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Who is your overall favorite guitarist?

At 44 years of age, I personally feel fortunate to have lived in an era along with some of the finest guitarists who have ever lived. I have always had an overwhelming love of music. As I look back to my earlier years of music appreciation (I took formal piano training for 17 years) I remember how my instructor would suggest exposing myself to the many different styles and disciplines of music.

These were such valuable words of wisdom. Considering the fact that this suggestion, more or less, forced me to be more open to musicians other than those that played in strictly rock and roll bands.

Wow, was I surprised to find that I could be as entertained by Chet Atkins and Les Paul as I could be by Ritchie Blackmore or Carlos Santana. Just think about some of the finest from our time. Jimi Hendrix, John McLaughlin, Robin Trower, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Johnson, Steve Howe, Al DiMeola, the list could seem almost endless. All such incredible musicians.

Although it's very hard to pick one person or style in particular, let's remember the key words, "overall favorite".
I would probably have to say that my overall favorite would have to be Steve Morse (from Dixie Dregs fame).

Who is your favorite?
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tswisla
176 posts
 
Rich Robinson
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,874 posts
 
I haven't read through all the answers, so forgive me if I'm duplicating others. For lyricism and funkiness it's hard to top Ry Cooder. His solo on John Hiatt's "Lipstick Sunset" is the most poetic I've ever heard. For Chuck Berry style Rock 'n Roll it would be Dave Edmunds (he plays like Keith Richards wishes he could, and in fact was one candidate for Brian Jones' replacement in The Stones). For virtuosity, there is a relatively obscure guitarist from the Washington D.C./Virginia area named Danny Gatton, a guitarists guitarist if there ever was one. Vince Gill (a fine guitarist himself) nick-named him "The Humbler"! Then there is a guy I'm sure others have already named, Jeff Beck.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,874 posts
 
I neglected to mention that Danny Gatton committed suicide years ago. But there are a number of his CD's available, the first one to get probably being the double-CD collection on WB, I believe it is. His sometimes-partner Evan Johns (also a maniac on guitar) told me Danny just wanted to stay home and work on his hot rods (something he had in common with Jeff Beck), playing around locally in bars, but that his nagging wife would not stop pushing him. Evan said Danny shot himself to get away from her!
raytheprinter's avatar
raytheprinter
1,234 posts
 
Roy Clark is always a refreshing change of pace.Jawdroppinly good
martykl
3,578 posts
 
Bdp,

Gatton holds a special place in my heart. What a player! His name brings a funny story to mind:

It may have been in the 1970s or 1980s at Fat Tuesday's (a club in NYC) that our group saw him play. On one song, Gatton tuned his guitar by ear while staring at the ceiling. We were close enough that my friend asked what he was looking at. He replied that, for the dropped tuning in that song, he tuned his low e string to the 60hz hum from the fluorescent lights. (Don't ask what he did at clubs without fluorescent lighting, I have no clue).

I understand that he injured himself in IIRC a welding accident and was never the same afterward. Some stories attribute his suicide (at least in part) to that as well.
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