Overrated Guitarists

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Why isn't everybody saying Santana- the king of overrated guitarists. He's the sloppiest, shittiest guitar player that lasted so long. Neil Schon was 15 when he blew him away so Santana wouldn't let him play many solos.

Terry Kath is the ultimate underrated guitarist. Ask Jimi Hendrix who was the best. If he were alive, he'd tell ya. He told Terry way back when.
 
cusebassman said:
...:confused:

Guess I like Knopfler too much, perhaps, but this doesn't seem right at all.

I think Knopfler is Underrated mainly because most non-musicians know him, and many young players don't know him either. Within the subset of people who do, he is widely known as the "Money For Nothing" guy. Far better player than what can be heard in that song, or in some of the other hits Dire Straits had, and even that was some excellent guitar playing.
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Totally agree with you. Knopfler is sick. AND all with his hands. They even had Kurt Cobain on that list. Give me a fucking break.
 
FartSmeller said:
Why isn't everybody saying Santana- the king of overrated guitarists. He's the sloppiest, shittiest guitar player that lasted so long. Neil Schon was 15 when he blew him away so Santana wouldn't let him play many solos.

Terry Kath is the ultimate underrated guitarist. Ask Jimi Hendrix who was the best. If he were alive, he'd tell ya. He told Terry way back when.
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I can't stand Santana. Shit tone. Shit licks. Same fucking runs.
 
capnkid said:
No. I guess I'll have to get a couple of his c.d.'s. Maybe he was just off that night or something. His bands volume was too loud, overshadowing his guitar playing also.
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You just really need to get Ah Via Musicom. If you can't appreciate him after that, you're not going to. It's his guitar masterpiece.
 
gvarko said:
Always thought Jeff Beck didn't get the props he deserves.
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Couldn't agree more.

Overrated? Yngwie Malmsteen is overrated as a guitarist(which I consider the quality of guitar playing), but not as a technical player, obviously.
 
I just want to give a shout out to Dick Dale, Underremembered.
 
Overrated: Angus Young, Kurt Cobain
Underrated: Paul Gilbert, Kim Thayill from Soundgarden

I wanna show some love to Dick Dale, too....poor guy is stuck doing crappy commercials and Black Eyed Peas tracks.
 
I hate Yngwie Malmstein so much. Sometimes I will hear him play one note and I will kind of think.. "Cool, I like where this is going.." Then he COMPELTELY RUINS EVERYTHING by going balalalalalalalalalalalalaaleeeleeleeeleeleeleeleleleeeleleleleeeeeeeeeeee.

No soul. No nothing. That guy is completely useless.


You know who else is REALLY UNDERrated? Buddy Guy. Very few people even know his name let alone his guitar playing. He is the guy who inspired Clapton, SRV, Jeff Beck, Hendrix, and all the others. Not enough people know who he is.
 
foo said:
Slash. If he was twice as good as he is, he'd still be way overated. He could start by learning to tune the instrument.

Brian May. The cool man himself. Not really my cup of joe, but tasteful all the time (well, almost)
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yea, brian may is a very innovative guitarist. i love his tone.

i'd have to say the same about slash too though. he doesn't sound like anyone but himself. he's not a shredder but he has style and an excellent tone. i've always enjoyed hearing him play but the each their own i suppose.
 
dingwall said:
You know who else is REALLY UNDERrated? Buddy Guy. Very few people even know his name let alone his guitar playing. He is the guy who inspired Clapton, SRV, Jeff Beck, Hendrix, and all the others. Not enough people know who he is.
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He's been really big over here in the UK for a number of years along with others like Sherman Robertson. Robert Cray has been mentioned a few times, he was/is really big here as well. He even got a few in the charts back in the late 80's.
 
apl said:
As I said, most guitarists are way better than me. There are a lot of guitar players who are good enough to be commercially viable. Maybe competent is the term. There are a lot of guitar players who are better than they need to be. Fireworks don't really impress me. Maybe I'm more about the music than the performer.
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way better is a relative term i suppose. i don't like comparing guitarists across styles...that just doesn't make sense.

i find your guitar solos to be solid and tasteful. they fit your style of music so i would say that classifies you as a good guitarist.

i love fireworks but only if it's in context with the rest of the composition. to me it's all about style and not who has the fastest fingers...though speed certainly helps. =]
 
castlerock said:
way better is a relative term i suppose. i don't like comparing guitarists across styles...that just doesn't make sense.

i find your guitar solos to be solid and tasteful. they fit your style of music so i would say that classifies you as a good guitarist.

i love fireworks but only if it's in context with the rest of the composition. to me it's all about style and not who has the fastest fingers...though speed certainly helps. =]
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Thanks for the kind words!
 
+1 to Kim Thayhill from Soundgarden as underrated, and I'll add Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains as WAY underrated, also.
 
dingwall said:
I hate Yngwie Malmstein so much. Sometimes I will hear him play one note and I will kind of think.. "Cool, I like where this is going.." Then he COMPELTELY RUINS EVERYTHING by going balalalalalalalalalalalalaaleeeleeleeeleeleeleeleleleeeleleleleeeeeeeeeeee.

No soul. No nothing. That guy is completely useless.


You know who else is REALLY UNDERrated? Buddy Guy. Very few people even know his name let alone his guitar playing. He is the guy who inspired Clapton, SRV, Jeff Beck, Hendrix, and all the others. Not enough people know who he is.
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???????? WTH???????????

I just don't understand. Buddy Guy? Few people know his name????? Am I taking crazy pills? Chances are, if you've heard of Eric Clapton or SRV, you've heard the name Buddy Guy. He's one of the acknowledged blues giants.

However, I have heard plenty of his playing, and I would actually put him in the overrated category. Sure, he's got some fire and all that, but his guitar playing isn't anything to write home about IMO. His singing is really great sometimes though.
 
Underrated?

Robert Johnson.

Yeah, if you know blues you'll know him, and his shadow looms over every blues musician who's EVER played, but he INVENTED how you play guitar nowadays and he's only an "influence". Most people don't even know who he is, but Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Cream, Santana, Ray Vaughn, The Allman Blues Band, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, etc. all owe massively on his style.

He was greatest blues man who has ever lived. His techniques and style, on a little guitar bought of a Sears catalogue recorded on some pretty primitive equipment, can still absolutely fill up a song in a way that most musicians need a band to do. His playing isn't "soloing" or "riffs", because he was around before all that formulaic chop-shop cookie-cutter pop nonsense.

The only second who I'd give to him is maybe Blind Lemon Jefferson, who shines through muddier recordings, but he just doesn't have that same eerie passion or rhythm-bass-melody playing that Johnson had.

Of course, that's just my opinion.
 
Zarathustra said:
Underrated?

Robert Johnson.

Yeah, if you know blues you'll know him, and his shadow looms over every blues musician who's EVER played, but he INVENTED how you play guitar nowadays and he's only an "influence". Most people don't even know who he is, but Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Cream, Santana, Ray Vaughn, The Allman Blues Band, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, etc. all owe massively on his style.

He was greatest blues man who has ever lived. His techniques and style, on a little guitar bought of a Sears catalogue recorded on some pretty primitive equipment, can still absolutely fill up a song in a way that most musicians need a band to do. His playing isn't "soloing" or "riffs", because he was around before all that formulaic chop-shop cookie-cutter pop nonsense.

The only second who I'd give to him is maybe Blind Lemon Jefferson, who shines through muddier recordings, but he just doesn't have that same eerie passion or rhythm-bass-melody playing that Johnson had.

Of course, that's just my opinion.
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Easy there! To say Robert Johnson "INVENTED" the style of blues guitar is an over statement. Sure his recordings are among the best and earliest but thats what they are, early recordings. The style of guitar playing was the result of a melding of many styles and the result of the social and economic conditions at the time. There were others and there were different players who were never recorded. Sure he was great and has been an influence on many. But he didn't invent it.
 
Most overrated, don't get me wrong, I love him but Zakk Wylde, since No more tears I've heard the same solo 20 fucking time on BLS.

Most underated in my books, Colin James, listen to his National Steel album.
And Jeff Healy, who plays weekly at his night club in TO with the Jazz Wizards. Many of you know Jeff Healy as the blind guitar player guy in Roadhouse with Patrick Swayze in the cage stage.
 
famous beagle said:
???????? WTH???????????

I just don't understand. Buddy Guy? Few people know his name????? Am I taking crazy pills? Chances are, if you've heard of Eric Clapton or SRV, you've heard the name Buddy Guy. He's one of the acknowledged blues giants.

However, I have heard plenty of his playing, and I would actually put him in the overrated category. Sure, he's got some fire and all that, but his guitar playing isn't anything to write home about IMO. His singing is really great sometimes though.
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I wouldn't say everyone who has heard of Clapton or SRV knows who Buddy is. Not even by a long shot. Sure to other guitar players.. most know who he is. But you can pretty much ask any asshole on the street "have you ever heard of clapton." And they'll say.. yeah, of course.

One time I travelled about 9 hours to see Buddy Guy.. and whenever I told anyone where I was going.. 99% of the people said.. "You're travelling 9 hours to see someone that no one has ever heard of?"

Take note I am from central Canada.. so I don't know how much he is really known in other parts of the world. He's probably big in Chicago.
 
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