Who's Influenced Your Style/Tone The Most?

[stopstartstall]

I very nearly saw T&S in Manchester but couldn't get the night off work, which sucked. Their early stuff had a big influence on me when I was a little indiepop kid recording on a four track in my garage and couldn't do anything but fret a barre chord And they bestowed me with a fine appreciation of the capo as well.

I LOVE the Dolls, saw them in Manc last year actually and they were beyond amazing. I know exactly what you mean about Amanda's style. Just their whole ethos inspired me as well I think. Same goes for Regina Spektor (who influenced my song writing style a lot). You don't have to play the same music as everyone else, and follow the conventions and what not. If it sounds good to you, then play it!

 

[Mish]

If it wasn't for Michelle Branch, Lisa Loeb and John Mayer I never would have picked up a guitar in the first place. Then I moved on to Tegan and Sara, Regina Spektor, Death Cab for Cutie, Dresden Dolls, The Spill Canvas, Dashboard Confessional and Straylight Run (despite the fact that three of those bands are mostly piano based, never mind). I also listened to a lot of late 90s/early 00s emo in my misspent youth so Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, The Used, Thursday, Jimmy Eat World got mixed up in there as well.

Needless to say, I play a lot of different styles.

Man you have some of my most favorite bands there.

As much as most of the guitar virtuosos wouldn't admit that, Jimmy Eat Word had a massive influence on so much of today's music, even if both Jim and Tom quite frankly are such clumsy players.

The guitarist from The Used is another under-rated example. The stuff he does during Box of Sharp Objects and Buried Myself Alive is just amazing.

 

[mshilarious]

I would like to be the love child of Dick Dale and Andy Summers, with Vernon Reid as surrogate

 

[cmhansen]

This is a tough one. Everyone influences me. But the ones who most push me...

Acoustic guitar probably Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges, Al Di Meola.

Electric guitar, umm, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Al Di Meola.

 

[Anfontan]

I can't play or sound like him, but Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs, Kansas, & now Deep Purple) has always been a big influence. The way he could morph playing styles from one extreme to another-often within a single song-is amazing!

 

[elenore19]

I must say Matt Bellamy.

I'm a big fan of muse. And his guitar work is very basic, and it probably has had the most influence on my playing.

 

[Concrete_Lake]

For whichever reason I never drop-D (or drop-C) and always play in a standart tuning - I just don't really see the point coz my MT-2 combined with Equalizer gives me as low-end sound as I need.

The point of different tunings goes far beyond getting more low-end...

Anyway for me my main ones would probably be..

Adrien Belew
Jonny Greenwood/ Ed O'Brien
Mikael Akerfeldt
Trey Spruance
Robert Fripp
Dave Navarro (Ritual de la Habitual and One Hot Minute exclusively)
Brian May

 

[KingDiamond]

For me probably Toni Iommi, Dave Mustaine, Dimebag.

 

[Steve Henningsgard]

I'd definitely have to say James Hetfield for style, Mikael Akerfeldt for tone, and Dimebag for both!

 

[DrewPeterson7]

Tough one. Kurt Cobain was actually the guy who first got me to pick up the guitar, though Jimi was also sort of at the back of my mind.

I then went through a huge Joe Satriani phase, and if you have to name just one guy he's probably the one who's influenced how I play and write the most.

These days, though, it's become apparent that I'm just not a shredder, and David Gilmour's perfect note choice is certainly an influence. :lol:

 

[TelePaul]

George Harrison, Robert Smith, Mark Knopler...anyone who'll use the major key for solos as well as riffs I guess. Again, I'm a massive fan of Andy Summers, those 9th chords are just so big and spacious and sound just amazing when coupled with his awesome clean tone (I rambled about him here for a while). Contrastingly, I also like the somewhat 'linear' lead work of Mike McCreedy and Neil Young when it comes to heavy stuff.

 

[TMatt142]

Hmmm I think my rhythm playing has been mainly influenced by George Lynch (Dokken) and Ronnie Le Tekro (TNT). Man those guys are very underated rhythm players...especially Ronnie. Petrucci is another huge influence, along with Satriani, Vai, Howe, MacAlpine, Devin Townsend, ...But heck...Ace Frehley was the guy who made me wana start playing. Him along with Gary Richrath. Talk about opposites...I used to listen to nothing but Kiss and Reo Speedwagon until I got into my teen years...Lately it has been Steve Morse, Eric Johnson etc....The only new stuff I will listen to is anything from Breaking Benjamin..

 

[Superhuman]

Everything changed for me when I heard Jason Becker and Marty Friedman - they definitely shaped my sound and style. A newer player influenced heavily by Becker/Friedman who has taken their styles to a new level is David Valdes. This guy has put the thought back into my playing and got me away from just shredding fast runs. If you like incredibly melodic and well-structured fast technical guitar work with Eastern, exotic and neo-classical influences you have to check theis guy out on youtube - his cd's are in constant rotation on my car stereo!

 

[Gandydancers]

For me, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Alvin Lee.

 

[Kev7555]

Too many influences to list them all, but here are a few...

Page, Gilmour, Randy Rhodes, Satriani, Hendrix, Al Dimeola, Steve Morse, John Lennon, Steve Howe, etc. etc. etc......

I find a new influence every day.

-Kev

 

[dgr]

I listen to and admire a wide variety of guitarists. But most of my stuff comes out in various proportions sounding like Alex Lifeson, Steve Hackett, and Pat Metheny.

 

[starbuck26]

yeah yeah yeah

robert pollard is the fucking man.

long live the fading captain

 

[AMTA]

John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
Chuck Schuldiner (Death)
Abbath (Immortal)
Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)
Jeff Loomis (Nevermore)

 

[Treeline]

David Bromburg, Tony Rice, Tommy Emmanuel, Leo Kottke, Martin Taylor, Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton.

 

[jimistone]

#1 influence is Johnny Winter hands down.

#2 influence is Jimi Hendrix and Albert King...a tie

#3 Is the whole southern rock thing so I guess it's a tie between Dicky Betts, Duane Allman, Allen Collins, Gary Rossington, Steve Gains, Toy Cadwell, Billy Gibons, and Ed King.