Last great guitar hero

BluesboyMitch · January 2014

but surely it is just exposure and personal opinion that makes you think a certain person is the last great guitar hero. I mean my first exposure to music i can remember is listening to the very best rock album in the world ever with my dad on a saturday playing air guitar

and its the sound of the electric guitar in that whole album that made me want an electric guitar. Not specifically a certain player. I had never heard of these artists i just heard the music. Then i was introduced to AC/DC Iron Maidden etc. by my best friend and it re-affirmed that passion for guitars. Or maybe the first time i heard Hendrix.

John Mayer is my guitar hero at the minute but it has changed as my tastes have developed. He probably only inspired young guys to play because of the women he has dated not necessary his music

I don't think that you can say there is one last great but instead a decades of great players.

Clapton/Knofler/May/Slash/Gilmour/Jack White/ The Edge/ Page/ Marr/

dogload · January 2014

A guitarist who re-thunk playing and is therefore great has to be Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine. He exploited the Fender Jazzmaster and Jaguar tremolo and built a sound around it. That and massive volume and reverse reverb!

Bound to be one that the chip shop lady will be unfamiliar with, but he deserves a mention.

koneguitarist · January 2014

Well my thoughts that prompted this for me was Someone who soon as everyone heard him the first time, just gasped with jaws dropped etc his music was not for me even though it was my time.

You also have to take the time into context as well. And I Cannot believe it took so long for him to be mentioned, so maybe I am wrong.

Eddie Van Halen. That whole tapping thing with the weird noises, no one had ever sounded so wild or off the wall yet controlled. It was a big enough deal to get Michael Jackson saying I want that sound on his record !

Sure , other guys since have played better or more technical such as Vai Satch and Petrucci etc

And maybe others have used effects and tricks to create a more sonic landscape, but has anybody had the same influence on guitar playing since then.

You can argue Slash, but he did nothing new despite being a great player, it was fairly standard guitar playing.

That's my thoughts anyway, glad so many commented.

guitarfishbay · January 2014

Wez Borland for best fancy dress

koneguitarist · January 2014

guitarfishbay said:

Wez Borland for best fancy dress

Daft sod, have a lol

Jalapeno · January 2014

maltingsaudio said:

Before that it was the loopbox

In that case KT Tunstall !!!!!

streethawk · January 2014

koneguitarist said:

Well my thoughts that prompted this for me was Someone who soon as everyone heard him the first time, just gasped with jaws dropped etc his music was not for me even though it was my time.
You also have to take the time into context as well. And I Cannot believe it took so long for him to be mentioned, so maybe I am wrong.
Eddie Van Halen. That whole tapping thing with the weird noises, no one had ever sounded so wild or off the wall yet controlled. It was a big enough deal to get Michael Jackson saying I want that sound on his record !
Sure , other guys since have played better or more technical such as Vai Satch and Petrucci etc
And maybe others have used effects and tricks to create a more sonic landscape, but has anybody had the same influence on guitar playing since then.
You can argue Slash, but he did nothing new despite being a great player, it was fairly standard guitar playing.
That's my thoughts anyway, glad so many commented.

Oh definitely Van Halen. Not my cup of tea but he created bigger waves than anybody since Hendrix.

ICBM · January 2014

Jack White.

Fulfils all the criteria - popular, influential, has an instantly recognisable and quite original sound, is known for his playing as much as his songwriting or the bands he's in, is asked to guest on other people's records as a guitarist.

EricTheWeary · January 2014

RocknRollDave;143260" said:
Can't see the Tom Morello thing, myself, can someone explain?

as others have said someone who has done something that you can clearly hear comes out in other's playing ( well, they probably put it in plain English). I have heard Morello alikes and Jack White alikes.

With my blues hat on : SRV as the last great guitar hero. I could pretty much divide blues/ blues rock guitarists into pre or post Stevie.

ESchap · January 2014

Django Reinhardt ... he only had 2 useable fingers on his left hand FFS :-O

edit: damn spelt his name wrong! fixed now

koneguitarist · January 2014

ESchap said:

Django Reindhart ... he only had 2 useable fingers on his left hand FFS :-O

Guitar hero yes, but last no.

ICBM ref Jack White, what has he done apart from that one riff that every kid tried to play. Bearing in mind I know he has produced Loretta Lynn, but what is he known for on guitar, cause I don't know ?

meltedbuzzbox · January 2014

ESchap said:

Django Reindhart ... he only had 2 useable fingers on his left hand FFS :-O

He was without question one of the very best to ever play a guitar and inspired everyone that is pretty much seen as an icon now days.

ICBM · January 2014

koneguitarist said:
ICBM ref Jack White, what has he done apart from that one riff that every kid tried to play. Bearing in mind I know he has produced Loretta Lynn, but what is he known for on guitar, cause I don't know ?

Probably easier to just look him up on Wikipedia

.

He's done a fair amount of stuff - I actually think most of it rather samey, but that still doesn't mean he isn't a "guitar hero" in the traditional sense, and I can't think of anyone else since.

How many people who aren't interested in classic rock know more Blackmore riffs than Smoke On The Water or Page ones than Whole Lotta Love?

axisus · January 2014

To me, a guitar hero has to be someone who rips out solos and maybe (but not always) looks cool in an OTT sort of way, rather than being any kind of innovator. Also, public awareness not that important.

Players I'd call guitar heroes:

Slash, Zakk Wylde, Blackmore, Clapton in Cream, Petrucci, Vai, Angus Young, Malmsteen etc

Great players I wouldn't consider guitar heroes:

Jack White, Prince, Clapton solo, Matt Bellamy, Johnny Marr, John Squire, Greenwood etc . They all inspired people to play, but they aren't guitar heroes to me. I'm not even saying that the 'guitar heroes' are better or have more value, it's just a label/perception thing.

koneguitarist · January 2014

ICBM said:

koneguitarist said:
ICBM ref Jack White, what has he done apart from that one riff that every kid tried to play. Bearing in mind I know he has produced Loretta Lynn, but what is he known for on guitar, cause I don't know ?

Probably easier to just look him up on Wikipedia .

He's done a fair amount of stuff - I actually think most of it rather samey, but that still doesn't mean he isn't a "guitar hero" in the traditional sense, and I can't think of anyone else since.

How many people who aren't interested in classic rock know more Blackmore riffs than Smoke On The Water or Page ones than Whole Lotta Love?

Mm if I have to look him up on wiki then is he a guitar hero ? I can't see what he has done for music full stop apart from a catchy riff and singing like that nutter from Police academy!

randomhandclaps · January 2014

For me, Johnny Greenwood. Although I do believe Jack White is a modern guitar hero.

fretfinder · January 2014

My son says Slash and it's hard to disagree, but I say Jimmy Page, for the riffs, solos and the guitar-layering production. Can't believe no-one's mentioned the great Pagey yet, unless I missed it.

Grumpyrocker · January 2014

Slash. I like his stuff, but whether or not I like him he's the last great obvious guitar playing icon.

My guitar hero is Page, but he came a long time before Slash. And Slash is still there with his top hat on doing his thing.

It almost seems like the days of the guitar hero are gone. There have been plenty of guitar players that have come along since Slash. But none of them real iconic guitar heroes.

Gassage · January 2014

Another one for Johnny Greenwood here. Amazing innovator.

Johnny Buckland too- very tasteful and Coldplay are probably the biggest touring band in the world right now.

Grunfeld · January 2014

koneguitarist said:

Eddie Van Halen. That whole tapping thing with the weird noises, no one had ever sounded so wild or off the wall yet controlled.

I agree with you on this, EVH wins my vote too.

He was the point at which rock guitar seemed to change from being about how to sound like Hendrix, or that blues, pentatonic style. Before EVH the (admittedly only a few) guitar players I'd seen in the pubs and clubs had that sloppy and improvised sound where someone would play a guitar solo for 10 minutes from the same two or three licks and you'd unquestioningly accept that that was what rock guitar playing was all about.

Along came Eddie, playing as tight as f*ck, and very quickly players sharpened up their chops and their approach to playing. EVH made players better players. I don't even listen to much he's done other than the first VH album!

The irony of all this is at a personal level when my mate played me the first VH album I was blown away and, unfortunately in true "fight or fright" mode, something in me thought that it was super-human playing and I'd never be able to emulate it. So like the last of the old dinosaurs I took my first position pentatonic to the tar pits and got stuck there for decades.

But yep, EVH.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

Last great guitar hero

Comments