Top 100 Guitarists of All Time

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Ralphie
Date: 05 Sep 03 - 05:46 AM

So Mr Moo...Lets get to 101 with David Rawlins.. (Gillian Welch co- hort)

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: mooman
Date: 05 Sep 03 - 05:56 AM

Hi Ralphie!

Anything in Ypres this year?

Peace

moo

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,pdq
Date: 05 Sep 03 - 01:35 PM

Some south o'border folks need mention, especially the late Bola Sete, the long gone Oscar Aleman, and the current Enrique Coria. All these guys have their own style and don't just play "classical" or "flamenco".

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,Stooball
Date: 05 Sep 03 - 06:00 PM

Absolutely George Barnes, also Dick McDonough, solo and for duets with Carl Kress, Buster B. Jones, said to be Jerry Reed's spiritual successor, almost impossible to get his recordings, he has one with Thom Bresh, Joe Pass for sure, the Argentine genius Barrios, who was so good that Segovia would not allow his students to speak his name and did his best to block his concert tours, George Van Eps, who invented 7-string guitar, Jimmy Raney, Ed Bickert who plays fabulous jazz on an ancient Telecaster, and on and on and on, each to his own taste.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 06 Sep 03 - 11:31 AM

There's a guy here in Canada
named Don Ross ......
He'll leave you speechless.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,pdq
Date: 06 Sep 03 - 02:01 PM

Don Ross is on Nirada, a label he shares with many of the finest players in World Music. Nirada also has several fine releases by Artie Traum. Have people heard him lately? Artie Traum is brilliant and controlled at the same time. A "thinking man's" musician.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 07 Sep 03 - 04:44 AM

There's a guy here in Canada
named Don Ross ......
He'll leave you speechless.

I watched Don Ross play for a couple of hours a few months back. He was on stage with Tony McManus, Beppe Gambetta, and Dan Crary.

I have to say that of the four , Don Ross was the one who left me least speechless. Maybe I was expecting too much, having seen him being hyped here on Mudcat so much. Still a decent player, just not as phenomenal as I had been led to expect.

Murray

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 07 Sep 03 - 05:03 AM

While on the subject of Canadian guitarists, one player who did leave me speechless (several times) is JP Cormier.

Murray

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,Frankham
Date: 07 Sep 03 - 08:23 PM

One word: Ted Greene.

Musicmic: Burl did play his own guitar earlier and it sounded great.
It wasn't Lampell then. Millard couldn't sound that simple.

Frank

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 08 Sep 03 - 11:10 AM

Murray,
   What you say about J.P. Cormier is very true. He has to be one of the best.
We have a few others in Nova Scotia/ Cape Breton who ain't bad either.
J.P.Cormier , Dave MacIsaac , and Scott Macmillan will all be on stage together on Oct.16 at the Judique Guitar Summit for the Celtic Colours Festival.

                Sandy

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,Frankham
Date: 08 Sep 03 - 07:20 PM

Mundell Lowe, Herb Ellis, Hank Garland, Bucky Pizzarelli, George Barnes, Jimmy Bruno, Taylor (from Scotland), Pierre Bensusan, Alirio Diaz (taught with Segovia in Sienna), Barry Galbraith, Grant Green,
John Pisano, Phil Upchurch, George Benson, Joe Diorio, Pat Donahue,
Guy Van Duser, Laureindo Almeda, Bob Bain (guitarist for the Tonight show), Dennis Budimer, Charlie Byrd, Steve Lukather, Glen Campbell,Wes Montgomery .....all these guys make the "list" look like lightweights. There is another guy who plays a Caravelle guitar and comes from England, Alan ? (avante guard fusion).

And there are probably so many more that we don't know about. The guitar has gone through an immense transformation...it defies any top 100.

Frank

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 08 Sep 03 - 07:30 PM

........"There is another guy who plays a Caravelle guitar and comes from England, Alan ? (avante guard fusion)......."

That would be Alan Holdsworth.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,BUTTERFLY
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 08:19 AM

What, John Fahey only No. 35 (I suppose I should be grateful he was in it at all!).

Of course comparisons are invidiuous; however he is one of the few musicians whose tunes you always get more and more out of no matter how many years you listen to them. He also could take a well-known almost twee song (he virtually never sung himself on record) and set it to instrumental guitar, often with a slightly uptempo rhythm, and give it a new lease of life (eg Camptown Races, Bicycle Built for Two, My Grandfather's Clock, etc; he also fid this with hymn and Christmas tunes). Such a pity he died in February 2 or 3 years back.

BUTTERFLY 9.9.2003 13.20 FROM AN INTERNET CAFE IN BALLYVAUGHAN, CO. CLARE, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,Axis of Axes
Date: 27 Sep 03 - 11:59 PM

Partial list of guitar players who outplay Kurt Cobain and Joni Mitchell:

Dale Adkins
   Travis Alltop
   Jeff Autry
   Russ Barenberg
   Richard Bennett
   Dix Bruce
   Dix Bruce & Jim Nunally
   Norman Blake
   Norman & Nancy Blake
   Norman Blake & Tony Rice
   Gary Brewer
   Luke Bulla
   Mo Canada
   Joe Carr
   John Carlini
   John Carlini & Tony Rice
   John Chapman
   Jamie Clifton
   Gary Cook
   Mark Cosgrove
   Ray Craft
   Dan Crary
   Roy Curry
   Brad Davis
   Dan DeLancey
   Dan Edmonds
   Beppe Gambetta
   Adam Granger
   David Grier
   Jimmy Haley
   Slavek Hanzlik
   Bull Harman
   Jim Hurst
   Chris Jones
   Curtis Jones, Jr.
   Steve Kaufman
   Robin Kessinger
   Cody Kilby
   Steve Kilby
   Jack Lawrence
   John Lowell
   Tim May
   Mike Maddux
   John McGann
   Peter McLaughlin
   John Moore
   Jim Nunally
   Scott Nygaard
   Mark O'Connor
   Steve Palazzo
   Rob Pearcy
   Steve Pottier
   Don Reno
   Tony Rice
   Wyatt Rice
   Doug Rorrer
   Phil Rosenthal
   Charles Sawtelle
   Allen Shadd
   Robert Shafer
   James Alan Shelton
   Jon Sholle
   George Shuffler
   George Shuffler & James Alan Shelton
   Kenny Smith
   Larry Sparks
   Tim Stafford
   Orrin Star
   Richard Starkey
   Bryan Sutton
   Eric Thompson
   John Tindel
   Chuck Tinsley
   Dan Tyminski
   Craig Vance
   Sean Watkins
   Doc Watson
   Clarence White
   Jeff White
   Mike Whitehead
   Various Artists
   Flatpicking Samplers
   Dave Hull
   Massoubre & Seguret

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Benjamin
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 01:01 AM

John Jackson deserves to be on that list. Not only was the man a brilliant musician, but he was also the nicest man I met.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: belfast
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 09:37 AM

Bert Weedon? Or, to be slightly more serious, Arty McGlynn?

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: s&r
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 09:57 AM

Richard Starkey?....AKA Ringo?

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: s&r
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 10:07 AM

Only one mention of Isaac Guillory - shame on you.

And surely Eric Roche is familiar to some 'catters?

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: pattyClink
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 03:31 PM

I just heard some Lonnie Mack for the first time this week. These maroons need to revise their list, or at least remove 'of all time' from the title.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,pdq
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 05:30 PM

If Peter Green was mentioned, it was not adamantly enough.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,SeaKing
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 06:30 PM

Archie Fisher..

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 06:46 PM

Michael Chapman

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Ely
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 07:28 PM

What's your beef, GUEST pdq? She was hardly a three-chord plunker and there are few enough women in the genre as it is. I hate having separate categories ("Top 100 *Women* Guitarists"); if you have a daughter, buy her a guitar for Christmas and help us do better.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: CraigS
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 08:46 PM

Over a hundred posts and I can still mention Arthur Alemann, Steve Tilston, Dave Ellis, Dave Farrar, Fapy Lafertin, Birelli Lagrene, Robert A Johnson, Howard Roberts, John Williams, Philip John Lee, Alvin Lee, Brian May, Sacha Distel, Hans van Theesink, David Qualey, Richard Gilewitz, Johnny Marrs, Big Jim Sullivan ( who has never heard of Bernie Marsden), Geoff Whitehorn, Richie Blackmore, Tony Iommi, Pete Townsend, Snowy White, Stan Webb and Jeff Beck ... I could go on.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,pdq
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 09:04 PM

ELY, what are you talking about. Peter Green???

Subject: Rolling Stone Top 100 guitar players
From: City Crow
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 12:16 AM

Any thoughts on the Rolling Stone Magazine top 100 guitar players?
I do not know if this was a thread before this or not but is seems to be the list that sparked 1,000 arguements.

--- Transferred from another thread. ---

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Beverley Barton
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 09:05 AM

yo ely
          my daughter has three guitars, a telecaster, a yamaha semi and a rafael morales nylon strung, AND YOU ARE ALL WRONG paco delucia is best guitarist, closely followed by manolo sanlucar and vicente amigo.ps why don't many women play guitar?

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: John Robinson (aka Cittern)
Date: 11 Oct 03 - 07:10 AM

Re: Women playing guitar. One of the motivations for my partner's route in music was to be told as young girl - "you play well, for a girl". She has spent a great deal of time since proving that she plays well, full stop!

Best regards
John Robinson
http://www.JulieEllison.co.uk

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,pdq
Date: 11 Oct 03 - 07:13 PM

I don't know if any of these women qualify as Top 100, but in the name of diversity:

Ely's list:
Etta Baker
Memphis Minnie
Bonnie Raitt
Joni Mitchell
Joan Jett

Rolling Stone list:
Joan Jett
Joni Mitchell

ADD:
   Libba Cotton
   Melissa Ethridge
   Cheryl Crowe
   Cyndi Cashdollar (OK, "slide")
   Charo (no joke)

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: early
Date: 11 Oct 03 - 07:22 PM

got to say Issac Guillory was one of the finest acoustic guitarists i ever saw live remember travvelling to york from swindon after a days work there - that night he appeared with john renbourn and together they were brill!!

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,pdq
Date: 12 Oct 03 - 03:24 PM

Another nod to the women guitar players: Glenda Faye, a flatpicker rooted in the Doc Watson Style. She was a regular in the Grand Ole Opry stage band. Now, it's off to get examples of as many of these people as possible. What a list!

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,Ian
Date: 12 Oct 03 - 06:23 PM

Thank God the good folks on this board didn't have to come up with there own "Top 100 Guitarists of all Time"...it would have caused more controversy than "Rolling Stones"

These things are all subjective, (and as long as Richard Thompsons included on any list, I'm happy!...and thats an objective view!!!!!)

Ian

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,Andrew
Date: 13 Oct 03 - 12:25 PM

Haven't seen a mention of John James.
Now I have !

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 14 Oct 03 - 09:23 AM

Thread creep for fans of Peter Green: he & the Splinter Group are appearing (yes you guessed it!) at JAGZ, Station Hill, Ascot, Berks, UK this Thursday Oct 16th. Band on c9pm. Details 01344 878100.

RtS
(Guess who has tickets #1 &2?)

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,Pluvio
Date: 24 Jan 07 - 01:54 PM

this list missed a lot of name in the blues, bluegrass, hawaiian, jazz, fingerpicking, slide&steel, flamenco etc. etc.

but there are many great names.
thanks to youtube, only 3 years later, we can listen to thousands of undiscovered talents.

cheers!
pluvio

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jan 07 - 01:13 PM

Where is Bruce Cockburn, Martin Simpson, Paco delucia, Ellen MacIllwaine, Yangwe Malmsteen. My Top man would be Lenny Breau.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jan 07 - 01:16 PM

With all due respect, how can any list that puts George Harrison above Mark Knopfler be taken seriously. As for Hendrix as the all time best, I would disagree and put Eric Clapton, Ellen MacIllwaine and Stevie Ray ahead of him. Just my opinion tho.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 29 Jan 07 - 05:49 PM

So we're all agreed .....complete load of crap. some journalist talking bollocks for this weeks paycheck.

too much of that stuff going on.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Nick
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 06:50 AM

What about Steve Vai - stunning guitarist (who I think eclipses his teacher Joe Satriani)

Or Jan Akkerman...

Or Eric Johnson...

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Alec
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 06:55 AM

Or Somebody nobody has ever heard of... (Well it could happen)

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 08:38 AM

I have always felt that Jimi was highly over rated, a lot of great playing but lacking in any inate subtlety or understatement. He is a great rock player but not a great guitarist.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Nick
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 08:59 AM

>>I have always felt that Jimi was highly over rated, a lot of great playing but lacking in any inate subtlety or understatement. He is a great rock player but not a great guitarist.

I don't think he was overrated in his own time but I think listening to a lot of his material now it sounds limited, dated and often too rooted round pentatonic blues scales with some over the top pyrotechnics thrown in.

However... and it's a big one

Some of his playing is beautifully understated,lyrical, melodic and subtle.

Wind Cries Mary - Little Wing - rhythm playing on Angel - 1983 on Electric Ladyland - unaccompanied piece at the end of Woodstock - are a few that immediately come to mind. And as a straight blues player (when he does it) he stands up there with the best.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: John Hardly
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 09:07 AM

stumbled upon this top 100 acoustic players...

1. Michael Hedges
2. Leo Kottke
3. Chet Atkins
4. Phil Keaggy
5. John Fahey
6. Adrian Legg
7. Merle Travis
8. John Renbourn
9. Bert Jansch
10. Tommy Emmanuel
11. Norman Blake
12. Doc Watson
13. Preston Reed
14. Nick Webb
15. Tony Rice
16. Jorma Kaukonen
17. Laurence Juber
18. Martin Carthy
19. William Ackerman
20. Sandy Bull
21. John Martyn
22. Don Ross
23. Billy McLaughlin
24. Doyle Dykes
25. Steve Tibbetts
26. David Bromberg
27. Peter Lang
28. Kelly Joe Phelps
29. Alex deGrassi
30. Davy Graham
31. Martin Simpson
32. Monte Montgomery
33. Muriel Anderson
34. G.E. Stinson
35. Pierre Bensusan
36. Bill Mize
37. Al Petteway
38. Peter Finger
39. Craig Chaquico
40. Greg Carmichael
41. Tim Reynolds
42. Pat Kirtley
43. Peter Huttlinger
44. Benjamin Woolman
45. Stephen Bennett
46. Richard Smith
47. Roy Harper
48. Edward Gerhard
49. Peter Rowan
50. Sam Pacetti
51. Kaki King
52. Stefan Grossman
53. El McMeen
54. Miles Gilderdale
55. Eric Tingstad
56. Sean Harkness
57. Doug Smith
58. Peter Ostroushko
59. Tommy Jones
60. D.R. Auten
61. Dirk Freymuth
62. Dan Schwartz
63. Peter Roller
64. Paul Geremia
65. Douglas Niedt
66. William Coulter
67. Tim Farrell
68. Arlen Roth
69. Joni Mitchell
70. Chris Smither
71. Andrew York
72. Jerry Reed
73. Gayla Drake Paul
74. Artie Traum
75. Richard Johnson
76. Thom Bresch
77. David Wilcox
78. Kenny Sultan
79. Steve Baughman
80. Buster B. Jones
81. Robbie Basho
82. Peppino D'Agostino
83. Pat Donohue
84. Mike Dowling
85. Tony McManus
86. Dave Mallany
87. Tim Sparks
88. David Grier
89. Orville Johnson
90. Brooks Williams
91. George Villiers
92. Rick Ruskin
93. Greg Neaga
94. Dorian Michael
95. Charles David Alexander
96. Tom Long
97. Richard Gilewitz
98. Jim Earp
99. Tracy Moore
100. Michael Dunn

and this top 100 pre-war acoustic guitarists...

1. Kokomo Arnold
2. Pink Anderson
3. Ed Andrews
4. Son Becky
5. Ed Bell
6. Black Ace
7. Scrapper Blackwell
8. Kid Bailey
9. Willie Baker
10. Blind Blake
11. Billy Bird
13. Ishman Bracey
14. Big Bill Broonzy
15. William Brown
16. Willie Brown
17. Bo Carter
18. Joe Callicott
19. Rev Edward Clayborn
20. Kid Cole
21. Bob Coleman
22. Walter Coleman
23. Sam Collins
24. Blind Teddy Darby
25. Rev. Gary Davis
26. Little Buddy Doyle
27. Honeyboy Edwards
28. Frank Edwards
29. Sleepy John Estes
30. Blind Boy Fuller
31. Blind Roosevelt Graves
32. Richard "Hacksaw" Harney
33. Blind Willie Harris
34. Willie Harris
35. Buddy Boy Hawkins
36. Johnnie Head
37. Barbecue Bob Hicks
38. King Solomon Hill
39. Lightnin' Hopkins
40. Son House
41. Peg Leg Howell
42. Mississippi John Hurt
43. Bo Weevil Jackson
44. Skip James
45. Blind Lemon Jefferson
46. Blind Willie Johnson
47. Lonnie Johnson
48. Robert Johnson
49. Tommy Johnson
50. Coley Jones
51. Little Hat Jones
52. Charley Jordan
53. Rube Lacy
54. Furry Lewis
55. Mance Lipscomb
56. Robert Jr. Lockwood
57. Carl Martin
58. Tommy McClennan
59. Charlie McCoy
60. Kansas Joe McCoy
61. Mississippi Fred McDowell
62. Blind Willie McTell
63. Memphis Minnie
64. William Moore
65. Buddy Moss
66. Sonny Boy Nelson
67. Isaiah Nettles
68. Hambone Willie Newbern
69. Robert Nighthawk
70. Blind Benny Paris
71. Charley Patton
72. Robert Petway
73. Eugene Powell
74. Willie Reed
75. Blind Joe Reynolds
76. Walter Rhodes
77. Mooch Richardson
78. Sonny Scott
79. Johnny Shines
80. Jaydee Short
81. J.T. "Funny Paper" Smith
82. Frank Stokes
83. Blind Joe Taggert
84. Tampa Red (Hudson Whittaker)
85. Johnnie Temple
86. Elvie Thomas
87. Henry Thomas
88. Ramblin' Thomas
89. Henry Townsend
90. Walter Vincson
91. Otto Virgial
92. Uncle Bud Walker
93. Willie Walker
94. Rev. I. B. Ware
95. Curley Weaver
96. Sylvester Weaver
97. Casey Bill Weldon
98. Peetie Wheatstraw
99. Bukka White
100. Robert Wilkins

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Rusty Dobro
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 09:31 AM

Roy Harper - Diz Disley - Ike Isaacs - Blind Blake - Ivor Biggun.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 11:38 AM


Jeronimo Maya
Vicente Amigo
Paco de Lucia
Sabicas
Diego del Gastor
Nino Ricardo
Paco del Gastor
Moraito
Tomatito
Gerardo Nunez

Resistance is futile....

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Blindlemonsteve
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 04:02 PM

How about the late great "Carl Perkins", or even "Brian Setzer", and how on earth could eddie Cochran have been no 84, every Electric guitar in England had a wound "G" string until he showed us the way, he was a god, and possibly one of the greatest losses in the world of music in the last 50 years.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: M.Ted
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 04:17 PM

Easier, by far, to make a list of a hundred "top" guitarists than to lay out the criteria for what constitutes a "top" guitarist.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Scoville
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 04:19 PM

That's what I was thinking, M.Ted. Sort of an exercise in futility, really.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 05:00 PM

Brent Mason is the most fabulous guitarist in the world. He is Hendrix,Django,Benson and Albert Lee rolled into one.

Subject: RE: Top 100 Guitarists of All Time
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 30 Jan 07 - 05:21 PM

Mick Pearce does it for me (and he is getting better all the time!)

Rhiannon