Favorite guitarists

[Stevil]

Joe Satriani
Marty Friedman
Dave Murray

[Matthaios]

Back in my teenage days, I was obsessed with prog rock guitarists - folk like Steve Howe (Yes), Steve Hackett (Genesis - the older stuff of course), Jan Akkerman (Focus - you've probably heard "Hocus Pocus") and (in darker moments) Robert Fripp (King Crimson).  Nowadays, I'm more into folky singer-songwriter stuff (but still from the same era) - Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake especially are massively under-rated guitarists.

[Gawen]

Cliff Burton...hands down. Best bass player ever.

Kirk Hammett and Eddie Van Halen...then...Satriani, Malmsteen and Wylde.

[The Magic Pudding]

Nick Drake especially are massively under-rated guitarists.

I only found Nick Drake about a year ago, his music seems to have found an audience now, shame it took so long, his is such a poignant story.

[Matthaios]

I only found Nick Drake about a year ago, his music seems to have found an audience now, shame it took so long, his is such a poignant story.

Yeah, I've come across lots of his stuff in movies, TV shows, ads, etc.  His music is so melancholy on the whole that I wasn't surprised that his life story was much the same, especially towards the end of his life.  The epitome of hauntingly beautiful music.

[Stevil]

Cliff Burton...hands down. Best bass player ever.

Kirk Hammett and Eddie Van Halen...then...Satriani, Malmsteen and Wylde.

Let me guess, Metallica fan :-)

It's a shame Cliff was so low in the mix on the final recordings. Anesthesia is a great bass lead instrumental. Orion is one of the best instrumentals I've heard.

[Cecilie]

Cliff Burton...hands down. Best bass player ever.

Kirk Hammett and Eddie Van Halen...then...Satriani, Malmsteen and Wylde.

Interesting choices. I personally can't stand Zakk Wylde. I mean, he's a good guitarist and all, but I think he absolutely murdered some of Randy Rhoads' classic work. Especially Crazy Train. Those pinch harmonics... oh man.

[Gawen]

Cliff Burton...hands down. Best bass player ever.

Kirk Hammett and Eddie Van Halen...then...Satriani, Malmsteen and Wylde.

Let me guess, Metallica fan :-)

It's a shame Cliff was so low in the mix on the final recordings. Anesthesia is a great bass lead instrumental. Orion is one of the best instrumentals I've heard.

I totally agree.

[Gawen]

Cliff Burton...hands down. Best bass player ever.

Kirk Hammett and Eddie Van Halen...then...Satriani, Malmsteen and Wylde.

Interesting choices. I personally can't stand Zakk Wylde. I mean, he's a good guitarist and all, but I think he absolutely murdered some of Randy Rhoads' classic work. Especially Crazy Train. Those pinch harmonics... oh man.

Yeah, one can be a great musician, but when they do a remake in their own style, sometimes it just don't make it. On the other hand, Five Finger Death Punches remake of Bad Company is soooo much better than the original. So much more....bad.

[Crocoduck]

I like Junior Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtvT_hOC80A

Brian Setzer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggN-HKq3FG8

and some other guys I can't think of just now.

[Squid]

Being true to Texas: Stevie Ray Vaughn

I completely forgot to add SRV to my waaaay too short of a list.  If it weren't for the blues influences on my playing I think it would be far to static and mundane.

[Sovereign_Reason]

Just to name a few:

John Petrucci (Dream Theatre)
Joe Satriani
Buckethead
Marty Friedman
Steve Vai
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Kirk Hammett (Metallica)
Alex Lifeson (Rush)
Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)
B.B King
Esteban

[Happy_Is_Good]

I don't know how to play guitar and I'm surely not in any position to be an authority of who is a master, and who is not.  But...I've got my favorites (many the same as you guys) and then there are two special guys I give a special type of credit: Jeff beck and Eric Clapton.  Jeff and Eric are not my favorites, but I figure that guys that could pull Jimmy Page 'nads out of the fire during the worst performance of his career can't be too bad. 

Check it out, in the video clip below, Jimmy Page is stoned beyond belief and is hosing "Stairway to Heaven" worse than a drunk 14-year-old garage band. Jeff and Eric step in and save him - and do it with a lot of class.

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

[Cecilie]

I'm completely surprised that no one else but me has mentioned Tony Iommi... Pretty much the godfather of metal.

[squidfetish]

I'm completely surprised that no one else but me has mentioned Tony Iommi... Pretty much the godfather of metal.

He's not renowned as a particularly technically gifted guitarist but, by our repitlian overlords, he is the father of sick riffage and that's for sure, and definitely worthy of a place in the pantheon of awesomeness.