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The baddest ass acoustic guitar player of all time...


LiveMusic

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Im surprised only one person mentioned Chet Atkins. Of all the players mentioned so far in this thread, I would say I've heard of about 80% of them. I still think Atkins ranks above most of these guitarists, and although Chet can burn up the fretboard, it isnt all about speed. If you have never seen or heard Chet Atkins play, (although I cant imagine a guitarist that hasnt heard him) you owe it to yourself to check him out.
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Originally posted by bluestrat:

Originally posted by LiveMusic:

Originally posted by bluestrat:

8) Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash? Does he know more than three chords? Johnny Cash?
Does it matter if he doesn't know more than three chords? How many chords do you have to know to be able to kick ass? I'd also nominate Jack White.
I like Johnny Cash but I'm serious, I can't believe you'd even mention him in a guitar player's thread. So to answer your question, yes he needs to know more than three chords. Sorry. I mean, that's about like saying Elvis was a kickass guitar player. As far as I've ever seen, about the same.

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Tommy was a good friend of Chets, made a record with him and was even bestowed with a C.G.P. He was hugely successful here with several hit instrumental albums. Since basing himself in the States he's gradually building up the same type of following he's had here for years. There is another guy here who is awesome - Slava Grigoryan. A classical player but he crosses over into jazz quite a lot. I saw him on stage with Paco De Lucia when he was 17. He's also recorded with Tommy Emmanuel. BTW - remember those Air Supply hits? That was Tommy playing lead ;)
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Originally posted by johndara:

Im surprised only one person mentioned Chet Atkins...

Check again... two of us mentioned Chet before your post. ;)

 

I was fortunate to meet Chet before his health began failing. I saw him play on the Grand Ole Opry stage (I'll have to find my fav. pic from that performance.) and had my picture taken with him backstage. That was actually the second time I met him up close. The first was when Opry star, Mike Snider, who I mixed for at Opryland USA, invited me to the Fiddle Grand National Championship held in a theater at the park. He didn't understand why, but the promoters asked him, every year, to speak to the fiddle players and audience. He and Chet were good friends.

 

So while I'm trying to disappear in the shadows of the backstage wings (the Gaslight theater doesn't have much room offstage right), someone brushes by me, to get a look at what was happening onstage. I looked over and, who should be standing there, but Chet Atkins. All I could get out was, "Hi." I don't usually get silly around celebrities... so I ended up kicking myself for not at least introducing myself. :freak:

 

Great player and music industry exec. and sweet gentleman. :thu:

 

BTW, I missed the comment on Lindsay Buckingham. He definitely belongs on the short list. Oh! Somehow I missed Paul Simon and George Harrison! :o:eek:

It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman

 

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Leo Kottke and Adrian Legg are SICK acoustic players for the one-man-band folky style.

 

Tim Reynolds is great for rock acoustic solos.

 

James-Italy: For Blues acoustic playing, I 100% agree, Robert Johnson takes the cake.

 

For best group of acoustic guitarists, the original guitar trio kicks ass. That first tune off of San Francisco makes my jaw drop every time I hear it.

My music is like a movie for your ears - Frank Zappa
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Nobody's mentioned Joni Mitchell!! She's an amazing acoustic guitar player (and really original too), and matched with that heavenly voice it's like a musical orgasm for your ears...

 

Come on Joni fans, where are you?

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Originally posted by LiveMusic:

Originally posted by bluestrat:

Originally posted by LiveMusic:

quote:

Originally posted by bluestrat:

8) Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash? Does he know more than three chords? Johnny Cash?
Does it matter if he doesn't know more than three chords? How many chords do you have to know to be able to kick ass? I'd also nominate Jack White.
I like Johnny Cash but I'm serious, I can't believe you'd even mention him in a guitar player's thread. So to answer your question, yes he needs to know more than three chords. Sorry. I mean, that's about like saying Elvis was a kickass guitar player. As far as I've ever seen, about the same.

He's a pretty solid rhythm player. Did you ever see the acousric concert he & Willie Nelson did together? Not really my style, but it was quite good, and some of the guitar work was pretty sweet.

 

Aside: I think you'd have to put Willie into this list too...

May all your thoughts be random!

- Neil

www.McFaddenArts.com

www.MikesGarageRocks.com

 

 

 

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Originally posted by NMcGuitar:

He's a pretty solid rhythm player. Did you ever see the acousric concert he & Willie Nelson did together? Not really my style, but it was quite good, and some of the guitar work was pretty sweet.

No, I haven't seen that but I'd sure like to. Any idea if it's on tape or reruns ever? I'd really like to see John Cash play for real.

> > > [ Live! ] < < <

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Originally posted by LiveMusic:

There is a Moody Blues song, can't recall the name, but whatever it is, this guy is playing a super fast strum and man, I don't see how he does it. For any length of time, especially. Amazing.

 

The young guy for Ricky Skaggs, though, he has the fastest hands I've ever seen. He's in his early 20's.

I think the Moody Blues song is "Question"; played by Justin Hayward. I read somewhere he tuned the guitar to an open "C" for that song, and you're right, the strum pattern used is truly a workout.

 

I saw Ricky Scaggs and Kentucky Thunder open at a Dixie Chicks concert a couple of years ago. Ricky flat tears up a mandolin, and I remember him being more than accomplished on guitar and other instruments as well in his "country boy at heart" star days.

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Originally posted by bluestrat:

Ok, I'm serious on this one:

 

Jerry Reed is one hell of a great acoustic guitar player.

Yup!

:thu:

May all your thoughts be random!

- Neil

www.McFaddenArts.com

www.MikesGarageRocks.com

 

 

 

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Originally posted by LiveMusic:

Originally posted by NMcGuitar:

He's a pretty solid rhythm player. Did you ever see the acousric concert he & Willie Nelson did together? Not really my style, but it was quite good, and some of the guitar work was pretty sweet.

No, I haven't seen that but I'd sure like to. Any idea if it's on tape or reruns ever? I'd really like to see John Cash play for real.
Unfortunately I've got no idea. I just remember watching it (on one of the cable channels, like VH1 or something). It was about 2 years ago. Maybe a web search would yield some info. I'll see what I can find. Let me know if you find it.

May all your thoughts be random!

- Neil

www.McFaddenArts.com

www.MikesGarageRocks.com

 

 

 

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Originally posted by LiveMusic:

[QB]There is a Moody Blues song, can't recall the name, but whatever it is, this guy is playing a super fast strum and man, I don't see how he does it. For any length of time, especially. Amazing!

 

I think gtrpir8 is right, the song is called Question. Funny, I saw the Moody Blues a couple years ago... This was the last song of the night, the vibe I felt from Justin was, "the faster I play this thing, the sooner we can go home" :D

 

Pete Townshend and Jimmy Page are bad ass!

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Originally posted by P-berger:

Nobody's mentioned Joni Mitchell!! She's an amazing acoustic guitar player (and really original too), and matched with that heavenly voice it's like a musical orgasm for your ears...

 

Come on Joni fans, where are you?

I did give Joni a mention on the 'Most underated guitar player' thread - the acoustic guitar on her early albums really stands out - and she was using open tunings and stuff - there was always something interesting going on rhythmically with her guitar playing. But bad ass...? Au contrair, mon ami! :love:

Johnny Cash gets my vote too - when his TV show came on here in the '60s I'd never seen anyone pick a guitar the way he did. That was the first time I got a chance to see and hear'real'country music. I used to love that show :thu:

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Yeah... I almost forgot Ricky Skaggs. The man is a serious monster player. Doesn't matter what instrument. If he know how to play an instrument, he knows how to play it WELL.

 

Apparently, when he and Keith Whitley were young, they played together. One night they went to see the Stanley Bros. play at a club they sometimes played themselves. The Stanley's were late. The club owner asked if they (Ricky and Keith) had their instruments, which they did. They proceeded to get up and play a few songs. When the Stanley Bros. showed up, there were Ricky and Keith playing a Stanley Bros. tune. :eek:

 

Apparently, this didn't bother the Stanley's one bit, and it led to bigger things for the both of them. ;)

 

My wife and I went to a free, TV taping back in 1995, for "At The Ryman", which aired on TNN. That first year, Ricky Skaggs, Pam Tillis, and one other country artist traded off hosting duties. We were there on a Ricky Skaggs night. The first of two shows taped that evening was a focus on pickers. The guests were Steve Wariner, Glen Campbell (who hadn't played Nashville in a decade), and Mark O'Connor. Talk about great pickers! Ricky was in great form (as he always is.)

 

If you get a chance, watch "3 Pickers" on PBS. It's Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, and Ricky with a combination of their backup bands. Simply wonderful. (Ricky's on mandolin.)

It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman

 

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The baddest ass acoustic guitar player of all time, huh?

I don't think he has a very bad ass, but John Williams isn't mentioned anywhere in this string, how is this possible!? He maybe doesn't have the technical virtuosity of some of the Flamenco-guitarists mentioned, but the pieces he plays and his playing is far more beautiful than any flamenco player... (Although I once saw John Williams live with Paco Pena, it was great!)

In the pop/rock-genre I should say Jimmy Page (one of the few phenomenal electric guitarists, who could aslo handle an acoustic guitar), Paul Gilbert/Billy Sheehan (of Mr. Big, I really don't know which one of them is playing) and Don McLean, it's not difficult, just beautiful...

In the jazz-genre: Django Reinhardt. As a matter of fact, I don't know many jazz-guitar players, but I heard some Reinhardt-music, and as far as I can hear, it's almost impossible to reach such a high level of playing...

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I stood right in front of Tim Reynolds for an entire solo concert one night and I was amazed. He does some great electric stuff, but when he picked up his acoustic, it was some of the most emotive, yet technical and fast (when he wanted to be) playing I've ever heard.

He was way better than when he was doing the duo with Dave Matthews.

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