These are guitarist you mind find interesting and inspirational. You might know of some and a few of you might know many of these players.
Keep in mind that popularity contests lack basis for what decides a top guitarist. Influence is what counts. Do you hear licks and phrasings lifted by others for their recordings?
[Note. The links open up to YouTube top tracks playlists for each guitarist. The same goes for the bands in which a guitarist might have played].
FAVE ROCK AND ROLL GUITARISTS
- Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers)
- Jimi Hendrix
- Joe Walsh (James Gang, solo)
- Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
FAVE ROCKING E-BLUES GUITARISTS
- Lefty Dizz
- Charley Booker
- Frankie Lee Sims
- Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson
- Goree Carter
- Pat Hare
EARLY E-BLUES
- Eddie Jones (Guitar Slim)
- Hubert Sumlin
- Jimmy Dawkins
- Jimmy Nolen [Jimmy later became a noted funk guitarist]
- Joe Hill Louis
- John Lee Hooker
- Johnny Guitar Watson
- Larry Dale
- Otis Rush
- Pee Wee Crayton
- T-Bone Walker
JUMP BLUES
- Carl Hogan (Louis Jordan band)
- Tiny Grimes
OLD BLUES
- Arthur “Blind” Blake
- Big Bill Broonzy
- Blind Boy Fuller
- Blind Lemon Jefferson
- Bobby Grant
- Bo Weavil
- Bukka White
- Charley Patton
- David Honeyboy Edwards
- Frank Stokes
- Huddie Ledbetter (Lead Belly)
- Ishmon Bracy
- Jimmy Reed
- Louisiana Red
- Lightin’ Hopkins
- Robert Johnson
- Son House
- Skip James
- Tampa Red
EARLY ROCK AND ROLL
- Bo Diddley
- Carl Perkins
- Eddie Cochran
- James Burton
- Lonnie Mack
- Roland Janes (Billy Lee Riley band, studio work)
COUNTRY
- Arthur Smith
- Chet Atkins
- Joe Maphis
- Junior Barnard
- Larry Collins (The Collins Kids)
- Les Paul
- Merle Travis
- Phil Baugh
- Roy Clark
- Slim Rhodes
FUNK
- Freddie Stone (Sly & The Family Stone)
JAZZ
- Wes Montgomery
- Charlie Byrd
- Charlie Christian
- Barney Kessel
- Tal Farlow
LATER BIG BAND BLUES
- Joe “Guitar” Hughes
- W.C. Clark
- Little Milton
- Linsey Alexander
- Michael Burks
- Fenton Robinson
LATER E-BLUES
- Baby Boy Warren
- Bobo Jenkins
- Eddie Kirkland
- Eddy Clearwater
- U.P. Wilson
- Willie Lee Johnson
- Smokey Hogg
SESSION MEN
- Glen Campbell
- Larry Carlton
- Lee Ritenour
- Steve Lukathur (Toto)
- Tommy Tedesco
OTHER INFLUENTIAL GUITARISTS
Countless guitarists who went on to become famous learned by playing to records by these guys. And while many might be loathe to acknowledge these players, many other players were influenced by them.
- Bob Bogle and Nokie Edwards (The Ventures)
- Bob Spickard and Brian Carman (Chantays)
- Danny Cedrone (The Comets)
- Dick Dale (Dick Dale and the Del-Tones)
- Duane Eddy
- George Tomsco, lead and Dan Trammmell, rhythm (The Fireballs)
- Jim Fuller (Surfaris)
- Jim Masoner and Ed Chiaverini (The Lively Ones)
- Link Wray
- Rich Fifield (the Astronauts)
- Richard Dangel and John Greek (The Wailers)
- Skip Mercier (The Pyramids)
- Tony Andreason (Trashmen)
What About Chuck Berry?
Chuck Berry is an interesting player. Yet, most don’t know that Chuck lifted his signature riffs from Carl Hogan, Pee Wee Crayton and Goree Carter. Why not learn from the originals?
OTHER LESSER KNOWN OR UNSUNG GUITARISTS
- Tony Andreason (Trashmen)
- Adrien Belew (David Bowie, Talking Heads, King Crimson)
- Brad Gillis (Night Ranger)
- Carlos Alomar (David Bowie)
- Dave Gregory (XTC, Peter Gabriel)
- Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)
- Earl Slick (David Bowie)
- Elvin Bishop
- Gary Moore (Thin Lizzy)
- Harvey Mandel (Canned Heat)
- Henry Vestine (Canned Heat)
- Jim McCarty (The Detroit Wheels, Cactus)
- John Cipollina (Quicksilver Messenger Service)
- Johnny Winter
- Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna)
- Kenny Wayne Shepherd
- Larry Lelond (Primus)
- Lowell George (Little Feat)
- Mike Bloomfield (Electric Flag, Paul Butterfield Blues Band)
- Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac)
- Paul Barrére (Little Feat)
- Robert Fripp (King Crimson)
- Ronnie Montrose (Montrose)
- Ross “Boss” Friedman (The Dictators, Manowar)
- Roy Buchanan
- Steve Cropper (Booker T and the MGs)
- Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield, Nash & Stills, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
Instrumentalist / Shredder Types
A few of these guys play with feel. Many of them play flurries of flash, but some are tasty.
- Al Di Meola
- Alex Skolnick
- Allan Holdsworth
- Blues Saraceno
- Buckethead
- Dave Martone
- Dimebag Darrel (Pantera)
- Eric Johnson
- Fredrik Thordendal
- George Lynch
- Guthrie Govan
- Jason Becker
- Jeff Loomis
- Joe Bonamassa
- Joe Satriani
- Joe Stump
- John McLaughlin
- John Petrucci (Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment)
- Kiko Loureiro
- Marty Friedman (Megadeth)
- Mattias Eklundh
- Michael Angelo Batio
- Michael Keneally
- Nuno Bettencourt
- Paco de Lucía
- Pat Metheny
- Paul Gilbert
- Ron Thal
- Rusty Cooley
- Shawn Lane
- Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs)
- Tony MacAlpine
- Vinnie Moore
- Yngwie Malmsteen
- Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society)
