best guitar player ... if we dare go here

Prince is astounding
Richard Thompson is the best I've seen in person
Clapton is laughably overrated
Robbie Robertson wasn't technically remarkable but had a unique and devastating sound, maybe my personal favorite

among current kids ... James Walbourne (pernice brothers, son volt briefly) is stunning. never heard anybody play quite like him

 

Jeff Beck, in case he wasn't mentioned earlier.

 

Jimi and Stevie Ray are my top two. Big fan of Mike McCready too. One other to mention is Tim Reynolds. Lots of people just know him as a guy who tours with Dave Matthews from time to time, but I saw him do a solo show at a small club a few years back, and he did some pretty mind-blowing shit with his guitars. Probably not really in the best of all time conversation, but he's pretty damn good.

 

In a nod to the old school, how about Robert Johnson. Without him, there would be no Rock and Roll.
Oh, and didn't a guy named Dylan also play guitar?

 

One of the guys in our pressroom wears a shirt every now and then that says, "Yngwie Fucking Malmsteen"

I couldn't pick Malmsteen out of a lineup, but the shirt makes me laugh. So to honor the pressdude:

Yngwie Fucking Malmsteen!

 

rofl

 

How has Slash not been mentioned? Or did I miss it?

I'm not saying I would put him with Hendrix or Eddie Van Halen, but he's got to be one of the best of the last 20 years.

 

I think Slash was in there somewhere. If not, I agree Mizzou.

 

Neil Young
Chet Atkins
Mark Knopfler
Ry Cooder
J J Cale
Buzz Osbourne
Bill Frisell
Rontrose Heathman
Kristy Wallace aka Poison Ivy Rorschach
Malcolm Young [better than Angus]
Joseph Mascis
Rik Emmett
Billy Gibbons
Paul Leary

 

Wow, I didn't think Rory Gallagher would be mentioned. Nice.

Another guy that's not too well known but is the best I've ever heard live is Joe Bonamassa.

Warren Haynes, of Gov't Mule, also kicks ass.

 

1) Hendrix.
2) Duane Allman (Don't forget his great session work at Muscle Shoals. Try Clarence Carter's "Road of Love," or Pickett's "Hey Jude," or Boz Scaggs epic "Loan Me A Dime.")
3) Clapton (No excuse for the dissing around here. None.)


And two from the old-school file: Scotty Moore and Mike Bloomfield.

 

Not sure if anyone mentioned James Burton yet. He was a guitar player's guitar player. Played with Elvis, among others.

And yes Dylan played guitar, but I'm not sure I'd rank him as one of the best ever.

Can;t believe no on mentioned Mark Knopfler before Lone Star Speed did.