Best Rock Guitarist Ever?

[quote]Christine wrote:

[quote]Dr.Matt581 wrote:
One of my favorite Van Halen songs:

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A college professor likes ‘Hot for Teacher’?

What is the statistical analysis on this predictability?[/quote]

LMFAO! It’s replies like this that taught me a valuable lesson on T-Nation early on.

Never sip hot coffee while reading, I would have spilled on that one for sure lol.

For me it’s Dime without even thinking about it. Can’t see that changing ever. Probably on top of being a virtuoso on guitar he was the ultimate showman and pretty much was loved by everyone who ever met him. Thank God I got to see him play before he was murdered by that sick fuck.

Having said that, before him it was Randy Rhoads and before him it was Eddie and of coarse it was Jimi before them all.

Honourable mention to SRV.

The man…

What a fuckin’ character lol…

[quote]SteelyD wrote:

[quote]strangemeadow wrote:
So who is? And what I mean is who is the best overall guitar player in what I consider two important aspects:

  1. Can actually play well, is technically proficient. Doesn’t have to be EVH, Paul Gilbert or Yngwie. Someone like Slash is acceptable. If you think Kurt Cobain would be acceptable, you’d be wrong, in that he was a good songwriter, but wasn’t a very capable player. Slash is both. Angus isn’t.
  2. Can write good songs. By good I mean “catchy”. That could be Dimebag “catchy” or Tom Scholz “catchy”.
    This isn’t about being influential, although that’s a bonus.
    What say you?

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Why is Slash ‘OK’ but Angus is not ‘OK’?
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Well, Slash is reasonably technically proficient and uses and understands the Harmonized Chord Scale and Angus just rehashes blues chord progressions, and is really not original in songwriting at all. Before you all freak out!, let me state that his style, sound and attitude are killer and hey, AC/DC is (was) a solid rock band, but I don’t feel fit the criteria.
Also, Clapton? Really? Good songwriting, uh, sometimes yes to a large degree, sometimes just more rehashed blues played by yet another white British guy. Boring. His technical skills are really average at best.
Jimmy Page, right on!

Oh yeah, SRV was interesting for about 20 minutes, then you’ve heard all of it. Seriously. 3 chords and the pentatonic box only go so far…
Buddy Guy would be a better choice if you want crazy ass kickin’ blues shred.

[quote]strangemeadow wrote:

[quote]SteelyD wrote:

[quote]strangemeadow wrote:
So who is? And what I mean is who is the best overall guitar player in what I consider two important aspects:

  1. Can actually play well, is technically proficient. Doesn’t have to be EVH, Paul Gilbert or Yngwie. Someone like Slash is acceptable. If you think Kurt Cobain would be acceptable, you’d be wrong, in that he was a good songwriter, but wasn’t a very capable player. Slash is both. Angus isn’t.
  2. Can write good songs. By good I mean “catchy”. That could be Dimebag “catchy” or Tom Scholz “catchy”.
    This isn’t about being influential, although that’s a bonus.
    What say you?

[/quote]

Why is Slash ‘OK’ but Angus is not ‘OK’?
[/quote]
Well, Slash is reasonably technically proficient and uses and understands the Harmonized Chord Scale and Angus just rehashes blues chord progressions, and is really not original in songwriting at all. Before you all freak out!, let me state that his style, sound and attitude are killer and hey, AC/DC is (was) a solid rock band, but I don’t feel fit the criteria.
Also, Clapton? Really? Good songwriting, uh, sometimes yes to a large degree, sometimes just more rehashed blues played by yet another white British guy. Boring. His technical skills are really average at best.
Jimmy Page, right on!
[/quote]

lol.

Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix share the top honors. Personally i like more of Zeppelin’s songs that hendrix’s.

SRV is third on my list, i LOVE the blues and even own a Lone Star Strat.

Alex Lifeson from RUSH get a nod

Eddie Van Halen and Dimebag are shredders, and make sick unreal music.

I highly suggest watching It Might Get Loud

Very cool movie, but the Edge is so out classed in it.

Dishonorable mention: Joe Perry, your music sucks balls with out drugs. Paul Stanly and Ace frehley your music just sucks period. Angus, good player but when Bon Scott died he took the band with him.

John Petrucci.

[quote]legendaryblaze wrote:
John Petrucci.

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I have to agree with this.

I can’t stand Dream Theatre as a whole, but contained therein are some amazing musicians.

If you hate DT (probably due to the singer?), check out Liquid Tension Experiment. all instrumental.

[quote]legendaryblaze wrote:
If you hate DT (probably due to the singer?), check out Liquid Tension Experiment. all instrumental.[/quote]

Nah what gets me about Dream Theatre is that they’re essentially a Rush rip-off that could never get it right. Technical for the sake of being technical, with no cohesion whatsoever between members - it’s like a band of soloists. Insanely good drummer, bassist, and guitarist…but the combined together it just doesn’t work IMO.

Now a band that was “heavily inspired” by Rush that DID get it right was Porcupine Tree

[quote]Aggv wrote:
Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix share the top honors. Personally i like more of Zeppelin’s songs that hendrix’s.

SRV is third on my list, i LOVE the blues and even own a Lone Star Strat.

Alex Larson from RUSH get a nod

Eddie Van Halen and Dimebag are shredders, and make sick unreal music.

I highly suggest watching It Might Get Loud

Very cool movie, but the Edge is so out classed in it.

Dishonorable mention: Joe Perry, your music sucks balls with out drugs. Paul Stanly and Ace frehley your music just sucks period. Angus, good player but when Bon Scott died he took the band with him. [/quote]

Its all about taste i think but for me Jimmy Page and Hendrix are neck and neck. I give Page the edge for me cause he’s done so many different things. Hendrix though, is phenomenal and he could have gotten the nod from me today its just I am in a page moment lol… SRV great! Slash too, Clapton , Jeff Beck of course… I don’t care for van halen

[quote]PimpBot5000 wrote:

Nah what gets me about Dream Theatre is that they’re essentially a Rush rip-off that could never get it right. Technical for the sake of being technical, with no cohesion whatsoever between members - it’s like a band of soloists. Insanely good drummer, bassist, and guitarist…but the combined together it just doesn’t work IMO.
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I totally and utterly disagree with this but to each their own.

The point of this thread was not just shredding or technical awesomeness, like Petrucci. Jeff Loomis would hand Petrucci his ass, as would BucketHead if you could sit through all the bullshit.
The blues guys, Clapton and Hendrix, even Pagey, wrote great songs, but their level of ability was pretty low. Not a diss, just reality.
Alex Lifeson gets a huge vote from me. Great songwriter and pretty good technical skills with great style.


OP needs to change the title of the thread to “Best Rock Technician/Songwriter Ever”.

You can’t talk about “Greatest Rock Guitarist Ever” and dismiss Hendrix and Page because “they’re not technical enough” but at the same time hail “Slash” as some kind of great songwriter (not) and technician (not).

You can’t dismiss time period and context. 40 years ago Hendrix was decades ahead of his time. Some could argue he still is. Jeff Loomis? Really?

I can’t take this ‘challenge’ seriously.

I’m normally all over the guitar threads, but this retarded guitar thread is retarded.

Pic semi-related.

[quote]SteelyD wrote:
You can’t dismiss time period and context. 40 years ago Hendrix was decades ahead of his time. Some could argue he still is.[/quote]

This^

Without the old guys, there would be none of the newer players.

[quote]strangemeadow wrote:
The point of this thread was not just shredding or technical awesomeness, like Petrucci. Jeff Loomis would hand Petrucci his ass, as would BucketHead if you could sit through all the bullshit.
The blues guys, Clapton and Hendrix, even Pagey, wrote great songs, but their level of ability was pretty low. Not a diss, just reality.
Alex Lifeson gets a huge vote from me. Great songwriter and pretty good technical skills with great style.[/quote]
Except you clearly haven’t listened to a damn thing, considering how melodic and soulful Petrucci is.
It seems a lot of people suddenly think that if you have ‘technicality’, that the solo is immediately without emotion or feeling.
I’m sorry, but holding a note and playing slow does not necessarily equate to emotional playing. You can have a fast riff or lick that builds up tension.

As for Jeff Loomis and Buckethead, nothing especially out of the ordinary. Just some sweeps and fast picking. I don’t see anything especially fast or technical with those two. I’m sure Vai, Malmsteen, Batio, Petrucci, Gilbert, Vinnie Moore and co could all play each other’s stuff. Same goes for Loomis.
Just because Petrucci actually writes music that changes and is varied, and isn’t nothing but 5 minutes of sweeping (like Loomis) doesn’t mean he isn’t technical. Just different kind of music. That being said, I don’t find Loomis particularly interesting, musically. He’s like a crappy version of Cacophony (Marty Friedman and Jason Becker).

Ben Wieman lead songwriter and guitarist for my favorite band The Dillinger Escape plan. Definitely not for everyone but his talent is undeniable. I really think there are very few people that can play his stuff let alone write the kind of music he does.

Here is a clip of three songs they played at the Otto Bar in Baltimore, MD. Greatest show I have ever witnessed. They also have done much more catchy songs that I think the general population would find much easier to listen to like their one song Milk Lizard.

Also gotta mention the lead singer Greg Puciato is a swoll short dude. He is known to take suitcases full of Tuna on tour with him. Ben commented on that saying its like Greg thinks AMerica is the only place that sells tuna. Funny shit.

Also Thomas Erak from The Fall of Troy is a disgustingly talented mofo.

[quote]PimpBot5000 wrote:

[quote]legendaryblaze wrote:
If you hate DT (probably due to the singer?), check out Liquid Tension Experiment. all instrumental.[/quote]

Nah what gets me about Dream Theatre is that they’re essentially a Rush rip-off that could never get it right. Technical for the sake of being technical, with no cohesion whatsoever between members - it’s like a band of soloists. Insanely good drummer, bassist, and guitarist…but the combined together it just doesn’t work IMO.

Now a band that was “heavily inspired” by Rush that DID get it right was Porcupine Tree

Best post ever. I have always thought that DT was less than the sum of it’s parts by far.

[quote]joutmez wrote:
Ben Wieman lead songwriter and guitarist for my favorite band The Dillinger Escape plan. Definitely not for everyone but his talent is undeniable. I really think there are very few people that can play his stuff let alone write the kind of music he does.

Here is a clip of three songs they played at the Otto Bar in Baltimore, MD. Greatest show I have ever witnessed. They also have done much more catchy songs that I think the general population would find much easier to listen to like their one song Milk Lizard.

Also gotta mention the lead singer Greg Puciato is a swoll short dude. He is known to take suitcases full of Tuna on tour with him. Ben commented on that saying its like Greg thinks AMerica is the only place that sells tuna. Funny shit.

[/quote]

This looks like an absolute fucking blast. I saw All Shall Perish and a bunch more at Night of the Living Shred in 2009. It ruled.