Among classical guitarists, I happen to be a fan of three women - Xuefei Yang, Kaori Muraji, and Ana Vidovic, because of the delicacy of fingering and elegance of play they have. I also like John Williams - the three young women may have more dexterity, but JW is really a complete guitarist.
For 'real' guitar though, I think Tomatito and Paco di Lucia, especially in his early days with Camaron, are tops; both with significant technical brilliance, but surpassing artistry - a great sense of timing, and the fantastic ability to manipulate time/pace/dynamics within the music.
For 'real' guitar though, I think Tomatito and Paco di Lucia, especially in his early days with Camaron, are tops; both with significant technical brilliance, but surpassing artistry - a great sense of timing, and the fantastic ability to manipulate time/pace/dynamics within the music.