Guitar World Young Guitarist of the Year

Switch625 · December 2020

I'm guessing the age limit is something around 16? Would've been cool to see somebody like Chris Kingfisher Ingram on there but I think he's around 20-21.

Vibetronic · December 2020

Some of these aren't even approaching shred - last one was just really nice melodic rock playing (with some great use of the trem!). Good luck to them all, great playing

Barquentine · December 2020

It reminds me very much of the old Shrapnel recordings. Very accomplished but hard to listen to for more than a few minutes.

ThePrettyDamned · December 2020

Barney said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

Barney said:

Some great technical young guitarists about but I often think lot have missed the the musical factor part of it associated with the blues usually ..and went straight to shred mode ...

Is blues more musical?

I find a lot to enjoy in classical Bach and modern metal, and I don't find it musically or emotionally lacking.

I suppose it depends what you listen to really ...I can always tell the players that have missed that side of it though and went straight to shred ..I find emotion in classical but not normally modern metal ...I could be listening to the wrong things though

Maybe. I remember someone telling me it was obvious Paul Gilbert didn't know much outside of shred.

I think shred is as valid as any other form of music, from sludgey doom to hip hop and rap and back to percussive jazz.

If I never heard a blues guitar solo again it would be too soon

players like Ichika Nito, Tim Henderson, Paul Gilbert, buckethead, EVH all bring/brought exciting things to the guitar - it's just up to us as to whether we can appreciate it or not, and whether we want to listen to it or not.

Technique doesn't necessarily equal an interesting piece of music, but that's a reflection on composition and nothing else.

Edit: for balance, most classical music (as with most music full stop) probably doesn't interest me greatly and that's okay, just like shred doesn't necessarily interest you.

Philly_Q · December 2020

idiotwindow said:

Philly_Q said:

(Three of them quote Plini as an influence - embarrassingly, I've never heard of him.)

Why's that embarrassing? I've never heard of him either and, frankly, don't want to. We all have different tastes but this kind of music is not something I'd ever choose to listen to. Are these really the best young guitar players that this magazine can come up with? Are there no young bluegrass, 'roots' or classical players worthy of inclusion? In truth, I don't know this magazine – is it some kind of shreddy metal focussed publication?

If this guy Plini is a current guitar hotshot I feel like I should've at least heard of him, even if I haven't heard his music.

Guitar World has been going since 1980. I wouldn't really call it shreddy metal focused, but it's always featured more rock and metal players than the other big US magazine, Guitar Player. The latter would be much more likely to feature young bluegrass, roots or classical players - who, to be honest, wouldn't interest me in the slightest. But as you say, we all have different tastes.

Barney · December 2020

ThePrettyDamned said:

Barney said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

Barney said:

Some great technical young guitarists about but I often think lot have missed the the musical factor part of it associated with the blues usually ..and went straight to shred mode ...

Is blues more musical?

I find a lot to enjoy in classical Bach and modern metal, and I don't find it musically or emotionally lacking.

I suppose it depends what you listen to really ...I can always tell the players that have missed that side of it though and went straight to shred ..I find emotion in classical but not normally modern metal ...I could be listening to the wrong things though

Maybe. I remember someone telling me it was obvious Paul Gilbert didn't know much outside of shred.

I think shred is as valid as any other form of music, from sludgey doom to hip hop and rap and back to percussive jazz.

If I never heard a blues guitar solo again it would be too soon players like Ichika Nito, Tim Henderson, Paul Gilbert, buckethead, EVH all bring/brought exciting things to the guitar - it's just up to us as to whether we can appreciate it or not, and whether we want to listen to it or not.

Technique doesn't necessarily equal an interesting piece of music, but that's a reflection on composition and nothing else.

Edit: for balance, most classical music (as with most music full stop) probably doesn't interest me greatly and that's okay, just like shred doesn't necessarily interest you.

Don't get me wrong ...I can listen to shred iff it has some sort of format and mixed with other things ...in my opinion Paul Gilbert is one of them ...he can play all the shred type of thing but can play melodically as well ...but yeah everybody likes different things and that's a good thing !!

Rowby1 · December 2020

Guitar playing (or music of any sort) as a competitive sport is missing the whole point, regardless of what genre is considered by the judges to be “the most technically challenging”.

This is the reason the stupid crap peddled by Simon Cowshit has poisoned society to the extent that anything creative is valued in fractions of a penny now.

Sorry, I’ve had a bad day.

Bennyboy-UK · December 2020

Someone should write to Guitar World and ask them for 2021 to introduce the:

Over 55s under 12th fret three note blues riff nitro finish appraiser 12 gauge string 21 fret 7.25” radius ooooh ahhhh relic telecaster Jimmy Page impersonator curmudgeon category

I can imagine it would very popular on the FB.

TTBZ · December 2020

You lot would do well to have a listen to some current instrumental stuff like Plini, Covet or CHON. So much more interesting than the "old" shredder stuff like Satch, Vai, Malmsteen etc imo. And a million times more creative and melodic than your beige old dad blues.

Barney · December 2020

TTBZ said:

You lot would do well to have a listen to some current instrumental stuff like Plini, Covet or CHON. So much more interesting than the "old" shredder stuff like Satch, Vai, Malmsteen etc imo. And a million times more creative and melodic than your beige old dad blues.

Thanks just listening to Plini on YouTube ...great stuff...im converted ...need to open my ears more

darcym · December 2020

all super talented at such a young age, but really boring to watch / listen to (not unimpressive though) it's the same saturated sound with loads of delay tails moving around the fretboard as much as possible, the young lady seemed to be the only one trying to put in some melody and character into her playing, the rest was just mastery of technical ability.

p90fool · December 2020

Bennyboy-UK said:

Someone should write to Guitar World and ask them for 2021 to introduce the:

Over 55s under 12th fret three note blues riff nitro finish appraiser 12 gauge string 21 fret 7.25” radius ooooh ahhhh relic telecaster Jimmy Page impersonator curmudgeon category

I can imagine it would very popular on the FB.

Or just a "Give us a bleedin' choon, son" contest.

I have over a hundred Zappa and Miles Davis albums, music doesn't have to be crass for me to like it, but honestly, if one of those kids got up there and blasted out Johnny Ramone style riffs like a machine gun they'd get my vote.

Kids can be cool and full of angst and passion in a way old farts like me can only dream of, yet here they are, drably progging their way through competitions.

SteveRobinson · December 2020

darcym said:

the young lady seemed to be the only one trying to put in some melody and character into her playing,

Terrible backing track though. It was so busy I was convinced another video was playing too. I stopped it a couple of times to check there wasn't.

darcym · December 2020

SteveRobinson said:

darcym said:

the young lady seemed to be the only one trying to put in some melody and character into her playing,

Terrible backing track though. It was so busy I was convinced another video was playing too. I stopped it a couple of times to check there wasn't.

yes, track wasn't the best to show off the style she was showing (personal opinion only) I'd love to hear some of these players in a 'band' type situation to see how they can make their talent fit into a group environment, maybe even in band environment where the guitar wasn't the focus or melody.

SteveRobinson · December 2020

darcym said:

SteveRobinson said:

darcym said:

the young lady seemed to be the only one trying to put in some melody and character into her playing,

Terrible backing track though. It was so busy I was convinced another video was playing too. I stopped it a couple of times to check there wasn't.

yes, track wasn't the best to show off the style she was showing (personal opinion only) I'd love to hear some of these players in a 'band' type situation to see how they can make their talent fit into a group environment, maybe even in band environment where the guitar wasn't the focus or melody.

I always maintain that Guthrie Govan's best stuff was playing with Dizzee Rascal

IntoTheRough · December 2020

SteveRobinson said:

darcym said:

SteveRobinson said:

darcym said:

the young lady seemed to be the only one trying to put in some melody and character into her playing,

Terrible backing track though. It was so busy I was convinced another video was playing too. I stopped it a couple of times to check there wasn't.

yes, track wasn't the best to show off the style she was showing (personal opinion only) I'd love to hear some of these players in a 'band' type situation to see how they can make their talent fit into a group environment, maybe even in band environment where the guitar wasn't the focus or melody.

I always maintain that Guthrie Govan's best stuff was playing with Dizzee Rascal

I thought you were being facetious, a quick google proved otherwise. Fantastic! I love GG as it is but this was just great.

wellsyboy · December 2020

Lovely to see technical skills but I would just love to see someone do an actual song in one of these competitions

stickyfiddle · December 2020

p90fool said:

Bennyboy-UK said:

Someone should write to Guitar World and ask them for 2021 to introduce the:

Over 55s under 12th fret three note blues riff nitro finish appraiser 12 gauge string 21 fret 7.25” radius ooooh ahhhh relic telecaster Jimmy Page impersonator curmudgeon category

I can imagine it would very popular on the FB.

Or just a "Give us a bleedin' choon, son" contest.

I have over a hundred Zappa and Miles Davis albums, music doesn't have to be crass for me to like it, but honestly, if one of those kids got up there blasted out Johnny Ramone style riffs like a machine gun they'd get my vote.

Kids can be cool and full of angst and passion in a way old farts like me can only dream of, yet here they are, drably progging there way through competitions.

100% agree. There's a whole world of other guitar-based music outside of shreddy-but-bland competitiveness and White Man Blues (and holy christ is WMB boring as shit too). I want to hear songs.

But whatever you want to hear, music in general shouldn't be about competition, and playing any given instrument alone certainly isn't a competition.

darcym · December 2020

stickyfiddle said:

p90fool said:

Bennyboy-UK said:

Someone should write to Guitar World and ask them for 2021 to introduce the:

Over 55s under 12th fret three note blues riff nitro finish appraiser 12 gauge string 21 fret 7.25” radius ooooh ahhhh relic telecaster Jimmy Page impersonator curmudgeon category

I can imagine it would very popular on the FB.

Or just a "Give us a bleedin' choon, son" contest.

I have over a hundred Zappa and Miles Davis albums, music doesn't have to be crass for me to like it, but honestly, if one of those kids got up there blasted out Johnny Ramone style riffs like a machine gun they'd get my vote.

Kids can be cool and full of angst and passion in a way old farts like me can only dream of, yet here they are, drably progging there way through competitions.

100% agree. There's a whole world of other guitar-based music outside of shreddy-but-bland competitiveness and White Man Blues (and holy christ is WMB boring as shit too). I want to hear songs.

But whatever you want to hear, music in general shouldn't be about competition, and playing any given instrument alone certainly isn't a competition.

you know that's a point I'd not considered, nothing wrong with being competitive, but actually, is a competition appropriate for this sort of stuff (did help GG's career no doubt so there is a flip side)

p90fool · December 2020

I think that although competitions of this type are a bit silly, it is useful promotion for those involved.

I certainly don't see any harm in it.

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Guitar World Young Guitarist of the Year

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