When I hear Prince play it's hard to imagine someone being better. It's a shame I couldn't inherit his guitar playing abilities

I've studied both guitarists and the answer is yes - Prince was a better guitarist than Jimi Hendrix in every meaningful way, except for one.

The one way that Jimi surpasses Prince is that he was the first guitarist to popularise a range of innovative new guitar sounds, which influenced the next generation of guitarists. In this regard, Jimi was more influential on future guitar players than Prince. By quite a long way.

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However, this was largely because Prince's music wasn't written entirely around his guitar playing. Prince could have been more influential on future guitarists if he chose to follow up Purple Rain with a couple of 'guitar god' albums and years of guitar-focused performances.

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In essence, Prince was a more talented multi-instrumentalist musician than Jimi, and therefore chose to follow a more diverse musical career, and in doing so chose not to confine himself to just become the most influential guitarist in history.

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Prince wanted to become the most influential musician in history. Jimi remains the most influential guitarist in history.

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Finally though, in terms of pure guitar skill, there are literally thousands of guitarists on earth technically more proficient than both Prince and Jimi Hendrix. However, none of these technical freaks are as popular or anywhere near as creative with their original songwriting, and I describe their type of ability as an entirely different - more mechanical - skillset.

[Edited 4/30/16 23:41pm]

A battle? Prince had a lot of respect for Jimi, and a lot in common. Prince didn't have a guitar battle against Carlos Santana or bass battle against Larry Graham and try to beat Larry, and Prince wouldn't have a guitar battle against Jimi and try to beat Jimi. I believe the first soul to shake Prince's hand in Heaven was Jimi Hendrix and they are jamming together, with Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and John Nelson in the Afterworld, and Denise "Vanity" Matthews dancing and smiling.

[Edited 5/1/16 0:08am]

lust said:

Maybe a fairer question would be "could 1985 Prince beat Jimi in a guitar battle?" We lost Prince way to soon but he had 30 years more practice than Jimi.

Jimi started playing guitar at 15 years of age and died at 27, recording his best work at 25. A 25yo Prince would absolutely slay a 25yo Jimi Hendrix in a guitar battle, however that's kind of unfair on Jimi as he wasn't famous for his skill - he was famous for his innovation at that period of time. Jimi was the first, he wasn't the best.

ya, i'd have to agree, Jimi was damn good but he just didn't have the time to master his instrument that prince did, I'd also say that as far as feel and passion, for many years I gave Jimi the edge, that is until the HOF performance then I saw it as more or less even. Jimi had a feel in his playing that no one has really been able to approach. Of course, there is a lot of imperfection in his life playing but that can be said for almost anyone, including Prince. Both were pretty badass but as the earlier poster said, as far as actual technique, lots of people are great, but as far as having a package to present it all, that is to say songwriting, production, concept, passion, prince and jimi were singular. I think Jimi also gets shortchanged in a lot of ways because he was seen as such an innovative guitar player, he was great in the studio, he was great as a songwriter, he was great as a showman and I think as far as innovation, not too many artists, not prince either, can beat him.

How about Prince vs. Carlos Santana?

lust said:

Maybe a fairer question would be "could 1985 Prince beat Jimi in a guitar battle?" We lost Prince way to soon but he had 30 years more practice than Jimi.

Very true the answer at that time would have been no!

But by the time when Prince pasted away he was the greatest ever!

Thizz said:

How about Prince vs. Carlos Santana?

well, i don't know much about santana, but Prince once said that he was a bigger influence. I have been listening to santana's tribute to prince today, certainly he had a huge impact on P's playing. Then too, I'm not a guitarist but a pianist so i'm a bit limited on how I can criticize the playing. No doubt that Prince had a much more complete package. Many people have said lots of players are better than Prince and Jimi but again, technique and fast fingers etc.., only mean so much. I don't think anyone touches Jimi really as far as the fury he touched his instrument with, no one, but he could have been better technically. Still as steve vai once said, "I may play better technically but I'm playing a genre that Jimi invented" (paraphrased).

I lurk this forum more than anything lately and a while back some guy was saying why prince wasn't as good as van halen, guy was a guitarist, he made some great points. Of course everyone jumped on him but he made some great points. Only problem with musicians making those kinds of judgements, which I know from experience, are just out of nastiness, ego, jealousy and oft-times shouldn't even be listened to.

I would say as a Pianist that Prince is damn good, not as good as many, many pianists but damn good. I was listening to his montreaux performances and some of the piano, wondering who it is, because I know he didn't have those kinds of chops, sounded like renato neto, a guy who was a specialist of the piano.

For most people on this earth Jimi is number 1. And Prince is second to him.

But why choose, both Jimi and Prince were brilliant on the guitar......

I loved what Ray Charles said once when Arsenio Hall was talking about how great a pianist he was, he said he knew some guys that could really do it but that they couldn't sell 10,000 albums. you have to pick what you are going to focus on as a musician and what tradeoffs you are going to make because no one can do everything, in fact, guys like Jimi, Prince and Ray are freaks just for the fact that they could do so many different things well. And they found a way to impact the culture and make a living. You can't do that just being a phenomenal musician, those are like pretty girls really, dime a dozen.

lust said:

Maybe a fairer question would be "could 1985 Prince beat Jimi in a guitar battle?" We lost Prince way to soon but he had 30 years more practice than Jimi.

Im a huge Prince fan.

I play guitar but im no where near either these legends.

Imo Prince is one of the most unique artists thats ever been, his talents as performer/song and dance man, his great guitar playing and multi instrumentalism, completing the package with prolific songwriting and his music production.

We probably shouldnt even be comparing these 2 legends as they were both immensly special in their contributions to the music world and music culture.

I think these type questions mostly illicit subjective responses.

They were both legends, for my response to the op I will leave it there.

Its a damn shame we didnt get to hear what Prince would have gone on to create in years to come and how his playing would further evolve.

Its a damn shame we didnt get to see where J.H would have taken the guitar if he could have been around for much longer than the short time he was here.

Jimi's songs are built around the guitar, so they can be performed with just a guitar, or at least long sections of them can be performed without other musicians present. Prince played guitar solos and funky rhythms on the guitar and he relied strongly on other instruments to "play over".

Jimi wins, because he could combine rhythm playing and soloing seamlessly in a way that Prince really often didn't even attempt. Jimi was extremely good at it. However, I think Prince's solos were more sophisticated than Jimi's, if only because he had more time to develop his playing.

Boydie said:

Whether Prince is (was ) the best guitarist is a debate but he most definitely was my FAVOURITE guitarist for his mix of "chops", technical skills, melodic choices, "feel" and rhythm

What blows me away - and I don't really think this has been fully appreciated in the "mainstream" yet is how much of a talent he was - we often hear each part being compared to the best there have ever been:

Was he a better guitarist than Hendrix?

Was he a better dancer / performer than Michael Jackson?

Was he the best vocalist?

Was he the best drummer?

Was he a better bass player than Larry Graham et al?

Was he the best producer?

Was he the best songwriter?

The list goes on and on - I just got around to listening to both Atlanta piano & a microphone concerts and his piano playing was mind blowing!!!


Just the fact that he is being compared to the best in each individual area is often accepted but IMHO it is often forgotten by those that aren't fans that HE DID IT ALL

I can't think of anyone that gets even close to any of this - or ever will?

novabrkr said:

Prince as a guitarist being compared to Hendrix is a facile comparison. Prince is a pop guitarist
who utilizes the pentatonic scale but also uses the Dorian mode, similar to Santana, who is
Prince's most obvious guitar influence. Henrix was strictly a blues and rock n roll guitarist who
was more experimental in his sonic palette than Prince was but his solos, because he didn't veer
too far away from the pentatonic scale, weren't as musically colorful as Prince's, who, again, re-
ferred to the Doran mode often and had a more melodic approach to his guitar playing than Hen-
drix did. Hendrix was more concerned with soundscapes.

But it's not a matter of "Could Prince beat Hendrix in a guitar battle." Musicians, at least I don't
and none of my friends who are musicians as well, look at guitarists as "who is better than who?"
And "best" is wholly subjective: some people prefer BB King's simple approach to guitar playing
over John McLaughlin or Eddie Van Halen who are more technically sound and willing to stretch
out of the pentatonic scale. So for us, it's a matter of "Who is more influential as a guitarist?"
and the answer is obviously Hendrix. As creative musicians, I love both equally and have been
influenced by both equally as well.

That being said, my favorite guitar solo of all time is Hendrix's "Machine Gun" from the Fillmore
East album. Hendrix captured the horrors of war both sonically and psychologically in his playing
which is something I've never heard before in a guitar solo.

Today up in Heaven? Yes I do believe Prince would win, with his white Cloud guitar of course.

PeteSilas said:

I lurk this forum more than anything lately and a while back some guy was saying why prince wasn't as good as van halen, guy was a guitarist, he made some great points.

Eddie Van Halen may be more technically sound; and he appeals to more scales/modes in his
playing than both Hendrix and Prince did. This means that his guitar playing will be a bit more
expansive than Hendrix and Prince because his musical vocabulary is more expansive than Hen-
drix's or Prince's.

But this doesn't mean he's "better" than Hendrix or Prince. Like I said, some people prefer BB
King's vibrato on one note more than a Van Halen running up and down the fretboard. If I had
to listen to some good ol' fashioned pop/rock guitar, I'd choose Prince. If I wanted some awesome
rock n roll guitar playing with some metal flourishes with jazz, I'd go with Van Halen. If I wanted
to hear some experimental blues guitar with R&B flourishes, I'd go with Hendrix.

Can't really compare..

But to me, Prince was as skilled and musical + tasteful.

Maybe not as innovative as Hendrix was though, but more broadly developed.

Check out Prince's best live version of "The Ride":

https://vimeo.com/164886441

Crazy jam solo, excellent flow, with a nod to Jimi.

[Edited 5/1/16 5:22am]

Boydie said:

Whether Prince is (was ) the best guitarist is a debate but he most definitely was my FAVOURITE guitarist for his mix of "chops", technical skills, melodic choices, "feel" and rhythm

What blows me away - and I don't really think this has been fully appreciated in the "mainstream" yet is how much of a talent he was - we often hear each part being compared to the best there have ever been:

Was he a better guitarist than Hendrix?

Was he a better dancer / performer than Michael Jackson?

Was he the best vocalist?

Was he the best drummer?

Was he a better bass player than Larry Graham et al?

Was he the best producer?

Was he the best songwriter?

The list goes on and on - I just got around to listening to both Atlanta piano & a microphone concerts and his piano playing was mind blowing!!!


Just the fact that he is being compared to the best in each individual area is often accepted but IMHO it is often forgotten by those that aren't fans that HE DID IT ALL

I can't think of anyone that gets even close to any of this - or ever will?

Never liked comparing P to Jimi (or EVH for that matter). Only thing the three had in common besides being influential was being on the same record label. P respected Jimi and took some of his vibe, but he did his own thing with it. A lot of P's earlier guitar work (78-83) stayed away from blues scale boxes and wah pedals..that may have been intentional so he wouldn't be compared. But I think later on as he made a name for himself stylewise the "Jimi-isms" on guitar would pop out.

I get that. Jimi's tone was a little more "raw" with his amps wide open. Where P's guitar blended in well with his band, but it did sound "processed".

phoenixrising said:

Boydie said:

Whether Prince is (was ) the best guitarist is a debate but he most definitely was my FAVOURITE guitarist for his mix of "chops", technical skills, melodic choices, "feel" and rhythm

What blows me away - and I don't really think this has been fully appreciated in the "mainstream" yet is how much of a talent he was - we often hear each part being compared to the best there have ever been:

Was he a better guitarist than Hendrix?

Was he a better dancer / performer than Michael Jackson?

Was he the best vocalist?

Was he the best drummer?

Was he a better bass player than Larry Graham et al?

Was he the best producer?

Was he the best songwriter?

The list goes on and on - I just got around to listening to both Atlanta piano & a microphone concerts and his piano playing was mind blowing!!!


Just the fact that he is being compared to the best in each individual area is often accepted but IMHO it is often forgotten by those that aren't fans that HE DID IT ALL

I can't think of anyone that gets even close to any of this - or ever will?

The summation of your answer is, he was able to do a lot of things at a very high level

Hell yeah...there its been said