I take guys like Slash, Prince and Bryan May over this old fat jazz players any day.
But because I'm a hard rocket at my heat, and i don't care very much for jazz playing. An i hear lots of jazz players, from P metheny to Barney Kessel, and they don't touch my heart like SANTANA.
So 4 this reason, i prefer them as guitar players than lots of studied and skilled musicans who can play zillions of notes per second.

mattmcbr said:[quote]agentmonday said:[quote]

xpsiter said:

HAHAHHHAHAHAHAHA - excellent. good one.

please don't feel you have to contribute to a thread if you know NOTHING about what you're talking about. we don't mind.

i'll do this bit slowly.

ANGUS YOUNG IS THE...LEAD GUITARIST... you see. he play's LEAD GUITAR. the 3 chords business is down to the RHYTHM GUITARIST... he's called Malcom Young.

get yourself a CD (shiny plastic thing), you want the one called 'Back In Black'. the man / woman in the shop can help you find it. Listen to it and hear what 'only 3 chords' sound like. Oh, and those bits with the loud distorted notes... THAT'S ANGUS PLAYING...

Gosh, he's quite good isn't he.

as for you're other words of wisdom. put them on paper and send them to a magazine called GUITARIST. they'd be gratefull for you're amazing insight into 'the greats'...

I agree ... second to the greatest ... Jimi. But that says alot.

NME said:

bhahahahahahaha. Kurt Cobain being a better guitarist than Prince !!! bhahahahahahaha

As for Eddie Van halen he is the typical guitarist who has great technical skills but no feeling whatsoever. He is just showing off his skills without any heart and soul. Being a great musician is not about technical skills only, it's about the touch as well. Now some of the names of your list are simply ridiculous.

BlaqueKnight said:

a Funkadelic freak.

Realize this!! Most of the guys that make these top ten list can't play all styles. I think that was the point the person starting this thread was trying to make.

Let's break it down...

When you speak of the blues guitarist Buddy, BB, Clapton...
That is the only style they are GOOD at. The same for the shredders and the Jazz heads. Put these guy on stage with different styles and they would be lost. Most of them wouldn't even play. I strongly believe if you put Prince on stage with any of these musicians he would have no problems finding some scales to run through.

Now don't get crazy on me, I am basing my point of view on Prince's entire musical library. And I am a musician for quite a number of years. Half you people adding your two cents can't even play an instrument. (I play five F.Y.I.)



Lastly, yeah the Jazz heads and shredders or sooo great. I argee they are technically better, but they can be boring. (And this is coming from a Jazz head)



THE TRUTH HURTS!!! So endth the lesson!!

i think that the basic point is that prince is just very underated not by prince fans but just in general.imo he should be on these lists but i dont even think that alot of people relise he,s that good some i would say dont even relise he plays at all.

csharp57 said:

Well said.

BlaqueKnight said:

You mean wet?

agentmonday said:

What YOU fail to understand is versatility DOES NOT EQUAL GREATNESS. Many of the guitar players who make those lists are the best in their field. Also, because they are the best in their field, they have no NEED for versatility. If asked, Vai could physically play anything Prince could. The same is NOT true in reverse. Stanley Jordan plays guitar MILES AND MILES above Prince, whether one's musical taste finds it appealing or not is irrelevant. Bottom line is Stanley's dexterity is better. He can physically play things that Prince and others CAN'T play. Such is also true for guys like Satriani and Frank Gambale. Some guitarists STYLE surpass their abilities. That is the case with Prince. He ain't the best tapdancer, but he's wearing the shiniest shoes. You fans can rant till next to never but Prince is still nowhere near the BEST. NUFF SAID.

[This message was edited Fri May 30 16:20:56 PDT 2003 by BlaqueKnight]

prince aint the best perhaps but he,s got a nice mix of skills not the technics of steve vai or perhaps the emotion of neil young 4 arguments sake .he is ingnored as a guitar player if he aint then how the fuck do worse guitar players get on the list above him if guitarists vote 4 these polls they aint being fair.

BlaqueKnight said:

For guitar players and technical geeks I can see where Prince wouldn't be anywhere near the top of the list. That is, if you separated the rest of the music from the guitar-playing then Prince would be exposed by most people. I don't claim to be a guitar aficionado but even I can see that. However, that's like saying my cousin can beat Jason Kidd in a game of 21-- So what? That isn't the game of basketball and guitar playing in and of itself does not a song make. You have to play to the song. In that respect Prince is one of the best in my opinion.
Having said that I think Jimmy Page and definitely Jimi Hendrix run circles around P in any context. Hendrix, for example, could physically do more with a guitar based on the size of his hands alone. Prince is more versatile only because he benefits from those that came before him such as the Santanas, Hendrixes, Pages, and Bensons.

whodknee said:

AGAIN, my Stanley Jordan example proves my point. When you go to his show, it JUST STANLEY playing 2, 3 and sometimes 4 parts of the song on guitar. PRINCE DOES NOT DO THIS. Guitar playing in and of itself CAN make the song just as just playing piano can make a song. Also, versatility IS NOT a measure of greatness. It can be an ASPECT of it, but not a measure. You FANs keep bringing up Prince's versatility as a scapegoat without taking into consideration that you don't know the versatility of the guitarists that are considered better than him. Do you think that someone who can play "Flight Of The Bumblebee" on guitar CAN'T play blues or funk? Its not that they CAN'T, its that people don't ask them to because they want to hear the spectacular stuff. Hey, ask Prince to sing 50 Cent's "In Da Club". What's the matter, think he CAN'T? Nobody would ask him to because they want to hear him sing BETTER STUFF that shows off his skill. Get it?

Ok, but if PRince is not among best. Santana, Eric Clapton, Isley and Hendrix are not too. Cause theu physically can't play the shit Vai plays. But in my opnion, expressiveness is what counts. I dont think Prince is a better player than Steve Vai, but I think he is better than most of hard rock and blues rock guitar players. He can outplay a guy like Richie Sambora, Joe pErry and Slash, easily.

prince can keep up with anyone on guitar ive yeet 2 hear someone better imo

You guys are just smoking the purple crack pipe. Honestly. I guess I should just chalk it up to the lack of knowledge of guitarists. Cats like Vai, Jordan, Satriani, Gambale, Joe Pass, etc are well known, but there are also guitarists like Shawn Lane, Tony McAlpine, and a hundred other cats who don't have a multi-million dollar twenty year media campaign behind them who would wear Prince's ass out on guitar. I'm not even going to bring up some of the classical players because this seems to be a pop crowd. I'm not going to mention the many guitar instructors and just regular every day local guitar heroes in every city. When all is said and done, Prince IS NOT THE SECOND GREATEST GUITARIST IN THE WORLD. Prince FANS are the most dedicated, maybe. What has Prince ever playeed that is so impossible to play that would make him so much greater than EVERYONE else?
[This message was edited Sat May 31 8:29:09 PDT 2003 by BlaqueKnight]

BlaqueKnight said:

"What has Prince ever playeed that is so impossible to play that would make him so much greater than EVERYONE else?" Guess what bud, it is not what he plays, but what he puts into the playing. He has sex appeal when he launches into a riff. or those 'movements' he makes. He add a great voice 2 it. He puts his soul in2 it and makes use of the stage around him while he plays. And his technique and versatility is in place. It's all these things and more which make him THE SECOND GREATEST GUITARIST IN THE WORLD. I would like 2 c any of those 'instructors' do all that. Perhaps technically they r better. So what? That does not place them ahead of P. Some people like some1 when the play the guitar on stage, 4 more than just mere technique, especially when it already so good - as is the case in P's place. They look 4 something xtra special. P has this in spades.

It's good to see Jerry Garcia, Duane Allman, and the underrated Vince Gill (I don't think he's in the top 25 or so, but he deserves a mention.) mentioned in this topic.

What I CAN'T BELIEVE is that DJANGO REINHARDT, arguably THE greatest guitar player in the history of recorded music, hasn't even been mentioned in this discussion of the so called "greatest guitar players"!!!??? But what about Stephen Stills??? (probably the greatest acoustic guitar player in rock music), Steve Kimock, or Tim Reynolds...Or John Mclaughlin or Chet Atkins??? I know I'm comparing completely different styles here, but guys like Keith Richards and Slash couldn't hold a candle to McLoughlin or Atkins, and they'd probably be the first ones to tell you that.

Or an amazing session player like Charlie Sexton (just because a guy isn't a lead guitarist in a stadium rock band doesn't mean he's not great). Also, I notice these lists have been made up entirely of men. Women guitarists - although, let's face it, for some reason there just aren't as many great ones - don't get enough recognition. Nancy Wilson and probably even Bonnie Raitt are better guitar players than Angus Young & Kurt Cobain...come on! And I know he's not in the legend category yet, but Ben Harper should one day be a unanimous selection in lists of guitar greats.

I probably sound like I'm nit picking, but I just can't believe that many of the obvious greats haven't been mentioned, although I must say that I agree with many of the names mentioned so far.

As for Prince (oh yeah, that's what this discussion was about in the first place ) I think he is definatley in the top 20 guitarists that I have ever heard, quite probably in the top 10, and one of the most underrated for sure. Also, I think he may be the greatest all round musician I have ever heard - but that's a whole other topic

Interesting thread!

Even with the amazing array of guitar talent cited here, I don't believe anyone has yet mentioned Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, or Shuggie Otis -- three stellar guitarists.

Whos the best at doing what? I hate this whos the best guitarist shit. Your missing the point of music in general if you have to ask that question

agentmonday said:

Sex appeal is how you judge great guitar playing? BBWWHHAAHHAAHHAAAHHAAA!!! You think Prince is the only guitar player who puts soul into his playing? Prince must be the only guitar player you know. I suggest you listen to this little band called the Isley Bros. Again with the versatility crap. MANY GREAT GUITAR PLAYERS ARE VERSATILE. I see this conversation is pointless. Many of you FANS on this board are seriously smoking the purple crackpipe. If you only know 10 or 12 guitar players and you think guitar instructors are unable to play with feeling or not qualified to be great, then you don't know enough about guitar or guitarists to have an intelligent conversation about GREAT guitarists. Peace out.

I never said he is the only 1 2 put 'soul' into his playing. I think he does it more than others. At least 4 me. I think hendrix was the best ever overall. Again, Mr xpert, this is an 'opinion'. Others will disagree. And i do know of all of the guitar players mentioned 'ere by others. This thread was meant 2 stir up an exchange of words, which it has done. If i wanted 2 say everything. i would write a bloody essay about it. I respect all, but no way in hell would i accept any 'list' that does not include P. Fan? Yeah. Get the hell of my purple lawn lol


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BlaqueKnight said:

It's good 2 b ur 'friend'...what r u still doin' on my purple lawn 'friend'??

agentmonday said:

A B C D E F G, H I J K LMNO...

BlaqueKnight said:

if u manage 2 finish learning the alphabet, and actually get 4rom 'a' 2 'z' then u may b able 2 pick up a guitar and learn a few chords, afterall u do display a great intelect through knowing half the alphabet. Then we will talk. Oh, and get ur ass of my purple lawn...what r u still doin' 'ere?

agentmonday said:

I only need to know A through G to play "a few chords". I'm still on that lawn!
[This message was edited Sun Jun 1 12:31:32 PDT 2003 by BlaqueKnight]

BlaqueKnight said:

...and 2 think i waited all these hours 4 u 2 say somethin' that showed some intelligence...now i go 2 sleep and when i get 2 the purple dream clouds i will piss on u...hopefully 4rom up there, the stream will b mighty 'nuff 2 get u off my purple lawn lol