Guitar Players We Like (and Why)

**houseisland** · December 15th, 2005, 06:41 PM

I thought this would make an interesting thread.

I will start with one scary dude ....

Ralph Towner: Acoustic Guitar God

Whenever I want to get really depressed about the total inadequacy of my technique, I take out something by Ralph Towner. Ralph is not a grandstanding flash player, so his mastery of the acoustic guitar (classical, 6-string, 12-string) does not immediately hit you over the head. It does, however, become apparent with repeated listenings -- amazing control over note duration (no going flat at the end of note value), cleanliness of note articulation, awesome and judiciously used speed, great chord voicings, interesting dissonances, quirky rhythmic subtlties, etc., etc. Every time I listen to him I hear something new that I missed in previous listenings.

**TripleRLtd** · December 15th, 2005, 07:10 PM

Cool topic.

But, I'm an old "classic rock" lover, so, take my choices with a grain of ...

Robbie Robertson! Has "outdueled" supposed greats like Clapton standing right next to him.
David Gilmour! Not exactly a "great" all-around guitariist, but Damnnn! The guy does it with feeling and within himself and his music.
Stevie Ray Vaughan. Wild man with the sixer...

**street1** · December 15th, 2005, 07:15 PM

Chet atkins-Because he is awesome!Willie Nelson -Because of unique style! Me-because playing a guitar relaxes me.

**geoscomp** · December 15th, 2005, 08:08 PM

Well, playing Hammond and keyboards with a blues/boogie band now may color my opinions, but I've played 12 string for about 30 years, and I've got to say Leo Kottke for his ability to make the 12 string sound like it is supposed to, with all the power of Leadbelly and grace as well, and Rye Cooder for those tasty licks...but Clapton aint no slouch although Robbie Robertson has that down in the delta feel, and Robert Randolph on the pedal steel is pretty darn good as well

**houseisland** · December 15th, 2005, 08:55 PM

Great choices so far!

Love Robbie Robertson, Clapton, Gilmore, and SRV.

"Chet atkins-Because he is awesome!" Indeed. Indeed! He is one, like Roy Clark, who is often overlooked by "serious" critics and musicians because of the commercial nature of much of his record output. But man, that dude had chops to burn. Roy Clark has a greatly under-exposed (and under-used) set of jazz/blues chops - wicked, wicked, wicked....

Kotte! I've seen him perform a couple of times in small clubs. Blown away each and every time! Very powerful performer!

**houseisland** · December 15th, 2005, 09:04 PM

Buddy Guy

If you want to know where Clapton, Hendrix, and a host of other stole a lot of their bluesy chops from, find some of Buddy's old records.

There is that Clapton "Cream" sound -- something like a little Fender Champ amplifier cranked to the max, overdriven, and close-miked. Buddy invented it.

Great live performer, too. A must see.

**jaimicook** · December 15th, 2005, 11:27 PM

My preference is Less Paul. He did most of the important reserch into electric guitars. Chet Atkins is right up there too. I have an album of Less and Chet jamming. Great stuff! John Williams is great on classic guitar. Roy Clark made one fatal mistake. He is a great guitar player, but he made the mistake of assuming he could sing! That's my preference. I'm classic piano and organ, and in recent years MIDI keyboards.
Jim

**houseisland** · December 15th, 2005, 11:48 PM

I have some old 78s of Les Paul, some solo, some with Mary Pickford. I inherited them from my dad. I liked listening to them when I was a kid. There is the famous story about Lenny Breau (the late Canadian jazz guitarist -- Mr Harmonics) who listened to Les Paul when he was learning to play -- he didn't know that Les was double-tracking, so he started trying to play both of Les's tracks at the same time and developed quite an amazing technique in the process.

"John Williams is great on classic guitar." Agreed most heartily. Love his clean clean tone. There are very few classical guitarists who ever develop a distinctive sound. Williams you can almost always recognize immediately. He pops up everywhere -- movie sound tracks, pop session work.

**geeksRus** · December 15th, 2005, 11:58 PM

roy buchanan
al dimeola
john mclaughlin

**3fingersalute** · December 16th, 2005, 09:00 AM

Robby Krieger - his bottleneck techniques send chills up and down my spine every time I hear it.

**TripleRLtd** · December 16th, 2005, 11:14 AM

I thought this would be appropriate here:

Elwood Blues:
You may go if you wish. But remember this: walk away now and you walk away from your crafts, your skills, your vocations; leaving the next generation with nothing but recycled, digitally-sampled techno-grooves, quasi-synth rhythms, pseudo-songs of violence-laden gangsta-rap, acid pop, and simpering, saccharine, soulless slush. Depart now and you forever separate yourselves from the vital American legacies of Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Reed, Memphis Slim, Blind Boy Fuller, Louie Jordon, Little Walter, Big Walter, Sonnyboy Williamson I and II, Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, Elvis Presley, Lieber and Stoller, and Robert K. Weiss.

Donald "Duck" Dunn: Who is Robert K. Weiss?

Elwood Blues:
Turn your backs now and you snuff out the fragile candles of Blues, R&B and Soul, and when those flames flicker and expire, the light of the world is extinguished because the music which has moved mankind through seven decades leading to the millennium will whither and die on the vine of abandonment and neglect.
[he walks off, followed by Buster, Mack and then the rest of the band]

I have to say that I didn't watch Blues Brothers 2000 when it first came out as I wasn't expecting much...boy was I WRONG!! The "battle of the bands" at the end was something to behold!!! I must get that on DVD!

**TripleRLtd** · December 16th, 2005, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by geoscomp

...but Clapton aint no slouch although Robbie Robertson has that down in the delta feel, and Robert Randolph on the pedal steel is pretty darn good as well

I didn't mean to make EC sound average at all, only to talk up the vastly underrated Robbie.

Pedal steel huh? Did you ever hear David Lindley? Best known for his ties to Jackson Brown? EXCELLENT!!
Geesh, I could make a list that could go on and on.

Good choices Geeks.
How about others such as Hendrix? Duane Allman AND Dicky Betts? The Edge? Mark Knofler? .....

**slgrieb** · December 16th, 2005, 08:33 PM

Michael Bloomfield is the most underated blues guitarists ever. White, Jewish, and playing a style so raw it made your teeth hurt. His work with The Electric Flag is much better than his "Super Sessions" cuts with Steven Stills and Al Kooper. Kooper said that he thought he was a guitar player until he heard Bloomfield play, then he took up keyboards.

**shamus** · December 17th, 2005, 02:57 PM

My list would be way too long, but my first thought was Eric Johnson. Tone and technique are jaw dropping.

**houseisland** · December 17th, 2005, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by shamus

My first thought was Eric Johnson. Tone and technique are jaw dropping.

Eric Johnson is one of those players I love but whose recorded output I am not overly fond of. I have lots of his stuff. Amazing player. Well listened -- Hendrix, Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell -- show up in his playing (in a non-derivative way). Jaw dropping tone and technique, indeed!!!! But I am not fond of his penchant for singing 80s-ish arena rock ballads.

Others in the "players I love but whose recorded output I am not overly fond of category" are Jeff Beck, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and Steve Morse.

Originally Posted by shamus

My list would be way too long.

Go for it! You don't have to post it all at once.