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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i generally agree with marty (which is usually good policy). i think chuck berry is probably the second (or third or fourth) greatest lyricist ever, and his influence on other guitarists is unquestionable. personally, however, i never really dug his guitar style--to me it's repetitive and narrow, and not in the hypnotic bo diddley way. a lot of folks, myself included, always believed that his piano player was the real defining element of his sound.
Chuck's style is SO iconic---it IS Rock 'n' Roll guitar! And though his playing is pretty basic, not requiring a lot of chops, remember the scene in "Hail Hail Rock & Roll" where Keith is playing the guitar part in "Oh Carol" (I think it was), which starts with the strings "bent" up for the first note? Keith mistakenly plays the strings unbent, then bends them up to the note. Chuck repeatedly shows Keith how to play the part correctly, and Keith just can't do it! Rock 'n' Roll may not be "hard" to play, but it's hard to play "right"! Dave Edmunds has mastered Chuck's style, and there are many others who obviously use it as the base for their style, Keith being number one.
Onhwy61, is there something wrong with my link? Works fine at this end. I used my old IPad; maybe that's a problem. "Foxes on a trampoline"? Pretty funny.
A women murders her husband by bludgeoning him to death with his vintage guitar collection ... in court the judges asks her .. so first offender and she replies

No first the Gibson then the Fender
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