YOUR TOP 5 GUITARISTS OF ALL TIME

[Rocky Raccoon]

By "of all time" I mean any genre and time period, living or dead.
This is your favourite guitarists too, not who can play the best or whatever.
Please base it on all around playing not just speed or something stupid.
cheers guys

Mine would be:-

Dimebag Darrell (Pantera)
The master of modern metal playing, so original and ground-breaking, and so many great riffs, not to mention a master soloist as well!!!
The god of metal guitar!!
Shining moment:- Throes of rejection

Mike (Opeth)
Guitarist/songwriter for my favourite band so of course he's gona be here.
Very versitlile guitarist who again, I think is very original. Plus he is an amazing singer too but thats not the point.
He writes more consistently than anyone in my opinon. No matter what he does you can be guaranteed it will be quality. I love the chords he used too. So errie sounding and atmospheric. His solos are never overdone either and always sound perfect.
Shining moment:- Blackwater Park (song not album)

Michael Romeo (Symphony X)
Fretboard whizz who can play almost anyone under the table technically.
But he is not only a very technically skilled player, he knows how to write amazing stuff, slow or fast and can write monster metal riffs. And his solos will just about blow anyone out of the water.
Shinging moment:- The Divine wings of tradgedy (song not album)

John Lennon (The Beatles/Solo)
Amazing songwriter!! So much good stuff has been written by this guy, its unbelievable. I just love his stye. He's not technical or anything like that but man can he play and man can he write and he has groove to die for.
One of the most natural artist's ever!!
Shinning moment:- A day in the life

Adam Jones (Tool)

One of the best rythym guitarists ever I reckon. He uses the guitar in so many previously unheard of ways. another innovator! The feel of his playing is amazing and the atmosphere he creates is unparralled. One of the most amazing vibrato's I've ever heard too.
Shining moment:- The Grudge

 

[Tubbs]

1. John Petrucci
- He is awesome and talented.
SM: Under A Glass Moon, 10 million other songs.

2. Michael Romeo
- His legato is incredible and he plays neo-classical stuff
SM: Dawn Of A Million Souls (Ayreon, he played the solo on the song)

3. Yngwie Malmsteen
- He is also neo-classical and inspired many people.
SM: Blitzkrieg

4. Joe Satriani
- He is more hard-rock oriented but still plays like someone in metal would.
SM: Big Bad Moon (Okay, not his best but I love this song)

5. Allan Holdsworth
- He is a progressive jazz guitarist who influences many people
SM: I don't know, I can't decide.

Commence the flaming.

 

[Nuk3m]

Mike:
Ive heard him in many different styles, yet he still manages to blow my mind and sound like himself.

Holdsworth
Most inovative soloist ever.

Latimer
His carefull note choice and ability to change the music.

Thordendal
His new age invovations of past influences and fusions are ground breaking.

Loomis
Favorite shredder.

 

[Rocky Raccoon]

1. John Petrucci (Yep, that's right)
2. Michael Romeo
3. Yngwie Malmsteen
4. Joe Satriani
5. Allan Holdsworth

Commence the flaming.

Please give reasonings for each and a shining moment if possible so its more informative for people who may not know the guitarist in question..

Cheers

 

[Ermz]

My PERSONAL favourites are:

1. Mike

He's just plain tasteful. He can write a great solo over almost anything and add his own blues-influenced touch. Sounds very Latimer influenced and has great legato and note choice.

2. Allan Holdsworth

This guy is a machine. His approach to the instrument is more like a saxophonist. He has the best legato playing, bar none and his atonal runs and ability to solo over different keys is just a signature of a great musician.

3. Jeff Loomis

Great metal shred guitar player. Can play fast and can play solid. Not much more to say.

4. Latimer

Very cool note choice. I like his playing simply because it seems to be such a big influence on Mike. All-round just pleasant to listen to... great leads.

5. Jesper (In Flames)

I've always liked his leads and solos. He has an approach to soloing that isn't all about speed, but more about the actual melody. Has written some great solos such as the 'December Flower' one.

 

[TheApostle]

I actually heard that "December Flower" was written by an individual that was not involved with in flames. Maybe I heard wrong.

(No particular order here)
1. Mikael
Obvious pick. I love how he can take a section of heavy metal riffs and insert blues/jazz metal solos over it like its effortless.

2. Gilmour
Huge influence in his solos. Very atmospheric but at the same time it screams for attention.

3. Latimer
Simply amazing, can't explain at all.

4. SRV
His rendition of Little Wing is awesome. Sure its not the original, but hes truley a great blues musician.

5. Eric Clapton
Layla, enough said.

 

[neuroticandroid]

5 just isn't enough, so i'm only gonna say that most of my faves are everyone elses
there, cop-out of the century, woo-hoo

 

[MarcOpeth]

1. Hammett -> Feeling
2. Petrucci -> Shred and technique.
3. Mikael -> awesome riffs and his solos are pretty cool.
4. Schuldiner/Mustaine -> I love their awesome style of complex riffs/solos
5. Friedman -> "Tornado Of Souls" and "Lucretia" are examples.

 

[melvintillius]

In no particular order...

David Gilmour
Not much needs to be said here, I don't think. He has just such a unique sound about him. Such a rich, warm sound and some of the greatest melodies to ever flow off of a guitar. March 7th, bitches!

Devin Townsend
Devy has been an inspiration for me on many levels. His guitar playing is just one small portion of his genius. I am continually amazed at his creativity. With each new release, he invents new ways of doing things. His production skills have really peaked in recent history. The sound on the new Devy record is rediculous. He has found his niche in creating huge sonic barriers of sound. No matter how much stuff is going on (which is usually a lot), everything seems to be so distinguishable. Alien was just absurd. I have been inspired by him since I first heard "Detox" which must have been in like '97 or so. As soon as I bought Ocean Machine, I new he was one of the greats.

Warren Haynes
Guitar player/singer/songwriter for Gov't Mule and member of The Allman Brother's Band for many years now. I know a lot of you may not be into the "jamband" thing, but jam music and metal induce a lot of the same emotions for me. Warren is one of the most incredible improvisational guitar players in the world. His sense of progression is rediculous! Oh, and did I mention that he plays a mean slide?

Adam Jones
What Benighted said earlier pretty much sums it up, I think. He has such an ability to create an atmosphere with his playing. He has developed such an original sound that is, unmistakingly...his. His uses of feedback and scratching are amazing. I cannot wait for the new record.

Kirk Hammett
Ok, I grew up a Met-head, and anyone like me knows what's up. Kirk is just the man. He plays a mean solo, and he's even greater live. As much as I've disliked the past several studio attempts by them, I will still never pass up a live show. They always show up to play, no matter how much of a douchebag Lars is.


Ok, so that little list was pretty tough. I guess my choices would probably change depending on my mood. There are so many great guitar players out there that continue to influence me. I didn't include Mikael or Peter because I think my respect for them is implied seeing as that I'm posting to an Opeth forum.

 

[MetalManCPA]

My top five guitarists are as follows (no real order to them):

Jimmy Page - there was nothing like him in 1970. I was a ten year old when I heard The Immigrant Song. I was sold. He missed notes, but it didn't matter - he's amazing.

Eddie Van Halen - he flat out played. Hard, clean, melodic.

Carlos Santana - I saw them live in their prime. He was absolutely amazing to watch and listen to. Soulful.

Stevie Ray Vaughan - history was stolen from the guitar world when he died. He put emotion into everything he played.

Jimi Hendrix - I name him solely for his impact on all the guitarists that followed him. I truly believe him to be the father of all rock guitaring.

 

[Conservatory Resonance]

There are too many shining moments by these outstanding songwriters and guitarsists, strange how all of them are/were also frontmen.

1. Steve Vai (SM: Tender Surrender)
2. Chuck Shuldiner (SM: Voice of the soul)
3. Andrew Latimer (SM: Ice)
4. Mikael Akerfeltd (SM: Serenity Painted Death)
5. Daniel Gildenlow (SM: King of Loss)

I'm so grateful for having heard these guys

 

[JoeVice]

my fav

omar rodriguez lopez - the mars volta...this guy is all about feeling. he writes some of the coolest riffs ever. he thrives off of pure energy and emotion. there is nothing flashy about his playing. in fact, a lot of his solos are so unorganized and spastic that they hurt my ears. in an interview asking how he writes riffs on the guitar...he said something to the effect of, "sometimes i just put my hands in places that look cool." lol??? wtf? thats great!!! with that, he writes instant classics.

mike - yah...his flow, beauty. there is always a innocent simplicity to his music. even the heaviest of parts are something that one can still cradle. his songwriting skills are imo up there with the best of them. his soloing is so pure...his riffs, okay...you all understand.

latimer - this guy has written some of the sweetest melodies ever. i can see why mike is such a fan. he has some of the smoothest bends....i can recall a specific part on snowgoose where he uses a bend as a volume swell. fucking magical. one of my favorite moments in music...princess of purdue (i think thats what the song is called) the climax of snowgoose...you know. the part where the central theme of the album kicks in with latimer's soul-melting lead.

trey azagthoth - i don't think that any guitar player's style stands appart from the the rest of the croud as trey's does. he makes his guitar sound like a living, breathing, machine. his picking technique, his solos...they are fucking...extraterestrial. he has some of the coolest riffs ever. his guitar playing is very visually stimulating for me...more than any guitar player. he is by far my favorite tr00 death metal guitarist.

billy howerdel - he is an amazing songwriter...i've actually grown to like apc more than tool. he has some very beatiful/haunting/yet simple riffs. his playing is so dynamic. a lot of this comes from his genious ability to work with his rig. his tone is amazing. the way he controls his feedback is sweet. i've seen pics and lists of his rig...and when hearing him live...wow. he does things with his guitar that i have never heard before. he seems to have his amps/effects/guitar set up so perfectly, that he can get perfect and warm sustain at a wide range of volume based on his pick attack. if you listen to mer de nomes...there are times when his amp gets gradually louder as he picks harder, but there is no additional breakup, and its not a production thing. its what he is playing. i could go on...but i'll stop.

 

[Tubbs]

trey azagthoth - i don't think that any guitar player's style stands appart from the the rest of the croud as trey's does. he makes his guitar sound like a living, breathing, machine. his picking technique, his solos...they are fucking...extraterestrial. he has some of the coolest riffs ever. his guitar playing is very visually stimulating for me...more than any guitar player. he is by far my favorite tr00 death metal guitarist.

I can not believe I left this guy out of my list. He really does make some of the most unique sounding riffs I've ever heard...especially on their later cd's. Even with Steve Tucker (Who I still thought was a good growler), Trey still puts out some awesome guitars with every damn song.

Just listen to "Beneath The Hollow" off of Heretic, and you can hear the weird ass things he's doing through each speaker.

Trey

And also, I didn't want to add Mike as that would be kind of unoriginal (Knowing that we all like him since we're posting on this forum.)

 

[JoeVice]

I can not believe I left this guy out of my list. He really does make some of the most unique sounding riffs I've ever heard...especially on their later cd's. Even with Steve Tucker (Who I still thought was a good growler), Trey still puts out some awesome guitars with every damn song.

Just listen to "Beneath The Hollow" off of Heretic, and you can hear the weird ass things he's doing through each speaker.

Trey

And also, I didn't want to add Mike as that would be kind of unoriginal (Knowing that we all like him since we're posting on this forum.)

heretic is a great album. it was victim of the bad reviews. i heard people accusing them of being sellouts because one of their songs (track 2) had borderline nu-metal guitar chugging. jesus christ. some people. there's no way of knowing...but, sometimes you have to wonder if that "type" of person even makes an attempt to step outside their box and appreciate the fucking music for what it is.

 

[Valerie]

1. Jeff Loomis
Not many great shredders can produce mind blowingly melodic, heavy and technical music, Jeff is one of the greatest players and writers of all time.
Shining Moment: This Godless Endeavor

2. Mikael Akerfeldt/Peter Lindgren
Sorry, I had to include both of these guys. They appreciate rythym and melody, whereas most metal guitarists focus on one or the other. As a pair, they've written great music with emotion, groove, and technicality. I know it's mostly Mike that writes now, but that doesn't mean Peter isn't good as well.
Shining Moment: My Arms, Your Hearse(where they introduced their more rythmic style) and Damnation(where they showed their most progressive style)

3. Chet Atkins
A musical genious. Very inventive finger-picker, he's influenced so many people, including my father. Technical and versatile.
Shining Moment: Everything he's done. RIP

4. Jimi Hendrix
Another musical genious. A very influential, versatile and inventive player. He wasn't afraid to use all the effects he could; he even used feedback and made it sound good, which even today not many players do. Not as technical as other players, but his music is just filled with emotion and was very musical.
Shining Moment: Last Rays of the New Rising Sun. RIP

I don't have a fifth.

 

[chef0069]

Frank Zappa- the man on guitar. Improvising and paying respects to the blues.
SM-Black Napkins
John mclaughlin-The guitarists guitarist-can play anything beautifully. Amazing chops, speed, beauty. SM-Dream
Steve Hackett-all about feel, textures, filling space, sonic beauty
SM-Firth of Fifth, Spectral Mornings, It
Steve Vai-just plays like the guitar is an extension of himself, incredible feel. SM-Blue Powder
Carlos Santana-plays with soul and beauty, lots of fire. SM-Europa

 

[Tubbs]

heretic is a great album. it was victim of the bad reviews. i heard people accusing them of being sellouts because one of their songs (track 2) had borderline nu-metal guitar chugging. jesus christ. some people. there's no way of knowing...but, sometimes you have to wonder if that "type" of person even makes an attempt to step outside their box and appreciate the fucking music for what it is.

I was just flabberghasted when I saw that this album sold less than 20,000 copies... luckily this happened to be the random MA album I picked up at a store, not knowing anything about it or what's on it. Wasn't this the album that got them dropped off of their label too? Unbelievable. Seriously though, it's brilliant and I'm glad to be one of the 15,000 or so to have it.

Although the bonus disc was kind of pointless...

But nu-metal?!? I heard nothing of the sort on this album. Whoever categorized them as that should be (for lack of a better term) beaten to death with aluminum bats.

 

[daz436]

Peter Lindgren
Seems to have been looked over so far in this thread... not to take anything away from Mike (who is creative and excellent himself) but I've always liked Peter's soloing and riffing style more than Mike's, just a personal preference.
SM: Blackwater Park / Deliverance

Yngwie Malmsteen
Influencial guitarist who created and defines an entire genre. A guitar monster, this guy isn't as much famed what he was originally (unique composition) but more for his arpeggio-laced lightning speed solos. His mid-career work is often snubbed by metal fans but nevertheless his early works and imo his latest album stays true to what his name stands for.
SM: Black Star / Magic & Mayhem

Jan Akkerman
On the spot creativity and unusual composition puts this dutch guy on my list. He's not metal, but I guess this thread doesnt say they have to be right? His music isn't as well known as his name, but his works with the prog rock band Focus are more than enough to secure his place as one of my favourite guitarists.
SM: Hocus Pocus

Eric Clapton
Some of you may not agree here, but whatever I think he is amazing. His best work is probably solo/derek and the dominoes. Often stupidly overlooked when lists of guitar greats are made, Clapton is a master.. never mucks up and always plays on the ball. His composition skills are not mindblowing but his music is always really enjoyable and the soloing ranges from breaking your heart to shuddering you spine depending on the track!
SM: Layla / Tears in Heaven

Tony Iommi
Iommi really inspired me more than any other guitarist, his riffs have inspired countless metal bands through generations and his on stage presence is just masterful. So he isnt the best technically by any means, but his guitaring means alot to me and the music I enjoy, so here he is.
SM: Children of the Grave

I also wanna mention:

-Alex Lifeson
-Ritchie Blackmore
-Tom Morrello

The first 2 are close to my top 5, Tom Morrello just deserves a mention because he is weird. And weird is good!

 

[daz436]

heretic is a great album. it was victim of the bad reviews. i heard people accusing them of being sellouts because one of their songs (track 2) had borderline nu-metal guitar chugging.

imo if you like the music, thats whats important... not what its classified as. I dont really care what genre music is in.. if I like it then Im happy. so yeah its stupid to see things get ditched on the grounds of sounding 'nu-metally'.

 

[Stimuli]

Steve Vai - hands down the most creative, adventurous, melodic, passionate and powerful guitarist ever...he has it all...no one can say more in one note than Steve Vai. period...

Lotus Feet, For the Love of God, The Animal, Whispering A Prayer

Warren Haynes - absolute best phrasing I've ever heard in my life. #1 Blues/Rock guitar player. Arguably the best jamband/improvisational player ever. What David Gilmour would sound like if he had better chops. I can not describe in words how amazing Gov't Mule is...I'm glad someone else actually mentioned him.

anything and everything he touches is worth checking out.

TREY ANASTASIO - best jamband guitarist ever. once again, another guitarist who just phrases his lines better than basically everyone...the way he brings his music out to the furthest dimensions while never sacrificing the almighty groove. funk, blues, jazz, bebop, country, soul and hard rock... he is a true master of them all...

Birds of A Feather, Punch You In the Eye

Jerry Garcia - the godfather of jambands...hell... one of the pioneers of progressive music in general. Whether acid drenched space odysseys or rootsy folk music, ITS ALL ABOUT THE PHRASING!!!!

anything he played was genius...the man could jam on 3 notes for 50 minutes and still be coming up with the freshest melodic ideas...

Jimi Hendrix - I would feel wrong not putting him on the list. Where would we be without Hendrix??? He IS the Jesus Christ of rock & roll...appeared out of no where, changed EVERYTHING, and disappeared as quickly as he came. Ask EVERY SINGLE amazing guitar player (including the one's on this list) and they will tell you the beginning and end of modern electric guitar can be heard within Jimi Hendrix.

honorable mentions:

David Gilmour
Frank Zappa
Joe Satriani
John Petrucci
Dimebag
Al Di Meola
Frank Marino

and the list just goes on and on...