Name your top 3 guitarists

axisus

Stick to 3, it always gets a bit mad when people list everyone under the sun that they like, so if we can be discerning  and concise in our thoughts that would be good.

For me:

1. Alex Hutchings. Bizarrely, he is my number 1 even though he has no product out! I'm hooked on his beautiful phrasing, coupled with advanced technical skills. Found him on YouTube a couple of years ago and love his style.

2. Guthrie Govan. Lovely guy, amazing player. Quite unique. 

3 Thomas Blug. That is how I like to hear a strat played. Beautiful melodic soloing with tons of feel.

vasselmeyer

Stevie Ray - Half Albert King, half Jimi Hendrix and half T-Bone Walker. That's more than a whole. Could go from super aggressive to unbeliveably delicate within seconds. Amazing player.

Jeff Healey - Best Strat tone ever for me (certainly on the first album). Fiery, superb phrasing and not afraid to just let rip.

Paul Kossoff - Immaculate phrasing and best vibrato ever.

Weird; they all died younger than they should have. Just noticed that.

Phil_aka_Pip

Andy Latimer
Ritchie Blackmore
... easy choices
#3 could be one of many but given what I've been listening to of late it is for now Barney Kessel

meltedbuzzbox

1. John Frusciante

2. Billy Corgan

3. Matt Bellamy

Bidley

Steve Vai, Tommy Vetterli and André Olbrich (today).

CeeBee

1. Alex Lifeson 2. Michael Schenker 3. Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth)

chrisj1602

1. John Squire

2. Jimmy Page

3.  Keef

fnpt

Gilmour
Page
The Edge

not_the_dj

#1:Jimi Hendrix - Always my no.1 in these things. I fell in love with the guitar listening to one of my Dad's Hendrix records. My first son is called Jimi (partially named after my wife's Grandad who was a James/Jim, but she liked the Jimi spelling).

#2: David Gilmour - Beautiful phrasing and control, use of FX and just a class act.

The tricky third one...Page, SRV, Kossoff, Allman, Rothery, Gibbons?...but actually I'd go for:

#3: The Edge - The way he's managed to forge a path not based on old blues licks and use technology to come up with a different way of playing that's totally his.

 

HAL9000

Hmmm - only three... 

 1. I know it's not fashionable these days but... Clapton 

2. David Gilmour 

3. Robert Cray 

 Honorable mentions for Keef, Wilko Johnson, and Buddy Guy.

Elx

Michael Romeo (Symphony X)

Mark Knopfler

Yngwie

But seriouosly, it's very difficult to pick only three...

JookyChap

Interesting the Edge getting mentioned, thought that would be a no-no

Mine:

3. The Edge - Never scared to try something new (at least never used to be scared to try something new) and made his own palate up. Could have gone for Kevin Shields or Billly Corgan too, tbf.

2. Love BB King, and Howling Wulffe, but I still find it hard to believe there is only one bloke playing on the Robert Johnson records, so he's got to be in there

1. Bernard Butler - Could have gone for Johnny Marr or even John Squires  but Butler just seems to have a wider scope than either of them and a lot more musically aware. Still think Dog Man Star is the best guitar album ever...

welshboyo

1. Lukather - fell in love with his playing since TotoIV and has just evolved from there - instantly recognisable, had a bit of a wobble mid 2000's with both playing and tone, but now back on top of himself and his playing..

2. Landau - a very close 2nd, tone and phrasing is just something else - for me, what Hendrix would sound like in 21st century

3. Hendrix -  ever since hearing Voodoo Chile (slight return) on an old BBC tape when I was a nipper I was always intrigued by his playing, his rhythm playing possibly more than his lead stuff.

3 is hard...4th would be early Knopfler - Alchemy Live...nuff said

beed84

1. Matt Schofield - Taste and tone.  He has a modern edge yet retains the classic blues feel.

2. George Benson - I don't think I've heard him play a bad note.  His lead breaks are awesome, and when he goes off on one... wow!

3. John Petrucci (Pre-dogshit Dream Theater) - I love his overall ability and ethos as to how approaches the instrument.  There's a perfection to his playing yet it doesn't sound all that clinical. 

Elx

3. John Petrucci (Pre-dogshit Dream Theater) - 

Love this, pre-dogshit...exactly how I feel about pretty much everything they've done since A Change of Seasons...

mike_l

Dave Murray

Adrian Smith

Chris De Garmo

Michael Wilton.

Ok it's 4, but from 2 bands.

ThePrettyDamned

Emily kokal/Theresa wayman
John frusciante
Tim and Luke from protest the hero.

It'd be unfair to single the pairs out as they work together to create stuff that's much more interesting than a single guitarist would manage.

Phil_aka_Pip

ThePrettyDamned said:

t'd be unfair to single the pairs out as they work together to create stuff that's much more interesting than a single guitarist would manage.

all right then ...

Andy Powell/ Ed Turner
Andy Powell/ Laurie Wisefield

randomhandclaps

Gilmour

Blackmore

Page(more)

matt1973

1. Jimi Hendrix

2. Jeff Beck

3. Eric Johnson

bazxkr

My fave top 3....

1) Ritchie Blackmore

2) Steve Morse

3) John Petrucci

Cheers

baz