Favourite Guitarists

In no particular order...

Richard Thompson (with Fairport, with Linda and solo)

Jim Messina

Ralph Towner

Carlos Santana, particularly Santana III, Caravanserai, Lotus and Welcome

Larry Coryell’s post Fusion recordings

David Hidalgo and Cesar Rojas of Los Lobos

Derek Trucks

Jimi

Jeff Beck, in particular Rough and Ready and Blow by Blow

Mick Taylor

John George and Paul on White Album, Let it Be and Abbey Road

Allman Bros.

John McLaughlin, particularly Mahavishnu MK1, Shakti and his acoustic trio recordings with DiMeola and de Lucia.

Ronnie Earl

Danny Kirwan

Albert Lee

Grant Green’s Blue Note recordings

Bert Jansch

Warren Haynes

EC with Mayall, Cream, Blind Faith and the Dominos

Freddie King (after he switched from the LP to the 345/355)

Peter Green

Tony Rice

Garcia -- ’70 - ’77

Pat Martino

John Abercrombie

Bill Connors with RTF and his subsequent acoustic ECM recordings

Bob Weir, particularly ’72 - ’74

Roy Buchanan’s early recordings

P. Townshend with The Who and on his own

J. Page’s acoustic playing

The Hellecasters (Jorgenson, Donahue, Ray)

BB King

Keef , particularly Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile

Little Feat (George and Barrere) 

 

 

 

List looks pretty complete. I would add John Frusciante the on and off again Chili Pepper. Some of the most beautiful tone and feel in Rock.

Memorable moments:

  Leo Kottke, in the middle of 12 string magic breaks the hi g string and without missing a beat starts transposing around it...Utah late 70's

  Santana, last note of the Caravanserai performance rings for at least 2 min after the band had departed the stage...Newport News early '70's

  Dicky Betts making Elizabeth Reid cry with his little finger...William & Mary early '70's  (maybe inspired Roy Buchanan or vice versa?)

  Steve Miller, my ears still ringing 2 days after standing in front of his speaker stack...Newport News early '70's.

Some great choices listed in this thread. My list includes:

 

Django Reinhardt

Kenny Burrell

Tony Rice

Mark O'Connor (and he's an even better fiddle player!)

Jimi Hendrix

David Gilmour

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Jerry Garcia

Trey Anastasio

Bill Frisell 

Julian Lage

It's so weird to me that Trey Anastasio is never on these lists.  He's the most lyrical, most virtuosic and has played more (very extended) riffs and more versions of those riffs than almost all the guitarists on many of these lists put together.

It's just so weird to me