Who Is Your Favorite Guitarist?

When we think of guitar we think of the diversity. With diversity comes opportunity. And with opportunity we see creativity in all aspects of music! Have you ever tried to name the absolute top 10 guitarists? How about 20? It’s a hard thing to do, wouldn’t you say? Let’s look at some of the instrument’s game changers of the 20th century.

Randy Rhoads, known for his fast and technical style of guitar soloing, largely defined the metal scene of the 1980s.

David Gilmour’s playing includes blues-influenced phrasing, expressive note bends, sustain, and ambient chordal mixtures. He is well known for being the lead in Pink Floyd.

Stevie Ray Vaughan is a guitarist with roots in blues, rock, and jazz. With a short lived career he is considered as one of the most influential guitarists of all time.

B.B.King is known for a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shimmering vibrato and staccato picking that influenced many later blues electric guitar players.

Chuck Berry, nicknamed the “Father of Rock and Roll”, refined and developed rhythm and blues in a way that made rock and roll distinctive.

Robert Johnson displayed a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced many generations of musicians and still remains unmatched. He is recognized as a master of the Delta blues.

Eric Clapton has coined the image of a true lead guitarist and is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of the Yardbirds and Cream.

Eddie Van Halen was well known for popularizing the tapping guitar solo technique, allowing rapid arpeggios to be played with two hands on the fretboard. He is certainly one of the most acclaimed rock guitarists of all time.

Jimmy Page is famous for his guitar riffs and varied style, involving diverse guitar tunings, technical and melodic solos and an aggressive, distorted guitar tone. He also played the guitar with a cello bow, creating a drone-like soundscape.

Jimi Hendrix, the most famous left-handed guitarist, is known for the overdriven amplifiers with high volume and gain, and was instrumental in popularizing the previously undesirable sounds caused by guitar amplifier feedback, along with unmatched style and musicality.

Now – who’s your favorite?!