[dougme57]

I have to throw Steve Howe in there also.

[chrisby]

was it my imagination or just editing,  but I remember a You-Tube of Clapton following Beck at some guitar-orama of a few years ago  - sorry SlowHand fans, but that was like shooting fish in a barrel

chops at speed and range are one thing,  but so often the thrashers lack  emotional impact that comes from leaving the right amount of space between the notes and telling a story with the progression 

as has been noted above, to narrow it down to just 3 "best" of any style / vintage is grossly unfair to the literally thousands of under-appreciated or totally unheard capable musicians who've ever picked up an "axe"    - I'd be surprised if there wasn't some 16yo kid in any local high school band who'd be equally impressive as many of the names listed above

that said - a couple slightly more obscure names, and one not so much to add

Andy McKee
Brian Hughes (Loreena McKenitt band)

Pat Metheny

[Æ]

How come no one ever mentions Tommy Bolin? He had skill and credentials, played for The James Gang and Deep Purple.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjDuaiiEC0I&feature=related

[Æ]

There are 32 Hendrix CDs?

I now have 34! Just went and bought two more today.

[won ton on]

i'm no country fan but Chet Atkins plays a mean guitar

[max190]

How come no one ever mentions Tommy Bolin? He had skill and credentials, played for The James Gang and Deep Purple.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjDuaiiEC0I&feature=related

Love 'Savannah Woman' & 'Lotus'

On my 1st post I forgot Al Dimeola The man is lightening on guitar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgaRjKe2Hkg&feature=related

[WC]

Not surprising there is no concensus. Seems to vary greatly with musical taste. 

[max190]

And now for the best legs while playing the guitar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WfKtdFiO2k&feature=related

[chrisby]

And now for the best legs while playing the guitar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WfKtdFiO2k&feature=related

huh,  guitar?

this could go so far wrong so quick - let's start talking cello - my opening bid
Caroline Lavelle

[FullRangeMan]

Ewan Dobson: Finally a virtuoso with exciting new music for the guitar, his music has a sense of humor.
 Time 2 Live Remix:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plR57mfNphU&feature=related

 Introduction, Romance & Waltz
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-iYBDhaDt4&NR=1&feature=endscreen

 Paganini Caprice Nº5:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_8Lh2fTnUU&feature=fvwrel
 Since Stanley Jordan I had not seen a so good a guitarist.

[Larkston Zinaspic]

Man On Fire....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THDtCRm0ALQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwnYkg6CvcA

[djmckaytx]

Hard to believe no one has mentioned Phil Keaggy yet.  Amazing talent...and a humble guy.

[medium jim]

Carl Verheyen:

Carl is a monster player and a friend:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4nkx_I0jPM

Many might know him, but didn't know it as he was with Supertramp and has his own band, as well as, the go to studio guy in Hollywood. 

Enjoy,
Jim

[ctviggen]

i'm no country fan but Chet Atkins plays a mean guitar

The two CDs I own by Chet Atkins aren't what I'd call "country". 

[won ton on]

ctviggen.........as you can tell i'm not overly familiar with his music. in january i recorded a show about him on pbs. he seems to have insipered a lot of guitarist's. the only disc i have of his is Chester and Lester. do you have any other recomendations.      thanks

[Mr645]

Lately I have been listening to Joe Satriani and Joe Bonamassa.  Also, I recently saw Rush in concert, and yea Neil Peart is amazing, but Alex Lifeson is really a great guitarist. 

[Æ]

On my 1st post I forgot Al Di Meola The man is lightening on guitar.

I like Al Di Meola a lot too, I have four of his CDs.

[SteveFord]

Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck and Robert Fripp are certainly up there.
So many of the guitarists of the past two or three decades are incredibly proficient but they don't say anything - they just go like hell.
I was in a Guitar Center a year or so ago and the kid next to me was going to town but it was just Blazing Scales and that's all it was.

Duane Allman, Roy Buchanon and Carlos Santana can/could make a guitar talk.
Overshot the mark by three.

[kevin360]

Four pages of some great players, but nobody has mentioned Steve Hackett.

Another name that never seems to get mentioned in these lists is Steve Rothery.

Although Frank got a mention, Dweezil Zappa hasn't (until now).

I guess that since this thread started with some shredders, someone ought to mention John Petrucci...or how about Fredrik Akesson?

Does anyone remember Bill Nelson? In the early days of Be Bop Deluxe, I loved his approach.

I'm with Medium Jim - just way too many greats to name favorites (unless I get to name my 100 favorites, in no particular order ).

[bunnyma357]

Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck and Robert Fripp are certainly up there.
So many of the guitarists of the past two or three decades are incredibly proficient but they don't say anything - they just go like hell.
I was in a Guitar Center a year or so ago and the kid next to me was going to town but it was just Blazing Scales and that's all it was.

Duane Allman, Roy Buchanon and Carlos Santana can/could make a guitar talk.
Overshot the mark by three.

I agree with proficiency over feel - G3 stuff has always seemed more on the technique side of the equation for me. A lot of great guitarists would be better served being sidemen, and using their skills  to further the expression of someone who has something to say. This clip helps to make me realize how good Neil Young actually is. I think a lot of guitarists do their best work while fighting the constraints of a tightly structured genre - by the time they achieve the freedom to do what they want they seem to have less to say.


A few faves who haven't been mentioned  - Link Wray, Chris Spedding, Richard Thompson

For me this quote from Richard Thompson sums up my feeling on music and guitar:

"If you rub the edges off music, you really take away the music itself, the music is in the edges, it's in the rough bits."



Jim C