Guitar: The Technical Greats

[kiteless]

OK.

Let's all put our musical and personality prejudices aside for one moment. Put to one side the thought that mindless shredding brings nothing to the table. Take the blinkers off, and celebrate those guitarists who - whilst they may grip your st either by their style / genre / personality / scalar noodling - are technically outstanding.

Examples?

Well, I hate Country & Western. But Albert Lee is an astonishing guitarist:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjbR_Os9GWE

I can't get my head around what Al DiMeola thinks, both personally and when playing. It's too cerebral for me, but by fk he can play:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgaRjKe2Hkg

Also, I don't mind shredding if its in context and needless 64th notes do nothing for me. But I like to see it done: step forward Michael Angelo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XQMaCDOoVw&fea...

Of course there are other technically gifted guitarists that play stuff I really like (Simon Dinnigan / Steve Vai / Martin Taylor to name three), but I can't deny there are players out there that - whilst not flicking my switch musically - make my jaw drop a little with their ability.

Any more for any more?

Oh, and a post-script vote for Django Reinhart as well.

[Wetwipe]

John Williams

linky

makes it look oh so easy

[AdeTuono]

Guthrie Govan has some licks, and seems to be able to play just about any genre better than 99.9% of the rest of us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_585dCblI4

See also Erotic Cakes et al.

Footnote: I sincerely hope this doesn't turn into another of those 'Who's the best guitarist?' threads. Can we keep it technical? Slash isn't allowed to be included!

[silvagod]

Flamenco - Paco de Lucia (I'm not a huge flamenco fan, but this guy is unreal)
Classical - Andres Segovia (How he can play like that with such fat fingers always baffled me!)
Country - Albert Lee (as mentioned by OP)
Rock - Stevie Ray Vaughan (often imitated, never bettered)

The above are all top of their own respective trees, in my opinion obviously.

[Durruti]

Two for the price of one.

Adrian Belew and Robert Fripp


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-tv6_8Bf1Y



Or another Fripp incarnation - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trwgnO8TEbI&fea...

[james_gt3rs]

John Petrucci?

[Crackie]

Paul Gilbert ~ Technical difficulties. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn-wj4pRpIE

Don Ross & Andy McKee ~ Tight Trite Night. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b54-naTRHI

Monte Montgomery ~ Little Wing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCgEuDODhf0&fea...

[Obiwonkeyblokey]

Alex Lifeson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78D00dYOBrM

[Apache]

The Edge.
















only joking

[audidoody]

Astounding Hot picking.

Ray Flacke (British player resides in Nashville)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VhFIw9CbO4

Johnny Hiland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUKXoUfDBmQ

Scotty Anderson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg9Y8wssqlg&fea...

Brent Mason
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NnQb4Tc63I

[Baryonyx]

Shawn Lane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glpqs6hI388

Known as one of the great 'shredders' in guitar circles, but really he is more of a fusion virtuoso who just happens to be able to shred like a madman. His technical facility is near unparalleled but what strikes me is his ear for writing a great tune. He was as good on the piano as he was on guitar too. He could have easily made a career from Rusty Cooley style guitar acrobatics, but he was too much of a talent to spend his time doing that.

On the above track, Shawn and Jonas Hellborg were at the peak of their exploration in Indian music. Incredible playing from both of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJRHXSElKcY

Past the 6:00 mark, this is probably my favourite Hellborg/Lane tune. Incredible improvisation, and some frightening guitar playing from Shawn too.


Nice to see Al Di Meola mentioned above. My favourite work of his was the Guitar Trio stuff with John McLaughlin and Paco De Lucia. Al was the 'speed man' of the trio. Everyone had a trick. Paco's was that he didn't use a pick, John's was that his comping and soloing was unparalleled in a theoretical capacity, and Al's was that he could alt-pcik like there was no tomorrow. In truth though, I suspect John McLaughlin was probably just as fast whilst playing more demanding lines.

[PVN]

Django. Enough said.

[Gaspode]

Preston Reed

[spyder dryver]

Leo Kottke

[Gaspode]

^^^ oh yes. Vaseline Machine Gun. Awesome.

[Gaspode]

Actually, I've just realised that Leo Kottke and Preston Reed both get a very similar kind of multi-layered sound but through very different techniques, Preston through two-handed tapping and percussion and Leo through using a 12 string and doing some pretty fancy conventional picking.

Compare Vaseline Machine Gun and Shinkansen, for example. Both very different and very similar at the same time

[kiteless]

Crackie said:

Paul Gilbert ~ Technical difficulties. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn-wj4pRpIE

This is exactly what I'm on about

Paul Gilbert (and I've watched many of his clips) musically leaves me stone cold, but by god he can play the guitar.

[tdm34]

How about Joe Bonamassa?

Just got the Beacon Theatre BluRay disc, which is bloody awesome.....
and I rate him up with the best.

[Steffan]

Wetwipe said:

John Williams

linky

makes it look oh so easy

Good Post.


Technically the best Classical guitarist I have ever seen bar none and I watched listened to and enjoyed Segovia and most of the great classical guitarists in the last 40 years. Technically John¬Williams is the best.

Julian Bream was a sublime interpreter and expressive musician. Glorious sound wonderful style.

There are so many wonderful guitarists. Bert Jansch, Davy Graham. John Renbourne. Manitas De Plata. Paco Penna to name five more.

The guitar is a great instrument. I have enjoyed playing myself for fifty years. Biggest advantage over keyboards when I started was you could carry a guitar to a party! Try that with a Bechstein!!

[Apache]

Could I throw Jan Akkerman into the mix?