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Rank the Best Gn'R Guitarist from Best to Worst

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Rank the Best Gn'R Guitarist from Best to Worst  

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Gordon Comstock
Gordon Comstock

Slash is the best guitarist for Guns, Buckethead is the best guitarist overall.

BadApples87
BadApples87

Slash and Izzy.   Don't care about the rest.

RONIN
RONIN

TIER 1 1. Slash/Izzy - GOAT for Guns. Izzy is a very underrated rhythm player even among the fanbase. 2. Bucket - He's #1 as the best overall guitarist, but #2 for Guns. Legendary talent and

Bluefish18 Junior

Bluefish18

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, Gibsonfender2323 said:

Your drunk

Or not drunk enough.  DJ Ashba is absolutely wretched; one of the worst stage presence i've ever seen, and can't play his way out of a wet paper bag. I was at their UCAP show at Terminal 5 in NYC and he made me cringe so many times that i actually left the show. 

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adamsapple DEMI-GOD

adamsapple

Posted
Posted

Honestly?

Buckethead, Robin and Izzy.

All too unique and individual to really be in a band, but that's what I love about them. I enjoy their tone, soul, grit, edge and ideas a lot more than the zombie noodling Slash does these days or the 300 notes per second Ron came up with. Richard is decent but he had like 20 years in this band to come up with at least one memorable original moment, he just bores the shit outta me now. Gilby I respect him but he couldn't really leave a mark in GNR. Ashba is my least favourite.

The tones that most compliment Axl's voice are probably Slash and Robin.

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Flayer GOD

Flayer

Posted
Posted

Slash: defined the sound of the band

Izzy: wrote the best songs

Gilby: who?

Buckethead: god

Bumblefoot: technical genius, lacking in soul

Paul: wrote a few good songs

Robin: erratic but respectable

Fortus: reliable workman

Ashba: fuck off

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Towelie FRONTMAN

Towelie

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Posted (edited)

Slash for original Guns. Nobody can deny the brilliance of his solos on songs like Coma, Locomotive, NR, Estranged. And the awesome riffs of SCOM, Paradise City, Jungle, Brownstone, RNDTH. He was a force to be reckoned with on AFD/UYI albums.

Bumble and Bucket for New Guns. Bumblefoot is very underrated. Two of my favourite solos on CD are Ron's Catcher outro solo and the legendary "elephant" solo on Shacklers. And of course, Buckethead is incredible throughout, especially on TWAT.

Izzy is more of a rhythm player, and a great one at that, but the few solos he did take (mainly on AFD) were very tasty.

Robin Finck is overrated. There, I said it.

 

Edited by Towelie
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bdinan Senior

bdinan

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Posted

Bucket is probably the best technical player, but anyone outside of slash at 1 is a wrong answer. Slash is every bit as much of GNRs identity as Axl is.

I value izzy more as a songwriter than a guitarist.  I'd almost say underrated, but everyone seems to have that same opinion. Best rhythm guy they had by far.

I love Bumblefoot the man, but he wasn't the right man for guns - not for lack of effort. A strict style mismatch.  Awesome dude. Love his solo stuff. Love the energy he brought, but the playing - especially on the album was lacking.

 

Ashba was meh. Don't get the hate, but not about to praise him either. Probably the most boring incarnation of Guns. Like bumble - not for lack of effort, but he was lacking. 

Finck is a tough one. Felt he was great on the new material he helped write - especially better, but sloppy shit on the old material - notably November Rain. I could see where playing other musicians material can be boring, but fans are paying for a show, can at least take some pride. 

Richard is kinda just there. Same as gilby. 

We didn't see enough of tobias to fairly judge. 

I could see where bucket would not be everyone's cup of tea, but he's an insanely talented musician. 

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Len Cnut LEGEND

Len Cnut

Posted
Posted (edited)

A guitarist for a rock n roll band doesn't really need to be 'good' in a technical sense.  Rock n roll is about feel, the ability to get a place jumping...and you can do that with two chords and bad timing if you got the knack for it.  This music would've never took off if it had required talent with a capital T.  Part of its appeal is that earnest young men could grab instruments, learn a few chords and then smooth out the wrinkles with incessant playing and synergy with their co-band members.  So with that in mind, best guitarist for Guns n Roses?  Well, its kind of a no-brainer, its easily Slash, the one whoose playing on all the good songs.  And depending on what appeals to you from guitarists you could even say Izzy, is it the rhythm and groove that cranks your cock or the hotshot fretwork shit?  Actually, thats a bit unfair on Slash, he's got his groove too.  Izzy and Slash, Slash and Izzy, I'd say its the meeting of those two guitar sounds that creates the best guitar-work in Guns n Roses. 

Edited by Len Cnut
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D.. DEMI-GOD

D..

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Posted

Very interesting comments. I figured Slash would be number 1 and Bucket number 2, but didn't expect Finck third considering all the shit he got throughout the years (especially live).

As for my views, I have to divide into categories.

Best Guitarist Technically

1) Buckethead

2) Bumblefoot

3) Richard Fortus

4) Slash

5) Robin Finck

6) DJ Ashba

7) Izzy Stradlin

Best Creative Input for Guns

1) Izzy Stradlin

2) Slash

3) Robin Finck

4) Buckethead

5) Richard Fortus

6) Bumblefoot

7) DJ Ashba

Best Performer Live

1) Bumblefoot

2) Buckethead

3) Slash

4) Richard Fortus

5) Robin Finck

6) DJ Ashba

7) Izzy Stradlin

 

That's why it's so hard to rank them imo. Especially regarding the creative input part. I have doubts about Slash creative abilities as of now for Guns, for example.

Overall, here would be my final ranking.

1) Buckethead

2) Slash

3) Izzy Stradlin

4) Robin Finck

5) Bumblefoot

6) Richard Fortus

7) DJ Ashba


I feel Buckethead was criminally underused, and at the same time, extremely bold choice from Axl to choose pick him back then. So uncanny. Overall I think he was the guitarist with the most potential, and is an undisputable genius, as well as a very entertaining performer live (I love his style, as corny as he may look).

I feel Slash was essential to Guns, to the sound identity, and great performer too before Chinese ever happened. When I think of Guns N' Roses, my mind is divided in two: the CD era, and the classic era. Slash immediately comes to mind when thinking of classic era, as important as Axl for the iconic part. As of now though, I don't think he fits for CD songs, at all, and I have a lot of doubts about his abilities if he touches Chinese stuff.

Izzy was without a doubt even more essential to Guns than Slash was regarding the Classic Era, he's the man in the shadows. Not a good performer though, and very limited technical abilities. But the best composer for the classic era for sure. Who knows what would have come up had Izzy worked alongside Paul, Finck & Buckethead on the CD stuff. I doubt he'd be of any use as of now though, but probably still a better fit than Slash to compose.

Robin Finck is criminally underrated by fans in general imo, especially when we're talking about his abilities. I didn't rank him very high on the technical part, but Guns have had very skilled guitarists. I do think he's a very skilled musician, even if he fucked up from times to times live. He put a lot of soul and feel to the live performances and knows his stuff. The recent leaks just show how much of a creative input he was to the band.

Bumblefoot is underrated too, though a lot of people appreciate his undisputable skills. I do think he's a good composer and did a good job on his CD parts... even though with the vault leaks happening, it's clear Brian May for instance, did a far better job than he did on Catcher. I feel Bumblefoot's main problem was the tone of his guitar, how it sounded live and in the studio, it just doesn't do it. Brian May is a genius when it comes to sound, Bumblefoot isn't. His sound doesn't match Guns N' Roses, from my perspective. He'd sound crazy with a better sound. As for his live performances, he was by far the best guitarist on stage from 2006 to 2014 and gave the best respect to all the songs he covered. In fact, I think he did the best job out of all Gn'R guitarists, ever, on covering everything from AFD to Chinese. He just knew how to perfectly reproduce everything. His only problem: his fucking guitar sound/tone.

Richard Fortus is very, very underrated on this poll, despite me placing him so low here, because even if it looks like he was in the band forever (since 2002), he hasn't been used properly. I feel he's one of the most gifted guitarists technically, and as of 2019, he's the best guitarist in the band. Yes, I believe he's technically more advanced than Slash. Problem is, he was never given the most technical stuff to play and shine, though he can definitely play them, and we haven't heard him enough in the studio. Who knows what he could come up with? In regards to Guns next album, I feel he's the only hope in the band. Regarding his live performances, he's constantly upped his game, and I was very impressed when I saw him play each time, he's extremely gifted.

DJ Ashba finishes last for me, no surprise there, though I never understood all the bashing. I think he's a great guitarist and a great performer live. I think the main problem was his style, he looks like he comes from a parody of a bad Tim Burton movie. I think what he did with his Better remix was interesting, and he's gifted in Sixx AM creatively, who knows what he could have come up with? I would actually have liked to witness that. He impressed me each time I saw him live, and I was fortunate enough to attend shows where he didn't fuck up anywhere. He actually did a pretty good job at covering CD parts & Slash parts, and was very cool to the audience, even if he posed a lot. Thing is, as much as Axl let him shine on the stage, Bumblefoot & Fortus were still more competent than him, so that sucks a bit. Ashba should have been the third guitarist, period. And we never saw what he could come up really, creatively speaking. Who knows, maybe he could have made some cool original stuff. I did like his Ballad of Death song, live.

 

To conclude: I like them all and I appreciate what they brought to the band, either live and or in the studio. Not one single shitty guitarist/uninteresting player in my book.

 

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Towelie FRONTMAN

Towelie

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8 minutes ago, Nizaraul7 said:

I'm just curious about why Bumblefoot is not getting much recognition from GNR fans.

As much as I get & agree to the Ashba & Tobias hate (they are both TERRIBLE guitar players), can someone explain to me why Bumblefoot is barely above these two?

I voted for Bumble and it didn’t count my vote. Swear it’s rigged!!!!

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liers GOD

liers

Posted
Posted

Traditionally my favorite has been buckethead, but I've always really liked Fincks tone, and after hearing some of the recent leaks hes definitely in the running for the best.

Slash, obviously, has a unique sound too. And he was essential to guns n Rose's rising to fame... so obviously hes gotta be up there...

Buckethead, Finck, Slash in that order, but they're all really close...

Beyond that, Izzy, bumblefoot, Fortus, with Ashba coming in last.

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