[i6mbwwdh]

Ralph Machio of "Karate Kid" fame...#1, c'mon - if it weren't for Ralph Macchio beating the devil's proxy in a guitar duel, Willie Brown's soul woud've been all but lost.

#2 Robert Johnson

#3 Blind Willie Johnson

#4 Andrés Segovia

#5 Wes Montgomery

#6 Michael Hedges

#7 Tony Iommi

#8 Dan Auerbach

#9 Eddie Van Halen

#10 Chuck Berry

I'm a big fan of Jimmy Hendrix but he's more like #18 maybe #19 (competing with Jimmy Page) not top 10...

[pupyississido]

Me neither.......... Some ppl really drool over the guy but I don't get it unless your only concern is playing fast.......

That does not impress me, & I don't care how hard it is to play.......... I don't like it......

You don't have to like it but the truth is - there are very few people in the world that're on Eddie Van Halen's level, he's definitely deserving on being on any top ten guitarist list...

[freeringtonesioo]

Okay, I finally looked at RS's top ten list...Jeff Beck is a great guitar player but on a level that's higher than than a Satriani or a Vai, or even a Morello...same goes with Clapton or Richards.

You ask me this is Jan Werner's top ten list because that's what Jan Werner grew up with, what made Jan Werner greenbacks...not skill levels but instead nostalgia.

[Casyimipist]

Yes, there are a lot of great guitar players, and it depends on the music they play that makes them "great", and how they work the instrument. And I see Michael Hedges finally made a list:

Because It's There

[avavavava]

Here's another list...

Top 15

There's some really good stuff in there!

[ZonaPutaX]

Carlos Santana, forgot about him....

OK how about bass players? I'd have to go withthe Who's "Ox."
John Alec Entwistle (9 October 1944 – 27 June 2002) was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer I like McCartney's bass too, very melodic.

[AndyPharmc]

You don't have to like it but the truth is - there are very few people in the world that're on Eddie Van Halen's level, he's definitely deserving on being on any top ten guitarist list...

Ya. he's good. no doubt about it.

[stastony]

One thing seems clear, that our opinions are strongly influenced by our taste in music & what believe makes a player great.........

I have done this thread several times over the years & on several sites but rarely does anyone mention any of the good country pickers & players......

One that blew me away was Roy Clark...... Growing up I thought he was just a chubby hick but the man has unbelievable skills.......

rT2PTetKMU8

[WhonyGataxott]

I like Roy Clark - going in that direction you've gotta start including players like Chet Atkins or Merle Travis though.

[Guloqkcm]

Speaking of Classical Gas, I was watching The Smothers Brothers show the night they introduced Mason Williams and his song. He came out and sat down in a chair by himself by the microphone, and then attacked that guitar with his Classical Gas. It was astounding, to say the least.

Classical Gas

[BruceQW]

Yes, there are a lot of great guitar players, and it depends on the music they play that makes them "great", and how they work the instrument. And I see Michael Hedges finally made a list:

Because It's There

I like some of Hedges work, not all of it but I do respect his skills - the same way I'd respect a Slash (who coincidentally is #11 on my list)...

[WGfg4CCZ]

I like Roy Clark - going in that direction you've gotta start including players like Chet Atkins or Merle Travis though.

Yep, Chet is prob the greatest, @ least by most folks....... But I like Roy for his versatility, skill & his great diversity.......

On the country end of things I like that old "twang" which is not popular any more..........

Since Shania it all sounds like disco country to me........

[jelena-nanana]

Yep, Chet is prob the greatest, @ least by most folks....... But I like Roy for his versatility, skill & his great diversity.......

On the country end of things I like that old "twang" which is not popular any more..........

Since Shania it all sounds like disco country to me........

I grew up having to listen to Roy Clark, I could've had it a whole lot worse - one of my buddies parents forced "Polka" music on 'em since he was toddler...

Chet Atkins was cool. A Jerry Reed playing along side a Chet Atkins play'n the blues - even cooler...

[VawSwaspamups]

LOL........... I like Jerry............ One of my all time fav country songs..

[Nupbeaupeteew]

What the fuck, Yngwie Malmsteen wasnt even in the top 100?

I hate this guy, he is an arrogant fucking prick but his guitar playing is second to NONE.

Not on the list....lol

[egershna]

What the fuck, Yngwie Malmsteen wasnt even in the top 100?

I hate this guy, he is an arrogant fucking prick but his guitar playing is second to NONE.

Not on the list....lol

That one was rightly named...........

You like Gary Moore???

This is my favorite Gary...........

[gymnAnemoe]

That one was rightly named...........

You like Gary Moore???

This is my favorite Gary...........

Nice, good sound.

3 of the 10 top guitarist are black. Did you happen to notice that?

Chuck Barry and BB king. Hendrix.

[Sleedyhex]

Nice, good sound.

3 of the 10 top guitarist are black. Did you happen to notice that?

Chuck Barry and BB king. Hendrix.

Yes............ &??

It is a popularity contest really, not much more......... & is a reflection of the type, style we enjoy, perhaps much owed to our generation & exposure as well........

I have been thinking about doing my own top ten-but I am struggling to keep in under 100 awesome players.............

No easy task I can assure you.........lol

If the list were mine I think probably most would be black, blues, & old........

Also for me their influence on the generation preceding them needs to be taken into consideration.....

As an example Chuck Berry...... He had a unique & perhaps original style.. Perhaps one could argue his skills were dwarfed by others, but his influence not only during his own time but the next generation is simply unmatched......

IMHO not even close.......... Part of that cred would of course need to go to his producers & the other influences there as well (Leonard Chess, Willie Dixon, Muddy, Wolf, Bo etc..........)

[bridsanaeds]

Yes............ &??

It is a popularity contest really, not much more......... & is a reflection of the type, style we enjoy, perhaps much owed to our generation & exposure as well........

I have been thinking about doing my own top ten-but I am struggling to keep in under 100 awesome players.............

No easy task I can assure you.........lol

If the list were mine I think probably most would be black, blues, & old........

Also for me their influence on the generation preceding them needs to be taken into consideration.....

As an example Chuck Berry...... He had a unique & perhaps original style.. Perhaps one could argue his skills were dwarfed by others, but his influence not only during his own time but the next generation is simply unmatched......

IMHO not even close.......... Part of that cred would of course need to go to his producers & the other influences there as well (Leonard Chess, Willie Dixon, Muddy, Wolf, Bo etc..........)

Relax Bill, I was implying that that is a good thing, I like BB King and Berry, the criteria must of not included Blues or old Jazz because those players were true musicians in my book.

It looks like judges were all former and current band members so it was of their peers, but that would mean its subject to their personal tastes also. hardly a way to have a poll like this.

I still call bullshit, I mean Eddie Van Halen was good for his time but hardly one of the top ten greats. WTF?

[PickEmUp]

Yes, & it will always depend on who is asked in the poll-readership etc......

One I just thought of trying would be which players did the most w/ the least?? You know the least licks-like Thorogood-he only had a few but played the hell out of them........