Guitar Gods

[TheProwler]

Does Rik Emmett qualify?

See 4:30 - 6:10 of this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNhw1Ln9 ... re=related

[muy_thaiguy]

I was going to say Angus Young personally.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBXHZNSUtyg
2:16-end

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98I85ceICRM&feature=related

[bloodyember5]

Alexi Laiho, Michael Angelo Batio, Steve Vai...Yngwie Malmsteen, I could continue but this is enough for now.

[Johnny Rockets]

David Gilmore.


JRock

[KoolBak]

While I LIKE the rockers / blues the best (and there are so many greats), the most incredible guitarist I have ever seen, hands down, is Tuck Andress of Tuck and Patty. That freak can make sounds come from a geetar that just aint natural....simply amazing.

There are tons of videos of him / him and his wife on you tube.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHQPGOyC ... re=related

[TheProwler]

I was going to say Angus Young personally.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBXHZNSUtyg
2:16-end

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98I85ceICRM&feature=related

My opinion only...but I'm not sure I think of Angus Young as a Guitar God. He's definitely a Rock God, though.

Thanks for that video of "Let There Be Rock". I don't think I've seen it before. Let There Be Rock was one of my first albums.

I fuckin' love Bon!!!!!

Hey, I have a funny AC/DC story (okay, maybe it's only funny to me...). So a few years ago I'm driving my Z28 around town. I've got AC/DC's version of "School Days" just cranked. I'm sure you could hear it for a mile. I'm stopped at a traffic light playing air guitar and screaming out the lyrics (don't worry, you couldn't hear me over the stereo). Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a woman in the car beside me with a young kid around 10 years old - I was kinda lost in the music and forgot "I wasn't alone". They are watching me and kinda chuckling. I thought about smiling and acting embarrassed for a split second...then I decided "Who cares?" and I kept grooving and smiled at them...when the light turned green, I did about a 200 foot burnout. It was right out of a corny '70's movie.

[TheProwler]

I love Chet Atkins...he's before my time, but I bought one of his albums from the 50's (I bought it in the 80's) and was an instant fan. Any Albert Lee fans out there will probably like him...

All you rock guys, suffer through this for 2 minutes...you'll like 1:40...don't be shy, rewind it and watch it a few times!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoHeMlh_8A0&NR=1

One of the great things about Chet Atkins was his playing with other great guitarists...he always played so well with others and kept the whole thing together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2Th5LAhw-E

I saw Alvin Lee (10 Years After guitarist) twice...once with 10 Years After and once with Alvin Lee and the Detroit Diesels. He was awesome.

I saw Stevie Ray Vaughn in the early 80's. I was about 3 feet from the stage and maybe 10 feet from SRV for the entire (very long) concert. That guy could do just about anything he wanted with the guitar.

[StiffMittens]

One of the most amazing things I have ever seen anyone do with a guitar was this: Carl Perkins (during a show celebrating his career, put on by George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Dave Edmunds, etc. - I think you can find clips on YouTube) plays this song by Les Paul. But the catch is this. Carl explained that he learned to play it by listening to the record when he was a kid, only he didn't know anything about reverb or delay then. So he assumed that the echo effect on Les Paul's guitar in that recording was the way Les was playing. So young Carl figured out how to play it exactly as it sounded, echoes and all. It's pretty amazing.

[strike wolf]

I don't think there's much question as to whether Eddie Van Halen should be considered a guitar god, but to me he is definitely one of the best of all time. Saw him in Atlanta in Feb/08 and he put together a solo consisting of sounds that no one there had ever heard before. It is still by far the best concert I ever went to and while I couldn't find a video of in on youtube (at least on short notice) I did find a video that had a good guitar solo with him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWdfz2hkIIQ

[thegreekdog]

Jimi Hendrix
Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave... for those who don't know)
Brian May (Queen... for those who don't know)
Adam Jones (Tool... for those who don't know)

Although I'm biased towards these guys, they all did make Rolling Stone Magazine's top 100 guitarists of all time.

[Neoteny]

Tool has some pretty awesome guitar work all around, I think. Morello is hit or miss with me, but he is innovative in his play, which is a plus.

I agree with most of the people listed so far. I respect most people who can make a guitar work, because I can't, and I really like the instrument.

[thegreekdog]

Tool has some pretty awesome guitar work all around, I think. Morello is hit or miss with me, but he is innovative in his play, which is a plus.

I agree with most of the people listed so far. I respect most people who can make a guitar work, because I can't, and I really like the instrument.

I'm a big Tool fan. From what I understand, the Tool guitarists play in very original time scales (like 15/8). I don't know what that means, but it seems impressive.

Another band that has some good guitars (at least in the old days) was Korn. Their first album had guitar work that was unheard previously. I believe Korn tuned their guitars down a key or something which produced a very minor-type chord.

And that's the extent of my guitar knowledge...

[StiffMittens]

Although I would hesitate to call Michael Schenker a guitar god (he's not terribly innovative, just a good, solid, 70s hard rock/80s metal guitarist), I've always been very partial to the phrasing and sense of melody in his leads. For instance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrRBHO28iLY&feature=related
-or this-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UbhRib75jA&feature=related

Ulrich Roth (who replaced Schenker in Scorpions) also had a similarly distinct melodic component to his playing. But early on, he was clearly a Hendrix derivative. And then later, in his solo work, he got too deep into the new age, hippy-space-pirate, peace and love thing for me to take him seriously. But still, here and there you can find some pretty impressive guitar work in that shit. for instance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA9f7m7atNw&feature=related
-or this-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya5bGthIz4E&feature=related

[StiffMittens]

From what I understand, the Tool guitarists play in very original time scales (like 15/8). I don't know what that means, but it seems impressive.

15 beats per measure, 1/8th note counts as one beat. Contrast that to common time which is 4/4 (4 beats per measure, 1/4 note counts as one beat). If odd time signatures are your thing, try Adrian Belew era King Crimson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WSNraCN5Zg

[Neoteny]

Tool has some pretty awesome guitar work all around, I think. Morello is hit or miss with me, but he is innovative in his play, which is a plus.

I agree with most of the people listed so far. I respect most people who can make a guitar work, because I can't, and I really like the instrument.

I'm a big Tool fan. From what I understand, the Tool guitarists play in very original time scales (like 15/8). I don't know what that means, but it seems impressive.

Another band that has some good guitars (at least in the old days) was Korn. Their first album had guitar work that was unheard previously. I believe Korn tuned their guitars down a key or something which produced a very minor-type chord.

And that's the extent of my guitar knowledge...

Thing about Tool and Korn is that their bassists seem to take a much more active role in the overall melody, which sets them apart in my mind. I remember when Korn first came out; you're right, they sounded different from anything I had ever heard, in part because of their tuning, but also just the way they played. That shit was hard. My friends and I didn't know what the hell we were listening to, but we ate it up.

[thegreekdog]

Tool has some pretty awesome guitar work all around, I think. Morello is hit or miss with me, but he is innovative in his play, which is a plus.

I agree with most of the people listed so far. I respect most people who can make a guitar work, because I can't, and I really like the instrument.

I'm a big Tool fan. From what I understand, the Tool guitarists play in very original time scales (like 15/8). I don't know what that means, but it seems impressive.

Another band that has some good guitars (at least in the old days) was Korn. Their first album had guitar work that was unheard previously. I believe Korn tuned their guitars down a key or something which produced a very minor-type chord.

And that's the extent of my guitar knowledge...

Thing about Tool and Korn is that their bassists seem to take a much more active role in the overall melody, which sets them apart in my mind. I remember when Korn first came out; you're right, they sounded different from anything I had ever heard, in part because of their tuning, but also just the way they played. That shit was hard. My friends and I didn't know what the hell we were listening to, but we ate it up.

Us too. Their first album was brilliant. Unfortunately, like so many other bands, they gave into the temptation of mainstream money.

[jnd94]

Tool rules. Their bassist kicks ass.

But for a great guitar player look no furhter than a man named Joe Perry. His guitarwork off the album Rocks set in place the foundation for hard rock that sprang up in the 80's. It's mesmerizing.

[saraith]

From what I understand, the Tool guitarists play in very original time scales (like 15/8). I don't know what that means, but it seems impressive.

15 beats per measure, 1/8th note counts as one beat. Contrast that to common time which is 4/4 (4 beats per measure, 1/4 note counts as one beat). If odd time signatures are your thing, try Adrian Belew era King Crimson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WSNraCN5Zg

Yes and Dream Theater are also noted for their odd time signatures.. So is Rush, to a lesser extent.
EDIT: I'd consider Geddy Lee a guitar god if you count the bass as a guitar

[Bruceswar]

Need I say more...

[strike wolf]

Need I say more...

I give this post two thumbs up.

[Bruceswar]

Need I say more...

I give this post two thumbs up.

I give it 3 since I own that guitar

[Bruceswar]

Here is one to ponder over. Sweet guitar to own.

[Bruceswar]

If that was not groovy enough for you... The backside...

[thegreekdog]

Awesome.

For a second there I thought his etching had him playing right handed. Thankfully, I was mistaken.

[Bruceswar]

Awesome.

For a second there I thought his etching had him playing right handed. Thankfully, I was mistaken.

That would be a crying shame. But no got it right.