If there is a better guitar player going today......

[Salvo]

Love me some Joe Bonamassa. Never heard of him until last year and ever since then, I've really dug his style. Hope to see him in April if I get all my ducks in a row. Easily one of my favorite guitarists.

There are a number of other guitarists out there that I enjoy like Paul Gilbert, Andy Timmons, Vinnie Moore, Steve Morse, Satriani, etc and while they all have their own style, they can all revert back to the blues for their initial inspirations and abstract subtitles in their music. It's the "feel" and emotion behind the fingers and the pick that adds substance to their music and it's something I just can't really hear in a lot of metal/shred which seems to go for the shock and awe factor.

To each his own of course. There's definitely no doubt that many metal guitarists and even youtube shredders can wield an ax.

[Bwood]

well the all time best to me is jimi hendrix...he was from the future.......

now in the present time i dont really have favs but i do like some guys check this dude out.

That's a bass rookie lol.

[natty]

One thing to clear up since I've seen him mentioned a couple of times. Les Claypool is NOT that great of a bass player. I'll never criticize his music because 1. I like some of it and 2. he has the balls to got out there and make it as a musician. But he is so over-hyped by his fans and even non-fans it drives me crazy. His aggressive, rhythmic style makes him sound like a great bass player to people who don't know what great bass players sound like. You can't even compare him to top players like Victor Wooten and Stanley Clarke because those guys are so much better and on such a different level that there's no basis for comparison.

[Crixtala]

claypool's fun, that's why he's great

[natty]

Miley Cyrus is fun too.

edit: I'm not saying he isn't good, or even great, it's when you go into the realm of 'greatest' is when I have a problem.

[Bronn]

oh u wanna go all bass on me now?

checkmate!

[BigSyke]

lol yeah bass is still a guitar lol

like i said i dont really have that many fav guitarist now let me seeeee im surprised i have not seen anyone sayanything about eddie...i think this one of the top 100 riffs for rock of all time....

[captfluoro]

well the all time best to me is jimi hendrix...he was from the future.......

now in the present time i dont really have favs but i do like some guys check this dude out.

That is Victor Wooten, bass player for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Saw them in Memphis almost 15 years ago. He did a bass solo where he would play one riff, record it and then play it back on a loop and keep adding new riffs on top. Was awesome. And if we are getting into other stringed instruments Bela Fleck is one of the world's best banjo players. Guy is unreal.

[TheRumGone]

I know this is obvious but Les Claypool. Dude is a nut, but he is amazing.

guitar players

jack white

I know some might be turned off with the dramatics, but this is up there with my favorite live performances by a guitarist of all time. just straight balls and letting it rip. sloppy as hell but all feeling. And the performance fit what the song is about perfectly.

the sound is strangely low so headphones help

And two guitarists i havent heard mentioned

Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey of moe. got to see them live. blew me away.

Couldn't find a good audio of one of their sets live so here is the album version

[TheRumGone]

One thing to clear up since I've seen him mentioned a couple of times. Les Claypool is NOT that great of a bass player. I'll never criticize his music because 1. I like some of it and 2. he has the balls to got out there and make it as a musician. But he is so over-hyped by his fans and even non-fans it drives me crazy. His aggressive, rhythmic style makes him sound like a great bass player to people who don't know what great bass players sound like. You can't even compare him to top players like Victor Wooten and Stanley Clarke because those guys are so much better and on such a different level that there's no basis for comparison.

this is dumb. there are different styles. he is not overhyped. He is abrasive, but it is beyond ridiculous to say he is not that great of a bass player.

[Delhommey]

I don't remember who created the thread on this guy awhile back but I haven't been able to stop listening to Gary Clark Jr. since I opened it. The guitar solo @ the 4:00 mark gives me chills and sends me into convulsions at times.

http://youtu.be/t84xXXrzBhc

We'll have to go see him when, you know, you nut up and head to Austin

[Zaximus]

Lots of great examples here. I love metal shredding but there is just something about the blues music like Gary Clark Jr. that is more than just shredding, time and a place for both.

[Herbert The Love Bug]