These greatest guitarist threads always look only at the rock and blues guys. I've always thought the classical guitarist are the top of the list.
Very true. That said, these audio forum "whose best" threads are the musical equivalent of "Chevy vs. Ford" auto enthusiast arguments. In the case of classical vs. rock vs. jazz guitar greats, it's a case of what skill set do you want to weight most heavily in your evaluations? Technical facility and speed, improvisational chops, emotive power, musical finesse........the list goes on and on.
For a man with skills bridging worlds of Jazz and Rock, check out the great Johnny A. His albums are very well recorded and I go back to them often when in the mood for this kind of music. He hates touring, so he tends to stay close to home usually and as a consequence isn't as well known as would be otherwise. Gibson guitars has sold a beautiful Johnny A signature model for years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCTm1TcL7z8
