Most Overrated Guitarists

  • Thread starter Thread starter espskully
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JKestle said:
B.B. King is not overrated.

theres a lot more to guitar playing other than how many notes you can play in a second.
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As a guitar player he is so overrated, as a musicain he is under rated.
 
espskully said:
I had the SRV strat and emulated his playing for years and years. He was a God.

I lost "Caught In The Crossfire" - his bio - which sucks. Fantastic read. I'll buy it again.
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There are very few guitarist that have hade it all. SRV was one of them. He had the tech, the tone, the inoviantion, and the "it". The only other person that I would put in the breath is Hendrix. Not to say there isn't other great guitarist out there, but like I said there are very very few who had it all.
 
No doubt. What a fucking waste that he is gone. Imagine what he'd be doing now?
 
espskully said:
No doubt. What a fucking waste that he is gone. Imagine what he'd be doing now?
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He'd be sweating like a maniac somewhere in Texas showin everyone else how a guitar is supposed to be played.

I'd say Hendrix is #1 for emotional/innovative playing, definately worthy of God status (unlike the Clap)

I'd say SRV is #1 for technicality after Hendrix, he never missed a note and never played a song the same twice.
 
I believe Dave Navarro has gotten more gigs because of his tattoos and goatee than his playing. Then again, I think there is a difference between being an all time great and just a hot name at the time. Dave is benefiting from being the hot guy where there isn’t a demand or supply of too many great commercial guitar players that the public at large can appreciate.

I’m not a big Slayer fan and only have seen a couple of videos. So I can’t comment on something that’s not my cup of tea.

Vai though isn’t overrated by any means. But he is an acquired taste. I know plenty of players who respect the fact he can read music and put together great compositions, but they just don’t like them.

Clapton if anything is underappreciated compared to Hendrix. Part of that is The Beatles / Stones arguments. Clapton is still writing his history; sadly unless they unearth some more tapes we’ve heard all that Hendrix has done. Everyone talks about what if Hendrix or SRV would have done if they lived but who’s to say if Hendrix didn’t live longer he wouldn’t have put out some “commercial” clunkers like Clapton did. Probably not but then again you never know.

Can I throw in Kirk Cobain? I get the whole disenfranchised youth thing but every time a guitar magazine tries to paint him as an innovative guitarist I cringe. The only thing he did innovative was not let the producers water down his sound like Warrant, Slaughter and Def Leppard.
 
I'm sorry, but Kurt Cobain would have been the first to tell you that he was s sucky guitar player. And he said it over and over many times.

H2H
 
Oh god I forgot about Kurt Cobain. What a large crap fest he was.
 
the edzell said:
I believe Dave Navarro has gotten more gigs because of his tattoos and goatee than his playing. Then again, I think there is a difference between being an all time great and just a hot name at the time. Dave is benefiting from being the hot guy where there isn’t a demand or supply of too many great commercial guitar players that the public at large can appreciate.

I’m not a big Slayer fan and only have seen a couple of videos. So I can’t comment on something that’s not my cup of tea.

Vai though isn’t overrated by any means. But he is an acquired taste. I know plenty of players who respect the fact he can read music and put together great compositions, but they just don’t like them.

Clapton if anything is underappreciated compared to Hendrix. Part of that is The Beatles / Stones arguments. Clapton is still writing his history; sadly unless they unearth some more tapes we’ve heard all that Hendrix has done. Everyone talks about what if Hendrix or SRV would have done if they lived but who’s to say if Hendrix didn’t live longer he wouldn’t have put out some “commercial” clunkers like Clapton did. Probably not but then again you never know.

Can I throw in Kirk Cobain? I get the whole disenfranchised youth thing but every time a guitar magazine tries to paint him as an innovative guitarist I cringe. The only thing he did innovative was not let the producers water down his sound like Warrant, Slaughter and Def Leppard.
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Good post.
 
Anyone who actually thinks B.B. King is "overrated" is automatically disqualified from being taken seriously in any and all discussions about guitars or guitar playing, or life, or the universe, or right and wrong.

Chris:)
 
I noticed Malmsteen listed as Overrated in the original list. I can't say that I've heard much of anything said about him since the 80's, and back then until he was discovered nobody "shredded" like he did. He revolutionized the way the electric guitar was played at that time. Granted, he might have been a one trick pony.. but it was an interesting trick. In fact, I do recall his techniques discussed in a guitar mag once as well as influencing a few guitar players. I could be wrong.. and if I am I guess he WAS in fact.. Overrated.

I think the only thing more repetitive than Malmsteens lead playing would be the few dead horses left who still think it's "trendy" to shoot the guy down by trash talking him on the Internet. If everyone feels the guy plays too many notes, has no feeling, etc. then why keep posting about it?

Lastly, the anti-Malmsteen crowd always seems to post the same old garbage then name their favorite guitarist that EVERYONE should listen to who is "better" than Malmsteen. This guitarist is always a "shredder", came around AFTER Malmsteen opened the door for them, and was influenced by Malmsteen in some way..if only a little. Yet Malmsteen sucks and is Overrated.

We must first define "Over-rated".


I will go out on a limb and say that Esteban's infomercial is Overrated by the way that they are marketing that "similar" guitar of his that is for sale. Then again.. you get what you pay for and I must say... that commercial is definitely some entertaining marketing. (I think many of us get a laugh out of it)

As for any particular guitarist who may be overrated... I'm not sure that I can name any one in particular that I've noticed who has been over-hyped by the media as of late. I'll agree that through the 90's there WERE alot of grunge guitar players featured in magazines that were considered "Innovative" in a sense and were changing the world of rock guitar. I'm not sure about you guys but this repeatedly pissed me off since most if not all of it was re-hashed stuff already done by Hendrix and other artists that spanned up through the mid-70's.

Ok.. I'll go with that then. The most Overrated guitarist(s) would be the punk/grunge/alternative guys from the 90's who "thought they were the shit" and were revolutionizing rock guitar.

My final thought: Where the hell are they all now?

/cue laughtrack
 
Take away the guitar and Clapton could stand on his own as a singer. This is part of his appeal.

Also, music has to be judged in the context of the times in which it was created. Listening to it a generation and a half later puts any music (rock music) at a severe disadvantage.

Nugent was great in the context of his time. Technology was nowhere near as advanced in the mid seventies as it is today. Getting his guitar to sound like that was extremely difficult back then.
 
AdrianFly said:
Ok.. I'll go with that then. The most Overrated guitarist(s) would be the punk/grunge/alternative guys from the 90's who "thought they were the shit" and were revolutionizing rock guitar.

My final thought: Where the hell are they all now?

/cue laughtrack
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That's kind of an odd thing to say. The "grunge" (for lack of a better word) era of guitarists seemed to almost pride themselves on NOT thinking they were "the shit". And that wave of musicians completely and totally erased the guitar solo from top 40 pop/rock. I dunno if that qualifies as "revolutionizing", but the repercussions of their esthetic are certainly still felt today.

I mean, on the rare occasion that I turn on the radio nowadays, the guitar I hear much more resembles Alice In Chains, et al than the 80s hairband wanker stuff that preceded it (not to say I didn't kinda like some of that 80s stuff.:)).

You wanna talk about people who were most definitely bloated with ego, and are nowhere to be found today... um, you're talking about the "shredder" types, who are now largely regarded as a bad joke by the mainstream music world (although their fans seem to represent a large percentage of internet guitar forums).

Chris
 
Ahhh I got ya.

Then it's EDDIE VANHALEN for sure.

Still a complete egotistical prick, is sucking ass worse than ever on guitar, ruined his latest tour by being drunk and on drugs, and doesn't give a rats ass about the fans. I've got friends who have always been diehard VH fans that spent hundreds to go see the band this past year. They brought their kids with to see Dads "hero" and were humiliated by Eddie's performance..especially the fact that he was wasted and didn't give a crap about what the fans thought. (Especially during his shitty solo part) Nothing like hundreds of Die-Hard EVH fans flipping off EVH.
 
Saw Steve Vai at Newcastle this year and he was out of this world--
definatly not overated. Just got Uli Jon Roths metemorphosis cd and I
think even Steve would be amazed by this reworking of Vivaldi's "the four
seasons".
 
clapton for me has great feeling and phrasing..its not about how complex or difficult a piece is to play!!

so claptons good but he is not god!!

and clapton now and clapton from 68 are quite different..almost two different people..but he is not overated by people who think before they speak

but yes some idiots do overate him.
 
groucho said:
Anyone who actually thinks B.B. King is "overrated" is automatically disqualified from being taken seriously in any and all discussions about guitars or guitar playing, or life, or the universe, or right and wrong.

Chris:)
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Darn that would be me. Serious, it all depends on how you look at the question. I for one love B.B. King, but I don't look at him for his guitar playing. I view him more for his overall package. He is a great great musician.
 
chadsxe said:
Darn that would be me. Serious, it all depends on how you look at the question. I for one love B.B. King, but I don't look at him for his guitar playing. I view him more for his overall package. He is a great great musician.
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All the man has to do is play one note to send a shrill up your spine...

I don't recall too many who can do that.
 
groucho said:
And that wave of musicians completely and totally erased the guitar solo from top 40 pop/rock. I dunno if that qualifies as "revolutionizing", but the repercussions of their esthetic are certainly still felt today.
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No, the fans "totally erased" the guitar solos from the public's perception of grunge. It was all a huge media hose.

Anyone who listens to Pearl Jam's "Ten" or "Temple of the Dog" and doesn't hear guitar solos has been completely brainwashed. Hell, "Nevermind" has solos as well.

A solo clocked down with wah is still a solo. Just ask Jimi Hendrix.
 
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