Who is your fave unsung hero guitarist?

rocktron

hilly_Q said:

Frank Hannon of Tesla

Dave Meniketti of Y&T

I am always surprised that these guys are never mentioned in the guitarist hall of fame, if such a thing exists, or the lists of Top 100 Guitarists.

Here's Dave live on an LP - Winds Of Change:-

 

randomhandclaps

Bucket said:

I've got to ask, why is my suggestion of Billy Corgan being met with so many lols?

I reckon at least one of those LOLs is from Devi Ever.   She did exactly the same to me when I said I thought good soldering was an important skill.

wayneirie

Nick McCabe. A whole other Galaxy of sound. A shout out for the late great Bobby Womack as well

mudslide73

For me it's got to be Marc Ford (Burning Tree, Black Crowes) - a huge influence on my playing. 

Philly_Q

mudslide73 said:

For me it's got to be Marc Ford (Burning Tree, Black Crowes) - a huge influence on my playing. 

I like him in Burning Tree and Audley Freed in Cry of Love.  But I don't really like either of them in the Black Crowes.

jellybelly

I am a HUGE Nick McCabe fan, was utterly inspired to hear about him coming out of hospital to record all his parts in Urban Hymns within a few days. Slide playing was very tasteful too.

My unsung guitarist is Carrie Brownstien of Sleater Kinney. Phenomenal player. Not tidy and neat, but ballsy (sic) aggressive, inventive and versitile. Their album 'The Woods' is one of my favourites.

Big fan of Aaron and Bryce Dessner from The National. Really great, complimentary players, and some of their fingerpicked stuff is phenomenal.

Also Kaki King - she is known for her acoustic virtuosity, but I like her electric playing better - really nuanced, clever and distinctive.

exocet

Neil Schon, not exactly unsung but there again not mentioned much nowadays.

Reverend

Philly_Q;593403" said:

Gwin Spencer of The Mother StationFrank Hannon of TeslaDave Meniketti of Y&TBruce Franklin and Rick Wartell of TroubleEvery guitarist who's ever been in Wishbone Ash

Some better known than others, but all relatively unsung (IMO).

Have a wisdom.

I was about to say Dave, Bruce and Rick.

few moments will beat coming off stage last year in Milwakee and having both Bruce and Rick say how much they liked what we did.


So then I showed them my 3 Trouble tattoos.

AuldReekie

57Deluxe said:

Depends on the era.. but for those yoofs out there, but Bill Nelson was and still is a dab hand on the frets...

First heard Bill Nelson on the John Peel Show in May 1974 - he was with Be Bop Deluxe then - playing "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape" and thought he was the best guitarist I had ever heard.  Having followed his career since then and he is still the best guitarist I have ever heard and its been quite a musical journey.  He crosses several genres and this makes him hard to classify; he has never pandered to the music biz rules, so that has made him hard to market.  But if you haven't listened to this great man, go onto you tube or visit his website, Dreamsville, to get a flavour of what you have been missing

Samgb

Philly_Q said:

mudslide73 said:

For me it's got to be Marc Ford (Burning Tree, Black Crowes) - a huge influence on my playing. 

I like him in Burning Tree and Audley Freed in Cry of Love.  But I don't really like either of them in the Black Crowes.

That Burning Tree album was great. Just the wrong time though as grunge was breaking out. I loved Marc Ford on Southern Harmony in the Black Crowes(and the track Gone on Amorica hasa one of my all time favourite Strat sounds). A really great player who could sing and write a bit too. He was a bit wasted in the Black Crowes. A bit like Ronnie Wood joining the Stones - he can really play, and write, and sing so we'd like him in our band. But then we wont let him do any of that stuff. Strange 

not_the_dj

Anyone mentioned Mike Campbell yet?

Sassafras

Bill Harkleroad, AKA Zoot Horn Rollo. He wasn't a flash guitar man but he came up with inventive, original riffs that suited each song perfectly.

I've seen Beefheart 3 times and Harkleroad was always excellent.

Another guy who hasn't had the recognition he deserves is Robby Krieger. Although well known, he was never considered in the same class as the top guys, mainly because he wasn't flash, he just came up with very interesting original riffs and melodies that weren't buried in loads of effects.

Kebabkid

Ian Bairnson of the Alan Parson's Project, Pilot, Kate Bush Band, Buck's Fizz and many other sessions.
Tone, expressiveness and very melodic.
My favourite solo of his is "Games people play" - 3:17 and he also played the outro solo on "Wuthering Heights"


I know we have Lukather, Landau and Huff for lush AOR solos but Tim Pierce (sessioner and one time member of Rick Springfield's band) plays perfectly constructed short, sweet solos - 2:20 and excuse the crap vid and cheesy song.

I also don't think we mention Tom Scholz and Barry Goodreau of Boston enough. We know the music, we know the Scholz products, but these guys were excellent on those first 2 albums. Melodic solos and one of the best dual harmony guitar partnerships ever!!!!

DrBob

+1 for Audley Freed, particularly for his playing on the 'Brother' album by Cry Of Love.

And, having just heard 'Axe Victim' for the first time yesterday (I know, I know) Bill Nelson, bloody hell !

Phil_aka_Pip

Dave "Clem" Clemson (Colosseum)
Andy Latimer (Camel)
John Goodsall (Brand X)

tbm

off the top of my head:
John Reis (Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu, Rocket From The Crypt, Sultans, Nightmarchers)
King Buzzo (Melvins, Fantomas)
Gary Holt (Slayer, Exodus)
Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth, Chelsea Light Moving, solo)
Stephen Malkmus (Pavement, solo)

JookyChap

Totally agree on Charlie Burchill and the Edge, and of a similar vintage I'd throw in ...

Bernard Butler (Suede), 

Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins), 

Will Sergeant (Bunnymen), 

Dave Sharp (Alarm), 

Peter Buck (REM), 

Tim Bricheno (All About Eve/Sisters of Mercy), 

Terry Bickers (House of Love/Disintegration)

RocknRollDave

JookyChap said:

Totally agree on Charlie Burchill and the Edge, and of a similar vintage I'd throw in ...

Bernard Butler (Suede), 

Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins), 

Will Sergeant (Bunnymen), 

Dave Sharp (Alarm), 

Peter Buck (REM), 

Tim Bricheno (All About Eve/Sisters of Mercy), 

Terry Bickers (House of Love/Disintegration)

+1 on Will Sergeant. Had a bit of a phase a few weeks back where I dug out all my "post reunion" Bunnymen stuff (well, SOMEONE had to like it...) and it was a nice refreshing change from the usual Bluesy Rock guitarring I tend to listen to these days.


EDIT:
Is it Terry Bickers that plays the solo on HoL's "Shine On"...? Great little solo, that.

Fretwired

Jan Akkerman ...

guitarfishbay

Elliott Smith.  Not because he was incredibly technical, or good at soloing.  I just like the parts he wrote.