What are your top 10 favorite guitarists?

[Gianthogweed]

Here's the top 10 guitarists that influenced me most:

1. Trey Anastasio - Just love his style. No one else sounds like him. Listening to his solos just fills me with extreme guitar bliss.
2. Steve Hackett - Definitely the most versatile guitarist I've ever heard. Innovator of finger tapping. And don't judge him only by the stuff he did in Genesis. His solo albums show his true skill and versatility.
3. Steve Howe - Almost tied with Hackett because he is almost as versatile. And I do think he composes better guitar solos than Hackett. He also has a very original and distinctive sound, like Anastasio.
4. Jan Akkerman - This guy's playing is just sick. He really shreds **** up. Listen to any live version of Focus's Hocus Pocus on Youtube. It's never the same, but always awesome.
5. David Gilmour - Kind of the opposite of Jan. His playing is slower and simpler, but with more feeling than I've heard in any other guitarist.
6. Jimi Hendrix - Wasn't sure whether to include him, as his guitar playing technique never really impressed me as much as his showmanship with the guitar. Pete Townshend also deserves a mention for this, but didn't feel it necessary to include him on the list.
7. Duane Allman - Included him mainly for his slide guitar skill, but also for the way he and Dickey Betts harmonized their solos. In fact, I would have included Betts as well simply for Jessica and Ramblin' Man, but felt it would have been redundant.
8. Frank Zappa - Again, like Hendrix, this is more for showmanship than technique, but I really dig his playing on Apostrophe. I almost didn't add him until I realised how much I tried to play like him sometimes.
9. Robert Fripp - I never used to like his style, but couldn't deny his talent. But as I improved my guitar playing, I found myself drawing more influence from him than I thought, more in his approach towards guitar playing rather than his actual technique.
10. Maury Muelheisen - I had to include this underrated classical guitarist who helped make Jim Croce's folk rock songs sound so good. Many of the first songs I learned on acoustic guitar were Croce songs, and it was hearing his guitar parts that made me want to learn it.

[R33DH4M]

1)Jimmy Page
2)Jimi Hendrix
3)Al Di Meola
4)Darrell Lance Abbott AKA "Dimebag" Darrell
5)Eddie Van Halen
6)Jerry Garcia
7)John Frusciante
8)Dave Murray
9)Mark Knopfler
10)Elliott Randall

[Crossfire889]

1)Luke Hoskin- Protest The Hero
2)Tim Millar- Protest The Hero
3) AJ Minnette - The Human Abstract
4) Dean Herrera - The Human Abstract (Thats him playing piano in that vid)
5) Ernie Flores - As Blood Runs Black
6) JB Brubaker - August Burns Red
... The rest are too hard to rank....
...oh ya Bree (ne one that listens to metal knows what that means)

[ancientwolf133]

In no order and not limited by genre.

Jimmy Hendrix
Eric Clapton
Carlos Santana
Jeff Beck
Joe Satriani
Adrian Legg
Eddie Van Halen
Steve Vai
Peter Frampton
B.B. King

[polishdog90]

I labeled my list with the 3 main catagories why I like the guitarists:

Technicallity- How the difficult the music that the guitarist plays is.

Writing- How well the Guitarist Writes.

Performing- How well the guitarist performs live.

1. Jimi Hendrix (Technicallity, Writing, and Performing)
2. Jimmy Page (Technicallity, Writing, and Performing)
3. Tony Iommi (Technicallity, and Writing)
4. David Gilmour (Writing)
5. Eric Clapton (Technicallity, and Writing)
6. Randy Rhoads (Technicallity, and Writing)
7. Buckethead (Technicallity, and Writing)
8. Stevie Ray Vaughn (Technicallity and Writing)
9. Angus Young (Writing and Performing)
10. Pete Townshend (Writing and Performing)

[foolosophy]

1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Frank Zappa
3. B.B. King
4. Jimmy Page (Since I've Been Loving You is too damn good)
----
Rest

It can alternate depending on my mood really.

[Wrathchild998]

My Favorite
1)Jimmy Page-Led Zeppelin
2)Jimi Hendrix
3)Eddie Van Halen-Van Halen
4)Angus Young-AC/DC
5)Randy Rhoads-Ozzy Osbourne/Quiet Riot
6)Stevie Ray Vaughn
7)Tom Morello-Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave
8)Tony Iommi-Black Sabbath
9)Johnny Ramone-The Ramones
10)Keith Richards-The Rolling Stones

[corsair]

Top 10 - no particular order:
Eddie Van Halen
George Lynch
Neal Schon
Tony Palacios
Randy Rhoads
Joe Satriani
Steve Vai
Oz Fox
Dick Dale
Steve Stevens

[TheBEAST205]

Here's the top 10 guitarists that influenced me most:

1. Trey Anastasio - Just love his style. No one else sounds like him. Listening to his solos just fills me with extreme guitar bliss.
2. Steve Hackett - Definitely the most versatile guitarist I've ever heard. Innovator of finger tapping. And don't judge him only by the stuff he did in Genesis. His solo albums show his true skill and versatility.
3. Steve Howe - Almost tied with Hackett because he is almost as versatile. And I do think he composes better guitar solos than Hackett. He also has a very original and distinctive sound, like Anastasio.
4. Jan Akkerman - This guy's playing is just sick. He really shreds **** up. Listen to any live version of Focus's Hocus Pocus on Youtube. It's never the same, but always awesome.
5. David Gilmour - Kind of the opposite of Jan. His playing is slower and simpler, but with more feeling than I've heard in any other guitarist.
6. Jimi Hendrix - Wasn't sure whether to include him, as his guitar playing technique never really impressed me as much as his showmanship with the guitar. Pete Townshend also deserves a mention for this, but didn't feel it necessary to include him on the list.
7. Duane Allman - Included him mainly for his slide guitar skill, but also for the way he and Dickey Betts harmonized their solos. In fact, I would have included Betts as well simply for Jessica and Ramblin' Man, but felt it would have been redundant.
8. Frank Zappa - Again, like Hendrix, this is more for showmanship than technique, but I really dig his playing on Apostrophe. I almost didn't add him until I realised how much I tried to play like him sometimes.
9. Robert Fripp - I never used to like his style, but couldn't deny his talent. But as I improved my guitar playing, I found myself drawing more influence from him than I thought, more in his approach towards guitar playing rather than his actual technique.
10. Maury Muelheisen - I had to include this underrated classical guitarist who helped make Jim Croce's folk rock songs sound so good. Many of the first songs I learned on acoustic guitar were Croce songs, and it was hearing his guitar parts that made me want to learn it.

Wow, I almost completely agree with your list. It's rare to see people that appreciate Steve Howe, Robbert Fripp, and Frank Zappa these days, well done.

While Zappa is quite a good guitarist, I think his best attribute was composing. Hot Rats is probably one of the best musical albums ever made "Willie the Pimp," "The Gumbo Variations," and "Son of Mr.Green Genes" are great compilations. Apostrophe and Shiek Yer Bouti are also some great albums.

I don't particularly enjoy Fripp's playing style as well, but he is no doubt a great guitarist. I think the best thing about him, or King Crimson, more specifically, is the way he can balance metal and jazz fusion to make a very interesting sound.

As far as Steve Howe goes, any one that's listened to the album "Close to the Edge" can tell he kicks ass.

And any one that says Angus Young needs to be shot, I wish he was never even born.

[polishdog90]

And any one that says Angus Young needs to be shot, I wish he was never even born.

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There is more to being a great guitarist than just technical abillity. Angus Young was an amazing performer, and he wrote many awesome songs. I dont care if he only played 4 chords he did it in a way that sounded ****ing awesome.