Best blues guitarist, Clapton or Green

Neither. Stevie Ray Vaughn. Then, Clapton.

certainly not "the best" but some recently discovered young guns for include Chris Whitely, Aynsley Lister (for some too pop but for me enyoyable nevertheless), and Chris Duarte

Buddy Guy? What a hacker. Ronnie Earl can out play BG with on finger. The original question was Clapton or Green. While Eric had a blues sound to his style, this is not true blues as anyone who studied the blues and plays the guitar knows. Green played more to the original blues masters. T-Bone Walker and players from his era were the blues masters that many guitarists learned from, even Stevie. Stevie brought the blues back to a new audience but even he copied many of has licks from the old blues masters. He was more fluid at playing the blues style then they were and much more exciting. I learned to play the guitar because of Duane and then looked at his roots to discover where he got his chops. He also had great tone and energy to his playing. I cried when he died.

Happy Listening.

Bigkidz, calling Buddy Guy a "hacker" is a pretty big insult to a man that has been admired by and shared the stage with most of the great Blues guitarists of the past 50 years. I'm even sure Duane and Ronnie Earl who is one of my favorites, and very under appreciated would strongly disagree with your opinion of a living legend. You must be a pretty special guitarist in your own right to hurl such BS around. I understand we all are entitled to our opinions, but perhaps you could expand on your opinion of Buddy?

I have been fortunate to see some great blues guitarists live. I saw SRV three times and he was a true force of nature when playing live. As good as his albums are, they do not do justice to his power as a player. I saw Buddy Guy in a small club in Northhampton MA, The Iron Horse about a week after SRV died, and it was a very emotional experience. Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson showed up and sat in as well. I bought several rounds of shots for them during the intermission and got Buddy's autograph on a piece of cardboard from a beer case! Buddyis the real deal. I have seen B.B. King several times and was also fortunate enough to see Albert King when he was still alive. I have also seen Eric Clapton, Otis Rush, Robert Cray, Johnny Winter, and many others from when I lived in Chicago.

I would not want to pick one as the best, there are many great blues guitarists, but they are all different and all with their particular strangths. If I was forced into a corner, I would have to go with SRV, but on other days I might go with Buddy Guy. T-Bone Walker is also one of my favorites