100 Greatest Guitarists

Lists are, to state the obvious, subjective. But Rolling Stone's recent issue celebrating "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" made some bad choices and loud omissions.

I can understand Jimi Hendrix at No. 1, although one has to appreciate blues-based guitar work to fully absorb his artistry. But Duane Allman at No. 2? C'mon. Southern rock was more a flash in time (although a lengthy one) than a musical genre.

A better choice at No. 2 would have been Ritchie Blackmore or Frank Zappa. Tony Iommi, Steve Howe and David Gilmour could battle it out to crack the top 5. While I recognize the historical reasoning that B.B. King (3) and Robert Johnson (5) are so high, Eric Clapton at No. 4 is a predictable and incorrect choice. Clapton is good, no question, but he's no Blackmore (55), and he's definitely no Zappa (45). Iommi (86) and Howe (69), groundbreaking axe masters, would blow the speakers off dozens of the guitarists ahead of them.

Why were these guitarists, rock guitarists, so far down the list?

One listen to Deep Purple "Made in Japan" and you'll see why Blackmore is Top 5 material. Pick up "Shut Up 'n' Play Yer Guitar" for proof of Zappa's excellence. Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here" will validate Gilmour, Black Sabbath "Paranoid" showcases Iommi and Howe soars on Yes "Relayer."

It's an injustice to see the likes of Keith Richards (10), Kirk Hammett (11), Jack White (17), The Edge (24) and John Fogerty (40) beat out these guys.

And where is Mark Farner, Ace Frehley, Robin Trower and Billy Gibbons?

Lists are, after all, subjective. But Rolling Stone was way off the mark on this one.

Comments

[jackofspeed]

Duane Allman was way more talented than Ritchie Blackmore ever will be.You only have to listen to one Blackmore solo to know that essentially they are all the same.He has a grasp of classical music that's really very flimsy,and his decades of listening to sax solos doesn't seem to have done him much good,since he essentially plays in the same monotonic,robotic way he always did.To even think of him as being more talented than Duane is hilarious.
Duane had a mastery of tone and a real understanding of music that was probably innate.Listening to his solos is a revelation;listening to Blackmore is anticipating the horror or hair-metal--its just fitting that this musical know-nothing is credited with being that particular genre's founder.

[Dan]

Jackofspeed - I respect your opinion and recognize Allman's talent. Music affects each of us in different ways, and as individuals our senses are tickled by different notes, tones and harmonies.

Blackmore helped set the tone for a new phase of rock 'n' roll, moving the acid-laced '60s into something fresh and frenetic. He deserves to be higher on the list. He's one of the greats.

Dan

[bru]

Hey,I like both Blackmore and Allman,but they were totally different players. And whatever you might say about style,you have to admit Blackmore did have a huge musical vocabulary,give him credit for that at least. And I don't think his grasp of classical music was "flimsy" as you say--though of course he had an inclination to be flashy--hey that's human. As for Duane, I really love his slide work,and his vibrato was scorching,but Ritchie in my opinion is more of a 'brain' player while Allman is a 'heart' player. Just different approaches to music.

[3rdstar]

The Rolling Stone list was retarded. The White Stripes suck all together, so why did thier guitarist get 17? Here are some masterful artists who more than deserved to knock JIMI FRIGGIN HENDRIX OFF THE TOP:

Alex Lifeson - Rush
John Petrucci - Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment, G3 2001
Steve Vai - Self, and G3, some other bands
Joe Satriani- self and G3, toured with some great bands
Eric Johnson - look him up
Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force and G3 2003
Steinar Gundersen - Spiral Architect

NEVER FOLLOW WHAT A POP MAG TELLS YOU IS GOOD, THAT MEANS YOU DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ROCK ITSELF
PROG FOREVER

[John]

There is a name that Rolling Stone over looked. Has everyone ever heard of Slash from Guns n Roses. All you have to do is listen to "November Rain" to hear that he is a bad ass player. In that song he plays with imotion and power that will sent a shock down your spine. Slash realy got screwed

Slash = can play any type of solo, not restricted to 'one type' like all those speed guitarists. he was like 19/20 when hey did rocket queen, i mean give this guy cred man.
i repeat 20 years old!!!!!

The white scrips?? was the list created by some kerang reader or something???

Yes Slash got screwed.

[DaZombyWoof]

The worst travesty of this entire list, is Frank Zappa's placement. Zappa could play and write circles around just about everyone on the list. He has a more diverse style than anyone else on the list. Although some may be a better "player" than Frank was, not a single person on the list was a greater writer. Zappa could have been the best ever if he wanted to sell out and write hits. Instead he did his own thing. Putting him at number 45 is just ridiculous. The mothers of invention formed in 1964, before Hendrix hit the scene, and many people THINK Hendrix was the first to really rip into the guitar but really it was Zappa. Hendrix even said Zappa was one of his favorite players.

[Dan]

I agree with your comments on Zappa. After seeing him in concert, it's clear that he puts everything into his music to make it perfect. His attention to detail is impeccable, and his music-writing ability is superior to most musicians who play rock music. He is missed.

[todd yates]

okay lets talk about rs's #12 selection kurt cobain. i mean c'mon a 2 year old crackbaby can play those songs, and to think slash wasnt even on the list but this cry baby heroin addict gets the number 12 spot. The writters of this magazine cant be older then 20 years old cause theyre outlook on guitarist is childesh. ohh yeah white stripes #17 "who in the hell is the white srtipes"

[JB]

First of all I respond to these boards about well...NEVER so what I got to offer is important at least to me.

What did we expect??

More Bullshit From Bowling Clones.

Heres a few more well known bad-ass and very influential guitar slingers that the assholes at RS probably never heard of!!

These people should have been in the line-up.

BUDDY GUY- How can someone who directly influenced number 1. Jimi Hendrix- 2.
Clapton and 3-7.Stevie NOT make the top 100??
Hendrix said in a n interview that he canceled a show one time to see Buddy Guy. On the way to the show Hendrix bought a recorder from a pawn shop to record the audio. When he got to the small London Pub there were no seats and he went to the front of the stage and SAT ON TYHE FLOOR just to be close to the Blues-master.

Personally if Hendrix was number 1. and was any judge of a guitaer player....well Nuff said!!

What the fuck!!

BRIAN SETZER-Another string bending sonofabitch mysteriously left in the cold!! I may have just pissed off some of you hard-Core Rockers but get over it.
Setzer shocked everybody by coming back from NOWHERE AND ignited the whole SWING genre before it was a big deal. He literally smashed the whole perception of being a limited player stuck in Rocak=a-Billy Ville. I remember seeing Setzer in the late 70's when he was a PUNK guitarist with the "Bleeding Pharoahs". He has surprising depth as a player and runs the fretboard like lightning with flawless technique.

What the Fuck?? Number 2.

Johnny Winter

When this White haired Albino bastard is in his game you can stand him next to ANYBODY. When the smoke clears JW just might be the last man standing. This guy invented the term GUITARSLINGER.

WHAT THE FUCK!! Number 3.

DICK DALE

Created the Genre of Surf Guitar. DD was the very first player to
incorporate Easter riffs and Latin Flamenco technique as well discover he could duplicate the sounds of crashing waves and other effects on his fretboard...Without an effect box??

His guitar styles were firmly imprinted on the pre-teen wanna-bees that grew up to become the Psycho-Delic axe grinders of Haight Ashbury and the Era of Love. Steve Howe-Jerry Garcia -Frank Zappa-Roger McGuin and a whole lot of people that did make the list would not have even made the grade if not for Dick Dale.

What the Fuck!! 3.

CHARLIE CHRISTIAN

Tuberculosis made sure he never made it past his 26th birthday and along side Robert Johnson ( who was murdered for screwing with some guy's wife) he was the first tragic figure in guitar history.

Ever Jazz guitar player who picked up an Arch-Top after CC has struggled in vain to match his prowess-finesse -and impeccable taste and technique.

Whether they want to admit it or not so has a lot of the guys on this list.

I don't care much for Jazz but one listen to Rose Room which is a 70 year old recording and the talent this man had hits even a dumbass like me square in the balls.

WHAT THE FUCK!!

I could really get bitchy here and ask where are the classical and latin masters like Andres Segovia??

DJANGO REINHARDT?

In all honesty the criteria to establish who and where they should be ranked is Bullshit and totally unknown.

Music is generational.

One generation influences the next. So should that be a factor.

If so then ROBERT JOHNSON is damn sure .1

T-BONE WALKER should logically be .2

And B.B KING.3

In all honesty these guys influenced everybody else on the list directly or indirectly.
But on the other hand being the first or ahead of someone lineage wise does not necessarily make one better. Nor does inovation.

Chuck Berry was forever set in stone when he plucked the first few licks of "Johnny B. Good". That one run of notes and simple 3 chord note progression became the underframe of all straight ahead Rock and Roll music. The Beatles-The Stones-The yardbirds. Hell nobody has been covered more than Chuck has. However technique wise the Granddaddy of chuggalug guitar is painfully limited.

CB wanted to be a Blues Guitar Player and tagged along after the Chicago pack which included Buddy Guy-Otis Rush-Little Milton and others. The top dog was Muddy Waters and his right hand was the Howlin Wolf. Muddy did not like Chuck personally and would not abide him setting in at the jams because quite simply Chuck was just not good enough!! So Chuck went to Leonard Chess and did his own thing. In a big way!!

In all honesty he's just not a top 100 player.

Another interesting factor should be solidarity.

In other words can this sonofa bitch stand alone on a stage or in a broom-closet and wrench enough music out of his axe to keep your attention.

Quite a few of the people on this list are simply rythym. Kurt cobain?? Ect.
Without a band behind many of these guys would have very little to offer.

That could change the whole equation since B.B KING admittably can't play a chord to save his life!!

On the other hand Hendrix-Clapton-Stevie Ray Vaughan are about as comprehensive as a player could possibly get.

Another thing to consider.

On the other hand how about inovation??
Hendrix created a whole new genre by himself and his peers absolutely HAD to change their styles to try and keep up with him.

Electric or NON-Electric??

All garage band guitar players learn very early in their Rock-Star-Wanna-Bee path to nowhere that the more Juice you run through your axe the more easily you can run off notes. A little practice and wa-lah you can amaze your friends with a decent rip-off of "Eruption" or the first few licks of "Little Wing" Add to this a few stompers-pedals a Wah and a distortion box and even the most inept 3 chord wonder is transformed into the neighborhood Hendrix.

MTV has about nothing I really need to see these days!! But I tip my hat where credit is due. The whole UNPLUGGED thing has set a new tone and I think a measure of real talent.

There are a good many well known and best selling players and bands today who are better off not answering MTV request to get back to basics.

Maybe that should be a factor.

And maybe again it all comes down to personal
likes and dislikes....and then agin maybe RS is just full-of-shit.

Its late Im tired and Hungry.

Later.

All Replies Welcome And Answered

JB TEXAS

[P.B.C.]

Gary Moore and Michael Schenker are definitly top fifty material, period. Anyone who disputes this really dosn't have a clue.

[Jordan]

That list was total bullshit.. Ok some of the 'less talented' guitarists might deserve recognition for creating catchy riffs out of nothing (Jack White) BUT that is no reason to put a bunch of shitty ass guitarists on the list just because they are in popular bands.. MALMSTEEN .. Yngwie Malmsteen is THE fastest guitar player of all time.. could out play anyone on the top twenty easily.. Steve Vai.. also should have been in the top ten.. Joe Satrianni.. same as Vai. I can understand these guy's not making the top ten.. (because if I were getting paid off I would have left them out of the top ten too) BUT that is no reason not to recognize them at all!!!! Rolling Stone can suck off my left nut. Thank You

[TOKENKISSARMY]

were is ace freley or slash. rolling stone is made up of a bunch of pussy-rock music likers

[JIMIachi]

jimi hendrix is a dumb piece of shit. all he plays is distortion

[JIMIachi]

jimi hendrix is a dumb piece of shit. all he plays is distortion

[Burgundy Grey]

This list is a travesty. I didn't even expect to see Jack White or Kurt Cobain on this list, lo and behold they're both in the top twenty. How is it that Tool's Adam Jones makes the list, but Mike McCready and Jerry Cantrell don't? Kim Thayill at 100? What the fuck!? And, the greatest insult of all, Frank Zappa barely breaking the top 50. Who in their right mind can even pretend that Zappa isn't top 10 material. This looks like a list that would have been created by a bunch of junior high linkin park fans. If people like Kurt Cobain, Jack White, and Johnny Ramone can break the top twenty, I should be on the list as well, as should any who picks up a guitar and plays for 10 minutes. More shock, no Slash, no Malmsteen [he may be an arrogant son of a fuck, but you can't deny that he is one, if not THE, fastest player alive] no Petrucci, Gilmour, Rhoads and Iommi in the 80's, and although readers may disagree with me on this one, where's my all time favourite, Buckethead? It's amazing that a guy with a plastic mask and a KFC bucket on his hand can make a cd as beautiful as "Colma". Also, Larry LaLonde of Primus is an excellent, and highly underrated guitarist. He had lessons from Joe Satriani...speaking of ol' Satch, he isn't on this list either, is he? My god, Rolling Stone has some of the dumbest editors alive.

[burgundy grey]

I meant head not hand, see what frustration does to me?!

[Pureshadow22]

I dont think anyone can make a greatest guitarsits list. Its always an opinion . Hell there may be some unknown guitarist who plays guitar for a hobby who is better than Jimi Hendrix. U know u can never say who is the best.
But one thing that is a fact. Jack White should not be on any list of great guitarists. Espiacially makes me pist because he beat my favorite guitarist. John Frusciante. And they Kurt is good? Cobian was more of a revolutionary. Well if its liek that than why is tony iomi or joe satriani at the tops? In my opinion the best guitarists are the ones who can tell a story with the guitar. Even though sadly being my own opinion John Frusciante is not in. In my opiion the ones who can tell a story with the guitar are. 1.Davied Gilmour 2. Eric Clapton 3. Jimi Hendrix. So just to say rolling stones cna suk my balls and should write as the title Top 100 Guitarists in our Opinion. or more liek gay opinion.

[Tim Turner]

JIMMY PAGE is NUMBER 1! And always will be! Hendirx got first cause he is bla**! Yea thats true to. He absolutly sucked ass at guitar! Page, Satriani, ray vaughn! thats the top list and thats IT!!!!

[Matt]

Jimi Hendrix number one? What you guys smoking? lol jack white 17? Rolling stone what do u have a bunch of old ladies running the show or what?
Where the hell is Slash, Vai, Iommie 86? How can jack white beat that? What the hell is wrong with u assholes at stone. My fav guitarest Joe Satriani? lol your telling me Kurt Cobain is better than Satch? Eddie van halen 70? haha is this a joke? how is John Fogerty 40 lol can he even play a solo? Rolling stone you guys suck. next time you make a list like this try getting some real musicians to pick out the artist because the old ladies arent cutting it i got one more thing Joni mitchell #72 plays
guitar? u call a song like paved paridise guitar?

[Lee]

Total crap, I mean, ok hendrix was damn good an way ahead of his time but not number one. Real top ten (in no particular order):

John Petrucci
Slash
Zakk Wylde
Joe Satriani
Kirk Hammett
Stevie Vai
The Edge
Chuck Berry
Jimmy Paige
Eddie Van Halen

ALL of these men are responsable for the way we right and play music today in some way or another. All are revolutionary writers and players and probably all of them (apart from the edge) could knock the fuck out of hendrix's playing and writing. Any problems with that? Email me

[Rittershaus]

I just have to say that Im really sick of hearing jack offs, who in my opinion have no hear for music, having an orgasim over fast playing. I love Vi and Buckethead (never really liked satriani, too shreddy), but techincal ability is a result of practice, not of musical intuition or talent. Personally I feel that johnny winter being 70 is a travesty, he was pre-Stevie Ray and better too. Jimi has been my favorite guitarist since 8th grade. he was and is the most influential, the best mentally, and incredible gifted technically too. Hendrix gets written off as an influential noise maker far to easily. People seem to forget that he played some of his solos behind his back and with his teeth. You dont see buckethead doing that, or singing for that matter. Whenever your tempted to say Hendrix isnt the best just think of the truly unique chord embellishments he used for ever verse of every song. He only wrote solos, some of it was just more chordal.

[Tim]

I just have to say that Jimi Hendrix is number 1 and deserves it and always will. Have you ever seen him play at the Woodstock 69: Nation Anthmem? No one can match that or come close to even playing it to the way he did. Ya Clapton was very good and page and van halen deserved top 15 but hendrix deserves numero uno.

Thanks.

[dedhed]

Youre all forgetting about Jerry Garcia. too say hes not amazing is one of the biggest mistakes you can make

Ok hendrix, page, beck, Hammett, clapton all deserved their place, but why are jack white and kurt cobaine even in the list. And why was ANGUS YOUNG only number 96. young should have definatley been in the top 10 along with sabbaths tony iommi.

[Ryan]

I strongly disagree with the Rolling Stone's top 100 guitarists list, and I also disagree with the Guitar Player's list, but it is closer. Here are my reasons why....
Jimi Hendrix is really good, but believe me, he should not be #1. In fact, I wouldn't even put him in my top 10. Don't get me wrong, I have 10 or so of his albums (including his lesser known ones), but I think people think he's best because he died. If he had worn off on his groove instead of died on it, he wouldn't be so popular. Everyone is all like "Think how good he would be now", but that isn't the point. I have heard much of each artist's material on this list, and frankly, I like almost all of it. My first choice would be Eddie Van Halen. Everyone has heard Eruption, but that isn't even his best solo! I have all the =vh= albums, and the guitar is just amazing on all of them. Eddie defined a decade of music, which gave birth to metal, and eventually shred-metal. Van Halen lasted for over 20 years (and are now back together!), and have had the most mainstream rock titles ever, 11. My second choice would be Yngwie Malmsteen. Some people say that his shred is just nonsense, and he can get away with is because he plays so fast, but this couldn't be further from the truth. I have slowed his solos down to near normal speed, and they sound like Eddie's solos, or Eric Clapton's. Most people just assume that their favorite band's guitarist is the best, and they become closed minded to other guitarists and bands. This causes a problem, because they run out of proof as to why their guitarist is the best, and they don't listen to much else. I have deeply studied many guitarist's styles including Eddie Van Halen's, Yngwie Malmsteen's, Steve Vai's, Joe Satriani's, Jimi Hendrix's, and a hell of a lot more. I take offense at people who are like "[Name of guitarist here] is the best just because he is. You people are just idiots and I hate you all! Your favorite guitarist sucks..blah blah blah". I also take offense at people who overlook the 80's just because they had a wealth of hair-metal or metal. This doesn't make them automatically bad, and many of them are pretty good. People complain that they all sound the same, but this is becaus they heard one of them, and didn't like it, so they never listened to more, and they assumed it's all the same. If you want me to read anything more, email me at [email protected] , because I probably wont be reading this forum.

[ccaca]

** top 10 **
01 jimi hendrix
02 jimmy page
03 pete townshend
04 eric clapton
05 david guilmour
06 robert fripp
07 jerry garcia
08 eric clapton
09 b b king
10 spinetta
9

[daniel sorin]

1.Jimi Hendrix
2.Jimmy Page
3.Glenn Tipton
4.Kirk Hammett
5.Brian May
6.Eddie van Halen
7.Slash
8.Pete Townshend
9.Steve Vai
10.Tonni Iommi
11.Randy Rhoads
12.Jeff Beck
13.Angus Young
15.R. Blackmore
14.Eric Clapton
15.Mark Knopfler
16.David Gilmour
17.Steve Vai
18.Marty Friedman
19.Steve Morse
20.James Hatfield

[Dave P]

Rolling Stone had the worst list I've ever seen. Where the hell is Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson? And how did friggin Jack White make #17, half the people in America regardless if they know how to play or not are better than Jack White. I'd also love to know how Eddie Van Halen got 70th, and how Ike Turner made the list. I don't know how you could compile such crap, drunk or sober. Chuck Berry does not deserve to be 6th, and I'm still mad about Jack White

[Dave P]

Rolling Stone had the worst list I've ever seen. Where the hell is Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson? And how did friggin Jack White make #17, half the people in America regardless if they know how to play or not are better than Jack White. I'd also love to know how Eddie Van Halen got 70th, and how Ike Turner made the list. I don't know how you could compile such crap, drunk or sober. Chuck Berry does not deserve to be 6th, and I'm still mad about Jack White

[Dave P]

Rolling Stone had the worst list I've ever seen. Where the hell is Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson? And how did friggin Jack White make #17, half the people in America regardless if they know how to play or not are better than Jack White. I'd also love to know how Eddie Van Halen got 70th, and how Ike Turner made the list. I don't know how you could compile such crap, drunk or sober. Chuck Berry does not deserve to be 6th, and I'm still mad about Jack White

[Dave P]

Rolling Stone had the worst list I've ever seen. Where the hell is Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson? And how did friggin Jack White make #17, half the people in America regardless if they know how to play or not are better than Jack White. I'd also love to know how Eddie Van Halen got 70th, and how Ike Turner made the list. I don't know how you could compile such crap, drunk or sober. Chuck Berry does not deserve to be 6th, and I'm still mad about Jack White

[Jodan]

John ur an idiot. any of the guitarists u listed will name jimi hendrix as a huge influence. yes malmsteen, yes vai, yes petrucci, iommi, satriani, yes srv. Maybe in technicality they can take hendrix, but my friend hendrix invented what they do. Hendrix= #1

[ANGUS FAN44]

JIMI HENDRIX IS NOT THE GREATIST GUITARIST OF ALL TIME. JIMMY PAGE IS

[Jordan Ryan]

What is going on here? to put Hendrix at # 1 is fine but to see Slash and Kirk Hammett in there and not Joe Perry??? What is wrong with you people. Someone who gave u licks like Walk this Way and Mama Kin. This is a guy who is admired bY guys like Slash. I mean for God's sake if you dont put him in the top 5 I'll deal but thats be appreciative to what this guy gave us. How about Love in an Elevator and Toys in the Attic???

[Sam Fleming]

Why is there no mention of WES MONTGOMERY?! Without Wes, there is no Hendrix. Wes Montgomery played with his thumb and is just as technically proficient as the best of them. At least give him a spot.

[Scott Smith]

If I remember correctly RS didn't have Chet Atkins on their list either. Nobody here has mentioned him either.

Is there something that I am missing here? Has anyone here heard him before? Like the country genre or not - he is a freakish player.

[nick]

this is the fucken shittiest bunch of shit lists jimmy page is proly the best ever and y the fuck is james hetfield at fucken top 20th hes a fucken rythmn guitarist for metallica he got higher then some guitarist that shud be in the top five, oviously u guys dont no anything about music so ill give u a break this time

[Dadey]

David Gilmour not top 10. I guess you have to play 8000 notes a minute like Malmsteen to be considered a great guitarist. Mr. Gilmour's composition and execution were peerless...close you eyes during comfortably numb and tell me you don't feel yourself flying.

[Chris Heinen]

surprise surprise Hendrix at # 1,Kurt Cobain made this fucking list? and at #12.......funny i read the list over and over and over and i still must be overlooking Slash....can't find it unless they misspelled it and called him Duane Allman

[ansy d]

comparing guitarists is like comparing apples to oranges. They are totally different. Jimmy Page and Stevie Ray Vaughn were great but i would put jimmy at the top be cause jes my favorite. I guess you could say im biased. Everyone has a bias and is they say they dont, the're lying.

[joe guitarguy]

I totally agree with the first 2 slots in the Rolling Stone list, Jimmi and Duane Allman-the best at combining superior technical ability with their own instantly recognizable style. But where the hell is Slash on there? Tony Iommi should have been closer to the top too. Clapton,Townsend and several others on that list arent that great in my opinion they cant hold a candle to Duane Allman or Jimmi thats for sure.

[Gary]

This list is shit. Personally if theres anyone who deserves to be on the top of the list its Eddie Van Halen. you can say what you will about his ego or the rest of the bands antics but he changed the way people played guitar for many years to come. Van Halen 1 is like the most essential guitar album you can get. And the intro to mean streets is incredible. Zakk Wylde was recently ranting about this list also and i have to agree with him. Jimi Hendrix is kinda like Babe Ruth was in baseball. Yea, he was the first to kick ass but theres been lots better since. EVH shoulda been 1 with clapton, rhoads, and slash atleast in the top 10. And wtf? The White Stripes? It took me like two seconds to learn 7 Nation Army. Hes got no talent. I could pull better solos outa my ass.

[god]

where is Dimebag Darrell (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN)

[god]

in Rolling Stone The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

[god]

Dimebag Darrell RIP

[god]

Guitar World's "100 greatest metal guitarists of all time"
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/02/01/150828.php

[Jimi number 1]

Jimi Hendrix is and always will be the best guitarist of all time, no matter what anyone says

[Tim]

Trey Anastasio top 20. He combines his amazing intuition with his great knowledge to make fucking awesome solos and jams. Have you heard Junta?!!! Probably one of the most influential albums in the last 20 years. Once you hear that album your a phish phan for life. And he wrote half the album when he was 19!!!! he even wrote some of it when he was in middle school!
O yea, kurt cobain and jack white suck, john frusciante isnt that good although i like RHCP, and Mark Knoplfer is great too. I also agree with Jimi #1. He created more great music in his 3 years than most people do in a lifetime

[The Kid]

Anyone who thinks Jimi Hendrix is not number 1, clearly doesnt listen to the same music everyone else listens to. Jimmy Page is an obvious number 2. Slash needs to at 17 (completly removing white from the list). Clapton, King and a few other could be moved around the top 10.