Favourite guitarists

Subject: Favourite guitarists
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 10:33 AM

With the sad demise of Eddie Van Halen it's inevitable that we will get into favourites. Limit it to 3. Any style. My choices are probably more based on the songs I like as much as anything but yours could be style, ability, fame, colour of guitar or anything at all.

Jimi Hendrix
Mark Knopfler
Gary Moore

Over to you and be nice :-)

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: gillymor
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 10:52 AM

James Burton
Jerry Garcia
Django Rheinhart
(Ry Cooder)

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: gillymor
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 10:54 AM

and B.B. of course. Sorry for the overflow dtg but I couldn't name some and leave out others.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 11:06 AM

Steve Morse
Richard Thompson
Jerry Donahue / sadly won't play any more
Martin Simpson
Sam Carter
Jeff Beck

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 11:29 AM

I said limit it to 3 and in the firt 2 replies we have had 5 and then 6. Bonzo should be able to count at least. He is an accountant :-D

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Acorn4
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 11:32 AM

Doc Watson
Albert Lee
Richard Thompson

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Jeri
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 11:45 AM

Tommy Emmanual
Molly Tuttle
JP Cormier
Dick Gaughan - his Farewell to Sicily is one of the best things ever

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: leeneia
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 11:53 AM

My favorite is a Richard Gilewitz. I'm adding a link to a YouTube video so you can hear what his playing is like.

wilderness

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 12:04 PM

James Burton
Molly Tuttle
Martin Simpson
Billy Strings

...and quite a few more.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 12:07 PM

Only three?

In Mudcat world I loved listening to Don Firth, I grew up listening to his performances at various public places and hoots at the house.   

In the classical world I have a number of Christopher Parkening and Julian Bream albums, and there is a modern young woman who is fabulous but largely unknown, Gohar Vardanyan.

Since Van Halen is the trigger to starting this thread, I'll note that I didn't listen to the band in particular except to hear them on the radio over the years, but I was aware of his reputation. Here is an example.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Gordon Jackson
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 12:11 PM

Richard Thompson
Martin Carthy
Ritchie Blackmore

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 12:18 PM

Tony Rice
Bryan Sutton
John Jorgenson (his gypsy jazz style)

.... to name but four!

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Jeri
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 12:29 PM

For the record, I suck with names, and the folks I named are only who I came up with at this moment.

I saw Richard Thompson play, and he's great. Has a unique style - he flat picks and finger picks at the same time. Two guitarists in one.
And Martin Carthy's best attribute as a guitar player, other than talent, is his taste.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,Roderick A Warner
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 12:32 PM

Derek Bailey (deceased)
Mary Halvorson
Joe Morris

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,Reinhard
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 12:39 PM

Jenn Butterworth

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: RTim
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 12:45 PM

Pierre Bensusan
Richard Thompson
Django Rheinhart


and for extra...Ali Farka Toure


Tim Radford

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 12:52 PM

I don't do instructions on my day off!!!

You want 3 so:

Steve Morse
Richard Thompson
Molly Tuttle

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,Sean O'Shea
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 02:06 PM

Martin Carthy;Mike Campbell[Fleetwood Mac]David Gilmour.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,Cj
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 02:19 PM

Mississippi John Hurt
D'Gary
Gaughan or Carthy...

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 04:16 PM

Clarence White on acoustic
Clarence White on electric
Nic Jones

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 04:17 PM

And from a different slant:

Nic Jones in 1980

Eric Clapton in 1965

Hank Marvin in 1960

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 04:22 PM

I guess I'm still entitled to a third;
David Lindley soaring on lap steel

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 05:31 PM

Off the top of me head:

Soig Siberil
Steve Hackett
George Harrison

and many more

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: gillymor
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 05:39 PM

Tony Rice
Frank Vignola
Doc Watson (probably my all-time favorite but there are so many good ones and they all affect me differently).

and Tony MacManus

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: gillymor
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 05:44 PM

and the late Red Shea, a great accompanist.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 07:52 PM

BB King
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Martin Carthy

LFF

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: PHJim
Date: 07 Oct 20 - 08:32 PM

John Herald
Jackie Washington
Herb Ellis

My apologies to the 327 others I left out.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,guest RS
Date: 09 Oct 20 - 02:01 PM

Zoot Horn Rollo
John Fahey
Eddie Lang

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Elmore
Date: 09 Oct 20 - 02:12 PM

Rev. Gary Davis, Chris Newman, Nina Gerber.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 09 Oct 20 - 04:34 PM

Another 3:
Peter Green in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, nobody could touch the technique he had then, either before or since.

Ritchie Blackmore

Joseph Jones

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,RA
Date: 09 Oct 20 - 04:43 PM

Joseph Spence!

Dick Gaughan

Loren Mazzacane Connors

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: G-Force
Date: 09 Oct 20 - 05:19 PM

Amos Garrett

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: fat B****rd
Date: 09 Oct 20 - 05:26 PM

Ry Cooder
Django Reinhardt
Roger Mcguinn

To name but 3

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 09 Oct 20 - 06:24 PM

Martin Simpson
Tony McManus
Ivan Drever
and anyone who cannot control squeaky noises as they slide up or down strings is definitely OFF my list!

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 09 Oct 20 - 06:24 PM

Yes, Amos Garrett! Jimmy Page, of Led Zeppelin, stated Garrett was one of his favorite American guitar players - he has dual US/Canadian citizenship.

Garrett began playing guitar at fourteen. He learned from performers such as Ben E. King, T-Bone Walker, Fats Domino and B. B. King at the Esquire Club in Montreal. He studied piano and trombone at the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto and also plays bass guitar and mandolin.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,Big Al Whittle
Date: 09 Oct 20 - 10:00 PM

Trying to think of the last one who bought me a drink....

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,Henry Piper (of Ottery )
Date: 10 Oct 20 - 06:45 AM

Since the Art of the Rhythm guitar is almost a lost one today, I would Name in no particular order of merit:-
Eddie Condon, Freddie Green, Lonnie Johnson.
There are dozens more whose names would mean very little these days, but whose innate sense of time and Chord Knowledge kept many lesser musicians solidly "on the Beat" over the years.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 10 Oct 20 - 06:45 AM

That's a grand criterea Al :-)

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 10 Oct 20 - 08:13 AM

Rhythm guitar - Bruce Welch of course!!

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 10 Oct 20 - 08:34 AM

To add some gender balance to favorite guitarists, one of my guitar heroes that got me interested in guitar tunings was Mary McCaslin, I also like Julie Henigan's playing, and must admit that I like the guitar playing in the videos of The MonaLisa Twins (one of those things I discovered during this lockdown). I do like a lot of the names mentioned above as well. It's hard to narrow it down to three of anything.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: gillymor
Date: 10 Oct 20 - 08:43 AM

Bill Frisell
Pat Metheny
John McLauglin (mostly his acoustic work, especially from My Goal's Beyond).

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 10 Oct 20 - 10:11 AM

Among those still living:

Tommy Emmanuel
Andy McKee
Ana Vidovic
Julie Ellison (wish she was still playing!).

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,Big Al Whittle
Date: 10 Oct 20 - 11:06 AM

Great Guitarists Who Have Bought Me a Drink

Wizz Jones
Bert Jansch
Terry Smith

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 10 Oct 20 - 12:10 PM

From the lady players: another 3: another vote for
Jenn Butterworth, and also
Anna Massie
Kristina Olsen (great on the slide guitar!)

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 10 Oct 20 - 12:44 PM

Because I could play like him if I practiced a lot more - Norman Blake

Because being able to play like him is on the outer limits of my understanding - Tommy Emmanuel

Because I'd never be able to play like him short of a dope slap from the hand of God - Derek Trucks

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: gillymor
Date: 10 Oct 20 - 01:23 PM

Some fingerstylists I love to listen to:

Al Pettway
John Miller
Ton Van Bergeyk

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 10 Oct 20 - 03:09 PM

My current favourite is Luca Bezzini who has some of his work on Youtube.... see here.    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4fc6cR9czH1wS4MpT1TBAQ

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Oct 20 - 05:11 PM

Great to see Loren Mazzacane Connors, Derek Bailey & Mary Halvorson cited above, and I share great admiration for all those others named, perhaps especially John Fahey, Richard Thompson and Nic Jones.

I'm going to try and go with some that haven't been named yet -

3 in folk-ish idioms:

C Joynes
Ben Chasny
Jack Rose

3 in other realms:

Keiji Haino
Sonny Sharrock
Christina Carter

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,BlackAcornUK
Date: 10 Oct 20 - 05:12 PM

Oops, forgot to include my profile! That last post (Joynes, Haino et al) is from me.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,BlackAcornUK
Date: 10 Oct 20 - 05:25 PM

Surprising omissions from the collective list so far (which give me a scoundrel's opportunity to name-check others)

John Renbourn
Davy Graham
Elizabeth Cotten
Joni Mitchell
Neil Young
Thurston Moore

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,fasteddy
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 03:33 AM

Robby Kreiger Chuck Berry   Jim Mullen

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,Anon
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 04:25 AM

Many of the above, plus:

Laurence Juber
Dave Onions
Joe Satriani

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 07:27 AM

Chuck Berry was a great song writer but an awful guitarist.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 07:28 AM

3 more:
Dave Edmunds
Joe Moretti
Colin Green

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,Henry Piper (of Ottery )
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 11:22 AM

Moving on from Rhythm guitarists in the jazz field (see above) how about,
Rock guitarists:- Robby Krieger, Barry "The Fish" Melton, and Alvin Lee.
Folk musicians:-   Martin Carthy, Nick Jones, Martin Wyndham Read.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,Tattie Bogle
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 12:13 PM

No mention yet of Tim Edey? I have been so much enjoying his Saturday night Sleeping Tunes sessions on Facebook during lockdown! Also a superb button box player. From 10PM UK time, still going at 1 AM today!

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: gillymor
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 01:07 PM

Two things, Bonzo. I'll bet you'd have a hard time finding an electric guitarist to agree with your assessment of Chuck Berry's instrumental abilities. Also, when you mentioned Dave Edmunds you brought to mind Billy Bremner, Edmund's band mate in Rockpile. Bremner also played lead on some Pretender's recordings. He is a good one.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: gillymor
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 01:16 PM

Mention of Tim Edey made me think of some other fine nylon stringers from over there-

Steve Cooney
Jim Murray
Donogh Hennessey

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 03:07 PM

Billy Bremner - yes of course, saw him in a backing band for Linda Thompson at Ronnie Scott's in London. I made possibly the only recording!!

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,Big Al Whittle
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 03:54 PM

I always rated Chuck.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 04:33 PM

Tony McManus. Listen to Return To Kintail, the album he made with Alasdair Fraser. He'll be your favourite guitar player for ever more. Him and Jimi and Julian Bream. Julian made the strings squeak, unlike John Williams. But who would you rather listen to?

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bill D
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 09:19 PM

My introduction to really good guitarists was at the National Flatpicking Championships in Winfield Kansas... where I attended the first five or six... thus I got to see Doc Watson, Norman Blake and others including Dan Crary and the amazing winner of the 1st festival, Jimmy Gyles.(BTW... Mark O'Conner the fiddler also won the flat pick one year).
   This was only one style, so even though I bought lots of Norman Blake and Doc Watson LPs, I also loved good playing, so when I saw a YouTube of Tommy Emmanuel, I was hooked.,,,because he seems to be able to play anything!
Yes, I found Tony McManus and others, but I really only care for acoustic music. I know OF some of the others noted above, but am not able to rate them.... so the title "Favourite guitarists" was way to broad for me.

Pick 3? I guess if I had to, I'd just list Doc, Tommy & Norman for pure listening.... and that leaves out Segovia and Parkening and other classical ones.

People need to pose easier, narrower questions!

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 10:02 PM

Tony McManus is as acoustic as can be, Bill...

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 10:04 PM

That was me.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Elmore
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 10:05 PM

Beppe Gambetta, Chet Atkins,Paul Brady.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Jeri
Date: 11 Oct 20 - 10:10 PM

Tony McManus on YouTube

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 12 Oct 20 - 06:15 AM

We saw solo Paul Brady live, must have been about 20 years ago, at the Plough in Torrington. His set was stunning, and he included Arthur McBride, to everybody's delight. We bumped into an acquaintance of ours at the gig, not an uncommon occurrence in these parts. On the way out at the end he said that he'd enjoyed the concert even though Paul was "only a strummer." :-)

"Only a strummer". I tell you, we've dined out on that recollection ever since!

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 12 Oct 20 - 06:59 AM

Nancy Kerr is a bloody good guitarist!!

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Elmore
Date: 12 Oct 20 - 09:21 PM

Larry Campbell, Robin Bullock, David Bromberg.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Elmore
Date: 12 Oct 20 - 09:43 PM

Oops. Gordon Bok, Rory Block, Dave Van Ronk. Anybody who can narrow their favorite guitarists down to three knows either a lot more or somewhat less than I do.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 13 Oct 20 - 12:06 AM

Eric Weissberg, Russ Barenberg, John Doyle

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: gillymor
Date: 13 Oct 20 - 06:42 AM

Well said, Elmore.

Some great R&B players-

Steve Cropper
Teeny Hodges (played on a lot of Al Green's hits)
Curtis Mayfield
Cornell Dupree
and more recently Josh Smith

Leo Kottke is worthy of mention for acoustic steel string, I especially like his earlier compositions for the 6 string like Ojo, The Fisherman, and Stealin'.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 13 Oct 20 - 08:10 AM

Never saw what the fuss was about over Steve Cropper.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: gillymor
Date: 13 Oct 20 - 08:19 AM

He's a very subtle backup player, not known for flashy solos. Listen to his parts with Booker T and the MG's, Otis Redding, Sam and Dave etc. He has a style that combines both rhythm and lead and is fun to play even outside a band setting.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: fat B****rd
Date: 13 Oct 20 - 09:03 AM

Wilko Johnson
Robin Trower
Cliff Gallup

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,Jim Bainbridge
Date: 13 Oct 20 - 12:22 PM

I've never heard anyone who could rival Doc Watson, except maybe Merle Travis- nobody this side of the Atlantic, for sure

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Oct 20 - 11:48 PM

Michael Bloomfield
Jimmy Page
Jimi Hendrix

#1: Michael Bloomfield. Unless I missed it, I don't think he's been mentioned. Tops by far for me. Selecting #2 & 3...and beyond...is brutal. But #1 is easy.

#2: "Favorites" in general tend to change as tastes evolve, but "influences" leave a long-term mark. Jimmy Page is probably my "favorite" who was also a real primary "influence".

#3. "Best" is different from "favorite". Who I think is the best at a particular guitar/musical skill is not necessarily my favorite. And there are "bests" in each genre, who should not really stand in comparison to one another. But, to have a little fun with a top 3 list, I'll stick with favorites who are also among the "best". So, #3 has to be Duane Allman. No...changed my mind...Jimi Hendrix. No, wait...

So, that's where my inclination is now. On another day, I might try to represent three different styles. Today, I guess I'm feeling the electric blues/classic rock thing.

Oh, and B.B. King. Even if he' not part of the answer, it's not cool to have a discussion like this without saying "B.B. King".

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,Guitarfumbler
Date: 14 Oct 20 - 05:52 AM

In terms of guitarists who sound like nobody else:

Richard Thompson
Davey Graham
Roy Buchanan

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 14 Oct 20 - 08:01 AM

Country music means the incredible Brad Paisley!!!

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bob Hitchcock
Date: 14 Oct 20 - 09:09 AM

Danny Gatton, Mark Knopfler and Wes Montgomery.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 14 Oct 20 - 03:33 PM

Stu Taylor
Godfrey Mew
Bernie Watson


All in Lord Sutch's Savages in early 60s

Not forgetting the amazing Micky King from Cliff Bennett & the Rebel Rousers and later James Royal & The Hawks!!!

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Mooh
Date: 15 Oct 20 - 07:08 AM

In no particular order and subject to change on a whim:

Joscho Stephan

Roy Buchanan

Rory Gallagher

(Runner ups: Tony McManus, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen)

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: gillymor
Date: 15 Oct 20 - 08:29 AM

Guit-steel man Junior Brown is pretty amazing.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 15 Oct 20 - 11:33 AM

Ralph McTell: of course people will mainly think of his singing and songs, but brilliant guitarist too, plays many styles.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Raedwulf
Date: 15 Oct 20 - 12:34 PM

Yngwie Malmsteen - something of a twerp, by all accounts, but started neo-classical shredding & apparently had Eddie jealously hunched over his guitar, trying to work out what the hell the new kid on the block was doing!

Jon Petrucci - Difficult choice here between Jon & Joe (Satriani), but although Dreamtheater do, especially on later albums, disappear into complexity, Joe, I'm afraid, just disintegrated into it. Both took shredding to a new level, but Petrucci's output has generally been tighter, more musically coherent, less self-indulgent, probably because he's one member of a band, not the whole vehicle (& speaking of self-indulgent, just don't mention Joe's most famous pupil, Steve...).

Martin Taylor - I'm not that much of a fan of jazz of any description (the tendency to get self-indulgent again), but once again, I have to say that the technical eptitude of this bloke is jaw-dropping. And the couple of albums of his that I've so far acquired do, for the most part, remain musical, rather than disappearing into complexity / experimentation / showing off.

Were I allowed more than 3 (see, I'm trying to play by the rules, DtG ;-) ) I'd likely pick at least two of Julian Bream, John Williams & Andrew York, classical guitarists all. I realise this makes it sound like I admire technical excellence above all else; I don't (otherwise my lip wouldn't curl at the mention of Vai). But how can I put this? Yes I'm basically a headbanger, rather than a folkie. But you have to make music as well as being technically ept. And the ones I've mentioned could play anything else as well as anyone else anyone has mentioned. The reverse mostly isn't true. I can imagine Hendrix being able to do Malmsteen or Petrucci, frex; I can't see Moore, and certainly not Knopfler, ever achieving the same level of ability.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,21st Century Primitive
Date: 15 Oct 20 - 07:16 PM

Robbie Basho
Daniel Bachman
Jeff Parker

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Oct 20 - 01:10 AM

Dick Gaughan
Arty McGlynn
John Allan Cameron

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 17 Oct 20 - 02:32 AM

Try Richard Smith for Chet Atkins style!

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: keberoxu
Date: 19 Oct 20 - 03:49 PM

I would like to put in a good word for the late Fred Hellerman.

When the Weavers performed their rousing arrangements
of traditional song (or otherwise),
Pete Seeger's banjo and occasional mandolin got all the accolades.
Fred Hellerman remained the true accompanist,
providing both rhythm and counterpoint,
complementing both Seeger's instrumental solos
and the vocals, both solo and choral, of the Weavers.
Those Weavers recordings were some of my earliest exposure
to sophisticated arrangements of popular/traditional songs,
and for me, Fred Hellerman is the unsung hero of those arrangements;
I learned much about accompaniment from listening to him.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Lost Chicken in High Weeds
Date: 19 Oct 20 - 04:28 PM

Robert Johnson, Mother Maybelle Carter, Jimmy Page

I'm more of a banjer man myself overall, though.

I *really* love early Bob Dylan's guitar, too, and pretty much can't help but mention Nick Drake as well. 3, even 10 is tough. I don't really have "favorites", I just love a lot of guitarists, and each for differing aspects, not necessarily raw ability.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: keberoxu
Date: 21 Oct 20 - 12:40 PM

I used to love the armadillo album by Leo Kottke, decades ago.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: GUEST,gillymor
Date: 21 Oct 20 - 01:06 PM

Hellerman produced and played on Joan Baez' first album so he, along with Joan, was probably my first guitar hero because I flipped for the acoustic guitar after hearing that album at the age of 8 or 9.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Elmore
Date: 21 Oct 20 - 11:00 PM

Paul Rishell, Garnet Rogers, Bennett Hammond.

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: graham_t
Date: 23 Oct 20 - 05:31 PM

Richard Thompson
Michael Chapman
Ian Carr

Subject: RE: Favourite guitarists
From: Neil D
Date: 23 Oct 20 - 08:41 PM

Picking only three seems like a disservice to many wonderful players I can't name, but rules are rules. I have to include Mississippi John Hurt and Doc Watson. The one thing that these to have in common is that as phenomenal as their playing is, it is always used in service to the song. Many great guitarists do the opposite, the song only being there to serve the "noodling".
When ranking guitarists I usually have separate lists for primarily acoustic players and predominately electric players as I consider them as different instruments. But the OP said only 3 in any style, so my list absolutely has to include Jimi.