Most Influencial Guitarist?

[peritus]

As far as Led Zep stealing old blues songs, the Stones did the same thing so it's not unique to Led Zep.

All I have to say is... "Crossroads"

 

[gcapel]

As far as a role model, I gotta go with Chuck Berry. I mean, there are better players, but I always was more interested in the guitar player/singer as a front man. Johnny Rivers, too.

EVH definitely changed the rules of the game, as did Hendrix. Jimmy Page also had a big impact as the guitar slinger who didn't sing. Clapton is Ok as a guitarist, I guess. I respect him only because people used to spray paint "Clapton is God". That's pretty cool since he was just a guitar player.

I think Clapton is the most overrated guitar player of all time. He was a good player, but no magic what so ever. No one song stands out, that i would actually go to the record store and buy an album of Claptons. Hendrix wasn't the most skilled player but had a supernatural ability to move you through his guitar playing. I would say the same for Page and Zeps song writing. For example on zep III the track "thats the way" . Wow...... alternate tunings and pure imagination magic. I guess what I am saying is that I appreciate originality and character more than dry skillful playing.

 

[scrubs]

Chuck Berry.

 

[Creamyapples1]

Lots of good ones mentioned, but I don't think it can be narrowed down to the 4 and of the four I'd not pick any as a main influence for me, personally, and I don't know the vast majority of guitarists so I couldn't say. I love all 4 but also, so many more:

In no particular order:
Marty Friedman
Frank Black
J. Mascis
John Frusciante
and if you can't dig into John, Al, and Paco's "A Friday Night in San Francisco" then what good are you?

 

[ripingitar]

my favorite from that list is EVH .. all of those were influential in there own ways to different styles of Music ... hendrix should be on there !
Not really a pioneer but I really like and admire Jason Becker .. sad though
he has Lou Gerhigs Disease and is but a vegetable now ! What blows me away is that he was 16 or 17 when he recorded perpetual burn ... !

 

[Henry Mars]

I think Clapton is the most overrated guitar player of all time. He was a good player, but no magic what so ever. No one song stands out, that i would actually go to the record store and buy an album of Claptons. Hendrix wasn't the most skilled player but had a supernatural ability to move you through his guitar playing. I would say the same for Page and Zeps song writing. For example on zep III the track "thats the way" . Wow...... alternate tunings and pure imagination magic. I guess what I am saying is that I appreciate originality and character more than dry skillful playing.

Page is a trained clasical guitar player. A lot of what you hear with alternate tunings etc is a result of his clasical training. I like to listen to Clapton, but I agree that he is greatly over rated and very limited. I think that Duane Allman played circles around Clapton and Hendrix. Page is such a mixed bag to me that I really can't compare him to the rest of these guys one way or another good or bad. To me Page has a unique approach that I kind of like.
Van Halen has some good stuff, but I am not really into the type of music he plays.

 

[HapiCmpur]

I'm thinking Marty McFly. He did have some crazy stuff...

And he was way ahead of his time, too.



(Can't believe nobody got to that one before I did.)

 

[killmachine]

Wes Montgomery and Kurt Ballou from Converge

 

[sk8bobby10]

where did jimi hendrix go?

edit: but out of these anywho, i think angus has done the most influencing wise, just because alot of people have copied his style, progressions, yadada, even if he mightve got them. I just think his style is copied or remastered, not neccesarily badly, but its done...

 

[Nakatira]

For me, I would have to say David Gilmour, of the ones mentioned Page

 

[Monkey Allen]

Jimi Hendrix...or any of those old blues players.

 

[andycerrone]

And he was way ahead of his time, too.



(Can't believe nobody got to that one before I did.)

Congrats. Glad to see some people are awake in here.

 

[random.hero]

JOHN FRUSCIANTE WITHOUT A DOUBT. THANK YOU WEREWOLF.
he is honestly beyond eveyone else... listen to his solo albums... you will be convinced

 

[sweetpeee]

Page is a trained clasical guitar player. A lot of what you hear with alternate tunings etc is a result of his clasical training.QUOTE]

Whaaaa???? Since when was Jimmy Page a classicly trianed guitar player??He himself said of his finger picking that it was "total incompetance".

His alternate tunings are usually open chord tunings for example: In my Time of Dying is in open A, Friends is in open C, That's the way is in open G.The only true alternate tuning I can think of off the top of my head is Black mountainside/white summer/ kashmir. It's more than a little likely that Page got them from Blues players.

J.P.

 

[Henry Mars]

Page has a sense of humor. I do know that he has clasical training. I just assume that some of the alternate tuning stuff comes from that training. I could be wrong about that.

 

[sweetpeee]

Page has a sense of humor. I do know that he has clasical training. I just assume that some of the alternate tuning stuff comes from that training. I could be wrong about that.


Yeah, he did have some classical training....but....



"Jimmy Page: ..and at one point, basically because I started to see music appearing in front of me, I actually had some classical lessons, but I mean it wasn't even a handful, really."


http://www.guitaralive.org/page.html

 

[rayc]

J. Mascis does great meanderings.
I've not been able to see the..., I just don't get the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Their music, image, sound, reliance on ballads just leaves me cold.
I aplogise for forgetting Chuck Berry - his music & playing was the reason SSSOOO many people picked up a guitar - he's an unsung influence because his style is simple & his licks have been so copied as to become hackneyed to many ears.
Not fair on the old perv. He really brought black music to white kids.

 

[LOUD1]

I just picked up on this thread and I have to disagree with the "Clapton retired looong ago" statement. I saw Cream reunion last year at MSG, Clapton was awesome! A few more outstanding guitar players that haven't been mentioned yet Jeff Beck, Frank Zappa and Joe Perry.

 

[Codmate]

I think there's a direct line from the Velvets to many the guitar bands I hear around here in the UK - so I have to say Sterling Morrison and Lou Reed!

However - it really does depend on who you're talking about.
I know a surprising number of players that cite Marc Ribot as an influence, as well as people like Gary Lucas.

People are influenced by all sorts of different stuff, but since blues-rock and 'widdling' (my word for what Van Halen does ) aren't all that popular right now I would have to say 'none of the above' to answer the poll!

 

[Codmate]

I just picked up on this thread and I have to disagree with the "Clapton retired looong ago" statement. I saw Cream reunion last year at MSG, Clapton was awesome! A few more outstanding guitar players that haven't been mentioned yet Jeff Beck, Frank Zappa and Joe Perry.

I too was pleasantly surprised by Clapton's playing at the Cream reunion concert (I only saw it on TV though).

If it *has* to be any of those four - I would say it was God - simply because he's covered so many bases thoughout his career.