Guitar World Readers Poll: The Greatest Guitarist of All Time

[horns666]

I covered this very subject countless times, and exhausted every opinion/fact imaginable. Yngwie is all about him, and doesn't play well with others. Uli is about the big picture, and dynamics. His dynamic are untouchable. Uli will play with anyone and has..satch..steve...slash...gilbert...schenker.... anyone willing to plug in and jam.

What is untouchable is solos such as "somany lives away" written 1977. To even debate the dynamics of innovations, and picking technique and dynamics. Put it this way the art work on Uli's first 1978 debut is titled "Rising Force". I know every player worth of mention and own their entire body of work. Forget Ritche. There wouldn't be Yngwie without Uli or The player in Silver Mountain in 1981, Jonas Hansson. Sadly, he is overlooked and culticated Yngwie's showmanship..all the tricks, kicks, teeth, behing head..back...and spinning his guitar around him..throwing it and catching it. Yes, that's were Lars got that as a teen. It's on Youtube. It was.

Let's say I've been on with Mike Varney since the beginning. I taught as bassist who's next to Kotzem GP iss #88. He also played with also played with Paul Gilbert, Greg Howe, Jack Starr, and others who lived in PA during the mid 80's. But practice to and fro PA to Cleveland is well...that.

I LOVE Yngwie but prefer writing composition and crafting solos that are songs within song. Sure Yngwie does that..I can't take that away. But he's been writing the same solos and music since 1983. I think his ealier work is his best work. I don't think he wrote anything that rivas his work in Alktraz, and the first three Rising Force records. I have everything's he's done and bought his '96(?) Japanese only -Concerto- for $46 when new. Just to be pissed when the reissued several years later on a domestic label.

I love your passion for Yngwie. I truly dig that! But to judge the "best", one must know ALL the players..including the likes of Al Di Meola.

But I agree that Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Yngwie Malmsteen influenced more players , and changed guitar music forever. I'm not saying they're the best..just the most influential. That trinity is unmatched of influencing the landscape of guitar playing. I think Jeff Loomis..I've known him since '96 is the "new breed" which is well deserved. Uli loves him. They met in Franfurt Germany where Uli gaves him lesson in his hotel room ..then Jeff gave Uli one of his sig geetars. That's what Uli Roith told me while I was wearing an old Nevermore shirt.. that he immediately noticed.

I convince John (Cleveland Metal) to go who is a truly devout Yngwie nut. Ynwie played just days after Uli did at the same venue. Too bad they couldn't arrange time together. But after watching both John was just blown away by the feel and dynamics of Uli complared to Yngwie...who's just so fuggin' intense. Uli is so laid back..he doesn't break a sweat. But he gives a look that would kill if anyone played a wrong note or broke his concentration. I found that out the hard way...oops. He forgave me tho. I screamed "ULLLLLLLIIIIIIII!!!!!!!" like Chris Farely...during an intro that he was completely absorbed in.

Fuck the Typos..

[ulijdavid]

Agree with everything Horns666 has to say. If there is a guitar poll and Uli is not at the top, it is just glorified toilet paper.

[Endrik]

Play any of these rock guitarists to well schooled and more open minded classical musicians and they may say "that's pretty cool for pop music".

Until you play them Yngwie. I've noticed that nothing annoys real classical musicians more than Yngwie.

[Endrik]

The best guitarist of all time...

From a technical level, it's Shawn Lane. No one has ever been on his level and may never get there. Fusion isn't everyone's cup of tea, so I don't know how he'd ever get a top 10 spot???

Don't know about that. Dude had a good tone, could phrase and was very clean but a lot of the fast shit he did was pure nonsense and very simplistic... often to bullshit simple minded listeners to hide that he simply could not play over the changes. That's a big no-no if you play standards. Disrespectful to the music and simply shows you lack serious skill and knowledge in some areas.

[METAL MANIAC]

I covered this very subject countless times, and exhausted every opinion/fact imaginable. Yngwie is all about him, and doesn't play well with others. Uli is about the big picture, and dynamics. His dynamic are untouchable. Uli will play with anyone and has..satch..steve...slash...gilbert...schenker.... anyone willing to plug in and jam.

What is untouchable is solos such as "somany lives away" written 1977. To even debate the dynamics of innovations, and picking technique and dynamics. Put it this way the art work on Uli's first 1978 debut is titled "Rising Force". I know every player worth of mention and own their entire body of work. Forget Ritche. There wouldn't be Yngwie without Uli or The player in Silver Mountain in 1981, Jonas Hansson. Sadly, he is overlooked and culticated Yngwie's showmanship..all the tricks, kicks, teeth, behing head..back...and spinning his guitar around him..throwing it and catching it. Yes, that's were Lars got that as a teen. It's on Youtube. It was.

Let's say I've been on with Mike Varney since the beginning. I taught as bassist who's next to Kotzem GP iss #88. He also played with also played with Paul Gilbert, Greg Howe, Jack Starr, and others who lived in PA during the mid 80's. But practice to and fro PA to Cleveland is well...that.

I LOVE Yngwie but prefer writing composition and crafting solos that are songs within song. Sure Yngwie does that..I can't take that away. But he's been writing the same solos and music since 1983. I think his ealier work is his best work. I don't think he wrote anything that rivas his work in Alktraz, and the first three Rising Force records. I have everything's he's done and bought his '96(?) Japanese only -Concerto- for $46 when new. Just to be pissed when the reissued several years later on a domestic label.

I love your passion for Yngwie. I truly dig that! But to judge the "best", one must know ALL the players..including the likes of Al Di Meola.

But I agree that Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen and Yngwie Malmsteen influenced more players , and changed guitar music forever. I'm not saying they're the best..just the most influential. That trinity is unmatched of influencing the landscape of guitar playing. I think Jeff Loomis..I've known him since '96 is the "new breed" which is well deserved. Uli loves him. They met in Franfurt Germany where Uli gaves him lesson in his hotel room ..then Jeff gave Uli one of his sig geetars. That's what Uli Roith told me while I was wearing an old Nevermore shirt.. that he immediately noticed.

I convince John (Cleveland Metal) to go who is a truly devout Yngwie nut. Ynwie played just days after Uli did at the same venue. Too bad they couldn't arrange time together. But after watching both John was just blown away by the feel and dynamics of Uli complared to Yngwie...who's just so fuggin' intense. Uli is so laid back..he doesn't break a sweat. But he gives a look that would kill if anyone played a wrong note or broke his concentration. I found that out the hard way...oops. He forgave me tho. I screamed "ULLLLLLLIIIIIIII!!!!!!!" like Chris Farely...during an intro that he was completely absorbed in.

Fuck the Typos..

Hey, I can appreciate your passion for Uli. He is great and I too own everything Yngwie has ever done plus all his gear as well (amp, guitar pedals etc...). I do want to say just because I did not mention other players I am very familiar with most all of them from his cousin John to Al to Allan to both Franks to Shawn to Rusty, MAB, the great kat, Micheal Schenker, Jason, Vinnie, Tony, etc... the list goes on and on...we are from the same cloth it sounds like to me....we love great guitarist and I hope we debate more in the future but like Uli is you guy Yngwie will always be mine. I just wish Ronnie and Yngwie would have teamed up like there was talk about happening years ago. What do you think about the song Blue. Not one blues note in the whole song....you have to say that was cool.......MM

[METAL MANIAC]

Play any of these rock guitarists to well schooled and more open minded classical musicians and they may say "that's pretty cool for pop music".

Until you play them Yngwie. I've noticed that nothing annoys real classical musicians more than Yngwie.

I am curious, why do you think he annoys them so much? Do they feel he is butchering their style?

[Hellbat]

I just wish Ronnie and Yngwie would have teamed up like there was talk about happening years ago.

There's always this...

I've been following Yngwie since before he briefly joined Steeler. I actually became a Steve Vai fan when I heard him playing in Alcatraz because he could actually play the stuff Yngwie had written. That's when I knew Vai was legit and not just some weird fusion dude that played with Zappa.

I think Yngwie lost a lot of his fire after his car accident. I think he spent a lot of time regurgitating the same stuff thinking thats what the fans wanted. He's turned it around recently and is learning to embrace the rock and roll fire once again. I had copies of the demo's for the first Rising Force album before it came out on cassette and I wore that thing out. It makes me sad because a lot of it was material that appeared in fragments in songs all the way past Odyssey and it was really cool to hear them when they were raw.

He was and is one of the greats but I think a guy like Jeff Loomis has all the chops to hang with Yngwie and probably and a little better writing skills. Where Yngwie beats a lot of other contemporaries is stage show/presence. Jason Becker was probably a little better than Yngwie on that front, but thats because he was a little more whimsical and made it look like he didn't need to even think about playing his guitar for it to happen, where Yngwie is doing all the behind back, teeth, tossovers stuff.

I think what Yngwie really needs to do in his career right now is hook up with a producer that will deconstruct him a little, like an early Rick Rubin type guy. Someone that will make him go to an unfamiliar studio, sit him in a big room with a band and try to capture a raw hard rocking album with one cut takes and minimal overdubs.

[METAL MANIAC]

There's always this...

I've been following Yngwie since before he briefly joined Steeler. I actually became a Steve Vai fan when I heard him playing in Alcatraz because he could actually play the stuff Yngwie had written. That's when I knew Vai was legit and not just some weird fusion dude that played with Zappa.

I think Yngwie lost a lot of his fire after his car accident. I think he spent a lot of time regurgitating the same stuff thinking thats what the fans wanted. He's turned it around recently and is learning to embrace the rock and roll fire once again. I had copies of the demo's for the first Rising Force album before it came out on cassette and I wore that thing out. It makes me sad because a lot of it was material that appeared in fragments in songs all the way past Odyssey and it was really cool to hear them when they were raw.

He was and is one of the greats but I think a guy like Jeff Loomis has all the chops to hang with Yngwie and probably and a little better writing skills. Where Yngwie beats a lot of other contemporaries is stage show/presence. Jason Becker was probably a little better than Yngwie on that front, but thats because he was a little more whimsical and made it look like he didn't need to even think about playing his guitar for it to happen, where Yngwie is doing all the behind back, teeth, tossovers stuff.

I think what Yngwie really needs to do in his career right now is hook up with a producer that will deconstruct him a little, like an early Rick Rubin type guy. Someone that will make him go to an unfamiliar studio, sit him in a big room with a band and try to capture a raw hard rocking album with one cut takes and minimal overdubs.

Yeah I know but I would like to have seen them do some original material....Look I know Yngwie's biggest problem is his ego and he does re-hash material but the thing is what I am trying to get across is he has the talent he just refuses to change! I am sure you know the band he could have been in if he wanted too...Ozzy, Queensryche, Dio, possibly even Kiss etc...I tell you Facing the Animal was good IMHO and so was Alchemy for that matter so was Eclipse....Inspirations was a killer cover album....The albums with Ripper kill me...he has a killer singer but the production does not allow for Ripper to shine.....Ripper was killer with Priest!!!! And should be with Yngwie.....I think production was good on the first three albums and I know I may take shit but it was good on Odyssey...Eclipse was ok.....Alchemy was not good Mark Boals did not come through right but that album is fucking heavy!!!!!! The heaviest since Marching Out IMO...Inspirations had decent production and Facing the Animal had good production IMO. Fire and Ice was too pop.....Seventh Sign, Magnum Opus, War to End all Wars(but I do like Tarot), Unleash the Fury and Attack had poor production... Perpetual Flame, Relentless and High Impact have better production but Ripper is not being Utilized!!!!!!!! MM

[j2379]

i think Paul Gilbert is 100times better than Shawn Lane. the guy can play anything, can shred, play tasty stuff, and makes everything look effortless. & i think i saw Jimmy Page beat Chet Atkins, SORRY, jimmy wrote stairway GREAT (sarcasm), Chet could play circles around Page.

[atomic charvel guy]

speaking of yngwie, here's a cool tribute to van halen, what a lineup, yngwie, doug from kings x, billy sheehan, and fuckin' vinnie colaiuta for godsakes.
light up the sky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KUCk6bsQA4

you can't go off of lists, be it any publication. there's just too many greats, everyone will always have their own favorites, leave it at that.

[atomic charvel guy]

i think Paul Gilbert is 100times better than Shawn Lane. the guy can play anything, can shred, play tasty stuff, and makes everything look effortless. & i think i saw Jimmy Page beat Chet Atkins, SORRY, jimmy wrote stairway GREAT (sarcasm), Chet could play circles around Page.

every single guitarist in your post is in their own right at the apex of music one way or another, and i agree that paul gilbert does make things effortless,
i love listening to some of the many cover tunes he's done live all over youtube. check out his version of "El Becko", it's a lightning infused version Jeff's masterpiece. but all of those guitar players as great as they are, would love to have Page's songwriting ability and level of success. i know jimmy is sloppy live, but he's god damn untouchable.

[vector]

Don't forget their quarterly cover/interviews with Mark Morton and Willie Adler, and whatever band happens to be the flavor of that particular month. I really miss Guitar For The Practicing Musician.

+1. Still have 3 years worth of their issues from '88 on... granted, GFPM was 50% ads, 20% tabs and 30% columns/features but at least it wasn't a shill for every manufacturer that was advertising in it.

[atomic charvel guy]

GFPM had that one issue with Warren De Martini and Jake E. Lee on the cover,
it was a cool old roomates article if i remember correctly.

[jgcable]

Uli is my overall favorite and always will be. He just strikes a chord with me. I can really "feel" his playing and his intent.
With that said.... the winner of this contest should be Guthrie Govan. He is literally the most amazing guitar player I have ever heard. He can play any genre and style of music to absolute perfection and he does it without the slightest bit of effort.
You also can't count out Paul Gilbert who is superhuman, Steve Vai who can play anything on the guitar and of course the maestro...
Yngwie J Malmsteen.

[VanHoosen]

Everyone knows Allan Holdsworth is the best.