The best guitarist in the world ever is...

I don't smoke weed.

 

So long as it's not Clapton at 2, I'm fine with that. Clapton did some great work, especially with Cream, but waaaay over rated as far as I'm concerned.

 

Well then, that's fine by me.

+10 for having good taste.

 

Psssh. They're probably all closet homosexuals like corks, so screw them.

BTW 2000 posts... YAY. Too bad I used to have like 9k 3 years ago or something.

 

I'm sure that the first sentence is true. That is one of the reasons I voted for "other."

How? Because one doesn't haven't to write what comes from ones guitar. Look at Yngwie Malmsteen. He writes some of the crappiest music known to man. But he's one of the absolute best guitarists.

Most of the greatest pianists these days play music that was written a long time ago by other people. Would you claim that - for example - Vladimir Horowitz wasn't a good pianist? After all, he didn't write most of what came from his piano.

If so, you're crazy. If not, why do you have different standards for what makes a good ______ist depending on the instrument?

Many of the absolute most skilled musicians these days are studio musicians. Someone calls them up, they go to a studio, they're handed a sheet of music, and they play it through, one time only, never having heard it, and it is recorded. If they don't get it right, they don't get called again. That's skill, and it has nothing to do with the ability to write a song.

 

Also, Brian May.

 

malmsteen is the best at playing one particular scale really fast. that is all. there are a million ways to judge how one is "good" at a guitar. voting on whos the best technical guitarist is #$%#ing retarded. shredding isnt really that impressive unless you're a nerd, thats why everyone stopped doing it after the 80's. you're looking at it wrong. a painter is an artist no? you dont judge whos the best painter by how quickly and acuratly they can paint. ultimately its the final picture that matters. piano is somewhat different, its a pretty straightfoward instrument and theres not a whole lot of room for variation from the normal way of playing one. playing a guitar has TONS more variables when it comes to what comes out of it.

bottom line: if you listen to malmsteen so you can think in your head "WHOA HES PLAYING SOOO FAST!!" then you dont understand the point of music as an art form, and you dont understand the options in this poll

 

i dont see how david gilmour is so far down that list. especialy when you have guitarists like "the edge" in the top 25. they could have done a better job on that list.

edit: and how is kurt cobain number 12?

 

ive never seen that list taken seriously. that it was pasted in this poll, in defence of the choices on offer, tickles me inside.

 

"piano is somewhat different, its a pretty straightfoward instrument and theres not a whole lot of room for variation from the normal way of playing one"

That's pretty ridiculous. Sure, I can play a guitar in various ways. But me playing the piano the same way as Horowitz will result in a complete different sound. Why? Because he's better than I am.

Same thing with Malmsteen. I'll bet dollars to donuts that he and I could play the same song, any song, shred or not shred, and he'd play it better than I.

If you are judging a GUITARist/PIANist/VIOLINist/INSTRUMENTist, you must judge how accomplished they are at playing the particular instrument. If you want to use the word TECHNIcal, that's fine. He/she who is most skilled at the widest variety of TECHNIques is the best, because that person will have the ability to accuratly represent the widest variety of sounds.

 

No one is the best guitarist.

 

the best guitarist in the world of all the time is:
1. Jimmy Page
2. Eddie Van Halen
the hits "Stairway to Heaven", "Panama" has a high quality n' technical skill.

 

yeah, 4 real, holla

 

I get a good vibe from you.

 

Hendrix /thread

 

Esteban

 

apparently not once i saw #12

 

Mark Knopfler at the very least, is definitely more underrated than the rest of those guitarists

 

Not seein anyone on there I think is THE BEST. Once you get to that level, to where many consider you, "The Best", who really is the best is subject to debate, it is simply an opinion; a matter of personal taste.

 

on that list though, I'm gonna say VH, he was the most innovative guitarist of his time.

 

LOL. You can't compare all these guys together...they all have different styles and attributes that make them best in their league. The OP is the kind of guy who starts shit on youtube videos saying Malmsteen is best when the video is on Morello.

 

But you forgot _______!!!!