Favorite Guitarists

[redsbengalsbucks]

I will second Yngwie Malmsteen, he can do things with a guitar that seem impossible.

[DesperateDerelict]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Cincinnati's own.....Peter Frampton

I still gotta say, best blues guitarists ever were Slowhand Clapton and Duanne Allman

Key To The Highway

[Walrus]

I gotta give some love to one of my all-time faves, Mike Bloomfield. Died way too young.

(Maybe not the greatest performance here, but it's the first thing that came up on YouTube! )

[Spor_tees]

Damn no one is a Bootsie Collins fan!

Santana is awesome because he can make the guitar speak...and you are all forgetting B.B. King.

I think it is also kind of weird not to see John Mayer on any list.

[kingwilly]

Damn no one is a Bootsie Collins fan!

Santana is awesome because he can make the guitar speak...and you are all forgetting B.B. King.

I think it is also kind of weird not to see John Mayer on any list.

Bootsie is a bassist.

Santana...all you need to hear is their set from Woodstock when they blew the day open...not that I am a dirty hippie, my dad was into it.

[Wraith]

Bootsie is a Bass Guitarist (and would be one of my favorites), Catfish (his brother) was the guitarist.

Santana is great in small quanitites but his stuff seems to blend together after a while.

I do love Robert Cray his "Don't be Afraid of the Dark" is great and I saw him at Bogarts several years ago and he put on quite a show.

I just feel NOTHING from Clapton, I can admire his ability, particularly his ability as a style chamleon but I feel very little passion from him. I find it interesting that most people attribute "Layla" as his best solo but they are generally listening to Duane Allman's stratopheric slide playing.

Joe Bonamassa would be someone I would check out if you haven't heard of him before.

Not much into jazz guitarists, I like Metheny and Benson (particularly Benson's "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet") but what about Cincinnati Native Adrian Belew who played with Bowie, Robert Fripp, and numerous other session projects.

And speaking of Cincinnati guys, what about Lonnie Mack, his "Memphis" revolutionized electric blues guitar.

As for Malmsteen, I am going to show my "music snob" side, yes he can shred but the ability to play a pentatonic scale super-duper fast is not being a great guitarist, IMHO being a great guitarist means you can coax the subtlety and the nuance out of the intrument. Guys like Knopfler and Gilmore get more out of one note than Malmsteen can get out of 30,000. But whatever you like is fine with me.

If you want to start talking about bass guitarists, I can be more eloquent since that is my instrument.

[Walrus]

If you want to start talking about bass guitarists, I can be more eloquent since that is my instrument.

Why not? Bass guitarists are guitarists too. Some of my personal faves are Paul McCartney, John Entwistle, Rick Danko Larry Graham and Les Claypool. And Mark Sandman. And Tim Chandler, if anyone else has heard of him!

[gregstephens]

If we are now on bassists, I think you have to include the Metallica threesome of Cliff Burton/Jason Newsted/Rob Trujillo.

[Wraith]

Not Newsted (Master of Puppets had the Bass mixed completely out of it because Ulrich and Hetfield could stand Jason's playing) but the other two are Very good, Burton in particular was groundbreaking Anesthesia is awesome.

ALL conversation with regards to bassists has to start with James Jamerson (Motown), Larry Graham, and Donald "Duck" Dunn (Atlantic) those guys invented the instrument. Jamerson in particular played bass on 45 #1 hits which trounces the Beatles and anyone else. His bass lines for "Heard it on the Grapevine" "Bernadette" and my favorite "Just my Imagination" are the standard that every other bass player aspires to, there just isn't any place for improvement. Duck Dunn played with Booker T and the MGs, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, and is best known for being the Bass Player for the Blues Brothers which is by the way the greatest collection of talent ever put into a single band with Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Steve "Colonel" Cropper, Willie Hall, "Tower of Power" horns, along with Akroyd and Belushi. Larry Graham was with Sly and the Family Stone as well as the Graham Central Station and invented modern slap bass.

Others Great Bass Players are:

Vic Wooten (jazz session player)

Stanley Clarke (ditto)

Bootsy Collins (James Brown, Parliment)

Jaco Pastorius (jazz bass god, listen to "Pictures of Tracey")

Geddy Lee (Rush)

Lee Sklar (everybody...almost)

John Entwhistle (the Who)

Paul McCartney (duh)

Jack Bruce (Cream)

Barry Oakley (The Allman Bros)

Tony Levin (everybody...almost)

Carol Kaye (Beach Boys et al)

Dayton's own Kim Deal (the Pixies, the Breeders)

Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam)

Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

But for my Money the top three are carved in stone. With Jamerson being #1. Coming from a guy who has played the bass for more than 25 years semi professionally. These guys were great.

[Walrus]

Not Newsted but the other two are Very good, Burton in particular was groundbreaking Anesthesia is awesome

ALL conversation with regards to bassists has to start with James Jamerson (Motown), Larry Graham, and Donald "Duck" Dunn (Atlantic) those guys invented the instrument. Jamerson in particular played bass on 45 #1 hits which trounces the Beatles and anyone else. His bass lines for "Heard it on the Grapevine" "Bernadette" and my favorite "Just my Imagination" are the standard that every other bass player aspires to, there just isn't any place for improvement. Duck Dunn played with Booker T and the MGs, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, and is best known for being the Bass Player for the Blues Brothers which is by the way the greatest collection of talent ever put into a single band with Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Steve "Colonel" Cropper, Willie Hall, "Tower of Power" horns, along with Akroyd and Belushi.

Others Great Bass Players are:

Vic Wooten (jazz session player)

Stanley Clarke (ditto)

Bootsy Collins (James Brown, Parliment)

Jaco Pastorius (jazz bass god, listen to "Pictures of Tracey")

Geddy Lee (Rush)

Lee Sklar (everybody...almost)

John Entwhistle (the Who)

Paul McCartney (duh)

Jack Bruce (Cream)

Barry Oakley (The Allman Bros)

Tony Levin (everybody...almost)

Carol Kaye (Beach Boys et al)

Dayton's own Kim Deal (the Pixies, the Breeders)

Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam)

Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

But for my Money the top three are carved in stone. With Jamerson being #1. Coming from a guy who has played the bass for more than 25 years semi professionally. These guys were great.

I'm with you on "Just My Imagination" -- love that song and of course Jamerson rocks the bass on it.

[redsbengalsbucks]

Gotta say that Jimi Hendrix is one of my favorites, even with his mistakes while stoned out of his gord. He makes the music sound as if it has a soul of it's own.

[Wraith]

One of those bass lines that you can learn in about 45 minutes to play but spend the rest of your life learning how to play RIGHT. So smooth, effortless just the right touch, there are some songs that you can listen to that you say if only they would have added X it would have been so much better, with Jamerson everything is alway just right...Barry Gordy once said that in over 21000 lines of bass he never heard Jamerson make a mistake.

[Wraith]

"He makes the music sound as if it has a soul of it's own."

That is the KEY to making music, it has got to have a soul which is why this bubblegum pop machine garbage never sticks.

[kingwilly]

Not Newsted (Master of Puppets had the Bass mixed completely out of it because Ulrich and Hetfield could stand Jason's playing) but the other two are Very good, Burton in particular was groundbreaking Anesthesia is awesome.

ALL conversation with regards to bassists has to start with James Jamerson (Motown), Larry Graham, and Donald "Duck" Dunn (Atlantic) those guys invented the instrument. Jamerson in particular played bass on 45 #1 hits which trounces the Beatles and anyone else. His bass lines for "Heard it on the Grapevine" "Bernadette" and my favorite "Just my Imagination" are the standard that every other bass player aspires to, there just isn't any place for improvement. Duck Dunn played with Booker T and the MGs, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, and is best known for being the Bass Player for the Blues Brothers which is by the way the greatest collection of talent ever put into a single band with Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Steve "Colonel" Cropper, Willie Hall, "Tower of Power" horns, along with Akroyd and Belushi. Larry Graham was with Sly and the Family Stone as well as the Graham Central Station and invented modern slap bass.

Others Great Bass Players are:

Vic Wooten (jazz session player)

Stanley Clarke (ditto)

Bootsy Collins (James Brown, Parliment)

Jaco Pastorius (jazz bass god, listen to "Pictures of Tracey")

Geddy Lee (Rush)

Lee Sklar (everybody...almost)

John Entwhistle (the Who)

Paul McCartney (duh)

Jack Bruce (Cream)

Barry Oakley (The Allman Bros)

Tony Levin (everybody...almost)

Carol Kaye (Beach Boys et al)

Dayton's own Kim Deal (the Pixies, the Breeders)

Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam)

Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

But for my Money the top three are carved in stone. With Jamerson being #1. Coming from a guy who has played the bass for more than 25 years semi professionally. These guys were great.

If you inlcude Ament and Flea, might as well lop in Mike Watt and Les Claypool. Claypool is a real innovator, of the rarest form.

I'd also add John Paul Jones and Chris Squire, to be thorough. McCartney, meh...

[Wraith]

Both Great Players, Chris Squire was my favorite Bass Player when I was in high school, John Paul Jones is doomed to be eternally overshadowed by Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Bonham. The Ocean is a great bass line from Jones.

Claypool, yes, completely not familier with Mike Watt but I have never been to into hardcore punk.

Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)

Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)

Who be great examples of "Heavy Metal" bassists.

AS to McCartney, the Bass lines for "Penny Lane" "Old Brown Shoe" and "Lady Madonna" are really, really good and most of his work is perfect for the sound and the style of the music. I am more of a Lennon fan than a McCartney fan as a songwriter but to not give him his due as a bassist is a mistake IMHO. Listening to "Let it Be" right now and the bass line moves and accentuates the rest of the song very nicely. It is never going to be cited as a great technical achievement but you can't deny the results.

Another in the Les Claypool vain would be Stu Hamm but both of these players I think miss the point of the bass which is to be the rock solid foundation that a song is built upon, bridging the gap between the rhythm components and the melodic components. Not to say you can't play it as a lead instrument (and I have) but in the best circumstances you shouldn't have to. Claypool and Burton in particularly expanded the bass and thus should be listed as one of the greats. "My Name is Mud" and "John the Fisherman" are great pieces by Claypool.

Anyway this is a good conversation that distracts us all from the Bengal business at hand

[gregstephens]

Here's a nomination from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Ken Kitamura of L'arc en Ciel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxXBIiKLmJs

[Dadraftnick]

I used to be a semi-pro guitar player , I could have done it for a living but, I fell in love and got married ect.

Mostly I played hard rock and there is not anything that I either didnt play or couldnt play on guitar.

My all time favorite has to be Robin Trower- his first 4 albums especialy

and there is ;

Jimi Hendrix

Eddie Van Halen

both guys from Judas Priest

Wolf Hoffman - Accept

Robin Trower

If you have never heard Robin Trower, I highly recomend him maybe start with live or Bridge of Sighs.

[Wraith]

Tim Reynolds and Dave Matthews did a spectacular album together call Live at Luther College it is well worth finding and listening to, Reynolds in particular is a superb guitarist and Matthews (while he doesn't have Reynolds' chops) get the most emotion I have felt in a long time out of an acoustic guitar.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

Wow not one mention of Steve Howe on here or many other greats. (And I appreciate Hammet, Butler and others as much as anyone)

Buncha metal football heads!!

[BigBenBlows]

"Space" Ace Frehley - KISS

Slash - G-n-R

Dimebag Darrell - PANTERA

Kirk Hammett - METALLICA

Mick Mars - MOTLEY CRUE

Kerry King - SLAYER

[BengalszoneBilly]

Tim Reynolds and Dave Matthews did a spectacular album together call Live at Luther College it is well worth finding and listening to, Reynolds in particular is a superb guitarist and Matthews (while he doesn't have Reynolds' chops) get the most emotion I have felt in a long time out of an acoustic guitar.

I own it. Pretty sure Skyline does too.

[Wraith]

AS I have said Previously Yes was my favorite band in High School, I love Steve Howe but I was more into Chris Squire. Never was much into Asia but Howe did a great little acoustic piece on "Innuendo" by Queen which evolved into a dual of sorts with Brian May which is well worth to $.99 on iTunes just to listen to if you have never heard it.

[jjakq27]

Wow not one mention of Steve Howe on here or many other greats. (And I appreciate Hammet, Butler and others as much as anyone)

Buncha metal football heads!!

The problem with Howe is that much of his stuff was buried in the mix by the bass and keyboards on some of the early YES albums. I have Fragile which is a favorite of mine but other than the little classical parts at the beginning and end of Roundabout, he is lost in the other instruments.

Another guy with an acoustic slant is Steven Stills. His work with Buffalo Springfield is really good, especially on songs like Bluebird.

The live version of Hotel California is excellent too if you like that kind of classical flavor.

[Wraith]

Man the version of "Hotel California" on the Hell Freezes Over Album is just incredible and you have to give a nod to Don Felder because that Spainish Guitar intro is just awesome, and it is so difficult to be a guitarist in a band with three guitarists without ending up sounding like a gang of out-of-tune Harleys (borrowed that quote somewhere).

It is so difficult for a guy to shine in a band of viruosos with Rick Wakeman, Chris Squire, and Bill Bruford to contend with it is no wonder that Howe couldn't get a word in edgewise, it seems to work best for a group like that to limit their musicians to three to give everyone more space (ala Cream or Rush) all that being said Howe is incredible, In 1991, when in an interview about Innuendo, Brian May admitted he couldn't play Howe's flamenco guitar part and that is quite some compliment.

[jjakq27]

Man the version of "Hotel California" on the Hell Freezes Over Album is just incredible and you have to give a nod to Don Felder because that Spainish Guitar intro is just awesome, and it is so difficult to be a guitarist in a band with three guitarists without ending up sounding like a gang of out-of-tune Harleys (borrowed that quote somewhere).

It is so difficult for a guy to shine in a band of viruosos with Rick Wakeman, Chris Squire, and Bill Bruford to contend with it is no wonder that Howe couldn't get a word in edgewise, it seems to work best for a group like that to limit their musicians to three to give everyone more space (ala Cream or Rush) all that being said Howe is incredible, In 1991, when in an interview about Innuendo, Brian May admitted he couldn't play Howe's flamenco guitar part and that is quite some compliment.

That was the version I was referring to. When I was looking at surround sound systems a few years back, that was the DVD that they used to demo their systems at hhgregg. Needless to say, they sold me a system!

I think you see the same thing in a group like Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Three excellent musicians that would have been drowned out with a full-time guitar player or something else.