This thread has probably been brought up before on the org...nevertheless, I must say I enjoy Prince's guitar work...and he has improved and reached new heights on his guitar playing the last 10 years. I still would have to say Jesse Johnson is a better guitar player than Prince and it was proved again on the Jay Leno show the other night when the time performed skillet. Jesse's cords are so prominent when he is playing were as Prince's playing is mostly solo's and engulfed with so much effects applied to it that sometimes it sounds smeared. I saw Jesse in '88 @ the Fillmore in San Francisco and his playing was the closet thing to Hendrix I have ever heard only it was Jesse's identity on guitar. The local radio stations were flooded with calls after his show to demonstrate what I am saying here. On the other hand no one can touch Prince as a multi-instrumentalist, he is absolutely superb and that's where his imagination comes in to play with his out of the world arrangements in his songs. I have a unreleased version of 'Head that is unbelieavable...but guitar goes to Jesse....what do you orgers think?
[Edited 7/26/08 12:37pm]

Prince is one of the top 10 guitarist in history. Don't think Jesse is that status.

Where's my dead horse cartoon?

This topic can only go one way...but to answer your question, even though Jesse is in my top ten, Prince is the MAN. He's always underatted as a guitarist...but he is goooood.

Man,...this topic...The skeleton has been stripped, the bones have turned to ashes and has long since blown South, North , East and West. I've pontificated from a mountain top high up in the clouds and have blown my trumpet untill the sun came up about this subject. I won't go deep like I have too many times in the past about this so I'll just say this; Apples and oranges..both are fruit, both are sweet...both are good.

blackguitaristz said:

Amen!



Jshua

I see where this is going. We love our Prince don't we? and regardless, it's going to be Prince....right?. This thread is not to be a knock on Prince. We certainly have enough negative comments here on the org. The question was put out there for everyone to be impartial, listen to the two of them and respond to it.... my fellow guitar players I really want to hear from you. Does anyone out there have there ears open? yes BGZ they are both good but if there had to be a Number 1 ...Who would it be...Jesse or Prince? anyway I'm glad jesse is back I like the competition between the two of them. What about Jimi Hazel from 24-7 Spyz?

XANADUBLUE said:

Uh, I ALWAYS have my ears open...but it's not about who's best. Both are good at what they do. To me, it's like comparing Magic to MJ. They were both great players in different ways. P and J.J are really two different types of players.
I had the fortune of recording with Morris and Andre at the same session. Many on here is hip to this. But I only bring it up to give u their perspectives. From what I gathered, Morris and A.C. both dug P and Jesse. Both are funky and both can kill it on rock. But to me, their styles are night and day. The only thing they both have in common is that their both influenced by Hendrix. Just like Eddie Hazel and Ernie Isley. You can't say who's "better" between those two. Both Hazel and Isley are HUGE influences on me as a guitarist. Just like Prince and Jesse have been influences on me as well. But I will never say Hazel is better than Isley or visa versa. I love them both. Just like I dig Prince and Jesse. Jesse is more of a blues penatonic styled player where P, who also uses those same scales, mixes his up with more exotic minor based scales. Jesse has fantastic control, especially when he plays live. But so does Prince. Jesse uses the shit out of his whammy, which gives him an entirely different sound than Prince. But Prince has excellent natural vibrato, which again, is a different flavor of playing. P, overall, has more "showmanship" in his playing. P writes his solos to showcase the dramatics. He knows what to highlight and where to "flash". Where as Jesse is more of a straight ahead type of player. Although he writes great leads as well.

Kobe8 said:

Maybe the Prince and Jesse...could have a war about it...I would be curious to see...What yesterday...and today...have proved about guitar playing in general...

when you talk about best guitar solos usualy best guitar solos are very well composed pieces of the compositions.

mark knoplers solo in sultans of swing isn't improvised its note by note composition inside of the song.

stairway to heaven by jimmy page also.
my point is prince composes his solos with more taste and better sense for melody then jesse.
jesse is killer guitar player but not that good composer as prince is.
so my vote goes to prince.

..didn't we just have a 8 page thread on this a month ago? Somebody lock this thread up please.

look here
http://prince.org/msg/5/273206

SPYZFAN1 said:

Spyz man, that's what I was saying in my first post but because the cat who did the thread was new (well I had never seen him around) then that's why I went on a little further. I thought for sure the thread was by thebanishedone since he OWNS asking that question and other questions just like that.

blackguitarist why are you insulting me when i never insulted u?

thebanishedone said:

Man, I'm just playing with you...And besides, you KNOW that you've written about this topic waaaay MORE than anybody else on here. But again, I was just playing with you. Seriously though, you shouldn't feel insulted by something that u have written about in the past. There's nothing wrong with you liking to talk about comparing Jesse and Prince.

ToraToraDreams said:

You mean this one?

black guitarst be honest is it better to make milion threads
about prince as a guitar players cuz you always
find something interesting to read or is it

better to make threads like akon is great songwriter ofr madonna and britney have class?
we are here on org for long period and we find lots of subjects repetitive but
trust me there is a lot of orgers here who still dont know that prince laid guitar solos on 777-9311 and get it up.

Thanks toots. That cartoon is perfect. I thought the same thing B but the banished one's typed letters are always lower case so I knew it wasn't him.

Shit..(and I say this wryly) I'd be more interested in a "Does Jesse or P have the cooler Strat in 2008" thread than who plays better.

SPYZFAN1 said:

Hmmmm, idk, Prince's strats look pretty sexy in both the daphne blue and the orange, but Jesse's with the lefty neck is classic. I'd say its a tie

SPYZFAN1 said:

not a prob SPYZFAN1

That's what I'm talking about we are talking music again on the org. Who cares that this topic has been beaten like a dead horse into the ground, and banishedone so sorry BGZ insulted you that way. I guess he thinks he is the authority on the org...but I will give him major kudos on his response to Jesse's and Prince's tone and approach to their guitars. I'm also not new on here, but I have few response's on the org BGZ. I can also tell you that I have access to a few of Prince's, Jesse's and Sheila E's ex-musicians here in the bay area. There are a trunk load full of them in the Bay Area. I will not involve any of them on this topic. It would be unethical. Some of you may also remember the group Change (Luther Vandross) I am currently hanging out with James Robinson who was his replacement back in a day at his place in Monterey...look for him to resurface in the near future. He has great material. Not trying to toot my horn...just letting you know I'm a viable musician. Some of you say it doesn't matter who plays better guitar, but doesn't it?. Anyway it was all in fun....And all guitarist's....If you were on a game show right now and the question was asked....Guitarist....your reply would be(lets all say it together.....HENDRIX) so the J & P question might mean something after all.

XANADUBLUE said:

Whatever man... U sound like u trippin..I already stated to banished that I was playing with him and he was cool with. What, are you his woman and shit? And I don't know where u got the notion that I think I'm the authority on the org. I gave an apples and oranges answer about P and Jesse. Very diplomatic. U wanted me to give a more "involved" answer. So I went ahead and gave a more detailed description about the two cats styles. Now u coming back with this rubbish about about me "thinking" I'm an authority on the org. You definately sound like you must think I am too since u were the one asking me to delve into what I thought about P and Jesse. Nothing worse than a grown man trippin'. You hardly sound like it was all in good fun to you. That's for sure.

XANADUBLUE said:

are you trying to tell people how to answer/answer for them cause IMHO it looks to me that way?

Even I saw he(BG) said what he liked about BOTH guitarists, pros and cons as well. Each guitartist /musician has a strong point and weakness.

BG dont answer for me he KNOWS I answer myself. I respect BG he has always been cool with me as I been cool with him.

XANADUBLUE said:

So where you get this "authority" stuff at I have no idea.
[Edited 7/27/08 22:28pm]

BGZ...from one music lover to another. To be perfectly honest with you, your response was accurate as hell. And I knew you were right in your description. They both have a different tone. One is similar to Hendrix (Jesse) and the other similar to Santana (Prince). It's about what you like...I suppose. Man, Just want to talk about music. Don't you get tired of reading trivial threads. We need to bring back more topics on music here. My deepest apologies if I offended you. Peace

XANADUBLUE said:[quote} I'm also not new on here, but I have few response's on the org BGZ. I can also tell you that I have access to a few of Prince's, Jesse's and Sheila E's ex-musicians here in the bay area. There are a trunk load full of them in the Bay Area.[/quote]
And uh,...I don't know what u want me to say about u knowing P's, Jesse's and Sheila's ex's...Uh, "that's nice" or "that's cool" or "that's really outasight player! Far out!". Right on, dawg. My thought is this; It's nice to know people, especially in an industry that you may be involved in. But at the end of the road, it's going to be just you. Personally, I wouldn't be so concerned with who's better than so and so. Because all of that has NOTHING to do with whatever it is you may be trying to acheive. Isn't it better focusing on trying to be the best that you're capable of being? And THEN you can let OTHER people talk about how bad you are! And before you know it, hell, they'll be writing threads on here about you.

XANADUBLUE said:

Nah player, it ain't that deep for me to get "offended". It's not THAT serious. I can go a year about the difference between P and Jesse. I know both their styles like the back of my hand. I grew up studying the hell out of BOTH of these dudes. Just like Jesse and P grew up on Hendrix, Hazel and Carlos. Same thing. I myself have been compared to these cats by folks on this very site. I don't trip off of it. I take it as a compliment. Some say they hear Hendrix, some say they hear Prince, some say Hazel and Jesse. All in one song! But they always say they hear my own thing as well. Right on for them. I'm saying that to say this: Just keep doing whatever it is that you do and you'll be right as rain, my child!

It was stated only because we both have something in common. I purposely did not mention who I know for a reason and I'm not looking for attention. But you mentioned me as some sort of new guy whom did not know what I was talking about. As a musician I'm always striving for something new and don't care how I'm criticized as long as I'm true to myself and my music and my soul. And if they read this thread I don't believe they would give it much thought.

XANADUBLUE said:

IMHO you were "looking for attention" cause IF you were not then you would not have said this:

XANADUBLUE said:

As of now Im putting this subject to bed.
[Edited 7/27/08 22:41pm]

As long as I'm true to myself, my music,my soul, then everything is good
[Edited 7/27/08 22:43pm]

XANADUBLUE said:

Nah man, I NEVER stated that u didn't know what u were talking about. If u go back and re-read the post, I said that I thought u were new on this site. Period. Hell, Stanley Clarke could be "new" to this site; Does that mean that he doesn't know what he's talking about? Of course not.