Who do you think plays the guitar best?

Who do you think is most skilled, whether it be in song writing or speed, knowledge of scales, or just plain skill?

As far as my personal favorite, and the one I believe plays it the best:

Tom Morello.

But it's all opinion.

Well, best guitarist have to be the older guys like Jimmy Page(Led Zeppelin), David Gilmour(Pink Floyd) and Jimi Hendrix(Jimi Hendrix Experience). These guys are kings of guitar.

Taking into consideration pure speed and skill, the best guitarist is Michael Angelo Batio.



If you dont belive me, check this out:

http://www.angelo.com/speed_lives_mab.wmv

Also, there is apparently a guitarist named Andy Van Hatcher who can play 65 notes per second. Unfortunatly I havent heard anything from him.

Also worthy of note are Yngwie Malmsteen and John Petrucci. Those guys are insane as well.

The absolute best guitarist I can think of is Steve Vai. Everything I have heard from him is ****ing amazing.

Jimi Hendrix is an easy choice, one of the greats and cant be taken down. The guitarist from Shadows Fall(cant think of the name) is also freeking insane. You have to listen to him to hear greatness.

Originally Posted by 2 Dope

The guitarist from Shadows Fall(cant think of the name) is also freeking insane. You have to listen to him to hear greatness.

Jonathan Donais and Matthew Bachand. From what I can tell Jon is better than Matt, as he does all of the lead work/soloing. I have a feeling Matt can bust out some mean licks of his own, though.

It seems I forgot to mention Alexi Lahio from Children of Bodom. Anyone who can play like that and sing at the same time is amazing.

Originally Posted by Epyon

Jonathan Donais and Matthew Bachand. From what I can tell Jon is better than Matt, as he does all of the lead work/soloing. I have a feeling Matt can bust out some mean licks of his own, though.

I think they might have done what you could call a "duet" at the end of "Those Who Cannot Speak" which was just perfect.

****. I can not believe I forgot Ron Jarzombek.

Listen to his self-titled work, and his work in Spastic Ink to know why.

Omar A Rodriguez-Lopez (The Mars Volta), he is great and for the style of music they play.

Alexi Laiho, Adrian Smith, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Page, and Frank Zappa are all amazing guitarists. There are surely more, but those ones immediately spring to mind. Legends, all of them.

Hendrix - obvious answer
SearanoX - correct about music related shizbiz as always

To stray from the norm: Lets go with John 5.

Alexi Laiho, Michael Romeo, JOHN PETRUCCI !

Anyone who has seen Dream Theater live will know how rediculously amazing Petrucci is at guitar.

Meh, I'll make a list:

Jimi Hendrix (obviously)
Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom)
Jon Schaffer (Iced Earth and Blind Guardian)
Karl Snaders (Nile)
David Gilmour (Pink Flyod)

First of all i gotta say Jimi Hendrix, the sound he could create out of a guitar was nothing that had ever heard before at the time - and what very few have been able to emulate since. In the words of Pete Townshed: "Jimi made the electric guitar beautiful, and made it okay to be beautiful".

Johnny Ramone, Steve Ray Vaughn, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Greg Ginn and Keith Richards (in no particular order) are also some of my favourites.

David Gilmour, Frank Zappa, Robert Fripp, Alex Lifeson, Steve Howe, Steve Vai, and John Petrucci are a few of my favorites. It's really hard to narrow it down, though.

Jimi Hendrix, John Fogerty, George Harrison, Robby Kreiger, Dave Gimlour, Eric Clapton.

As far as composing and amazing song writing - Dave Gilmour, Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads

Speed - Only one name Petrucci

Attention whore-ism - Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen

Wow, it's seem that most people have the same taste in good guitar players. Here's my list: Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Steve Vi, Yngwie Malmsteen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Clapton. Hendrix and Page are like Freaking gods in my eyes...