Okay-This is just a question from someone who really does not know alot about guitar players except Jimi and Prince. Can anyone out there tell me if Prince is the greatest or a near seconed to Jimi or maybe someone else? .

Run for your life!

I'm no expert either, but I am guessing he's not even in the top ten. Technically he is an accomplished guitarist, but I don't think you could call him a genius on the instrument. What I like about his playing is his particular style and the fact that he nearly always does something interesting - he's just so damn musical through and through!

I guess if you had to point towards the most technically brilliant guitarists of today, they would be among the classically trained. That doesn't mean the classic-folks can play the blues, or rock or anything. Just that their technical abilities are far superior to most popular guitarists.

....If I had to venture a guess as to who is one of the overall best guitar players around today, I would say John Williams. But anyway, how do you measure greatness???

calldapplwondery83 said:

Is this a touchy topic? .

I've seen this thread a million times...
OK, maybe a thousand

but,
although Prince isn't the greatest guitar player of all time, technically speaking,
his guitar playing presentation on the stage is absolutely mesmorizing (sp?)

Whenever these threads pop up, I'm quick to point out what a great rhythm guitar player Prince is... Listen to the rhythming on 777-9311... Those clean funky chords ain't so easy... It's not all about soloing...
[Edited 1/24/06 10:20am]

Prince is one of the best rythm guitarist of all time. But lead??... he's in the top 20. That's for sure.
[Edited 1/24/06 10:22am]

coolcat said:

That was Prince playing on 777-9311? . Damn! I learned something new today. Thank you .

nurse said:

You're welcome!

No definately not i'm afraid. I used to believe Hendrix by far was the greatest guitar player ever but technically it's not even close.

Steve vai
Yngwie malmsteen
Randy rhodes
Eddie van halen
jimmy Page
Stevie ray vaughan
Jimi Hendrix
Prince;maybe if he concentrated on guitar more.

Download some of the artists above. Prince can't compete but he's still great.

mikek1 said:

So,Prince is somewhere in the top ten? I can live with that.

nurse said:

Doesn't have to be, but can be. And will be!

calldapplwondery83 said:

Can't say that.

Don't believe it.

There are too many out there who are too accomplished to rank our fearless hero ahead of them.

But he should be considered one of the greats. Arguably his solo during the tribute performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at his RRHOF induction ceremony is Exhibit 1 as to why.

yeah he is good maybe great... but not near the best.... but keep in mind he also plays other insturments too.

Not being able to play guitar myself, I aint sure who's the most amazing in terms of playing as I don't know how hard it is to do.

However, I know Carlos Sentana is rated very highly, and he was once quoted as saying Prince "is the most under rated guitar player" he knows. or something along those lines.

Sounds like a healthy respect from one of his peers to me. And to be honest, its all about personal opinion.

mikek1 said:

Can these guys play rhythm guitar like Prince?

talk2bill2 said:

Yes. An extremely good instrumentalist- because of his many talents on so many instruments.

As for best guitar player ever??


Sheesh.. ur up agaisnt some hot contenders with in the rock genre.

But nobody has mentioned jazz. I suggest u watch "one night at blue note" and watch the performance of a then unknown, jeans and jumper wearing "stanley Jordan".


That particular blues piece he does all by himself.. not one other guitarist in the world had done anything like it or can do even now. Its uncopyable and he was only 19.


If only i could show it to u. For me, the ultimate guitarist of ALL TIME, all genres. Leaves prince standing still.

Prince is a great player, but rock guitarists like Petrucci- fuck me. those guys have the best technique in the world.

Prince is good at what he does- BEST ALL ROUNDER OF ALL TIME- because he can sing, write, compose, play, perform, produce, and arguably.. dance!

I never though Jimmy was the number one guitar player. His music is confused. But to understand what it is to be a great guitar player, one must define what that is. What's a great guitar player? To me the greatness of a guitar player is to be mesured by the artist ability to communicate deep meaningful spiritual things through the "instrment". Jimmy and his over indulance of drugs confused the mans soul. Meanwhile Prince is very good at this task, but I wouldn't say he is the best.

Many many great guitar players I have heard wanted nothing to do with the music popculture business. They were just happy to have a vehicle to express themself through song.

So at that, what's the extent of the use of said talents? Maybe the world will never know the best.

Prince however, has a few good expressions.

coolcat said:

most of the above guitarists are masters of lead. But Prince is the true king of rythm guitar IMO.

GoldenGlove said:

MickG said:

Quick question; What in the world is confusing about Hendrix's music? If u don't like Hendrix, that's cool. But "confusing"?

MickG, all due respect . . . are you serious?

typically the title of best ever goes to Robert Johnson....

The Beauty for me, and I do assume unknowling this is traslated to the rest of human kind, is that the music speaks to me deep within. Maybe, my assumptions are persoumpios. They often are, but this never takes away from the end result of me being right.

I know very little about guitar players (but I know enough not to put in my fav rapper Andre 3k) but my top 3 would be...

Jimi
Prince
Lenny K.

And I'd make them all close

XVI said:

Run for your life!

MickG said:

You sound like somebody who is just talking/typing just to hear/see himself do so.

gargamelgibson said:

Well then your ears/eyes decieve you.

mikek1 said:

There are hundreds of Guitarists who probably exceed in places better than Prince - Al Di Meola / Michael Hedges / Julian Bream / John Williams / Ry Cooder / Rory Gallagher / Gary Moore / Dave Gilmour.....

Thing is none of the above can funk it up the way Prince does and I bet Prince could never play slide Guitar like Ry Cooder does.....Each to his (or her) own .....

I love Hendrix, but think his Guitar playing is very over rated - In the same way Eric Claptons is.