take some Malmsteen or Vai or Muhammed or whatever. There will always be a new guy who can go faster and tighter than the previous guy.

 

[x_OPETH_x]

There are some great guitarists around. I'd say for expression and originality... Allan Holdsworth. Nobody else sounds like him. Fredrik Thordendal tries, but fails.

My fave is still Mike (our very own, from Opeth). He has had the most profound impact on my own playing.

Speaking of Holdsworth, have you ever heard Bill Connors?

he started off with the fusion group "Return to Forever", and moved on to do his own solo work...his album "Assembler" sounds EXACTLY like a holdsworth record...check him out, i think he has some songs on Pandora if you ever visit that site.

 

[Alteredmindeath]

Jimi Hendrix has(had) the best combination of being the coolest, revealing, powerful soulful, original, revolutionary guitarist! he was the big bang in guitar world and in music. imo.
Malmsteem sucks, what’s the point of saying something fast if it is shit?

+1 Hendrix indeed was a master guitar wizard, he had no acces to alot of distortion back in his day so his playing was pure. I have much respect for the olden guitarists, the ones that didn't hide behind walls of distortion even tho I enjoy lots distortion. For the 60's though his stuff was heavy, some of his improvising was not human, not human at all.... mindblowing at times.

 

[opeth fan]

some of his improvising was not human, not human at all.... mindblowing at times.[/QUOTE]Hendrix gave so much. too bad his manager was such a bastard full of only GREED

 

[opeth fan]

oops, sorry Alteredmindeath not to quote you properly, I'm a computer noob

 

[Alteredmindeath]

heres a little bit of Jimi back in 69.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nbhZEi2uNg&mode=related&search=

 

[Phoenix5]

MJR.

 

[Rocky Raccoon]

LOL at your playlist^^ Why would you play Novembers Doom so many more times than those other bands which are all brilliant!

 

[x_OPETH_x]

LOL at your playlist^^ Why would you play Novembers Doom so many more times than those other bands which are all brilliant!

because he lives in Nebraska!



...lol...i actually grew up in Lyons...north of Fremont...northeast, eh?

 

[BRI]

his music bores me to death though.

How so? I could listen to him all day, every day, until the day I die. His playing is just so sublime, and his writing is perfect. He rarely plays fast (which I presume others will find a shame since he can go about as fast as is possible on an acoustic) - his brilliance is in his writing of beautiful music, and his improvisation in live shows. Not only is he the best guitarist I've ever seen, he's also a brilliant showman who can put a smile on anybody's face.

I'd also like to mention John Butler, one of the finest musicians to play a 12 string guitar. His music is so funky

 

[Koi]

The best? Perhaps you mean the most creative? In that case i would honestly say Mikael Åkerfeldt