Favourite Guitarists

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

Wife caught Richard Thompson in the mid-80's. Changed a broken string during a tune and never stopped.