who are you a fan of the most as a guitar player

[Vulconizer]

Hmm.. Certain things from certain players inspire me. Sometimes it is beyond description. The mood it evokes. The cleverness of the riff. The simplicity of the riff.

I for sure have to agree that Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers is a very over-looked player. He plays for the song, both tone-wise and lick-wise.

Joe Walsh - a guy who can write and play some of the tastiest party rock and roll, yet gets on an acoustic and can play classical works. He has a great sense of melody and harmony. That inspires me to work harder on my playing and writing. Listen to his stuff from The James Gang, The Eagles, and all his solo work. Lots of great writing and playing in both serious and party-it-up mode.

Joe Perry - Master of the insanity where-in-the-fook-did-those-notes-come-from lead. I think that some of that stuff HAD to be happy accidents.

My brother - inspires me on an almost daily basis to play better. He leads by example. By far the greatest guitar player I know of and I'm a dude that has heard a LOT of guitar players in his life.
Yeah, I'm a bit biased, but when the guy was only like 18 and he played so good that guys in their 30's want him in the band as lead guitarist/secret weapon for kicking other band's asses, you know he's got it.

I have seen him hear a song on the radio in my truck, have a conversation, get home, and then play a huge part of the solo out of memory after only hearing it the one time. Was a Vai solo that time.

That's the day I almost burnt my guitar and quit.

I didn't though. He would have been bummed out if I had.


He writes, sings, plays rhythm like a rock, and can solo in anything from blues to alternative to classic rock to jazz to metal, all in a variety of tunings.

I stick around to see what he'll come up with next.

[drago]

I'm a fan of Matthew Bellamy and Tom Morello. They take it beyond wiggling fingers.

[harkowitz]

im influenced by many. just to name some that i didnt see on the list

david gilmore
frank zappa
peter green
thurston more
jerry garcia
slash

unheard of---

matt rach -- this french kid who is crazy good!!

YouTube - Jimi Hendrix's Medley

justin king -- nutty good acoustic tapping/drummin/harmonic weirdness

YouTube - Justin King - Knock on Wood

that second link is crazy crazy.

[wjsurkan]

GUITAR GOD IS... Paul Waggoner from Between the Buried and Me. It's positively delicous!

[Whammo]

Jerry Reed and Yngwie Malmsteen

[MetalDave]

I like the guitarists who have made a big difference...
Leo Kottke, Chet Adkins, Jimmy Hendricks, Al Dimiola, Eddie VanHalen, Eric Johnson and Dan Folgelburg all come to mind. Mason Williams... Carlos Santana....Jeff Beck....George Harrison....Stevie Ray Vaughan.....Billy Gibbons is one of the best if not the best rythm/lead guitarists. And #1 in my book is David Gilmore. No one could put so much feeling into a lead like him. Not fast but very tasty sounds. another couple of rock whore guitar players are Waddy Wachtel and Joe Walsh. There is a huge list of great guitar players but I really dig everything David Gilmore has ever done. Really put his soul into his playing.

[harkowitz]

good call on kottke

Originally Posted by MetalDave

Jimmy Hendricks,.

im the worlds worst speller, but this mad me laugh

[Hippofish]

I have many guitar idols that I look up to. I also have about one hour a month to play my guitar and well that is where I started back in 1991. I picked up the guitar at age 19 and realized I loved making noise with it and it hasn't stopped for me since. My talents and time have been spread out however amongst many other things over the past 15 years so my time to actually sit down and play the guitar is very limited.

I would have to say that in the beginning it was Eddie Van Halen and David Gilmour that really inspired me. I know, what a mix between those two, but it's true I looked up to Eddie for his shredding and rhythm playing, along with killer tone and I looked up to Gilmour for his wonderful sounds and ability to play or not play when the song called for it. When I first heard Wish You Were Here I almost lost it.

I moved on to other favorites from that point on. James Hetfield, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain (who's really technically a terrible guitar player but his sound was incredible), Eric Clapton and Jackson Browne believe it or not. If you don't believe me on the Jackson Browne, listen to his Solo Acoustic albums and how he has total command over that acoustic guitar. It's amazing! Also Jackson Browne has been one of those artists I look up to for his studio album sound. The recording of his last album was just plain amazing to me and if you want a VERY GOOD sounding album to test your speakers on get THE NAKED RIDE HOME or I'M ALIVE and see what I mean.

Michael

[uab9253]

Speaking of Jackson Browne, the slide player on all of his big hits, David Lindley, has the most amazing, and identifiable slide tone I've ever heard.

[Prodigyguru]

Eric Clapton, John Petrucci, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai

Clapton's why I bought a guitar (fender strat mex), but my favorite is Petrucci with DT! Joe Satriani was one of my ealiest influences though at a young age so I really dug his style as well.