Favorite Electric Guitarists

[Dru Edwards]

A twist on 'your favorite acoustic guitarist thread', who are your favorite electric guitarists? Did they influence you in the beginning when you started playing, or farther down the line, or perhaps they haven't influenced you at all.

Adrian Smith and Dave Murray of Iron Maiden are why I picked up the guitar in the mid/late '80s. Those amazing harmony solos. Adrian Smith is still my favorite guitarist of all time. He plays with so much feeling, so musical, and so melodic.

How about you? Also, did you see them play live or meet them?

[greyrider]

I'll play.... Duane Allman & Dickie Betts. Both showed just how much you can do within a mostly penatonic scale. Toy Caldwell a little country and a little jazzy swing influence, and a mighty fast thumb. And one I'm sure is not on anyone's list J.J. Cale. I just really like the space he leaves.

[pieterh]

Ok Dru, here we go...

Francis Dunnery (former It Bites). Seen him live many many times. He’s now a friend and has played at our house 2 times, and at our friends’ one time (also organised by us).

Alex Lifeson - saw Rush 3 times live (first time was the concert that was released as A Show Of Hands). Never met him but would love to tell him and Geddy what great influences they’ve been on my playing.

Gary Moore - a huge influence on my electric style, especially the rock blues albums. He was a fantastic acoustic player too, his work on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Variations is excellent.

Mark Knopfler - he made me want to get a Strat (I did eventually!) Saw him live in a Stockholm when touring with Emmylou Harris.

Dave Gilmour - the other Strat influence. Wonderful player. Never seen him live unfortunately...

Chris Rea - Strat influence no 3! On The Beach is still one of my all time favourite albums.

Steve Vai - I wish I could play like him. Saw him live in London with GT3: Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Adrian Legg. They had an unexpected guest artist...

Brian May - there’s no one who plays like him: I never saw Queen live but he was the secret guest artist at the GT3 gig. A very special moment.

Oh yeah - I met Albert Lee when he was playing a bar gig in Stockholm (for real!). Very charming and humble guy, awesome country picker!

[sam.spoons]

David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Jerry Donahue, Albert Lee, Steve Howe (and a few more TBH).

[reeve21]

Jerry Garcia, Pat Metheny and Nils Lofgren.

[fenderball]

favorites?

that's easy for me

Duane Allman
Steve Morse
Jerry Garcia

[Sax Player Guy]

George Harrison and David Gilmour. Both have a breathtaking talent for figuring out parts and solos that make whatever song they're playing on sound as good as it can possibly be.

[pieterh]

Originally Posted by Sax Player Guy

George Harrison and David Gilmour. Both have a breathtaking talent for figuring out parts and solos that make whatever song they're playing on sound as good as it can possibly be.

How could I have forgotten George Harrison? Easily one of my influences!

[David Eastwood]

Let me be the first to mention Jeff Beck. His approach to the electric guitar is like no other player I've ever encountered.

[DebbieE]

J.J. Cale
Mark Knopfler
Eric Clapton
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Peter Green
Otis Rush
Freddie King
B.B. King

just to name a few.

[Dadzmad]

the late Sugar Hightower (Rev Slim and the Supreme Angels) could carry a melody right along with a complex vocal group. You may not like this style of music but listen to the way he blended himself in with a lot of vocals and instruments. The players at his memorial (youtube) are pretty good too.

Lately I've been listening to Melanie Faye an amazing young neo-soul player.

[M Sarad]

Guitarists I've seen live:
Jimi Hendrix
John McLaughlin
Steve Morse
Joe Pass
Al Dimeola
Robben Ford
Garcia
Terry Haggerty
John Cipollina
Elvin Bishop
Mike Bloomfield
BB King
Mick Taylor
Pat Metheny
Alan Holdsworth
Sonny Landreth
Dicky Betts
Carlos Santana
EVH
Jeff Beck
David Hidalgo
Charlie Beatty
Roy Nichols
Derek Trucks
Duke Robillard
Terry Kath


These are my tops.


Trey Anastasio almost makes the list along with Mike
Stern, Scott Henderson, Kid Anderson,Carl Verhayen, John Jorgensen, Freddie King, Otis Rush, Robert Cray, Warren Haynes.
I didn't care for Robin Trower, Tony Iommi, and others i can't recall.

[Steel and wood]

The late great, but massively underrated James Calvin Wilsey is my all time favourite. (Reason why I wanted to learn guitar and get a Stratocaster). The most tasteful player I've ever come across (his haunting sounds on Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" is but one of many examples) and it was the sound of his Stratocaster for this Australian in the 80's that conjured up all sorts of visions of early 60's Americana. (The music of Chris Isaak was so different to that which I had been listening to up until that point).

It also led me down the road to exploring and finding other guitarists that I liked or would go on to influence me in some way or another. (Danny Gatton, Carl Perkins, Luther Perkins, James Burton, Roy Clark, Glen Campbell, Hank Marvin, Dick Dale, Brian Setzer, Redd Volkaert, Albert Lee, Martin Cilia and Chet Atkins and some of the more modern guys like Deke Dickerson, Ken Carlson, Johnny Hyland and Doug Seven).

I'm a suburban Australian guitar picking man, but I own a Stetson cowboy hat and a whole bunch of western shirts ... go figure.

[Lkristians]

In no particular order:
George Harrison
Pete Townshend
Jimi Hendrix
Jimmy Page
Elliot Easton
Gary Moore
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Eric Clapton

[Steve DeRosa]

Les Paul
Chet Atkins
Tony Mottola
Chuck Berry
James Burton
Nokie Edwards
B.B. King
Jack Wilkins
Lonnie Mack
George Harrison
Eric Clapton
Terry Kath
Carlos Santana
Roy Clark
Buddy Guy
George Benson
Duane Allman
Dicky Betts
Mark Knopfler
Stevie Ray Vaughan

- and the ladies:
Mary Osborne
Nancy Wilson
Emily Remler
Anita Cochran
Susan Tedeschi
Debbie Davies
Grace Potter
Orianthi