Most Influencial Guitarist?

Which has had the most influence?

  • Jimmy Page

    Votes: 42 49.4%

  • Eric Clapton

    Votes: 20 23.5%

  • Eddie Van Halen

    Votes: 15 17.6%

  • Angus Young

    Votes: 8 9.4%
  • Total voters
    85
VH is a close second wif his firey style. Clapton retired as a guitar player a loooong time ago and Angus's blues based style is covered and eclipsed by VH. Zep still influences more than the rest today.
 
BlindMansColour said:
Who do you think has the most influence on guitarists today?
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I dont hear any of your choices in todays rock music. maybe in the 80's and early 90's.

Most rock music today is a watered down version of nirvana stye vocals and alice in chains guitar/rythm. with very little soloing.

JMO
 
BlindMansColour said:
Who do you think has the most influence on guitarists today?
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It would have to be Les Paul, as almost all guitarists think they have to multitrack their parts to get them to sound "good".... :D

If you're talking strictly about playing styles and/or tone, that depends on whether you think your sound needs more "gain" than what might be considered polite at a piano bar. Seems the dudes that first started turning up their amps all the way and purposely destroying their speakers to get away from that "surf sound" still have the most influence on technique and tone...although it has morphed into more defined tangents.
 
I don't think rock players today are influenced heavily on any of those guys, at least I don't hear it in their playing. I would look more to Nirvana-ish or Metallica-ish type playas.

You forgot Hendrix in yer poll. :p

And Edge. :eek:
 
For monster, power chord riffs..Iommi. Hard to tell who influenced todays crew....
 
don't forget the who...

also for better or worse there is a hell of a lotta rush being copped lately...
 
philboyd studge said:
None of the above.
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I understand this, but I voted for Page just to vote.

But the persons who came to mind first (before I saw the poll choices) were Les Paul, Hendrix, SRV, Chet Atkins, Montgomery, and the futuristic influence of John McLaughlin has yet to be felt. There is no one single "most influential" guitarist....but if I had to pick one who had the most impact on me, it would be Terry Kath.
 
You should have Hendrix, Van Halen, Clapton & Page as the only choices. Sure, there are many others that have influenced players, but these four guys are in the top four! Angus? Shit man, I love his playing but to put him in that list is wrong.

Van Halen influenced sooooo many players, with his soloing, rhythm and his unique style of guitars (one pickup).
 
I'm gonna go with some of the above, in addition to Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, etc...
 
From the offered list -
If they tap & hammer - it's Eddy
If they endlessly wah & scream - it's Cream Eric
If they riff & wail - it's Jimmy
If they ham it up - it's Angus.
But then
If they do it all - it's Jimi
If they slam chord out of their guitar - it's Pete
If they make the earth move - it's Tommy I
If they... well, you know what I mean

Actually, whilst enjoying AC/DC's Pre Brian stuff heaps I can't understand how Angus gets into the poll.
Alvin Lee would've been a better choice for his era or better still Paul Kossof.
BUT then again all the above, whilst innovators are, almost to a man, white & men & baby boomers to boot.
Eddie Cochrane? Link Wray? Les Paul? Buddy Holly? Scotty Moore? All the pre boomers?

B.B, Lightnin', Etc. the electric blues players?
& then there're the beginnings with Huddy, Robert etc etc & their teachers.
Wow - all of the above folk influenced, however INDIRECTLY, current players (even Vai & Co weren't developing in a vacuum).
BUT modern metal owes it's pyrotechnics to Eddie. He brought tapping, hammering and whammy wars to the MASSES.
Funny, I don't like ANYTHING Van Halen did as a band but I can't fail to acknowledge the rebirth of the rock guitar through Eddies hands.
Most of my fav players ARE NOT listed above however.
 
how about....Maybelle Addington Carter

and from the wikipedia:

As important to country music as the family's repertoire of songs was Maybelle's guitar playing. She developed her innovative guitar technique largely in isolation; her style is today widely known as the "Carter style" of flatpicking. Before the Carter family's recordings, the guitar was rarely used as a lead or solo instrument. Maybelle's interweaving of a melodic line on the bass strings with intermittent strums is now a staple of steel string guitar technique. Flatpickers such as Doc Watson, Clarence White and Norman Blake took flatpicking to a higher technical level, but all acknowledge Maybelle's playing as their inspiration.
 
I voted for Page but the most influential guitar player is whoever you are listening to the most right now. In my case it would be Wes Montgomery, Tal Farlow and Charlie Byrd.
 
It's hard to say who is influencing who! As a guitar teacher it's a really hard call. I am almost never asked to teach songs/riffs from anyone on your list so i feel safe in saying that none of the names on your list will have very much influence on the guitarist of the future.
An interesting pattern I have noticed recently among young aspiring guitarists has been a turn towards some really retro styles and artists ( this may only be a local thing) such as Keith Richards (early Rolling Stones stuff) and a surprising interest in George Harrison. This may just be a phase (seems like a year ago everyone was asking to learn something by Kiss) or it may be an indication that the guitarist of the future may be turning to a cleaner, simpler style....only time will tell.
 
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