Guitar World Readers Poll: The Greatest Guitarist of All Time

[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?

[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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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..

[METAL MANIAC]

I KNOW who Uli is and he is amazing...I am in my early 40's so trust me I am familiar but Yngwie's pure mastery of the insturment is untouchable....I understand taste is a factor and respect that but Yngwie's overall skill and tone is undisputable. I do not agree with the quote "Everything said above. Uli Roth did 10 years prior"...he may have had the some of the ideas but again I remain steadfast that Paganini was his main influence...listen to the wide vibrato and listen to Paganini's ideas. Again I understand taste come into play but I am refering to pure talent............I watched Yngwie, Joe and Steve live and Yngwie was so far beyond their skill set it was unreal!

[horns666]

Mark Tremonti beat out Jeff Loomis in the first round? Puleeeeze.

Hahhaa..Thank's bro. I won't even waste my time checking the list.

Truly, American Idol Mindset

I'm out

[horns666]

For my opinion it is Yngwie and I know he is out of the running.......nobody has the tone, speed and clarity of note seperation that he has...yeah, there are faster but do they have the killer tone...and their playing starts to get blurry....the notes have no seperation...and he does it all with a simple rig....he started shred....he started neo-classical when it came to the constant use of harmonic minor and natural minor...leaving the blues scale behind.....Everyone wants to compare him to Richie and yeah he got some ideas there but he is light years above what Richie ever thought about being.....his real influence was Niccolò Paganini. His tone, clarity and vibrato are unmatched. MM

Everything said above. Uli Roth did 10 years prior...IMO

Except making classical "shred" popular. Many people that know about Yngwie, still don't know who Uli is..sadly.

Yes, Yngwie is amazing.."unmatched".. In some ways probaly.

[METAL MANIAC]

For my opinion it is Yngwie and I know he is out of the running.......nobody has the tone, speed and clarity of note seperation that he has...yeah, there are faster but do they have the killer tone...and their playing starts to get blurry....the notes have no seperation...and he does it all with a simple rig....he started shred....he started neo-classical when it came to the constant use of harmonic minor and natural minor...leaving the blues scale behind.....Everyone wants to compare him to Richie and yeah he got some ideas there but he is light years above what Richie ever thought about being.....his real influence was Niccolò Paganini. His tone, clarity and vibrato are unmatched. MM

[surfreak]

The Great Kat is/was a very good musician, who created her act as a self parody, and was actually quite successful, considering how many people - even here - took her for serious...

[VanHoosen]

To each their own, but I could never shake the feeling that she wasn't quite serious.

http://youtu.be/p2E5-AgwRpk - case and point

[Trem]

The Great Kat...

Wouldn't touch it, but she could shred most anyones faces off And she was metal to the core, and is actually insane.. which is cool and all kinds of comedy.
But surly one of the "fastest" metal shredders in the genre. Plus she seemed to be able to back up her attitude/persona, her music is pretty fucking banging shit. So yeah she deserves mention in a rock mag "fastest" poll for whatever it's worth anyway.

[VanHoosen]

Synyster Gates is beyond gay and The Great Kat should have been known as the great cum dumpster. Way to fuck it up again Guitar World.

[Mr Metal]

Guitar World actually had a "50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time" poll not long ago. Shawn Lane placed second. MAB was first, and the rest of top 5 were:
3. Synyster Gates
4. Steve Vai
5. The Great Kat

http://www.guitarworld.com/50-fastest-guitarists-all-time