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Who is your overall favorite guitarist?

At 44 years of age, I personally feel fortunate to have lived in an era along with some of the finest guitarists who have ever lived. I have always had an overwhelming love of music. As I look back to my earlier years of music appreciation (I took formal piano training for 17 years) I remember how my instructor would suggest exposing myself to the many different styles and disciplines of music.

These were such valuable words of wisdom. Considering the fact that this suggestion, more or less, forced me to be more open to musicians other than those that played in strictly rock and roll bands.

Wow, was I surprised to find that I could be as entertained by Chet Atkins and Les Paul as I could be by Ritchie Blackmore or Carlos Santana. Just think about some of the finest from our time. Jimi Hendrix, John McLaughlin, Robin Trower, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Johnson, Steve Howe, Al DiMeola, the list could seem almost endless. All such incredible musicians.

Although it's very hard to pick one person or style in particular, let's remember the key words, "overall favorite".
I would probably have to say that my overall favorite would have to be Steve Morse (from Dixie Dregs fame).

Who is your favorite?
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Showing 3 responses by boldstrummer

boldstrummer
21 posts
 
David Russell. Immaculate taste/interpretaions, glorious tone, all in one of classical guitar's finest technicians. Nobody is ever the best, but Russell's cds will always be appreciated by someone.
boldstrummer
21 posts
 
Technical poriciency is no small feat!
It is the product of prodigious talent, excellent teaching, and a lifetime of hard work - the kind of work which would earn a fortune in almost any other endevor.
Perhaps you need to be a (classical) guitar player to really appreciate it, but there are some guitarists, like Jorge Caballero, Tilman Hoppstock, Pepe Romero or Denis Azabagic, who are really sooooo proficient that it is an art in itself. These guys really seem so free of technical problems, even on very difficult music, can simply flow through them unfettered. They are like a really good pre-amp!
boldstrummer
21 posts
 
Technique goes far beyond gymnastics. Technique is also the way an artist interprets a given piece of music, their sense of stylistic awareness, their large-scale concept of the music, and their sense of working within the limitations of a given medium (instrument) to impress on the listener that something much more spectacular has occurred. These qualities apply in spades to all the artists I mentioned above. I am not so sure that "greatness" is completely intangible.
That said, manual dexterity is one very, very important factor in determining whether an artist can ever achieve this kind of transcendence. The more dexterous the musician, the more complex the musical ideas may be, and also the more depth may be implored into more seemingly simple or otherwise common musical statements.
I guess I just don't like to be constantly reminded that I am listening to a guitar every time I listen to a guitar!
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