Distinctive guitar players whose playing/tone you easily recognise?

imalrightjack

While sat working doing mundane tasks, I often pop on a film to half-watch.  This morning I chose Death Wish 2, as I've never seen it and it's brainless enough to not draw me in too much.  The intro song kicked in with a nice Eaglesy bit of guitar, with some very 70s synths, then suddenly I thought, "Christ, that sounds like Jimmy Page!"  Of course, it is.

This first increased my respect for Page (I've been a Led Zep fan for a long time), as I really think it's quite something to sound so much like nobody but you, and secondly made me wonder how many guitarists stand out so individually.

Off the top of my head, I'd say Angus Young and Dave Mustaine (who I think took quite a lot from Angus) have some very distinctive tells.  I'm sure there are many, many others but I thought I'd put it out there.

skullfunkerry

I walked into a bar once, heard the first note of a guitar solo and knew it was Marty Friedman from the vibrato. 

Also:

Steve Vai
Joe Satriani
Slash
Ty Tabor
Possibly Jack White, although I haven’t heard enough of his post White Stripes output to know for sure

GavRichList

Definitely Johnny Marr

Redlester

Brian May. 

Angus Young certainly. 

John McLaughlin.

Wes Montgomery. 

I think If I get it right in my case I am as likely to identify someone from their overall tone/ sound as I am from the playing, but maybe that’s because I’m a guitar player. 

This can be a good game if you like jazz where there are no amps/ effects etc to affect the tone, and it’s purely on note choice and phrasing. Often telling one sax player from another, say, can be tricky.

My ear is not as failsafe as I’d like to think though. I like to think I’d be able to spot the greats at first listen, but not always. Planet Rock once played a track I didn’t know that was ‘Very 80s’ sounding- drum machine, massed harmony vocals, flash guitar fills, the lot. ‘What’s this?’ I thought. Sounds like some LA dude trying to be Jeff Beck. And up pops the DJ at the end of the track saying ‘that was Jeff Beck from his ‘Flash’ album”. I can’t tell if I was having an off day or Jeff was. 

Jalapeno

Eric

breakstuff

The Edge. 

JerkMoans

Mark Knopfler
Nile Rogers
Kurt Cobain...

Jonathangus

Paul Kossoff.  There was a Free song in a TV show recently - might have been Normal People.  Didn't know the song, but as soon as that vibrato started...

Ben_McCarthy

Has to be Robben Ford for me, Clapton and Bb King too there’s no mistaking them. 

Universal8

Gilmour 

MagicPigDetective

J Mascis without a doubt. Has a very distinctive tone, style and often used phrases and chord progressions. Even playing acoustic, I'd recognise him every time. 

danny_777

Guthrie Govan - can tell his playing a mile off! And Mr Vai of course. His solo on M83's Go! was what got me playing again.

EricTheWeary

I could probably recognise BB King or someone playing close to that style fairly easily. If anything Albert King maybe even more distinctive. 
I have a distinct if unreliable memory of realising Crazy Little Thing was Queen from the solo and not from the vocal ( not even the red special that one either I believe).
When I think of distinctive players my mind tends to go to Hound Dog Taylor. 

TonyR

GavRichList said:

Definitely Johnny Marr

Yep this

axisus

Brian May for me. I think he's the most unique guitarist ever in terms of his individual style and sound.

ronnyb

Keef.

Hattigol

I suspect most people would be hard pushed to spot more than ten. My 'Easily Identified Top 10' would be:

Hendrix
SRV
The Edge
Andy Summers
Jimmy Page
Jonny Greenwood
Slash
BB King
Johnny Marr
Brian May

guitarmangler

Holdworth
Santana

Jimbro66

Not mentioned so far but Hank. One note and it is unmistakeably him.

MagicPigDetective

John Squire too has a very distinctive style, you just know it's him. 

brojangles

Daniel Johnston.