Who do you think the worse guitar players are that make everyone's TOP guitar players list?

Peace

Dave Navarro
Post-1970 Eric Clapton


That's enough hate for now!

We've sort of DONE this one. IIRC, this type thread always degenerates into a flame war, and the general opinion is that it's best to ask about GOOD guitarists, because you learn more from good guitar players than from bad ones.

Having said that, there's subtle shades of BAD.

For example, I hated SRV when I first heard him back in the 80s. You guys convinced me to give him another go and yup... twenty years later, I still couldn't stand him. Doesn't mean he's bad, just that he's not my cup of tea at all. Same with a lot of guys, too many to mention.

This is probably just bias on my part because I think Guns 'n Roses is overrated, but I don't see what's so amazing about Slash. Okay, so he does some cool stuff occasionally, but... eh. Oh, and Kramer- I'm with ya on the Stevie Ray Vaughn thing. I don't know what it is about him that I don't like (except for my deadbeat father playing one of his songs when I was born), but i just can't stand his music.

Bert Weedon!!!!!!



Geoff

Overrated:

Kurt Cobain-- The man who killed the guitar solo--

Music exe's wanted something new- so they went with this.

The man who killed the guitar solo- I could not understand any of his vocals live and his solos was a joke in my own thoughts.

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I agree. He was voted best guitarist in GP! GP of all the gaul! I don't dislike him, I just know for a fact that he is not the BEST. I didn't read GP for a really long time.

Big Red 67:

---------Best Guitarist -rolling on the floor ---LMAO-------

Did I like some of his songs? -YES-
I took them for what they was with a open mind.

But I think the best song they did was something they did Not even write and that is- The Lake of Fire-

That sounds like it could be a serious reason right there.

Now my overrated guitarist list:

1) I agree with the post 1970 Clapton (although I like a lot of pre 1970 Clapton).

2) C.C. DeVille (now THERE"S an easy target, especially since no one rates him highly anymore)

3) Kirk Hammet (better than C.C. certainly but he won a lotta polls without deserving 'em IMO.)

4) Richie Sambora

Basically I guess I'm least impressed by players who I think don't play with real soulfulness, sensitivity or expression.

Really killed my respect of GP for a long time.

Cobain voted best guitarist in GP? What issue? Was it a Reader's Poll? I've looked in our database, and I don't see it. I see a huge Nirvana feature in the Feb. 92 issue (Which also sports a Readers Poll: Eric Johnson, Best Overall). Can someone point me to an issue? I have the feeling it was another mag.

I was way back in the 80's I believe and it was a reader's poll at the time IIRC. I'll try a search at GP. Sorry the site doesn't go back that far.

It wasn't in the 80s, that's for sure. Hell, Bleach (their first LP) came out in 89, and I doubt that garnered him any "Best Guitarist" cheese in any mag at that point.

So have we gained some respect back?

Also, if you're in Sactown, Red, why didn't you make it out here for our Under $500 solibody bonanza?

Ok last one first. I am car-less right now. I would have loved to go. I love not driving and riding my bike instead. It does get me down when I can't do some things. Sure saves a ton of money!

Now first. Sorry,... I am getting old huh? The years tend to blend together. It wasn't really the mag, it was the readers and the band popularity at that time. Add my disillusionment at the time and I just kind dropped out of it all for a while after that.

Isn't George Thorogood Bad to the Bone?

As John Sebastian once sang in "Nashville Cats" - "anyone that unpacks a guitar can play twice as better than I will."

As Vince said, certainly some may not be my cuppa tea, but...

This should be easy...not knocking their songwriting ability, but their electric guitar playing is beyond bad.

Lou Reed
Neil Young

Well... I don't know. Lou Reed has that trademark two chord thing happening. I can't see why Lou Reed is supposed to suck and Malcolm Young isn't.

Neil Young? Really? What makes you say that?

Big Red
No worries, just want to set the e-record straight. I wish I could not have a car!

Oh yeah, an acquired taste, sure, but Neil Young's lead playing CAN be transcendent.

I didn't even know Kurt Cobain played guitar. That says a lot about how great he was, huh?

I guess next time something goes down I will post for a ride! I can't really aford one right now.

Yes Neil Young can be great but holy good damn he is soooo freakin' loud!!!

I think it was in GP that I once read Neil described as "The Best Worst Guitar Player" and it fits perfectly... I think the Colbain and the entire after-market crowd just tried to capture his raw to the bone gutwrenching, ear splitting tooth pulling style.

It's ugly. It's perfect.

It's a difficult thing to sit here and point fingers... but I'll try..

Slash is: Boring, repetitious, terribly predictable and.... in a previous life he was an evil little girl who was pushed in front of a horse and carriage and killed at the age of 12 1/2.

... it's true

Clapton would be one for me along with Slash and Cobain doesnt deserve a mention if the truth be told not for guitaring ability.
I also feel EVH would be in there but if i mention this the outcry is to severe to handle he can play no doubt but was overrated for me.

Dont shoot me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

G

Jerry Garcia --- is solos are too pointlessly noodly for me

Nirvana's not my favorite band, but I think the guitar parts fit the song. Guitar solos need to be killed off since then seem to grow and grow until it's Cream or the Dead playing for a half an hour on one song. If you're John Coltrane or Ravi Shankar or the original Allman Bros, you can make that work, but there aren't many others who can.

Jack White? Anyone? terribly overrated as a player,

now as a songwriter, great hooks,

but sheer guitar skill he's not that great.

I don't think Lou Reed ever sold himself up as a guitar player or even as a singer...
...Lou is a songwriter.

But Neil...well, you're just not listening to him the right way.

That’s what is great about Neil's guitar playing…that it sounds "bad"...but it really isn't.
There is NO ONE on the planet that can milk more emotion out of a single note than Neil can....and baby, that's what good playing is all about...IMO.

If we are just talking about "finger exercise virtuosos"...then we will need define more than one category for best/worst guitarist.

DING DING DING DING!! We have a winner!

These kind of threads suck....

Lou Reed was on some "live" MTV concert thing in the late 80s....I remember he was playing through a Mesa Boogie. It was like he was purposely trying to be awful. I'm not familiar with his playing on album, but on this show he made Kurt Cobain seem like Chet Atkins.

Neil Young....are you kidding?

Listen to his solo on Out of the Blue, Into the Black (Whatever tune it is that sounds super grungy.) He can strum an acoustic OK, but listening to that solo makes me think I'm spending a Saturday afternoon in Guitar Center.

Malcolm doesn't attempt to play solos...he knows he can't touch Angus for leads. He does what he does best....backing up Angus.

I don't buy the "Rock & Roll doesn't have to be perfect...it's OK to suck" idea.

How many of the ORIGINATORS of Rock 'N' Roll were bad players? Jerry Lee Lewis? Little Richard? Not at all...they could all P-L-A-Y.If they played as bad as some today, Rock & Roll would have been a flash in the pan.

It wasn't until the late 60s and 70s when some decided that, as long as you have a unique sound (bad playing), it's OK to suck as a player.

Then when punk and MTV came around, standards were flushed down the toilet. No wonder nobody buys as much music today.