Favorite guitar players not named......

I know that the guitarists that are listed as "household" names always make many lists for the best guitarists of all time, but for me, (except for Beck) they barely register. 

The blues bores me, and all those household names are limited to minor blues pentatonic playing. 

Prog:

Robert Fripp

Steve Howe

Franco Mussida (from Italian prog band PFM)

Steve Hackett, 

Steve Hillage

Phil Miller

Mike Johnson (from US avant-prog band, Thinking Plague)

Jazz:

John McLaughlin

Allan Holdsworth

Mary Halvorson

Ralph Towner

Max Sunyer (fusion guitarist from Spain)

Corrado Rustici (Italian fusion player)

These are only partial lists. 

Joe Satriani.

best there was, best there is, best that ever will be.

Duane Allman

Robbie Robertson

Nick Drake

I'd also like to make special mention of Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead. While not a lead player he developed a unique style of rhythm guitar playing designed to support the lead work of Garcia. Weir claims he was inspired by listening to McCoy Tyner comp on piano behind John Coltrane.   

@hertzhead 

As a guitar player, I heartily agree. There have been a number of factors inhibiting the public’s appreciation of his playing, including, as you mentioned, the fact that he doesn’t play solos. As a Jazz fan, I think the McCoy Tyner comparison is a bit overblown but his approach to accompaniment is similar to jazz "comping" in that, rather than just monotonously bashing away at barre chords, he weaves together  (often) non root voicings with intervals and single lines to create parts that are musical statements of their own and he’s developed the ability to improvise such parts on the spur of the moment. His approach has been a big influence on my rhythm playing.  

My personal favorite showcase for his playing is the ’72 Europe tour. The album "Europe ’72" is a master class in great  rhythm guitar in Country-Rock, Country, R&B/Blues and spacey improvisational styles. But then, that’s my favorite year for the band, overall. I love not only the material but also the band’s sound, dominated by Garcia’s strat, Weir’s ES345 and Godchaux’s acoustic piano.