Here's my list all:

1.Frank Zappa--Noone to this day can touch this man. He did things on guitar that cannot be believed, and made it seem so easy. He actually seemed bored by it. He gave up guitar because it was too easy and not complex enough. What a master. Prince only wishes he were this good.

2.Jeff Beck--talk about a motherfucker who could strangle a guitar. This guy wails, and really has amazing chops. Musical and very inventive.

3.Eddie Van Halen--This invented shit that to this day is imitated by countless guitarists. He is the king of new noises. Too bad he went pop and become old and boring. Kind of like Prince.

4.Jimi Hendrex--One badass mofo, who is a bit overrated at times, but in his day he could really wail.

5.Prince--These other guys whip Princes little ass on guitar, but I still love the little maggot. When he wants to he can really play that gittar.

Jimi Hendrix

Jimmy Page

Prince

Dave Gilmour

Lindsey Buckingham (not considered truly great but I love his style!)

2freaky4church ...
love your choices dude...

just 5,huh?

here's my picks:
Jimi HENdrix...remember most of the metal axe men and
rock guys of 70's and 80's owe a HUGE debt to jimi.
(eddie v,randy rhoads,jimmy page...all of them BAD asses)

stevie ray vaughan-MANNnnn this guy could KICK ass!!1

jeff beck-a versatile guy who could play on jazz-fusion
stuff

eric clapton-particularly back in the 60's

albert king-lord have mercy!!!

1. B.B. King
2. Jimi Hendrix
3. Eric Clapton
4. Prince
5. Stevie Ray Vaughn

5 best axemen huh? here go mine:
mark "drac" hicks-slave(all i have 2 say about him is volcanic eruption slide hardness of the world baby sinister)
joe perry(aerosmith)-steve tylers partner in crime he can rock it live or studio side and looks cool doin it
eric clapton- u can feel his joy or pain in every song and performance
ernie isley-hands down 1n of the greatest of all time that inspired hendrix yet never gets his due-check out midnight sky summer breeze that lady if u think im lyin
ted nugent- a wild n crazy mf but he can burn...boy oh boy can he burn... check out his survival of the fittest live

honorable mention also goes 2:
bonnie rait-i didnt hear any 1n mention any ladies yet so i had 2 give the 1st lady of slide guitar her props 2
teena marie-not only can she sing her ass off she can rock on an axe-check out lovergirl and her emerald city album 4 the proof
lita ford-she was down with the runaways with joan jett who helped kill the notion that ladies cant rock...
ann wilson(heart)-cant talk about guitar rock without her name in this lol-seemagic man and baracuda 4 her fire
wendy melvoin-right aolg side prince she more than held her own and looked so damn sexy doin it

diamondpearl1 said:

Damn! Too bad it wasn't a top 10 or 20. I feel you on Mark and on Joe Perry.

now, he may not be one of the ALL TIME greats, but I truly love Robin Trower

his tone and groove and vibe are so sweet and cool

what's the secret to the sound - Uni-Vibe? MXR phaser?

download 'Too Rolling Stoned' and 'Bridge of Sighs' today, suckas!!

Rudy said:

Word.


and where is Randy Rhoads?

mo' guys in the top 20... some underrated...
yes...PRINCE is there. JESSE johnson's there too...
as is ERNIE ISLEY (THAT lady...WOW!)

CARLOS SANTANA (a fave of prince's)

jimmie vaughan (tasty guitarist)
george harrison (his slide work is unique...he was underrated)

steve cropper(less is more)
randy rhoads.
curtis mayfield (fluid style-influential guitarist among
the SOUL player in the 60's)

dave edmunds and brian setzer-rootsy wizards
eddie van halen
brain may
barney kessell...t-bone walker.. johnny guitar watson...
(johnny was dangerous..way ahead of his time)

Hendrix / Prince / Eddie Van Halen / Stevie Ray Vaughan / David Gilmour / Joe Perry / Stevie Salas / Jesse Johnson / Jimmy Page / Nunno Bettencourt (Extreme) / Dave Navarro / Ty Tabor (King's x) / Jeff Beck / Zakk Wild...

1.Hendrix
2.Prince
3.John Frusciante
4.Kravitz
5.Dave Navarro

im not a huge guitar expert,.but my faves r:

1: Prince

2: Steve Stevens (saw him live in person at Billy Idol's show,was 3rd person from the barrier & this guy is playing 2-3min solos right in front of me!
was aweosme!his album "Atomic Playboys" is killer"

3: Jimi Hendrix

4: Jimmy Page (just cos Whole Lotta Love & the Zepplin stuff i know rocks me!)

5: James Burton (Elvis' TCB Band...nothing 2 spesh...just extremely funky on the live recordings)



oh also,no1 here rates Mike Oldfield or Yngwie Malmsteen?

i have a live Oldfield piece("Far Above The Clouds") & he is excellent.the whole piece,synths,gutar,just an awesome sound.
heard a Yngwie solo from a tv doco...this dude plays SO DAMN FAST!
but alot of metal players i hear on songs,just wail 4 the helluvit.
with Prince u feel it.
hear a solo & u dont need words,just the guitar speaks

I guess I come more from the Jazz angle, but here's my top 5 (in no particular order)

Prince
John McLaughlin
George Benson
Steve Vai
Frank Zappa


Oh... and

Jimi Hendrix (can't separate one of these out to replace so I'll just make it Top 6)

If anyone has heard of them:

Strunz and Farah

2freaky4church1 said:

Frank Zappa?

youngca said:

Good to see some respect to players who are not white and play something other than rock. I would say you have to consider Stanley Jordan, Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Ernie Isley, Jesse Johnson, Eddie Hazel as well

theSpark said:

I bought one of their albms back in the 80s. Amazing guitarists

LaMont said:

jesse johnson?? :confused:

it would be hard to make such a list, but

frank zappa - plays the solos that always hold my interest, griity, bluesy, rock hard, with great imagination.

chuck berry - because he sort of invented the rock and roll guitar solo as we know it today

jimi hendrix - great chops, took the guitar solo and pushed it above and beyond what it was before, people are still trying to match his genius

jimmy page - great studio wizard, great power chord composer, player, expanded the rock guitar language tremendously.

eddie van halen - while i'm not a big van halen fan at all, and never really was, he changed rock guitar without a doubt, and held the guitar-god mantel for a good decade.

Jimi Hendrix
Carlos Santana
Prince
Ernie Isley
Stevie Ray Vaughan

Jimi Hendrix,Wes Montgomery,Donnie Lyles(R.Kelly's Guitarist is SuperBadd!!)Ernie Isley,Chet Atkins

5)Prince (because I love him)
4)Bo Didley (inventor of the scatch technique)
3)Robert Johnson (King of the Blues; sorry, B.B.)
2)Jimi Hendrix (Rock-n-Roll's guitar God)
1)Charlie Christian (none of you bothered to count the man who singlehandedly made the guitar a lead instrument.)

NWF said:

Oh yeah, Django Reinheart gets an honorable mention too. But I guess no one seems to know about him either.

NWF said:

Charlie Christen on the Benny GoodMan Sessions are some tight stuff circa 39-42 I Believe? dug what I heard.also cool pick with Django Reinhart.give it up to Roy Clark as well.He can Jam!!!

1.Jimi Hendrix
2.Eric Clapton
3.David Gilmour
4.Mark Knopfler
5.Alex Lifeson

Lenny Kravitz?? I don't think so. I love Lenny, but he is far from the top 5. Maybe top 500.

In no particular order -

Carlos Santana
Robert Johnson
Prince
Jimi Hendrix
Eric Clapton

1. Jimmy Page
2. James Burton (Polk Salad Annie, gator got your grannie)
3. Mark Knopfler
4. Jeff Beck
5. Ritchie Blackmore (Give the speed king some props)