Marky Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 An interesting poll I saw on 6Music here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/events/theaxefactor/ made me wonder who I thought the best of the last 30 years was. The whole 'Hendrix, Page, Beck, Clapton' thing is so worn out, I actually find myself preferring a lot of the guitar work from 1980 onwards.I'm sure from that list, and any others people can think of, the likes of Slash, Hammet, Morello, Frusciante, Cobain and Navarro will do better. But for me it's a toughie. I'm not picking mine based on how many notes they can play in a second, or how much of a 'guitar god' they are or any of that wankery. Sound wise: Johnny Marr does it for me. He really introduced a beauty to chord playing, just through jangly indie-pop tunes during the 80s, and he continues to do it today in the cribs. I suppose the Edge has also got a very recognizable sound, and he is undoubtedly the center of U2's stadium-sized sound.But personally, the guy who made me pick up a guitar was Noel Gallagher. He was never the best, but has certainly improved (See Champagne Supernova from the most recent tour), and he is able to craft a brilliant solo from simple chord progressions (Live Forever, Some Might Say, Dont Look Back In Anger, Slide Away, Importance Of Being Idle and so many more). He's got himself a huge sound as well, and has the perfect balance between skill and not showing off. You won't really see any 'guitar above the head', 'foot on the moniter' type action with him, and it's just basic enough for the style it is.Who is your guitar here from the past 30 years? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moreblack Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 I respect the ability of so many of those players, but to be honest none of them did anything that hasn't been done before.It Might Get Loud was a good portrayal of how Page is Page, and Edge/Jack White are just his children... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bansidhe Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 Although I love the "virtuoso" guys like Vai, Satch, Becker etc, my favourite players are the ones that can write great hooks & memorable solos. My favourite player is probably Billy Duffy from The Cult. I also was a fan of the late John McGeoch & Stuart Adamson and also guys like Johnny Marr and John Squire. I also of course like guys with massive riffs like Iommi. The way I play & write songs tends to be a mix of all the above. I like to have a big meaty riff but also jangly & arpeggiated parts going on top of that.Chunky Jangle ftw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFormerSoul Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 After listening to all 30 of the guys on this list, I can't help but wonder why guitar playing has taken a few steps back over the years. With few exceptions, I thought the entire list of these "revolutionary players" just plain sucked!If this is the list of best players over the last 20-30 years, guitar playing has really hit a dry spell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marky Posted March 11, 2010 Author Share Posted March 11, 2010 After listening to all 30 of the guys on this list, I can't help but wonder why guitar playing has taken a few steps back over the years. With few exceptions, I thought the entire list of these "revolutionary players" just plain sucked!If this is the list of best players over the last 20-30 years, guitar playing has really hit a dry spell.Wow man, what a backwards view. What are you looking for in modern guitarists? The fact of the matter is, guitar playing can't really go anywhere besides ridiculously fast shredding, or Tom Morello-esque effects fucking shit up. Both of those options would leave the music horribly inaccessible, so it's down to the likes Matt Bellamy, Jack White etc to play guitar in different ways, styles, and using different sounds for guitar to reinvent itself. Most bands today wouldnt exist without a huge portion of this list, and many of the people on the list are probably hugely influenced by other guys on the list like Marr and Squier to Noel Gallagher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.A. Guns Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 At the moment, probably Esa Holopainen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFormerSoul Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 After listening to all 30 of the guys on this list, I can't help but wonder why guitar playing has taken a few steps back over the years. With few exceptions, I thought the entire list of these "revolutionary players" just plain sucked!If this is the list of best players over the last 20-30 years, guitar playing has really hit a dry spell.Wow man, what a backwards view. What are you looking for in modern guitarists? The fact of the matter is, guitar playing can't really go anywhere besides ridiculously fast shredding, or Tom Morello-esque effects fucking shit up. Both of those options would leave the music horribly inaccessible, so it's down to the likes Matt Bellamy, Jack White etc to play guitar in different ways, styles, and using different sounds for guitar to reinvent itself. Most bands today wouldnt exist without a huge portion of this list, and many of the people on the list are probably hugely influenced by other guys on the list like Marr and Squier to Noel Gallagher.Your right, maybe I really havn't followed all these guys and their music enough to appreciate them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marky Posted March 11, 2010 Author Share Posted March 11, 2010 I think it's definately a fan thing, they grow on you, a good 75% of those guitarists aren't instantly recognizable, nor instantly powerful, but they definately are influential to many people all over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Eyes Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 (edited) The Edge.Johnny Marr, John Squire, Stuart Adamson, Jack White, Slash, Luther Dickinson... Edited March 11, 2010 by Snake Eyes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inthisriver Posted March 11, 2010 Share Posted March 11, 2010 Who cares? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marky Posted March 11, 2010 Author Share Posted March 11, 2010 Who cares? Clearly not you. Bye bye now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Len B'stard Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Pretty much agree with Markys comments regarding Marr and Gallagher (point Marky: Noels always been brilliant). Other than that? Keith Levene deserves a huge fucking mention, point of fact, there wouldn't be an Edge if it weren't for Keith. Thurston Moore? Kurt Cobain made some very pretty noise :) Hmmm, whom else? Johnny Ramone, there's a kid, Johnny Thunders, he's another. I guess thats not last 30 years.I find that i'm much more a fan of guitarists that are songwriters, people with a prodigious talent to pick up a guitar and craft a good tune, that and passion, passionate players, players that wring some really wailing ass shit from their guitar. Steve Jones from The Sex Pistols (for those of you wondering where Noel Gallagher got his 'sound' from).Greg Ginn? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bansidhe Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 I find that i'm much more a fan of guitarists that are songwriters, people with a prodigious talent to pick up a guitar and craft a good tune, that and passion, passionate players, players that wring some really wailing ass shit from their guitar. Steve Jones from The Sex Pistols (for those of you wondering where Noel Gallagher got his 'sound' from).Greg Ginn?In terms of tone maybe. In terms of licks I think he's taken more from the likes of John Squire and Billy Duffy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumpin' Jack Flash Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Off that list?Mould, Buckley, Cobain, Homme, PJ Harvey, and Squire.Why the fuck isn't Jerry Cantrell on the list? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevdo242 Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 My favourites would be Jonny Greenwood, Simon Neil and to a lesser extent JP Reid. I'm more into song-writers, but especially when they can take the basis of a good song and turn it inside out. but changes the structure of the song, really brings out the power of the chorus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacardimayne Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 What a joke. Kirk Hammett is on the list but Buckethead isn't? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 (edited) Malcolm Jones. The man puts his heart and soul into everything he does, never mouths off, doesn't do anything but shut up and play to be honest. He's an amazing showman, but he only communicates through his instrument.Amazingly expressive solo: Hope at least someone here finds some sort of appreciation for him, a true artist and a musician's musician, he deserves far more recognition than he gets these days and the fact he suffered a massive heart attack last year brought it home to me that he's not going to be around forever... 2:35 in that video marks the moment he returned to the stage after undergoing triple-bypass surgery, in front of 17000 fans, what a pro. Edited March 12, 2010 by Graeme Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moreblack Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 What a joke. Kirk Hammett is on the list but Buckethead isn't?Bucket hasn't really done anything of note. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacardimayne Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 (edited) What a joke. Kirk Hammett is on the list but Buckethead isn't?Bucket hasn't really done anything of note.And? He's still a better guitarist than Kirk Hammett. James Hetfield should be there instead. Edited March 12, 2010 by bacardimayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moreblack Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 What a joke. Kirk Hammett is on the list but Buckethead isn't?Bucket hasn't really done anything of note.And?Aaaand so they didn't think he had to be on the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacardimayne Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 What a joke. Kirk Hammett is on the list but Buckethead isn't?Bucket hasn't really done anything of note.And?Aaaand so they didn't think he had to be on the list.Shame they called it the "Best Guitarists" if they're listing people by popularity over skill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moreblack Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 (edited) Rusty Cooley's not there either, or Neil Zaza, or John Petrucci...skill isn't the only deciding factor, or even the principal one. Edited March 12, 2010 by moreblack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsh327 Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 I thought Edge was a little bit out of his element, but Jack White and Jimmy Page listened to the same old records, and when they did "In My Time of Dying", they were pretty locked in to it. But the best part of the movie was seeing Page get excited over the Link Wray song and going to the house where they recorded LZ IV. And had no idea Flat Duo Jets influenced White Stripes, .that's a name I haven't heard in forever . I respect the ability of so many of those players, but to be honest none of them did anything that hasn't been done before.It Might Get Loud was a good portrayal of how Page is Page, and Edge/Jack White are just his children... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bacardimayne Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Well then it shouldn't have such a deceiving name. Eh, in the end I really don't care. I just wish Bucket got more recognition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead Flower Posted March 12, 2010 Share Posted March 12, 2010 Shame they called it the "Best Guitarists" if they're listing people by popularity over skill.Most of these guys are popular because they make guitar music that a lot of people enjoy and wanna listen to.Surely that is the most important thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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