Favorite guitar player -- no qualifications

Who's your favorite guitar player? I don't care if it's jazz, classical, rock, or zombie mambo. Everybody is fair game, from Christopher Parkening to Joe Pass, Chet Atkins to Jimi Hendrix, Freddie Green to Dan Auerbach.

Who's your guy, and why does he do it for you with a guitar? What makes his guitar rise to the top in your world?

 

I have a 1a) Frank Marino and 1b) Uli Jon Roth.

Both Hendrix influenced players who are extremely fluid and also great technicians. Both equally great and important to me.

Eric Johnson and Eddie Van Halen are right up there too.

 

The usual guys.

 

Tommy Bolin..Great Tone.....Extremely Eclectic.....He could play any style. Jazz, Rock Blues, Country, and do it all well....He is still highly respected by the worlds greats. And he's been gone 40 years already. Amazing legacy.

 

Well, it's either Jeff Beck or Rory Gallagher. Or Duane Allman, or Peter Green, or Grant Green, or Mike Bloomfield, or Dickey Betts or Doc Watson, or Phil Keaggy, or Pete Townshend, or Andy Powell or Martin Barre, or oh hell, this is hopeless.

 

Love them all.

 

Jeff beck was on tour with Tommy Bolin the night he passed.

 

Clarence White

 

Keef.

 

Sorry, I can only narrow down to 3:

Jimmy Page/Ritchie Blackmore/Buck Dharma

 

OK then, Paul Kossoff , james mankey, martin pugh, and Peter green

 

Ca't pick a favorite, except I wish I could play like this guy: Parrish Ellis

 

Neil Young

The longer, rambling and noisy the better.

 

Jimi Hendrix with Danny Gatton a close second.

Filling out my top ten (at present):
Bill Nelson
Jeff Beck
Eric Johnson
Albert Lee
Steve Hillage
Lester Square
Adrian Belew
Fred Frith

 

With Mick Taylor

 

The generally overlooked man in my avatar, Chuck Prophet, who forged quite a distinct Tele style. I heard his second album, Balinese Dancer, where he firmly established the sound and approach, and fell in love with it. I'd never heard guitar quite like it then and haven't since.

 

Peter Green, when he had it all together, and Stan Webb.

 

Steve Hackett

Jerry Reed

 

Wes Montgomery... some of his stuff still blows me away when I hear it.

 

Jerry Garcia

 

Right now...

Pete Townshend
Jack White
Warner Hodges
Mike Campbell
Richard Thompson
Nalle Colt

 

That Beck covered "Stratus" on Ronnie Scott's leads me to assume he's a fan, but I've never actually heard him comment on Bolin (unlike John McLaughlin, who he praises to the heavens). Has JB ever mentioned him in an interview or on stage?

 

Allan Holdsworth

 

There are several, in varying degrees of style, tone and ability. But the top of the list for me is:

JEFF BECK

 

I never knew that. Was it an OD?