# One Of The Best Guitar Players Alive Today?... You Tell Me



## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=772633726493203


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## GuitarPix (Jan 11, 2007)

He is indeed one of the - if not THE - most wonderfully inspiring/terrifying guitarists I’ve been seeing online (would love to see him live sometime). 

And he always comes across in interviews as someone I would love to grab a beer with and shoot the s#!+ with about guitars and stuff, a wonderful person.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

He's obviously an exceptional guitarist but does it move me as much as a Neil Young solo? Nope.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

I have always felt Brian May was one of the best. Steve Vai said the same thing but there are a good number that might fit in that slot depending on the genre they play.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Guncho said:


> He's obviously an exceptional guitarist but does it move me as much as a Neil Young solo? Nope.


There are many way to look at it, I think Neil's knowledge and skill wouldn't be as much as one of Guthrie's discarded toenail clippings. But that is based on knowledge of theory, playing skills, technique etc. Guthrie is the king of guitar playing. In other words Guthrie can play Neil, but not in a million years can Neil play Guthrie. But Niel has his moments. That's what is cool about art. An artist doesn't have to be the most technically proficient to be really good and popular.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Jake Cinninger with Umphrey's McGee


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

best is subjective. Guthrie is boring


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Robert1950 said:


> Jake Cinninger with Umphrey's McGee


both of those names sound made up


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

He is one of the most technically gifted guitarists alive today. That said if I could play like him I wouldn't.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Kerry Brown said:


> He is one of the most technically gifted guitarists alive today. That said if I could play like him I wouldn't.


this is kinda of funny


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

Go ask Rory Gallagher.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Strong title as it's very subjective. But I agree. With everybody. About everything. It's your ears, not mine. I like him. Technical, musical, and out of the box. Beck meets Zappa at times to me.

But I'm a Porcupine Tree/Wilson fan, so my viewpoint isn't the same as most. He's not everyone's cup of tea.


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

i have no problem with :
"I think this is the best guitarist in the world"....

Stating that anyone in the entertainment field is "the BEST" is a totally bogus statement.
"Best" should always be associated with a personal taste.
and that's I have to say about that.
G.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Ok, there may be better, but he's the best.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

laristotle said:


> Go ask Rory Gallagher.


the dude from Oasis?


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

I like Guthrie because he likes all the shredders I like. He's a shredders shredder. He's also half decent at that Jazz/Fusion shit. Or maybe really really really decent. Who's to say?


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

IMHO, the best guitar player would be on an acoustic. There is more to be done on an acoustic than on an electric.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

@vadsy


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Steadfastly said:


> IMHO, the best guitar player would be on an acoustic. There is more to be done on an acoustic than on an electric.


I find what Guthrie is doing is so difficult. I am not saying it is the best music, but he is using scales, modes, arpeggios, every music thing in the book. His hands and the speed and cleanliness of his notes, plus the stuttering and everything else... I don't know who could top that performance. Another thing. He does these performances flawlessly in one take. I have watched him doing studio sessions and he is a One Take Jake.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Robert1950 said:


> @vadsy
> View attachment 280518


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

vadsy said:


>


Did the capt play space guitar?


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

player99 said:


> Did the capt play space guitar?


space fife


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

vadsy said:


> space fife


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

player99 said:


> __ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=772633726493203


The clip won’t play for me so obviously this guy sucks.

Not everybody has facebook btw.


Kidding of course. He’s a brilliant player. The music doesn’t really turn me on, but yes, he can play.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I very rarely go out to shows, but made a point of seeing him with The Aristocrats this past July, when they came to a club near my home. Simply phenomenal player. Nimble. Creative. Playful. And far more articulate than your average musician. The only criticism I would have of him is that he can stuff SO much into his playing (if idea-per-second is any sort of metric) that he can be exhausting to listen to. My buffer space gets filled up rather quickly because of all those ideas. I begin to feel like Lucy and Ethel on the chocolate assembly line when listening to him. Maybe it's an age thing, but as much as I respect his playing immensely, I _enjoy_ Jeff Beck a little more because ideas don't get flung at me as frenetically. I get to savour each one a little before the next one arrives.

Still, in the realm of shredders, he's right up there with Satch, Vai, and Herring.

I'll note that the Charvel he plays is one remarkably good guitar. Very wide range of tones. There aren't many Strat-derivatives that make me think "Gee, I wonder what it would be like to play _that_ one?", but the range of sounds he extracted, playing the same guitar all night for a very long set, was most impressive.


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## leftysg (Mar 29, 2008)

player99 said:


> Did the capt play space guitar?


Space Truckin'


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

player99 said:


> I find what Guthrie is doing is so difficult. I am not saying it is the best music, but he is using scales, modes, arpeggios, every music thing in the book. His hands and the speed and cleanliness of his notes, plus the stuttering and everything else... I don't know who could top that performance. Another thing. He does these performances flawlessly in one take. I have watched him doing studio sessions and he is a One Take Jake.


I believe Steve Vai could. IMHO, I feel he is the best technical player at this time but again, that is just my opinion.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)




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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

This is an exhibition, not a competition. Please, no wagering.


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

Steadfastly said:


> IMHO, the best guitar player would be on an acoustic. There is more to be done on an acoustic than on an electric.


I’ll agree to disagree. 

More options leads to more things to do therefor the breadth of possible things is much larger on electric. A well rounded electric player will
Become a Faster master at the acoustic than vice versa.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

Tommy Emanuel is my favourite player right now but there are so many talented musicians out there and all have different styles. Hard to pick just one.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

player99 said:


> There are many way to look at it, I think Neil's knowledge and skill wouldn't be as much as one of Guthrie's discarded toenail clippings. But that is based on knowledge of theory, playing skills, technique etc. Guthrie is the king of guitar playing. In other words Guthrie can play Neil, but not in a million years can Neil play Guthrie. But Niel has his moments. That's what is cool about art. An artist doesn't have to be the most technically proficient to be really good and popular.


I don't think he could play Neil. I don't think he could play drastically fewer notes. There's also something to be said for the tension you get from the sound of of someone pushing against the limits of their ability. No tension in this guy.

Personally I don't measure a guitarist's talent by their ability to cram as many notes into a phrase as possible. I measure them by their ability to play memorable melodies and evoke emotion.

If this guy was a painter, every painting would be hyper photo realistic. Does that make someone the best painter?


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

The greatest poem is not that which is most skillfully constructed, but that in which there is the most poetry._ 
L. Schefer_


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## Distortion (Sep 16, 2015)

Will the real Guthrie stand up. Guthrie Trapp from Nashville is far better. Guthrie Govan is the latest greatest scales pounded out.


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

Distortion said:


> Will the real Guthrie stand up. Guthrie Trapp from Nashville is far better. Guthrie Govan is the latest greatest scales pounded out.


Guthrie Trapp is a monster player. Master of many styles. Him and Josh Smith are getting a lot of airplay in my house lately.


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

The guy who played the slide solo on Bob Segers like a rock


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

There are some interesting posts in this thread.

How do you measure good, better, best in the context of guitar playing or in music in general?

Lately I’m back on a Jeff Beck kick. I can’t think of anyone who grabs the strings quite like he does. Sometimes it’s Steve Howe, again, a very unique player.

Govan can shred.

What matters to me is the song. Does the player serve himself or try to make the song better?

Was the song well written, or maybe better to ask, does the song reach or inspire me somehow?


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Govan _can_ do that. But in much the same way that Frank Zappa's playing could have moments of tremendous beauty wedged in between a lot of other stuff coming at you in seemingly endless cascades of amelodic 32nd notes, Govan also plays some staggeringly gorgeous lines wedged in between a lot of other stuff. It's like driving through gorgeous countryside at 180MPH; you want to slow things down a bit to savour it.

That's one of the things I like about Jeff Beck these days. He's not in a hurry, and he doesn't have to prove anything; he just wants to savour.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

No one ---- absolutely no one ---- plays a vibrato arm and volume control at the same time as well as Beck does. At least I haven't seen it.

He can achieve very vocal qualities with his technique. His cover of one of the Beatles ballads is haunting (can't remember which one, though).


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Speaking of players who can play like someone singing


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

vadsy said:


> The guy who played the slide solo on Bob Segers like a rock


That was a superb slide solo


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Speaking of Neil


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Some people evoke emotion out of technical playing as well. Isn't as simple as "who's the best". Depends on the listener. I'm pretty sure my Wife would think someone like Guthrie sucks donkey balls. She can't relate to it is all. I can relate to it and appreciate his playing, but it's not my listening style. It's pretty simple. You do you. lol

@vadsy....Rick Vito


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Dorian2 said:


> @vadsy....Rick Vito


the mud flap king of the eastern seaboard?


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Sorry, din't catch no reference.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

High/Deaf said:


> No one ---- absolutely no one ---- plays a vibrato arm and volume control at the same time as well as Beck does. At least I haven't seen it.
> 
> He can achieve very vocal qualities with his technique. His cover of one of the Beatles ballads is haunting (can't remember which one, though).


Cause We Ended as Lovers?


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

That's a good one, but the one I was thinking of was this. Turns out there's a few different live versions on the 'tube.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

She's a Woman is also nice.

Yes, Beck has a unique vocal quality to his soloing and melodic lines.

Maybe the best player from among the Yardbirds alumni.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

This guy doesn't get mentioned enough in these types of discussions IMO. Been one of the best since the 70's with the Dregs. Saw him live with Purple and most videos don't do him justice. The sound takes control of everything and envelops all senses.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

+1. I's loves me some Steve Morse. Killer player. Probably wasting his talent in DP, but making more money than ever. Ahhhh, such is the music _business._



Milkman said:


> She's a Woman is also nice.
> 
> Yes, Beck has a unique vocal quality to his soloing and melodic lines.
> 
> Maybe the best player from among the Yardbirds alumni.


Although I am a huge Jimmy Page fan (I know, I gotta cut down on the beer .....), I agree with that. Of the 3, Beck is at another level, IMO.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Dorian2 said:


> This guy doesn't get mentioned enough in these types of discussions IMO. Been one of the best since the 70's with the Dregs. Saw him live with Purple and most videos don't do him justice. The sound takes control of everything and envelops all senses.


I've been a big fan of Morse since the early Dixie Dregs. I love his approach to baroque influenced music and his chicken picking.

I just watched a documentary that I had bought last year but never watched (not exactly wife friendly music).

I was also very impressed by Andy West on bass.


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