The Greatest Guitarists Of All Time

I first heard in Hendrix shortly after 'Are You Experienced' was released in when I was 12, and he changed my life and everyone else's, including people who have never heard his music. His influence on the instrument and on music itself is incalculable. I think there's little doubt that he is the most 'important' guitar player in the history of the instrument. However, as much as I virtually worship him, I would argue that these open-ended 'best' lists are silly. The question they always raise is 'the best at what?' If we're talking about the most influential, then we must place Charlie Christian, Django Reinhart, T-Bone Walker, Chuck Berry, Les Paul, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton far above the musicians that followed (and copied) them. If we're talking about technical proficiency then we have to consider players like Lenny Breaux, John McLaughlin, Eric Johnson, and Andres Segovia. If we're talking about popularity, then we can bring in mediocre technicians like Kurt Cobain, Robbie Robertson, and The Edge. But simply asking which of these players in various genres from different eras is 'better' than the others is too broad a question to produce a useful answer. First of all, half the people answering the question are not knowledgeable enough to make a cogent analysis. For example, how many Eddie Van Halen fans have ever really studied his mentor, Alan Holdsworth? How many have heard what Roy Clark, Glen Campbell, or Brad Paisley can do with a guitar when nobody is looking? I do not agree that this kind of list opens the choice to any subjective preference because a level of simple competency can be determined. For example, anyone listing Ron Wood or Ace Frehley on a list of 'greats' doesn't know what he's talking about, and neither do the 88 fools who put a thumbs down to Prince. Don't take my word for it; ask a guitar player -- a real one. By the way, a recent poll of famous players also picked Hendrix. If you're determined to ask this question, that's the answer you're most often going to get, and it's as good as any.

Where's Tommy Emmanuel? And maybe J Mascis!

Adam Jones and Tom Morello

AHEM



Uli John Roth and Michael Schenker!!!!!!!!!

What about the REAL Fleetwood Mac. Peter Green, Danny Kirwin and Jeremy Spencer.

Yes, Hendrix. Yes, Page, with Clapton and Beck tied for third. Lots of Yardbirds in this list. No Randy California or Joe Walsh?

No Yngwie Malmsteen?

This may be a comprehensive list for guitarists of certain genre's but the greatest guitarist is actually Adreas Segovia. Check out his work on the web. His is all classical.