250 Greatest Guitarists

[ProfessorJet]

Several influential, and talented, guitarists from the metal world who should have had some consideration: Jake E. Lee (Ozzy/Badlands), Warren DiMartini (Ratt) and a personal favorite, Vito Bratta (White Lion).

 

[Fudbutter]

good stuff !

not familiar with Bratta. suggestions on where to start?

 

[ProfessorJet]

good stuff !

not familiar with Bratta. suggestions on where to start?

I'm a few years older than Vito and like him grew up on Staten Island. I had a ton of friends who were musicians and lauded Vito before he had even made his name with White Lion. Actually saw him play in long forgotten local bands. Therein lies my bias.

Although influenced by EVH, and folks might mistake his technique as all Eddie, Vito took tapping and legato style to a different, maybe more melodic, level. In a similar way to what Nuno has done. Problem is that there is just not a bunch of his stuff out there. He quit the music business eons ago. His solo in White Lion's "Little Fighter" still gives me chills.

From WiKi:
Although Bratta has not released any music since 1992, many musicians, both singers and guitar players, have continued to praise his songwriting skills and technical ability. Zakk Wylde has stated that Bratta is the only guitarist whose tapped playing he enjoys. He has also praised Vito Bratta's originality and pointed out that he considers the solo in "Wait" one of the best solos he has ever heard.[4] Bratta's partner in White Lion, Mike Tramp, also remarked that Bratta's skills as a guitar player and songwriter were unmatched:

Vito the guitar player and Vito the songwriter and musician, he was in a calibre all by himself. It shows in his great solos, and so many people love the way he played like Eddie with the hammer-ons and all that stuff like the Van Halen solo on “Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love.” I just love the way Vito played solos on “Wait” and “Little Fighter” and some of the others. He was like Mozart.[5]

Tramp also mentioned that many accomplished guitar players turned him down when he attempted to put together a new version of White Lion:

We tried to do new White Lions with Warren DeMartini and Paul Gilbert and all these others, and no one wanted to do Vito. He was unlike anyone else, he had his own way of doing things, and plus he was a great songwriter. Had he remained in the business, Vito would have been bigger than Steve Vai and all those types of guys. With him the melody came before anything else, and that’s nothing but the highest praise.[6]

Guitar World Magazine named Bratta one of the best 20 guitarists of the 1980s, commenting:

Vito Bratta was the most tasteful, lyrical and inventive guitarist of his generation, adding structure, style and an unerring pop sensibility to Van Halen’s oft-tapped fountain of inspiration.[7]

Producer Michael Wagener called Bratta his "favorite guitar player" on February 17, 2007, when he called the Eddie Trunk show.

 

[ProfessorJet]

For whatever reason (probably because I'm a nut), I've become somewhat obsessed with this list. As I said above, at some point in the day I will think of guitarists who did not make the cut.

While food shopping earlier, these two jumped to mind: 1. Pat Travers, who was a cross between Johnny Winter and SRV before SRV. Also had a kick ass band with Pete Cowling on bass and eventual Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain. Check Pat rip it in this classic cut from 1976.


And 2. Zebra's Randy Jackson. This guy was an ace rhythm (especially on 12 string) and lead player, as well as an incredible singer. Saw them many times in LI/NY clubs. Always excellent. Here's a live performance I like. Tight band, with Randy going off throughout. Great solo at approx. 6:37.

 

[ProfessorJet]

For today's consideration: Ty Tabor (King's X) and Reeves Gabrels (Tin Machine/The Cure, another Staten Islander).

 

[Fudbutter]

only got as far as Little Fighter (and Radio by Death's cover) and Wait so far

Guy can certainly play. 80's rock at it's best (didn't even have to look up the year . A lot of EVH in there too. Read his story, kinda sad but he's got a great legacy

meanwhile, here's a couple back fer ya. I keep playing these in the car lately

Pete Thorn



Vinnie Moore

 

[ProfessorJet]

only got as far as Little Fighter (and Radio by Death's cover) and Wait so far

Guy can certainly play. 80's rock at it's best (didn't even have to look up the year . A lot of EVH in there too. Read his story, kinda sad but he's got a great legacy

meanwhile, here's a couple back fer ya. I keep playing these in the car lately

Pete Thorn



Vinnie Moore

Great call on Pete Thorn. I did not think of him. I know virtually nothing about Vinny Moore. But will check him out.

My additions for today: Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner. One listen to how those two guys reworked (mega-energized) Lou Reed's songs on Rock & Roll Animal is all anyone needs.

EDIT: Oops, forgot to write that I LOVE "Dirty Town". Great tune and playing.

EDIT 2: When Hunter and Wagner played with Alice.

 

[ProfessorJet]

Two absolutely stellar guitarists from Windham Hill should have been recognized: William Ackerman (Windham Hill's founder) and Michael Hedges. Hedges floored me the first time I heard him perform on record, then live. With his two hand tapping/slapping, Hedges sounded like a one-man orchestra.

 

[ProfessorJet]

A personal favorite for today's consideration, the late Nick Drake.

 

[ProfessorJet]

Almost on cue, a recent Hot Tuna performance showed up on my YT recommendations. After checking the list, yup the great Jorma Kaukonen is not on the list. When and if they do a "Best Bassists List", I'm sure the dopes at Rolling Stone will leave Jack Casady off as well.

 

[Fudbutter]

Jorma is still touring around. I don't think he ever stopped once he formed Hot Tuna in the 70's. That's a looooong time

Bassists? Similar to the guitar discussion, there's no such thing as best and any numerical ranking is silly, just levels. If this was art, you'd get them ranking children's scrawls with Starry Night. Who ranks higher, Manet? Monet? Miro? Impossible to do. Most influential would be more interesting (and impressive), as in players who changed the way the instrument is played or used.

To start:
Tim Bogert and Jack Bruce: "lead" bass, changed a whole generation
James Jamison: Almost every Motown record, a style copied for decades, use of the thumb
Chris Squire: Use of a Rick, bass as counterpoint rather than bottom rythm

who else?

 

[ProfessorJet]

Jorma is still touring around. I don't think he ever stopped once he formed Hot Tuna in the 70's. That's a looooong time

Bassists? Similar to the guitar discussion, there's no such thing as best and any numerical ranking is silly, just levels. If this was art, you'd get them ranking children's scrawls with Starry Night. Who ranks higher, Manet? Monet? Miro? Impossible to do. Most influential would be more interesting (and impressive), as in players who changed the way the instrument is played or used.

To start:
Tim Bogert and Jack Bruce: "lead" bass, changed a whole generation
James Jamison: Almost every Motown record, a style copied for decades, use of the thumb
Chris Squire: Use of a Rick, bass as counterpoint rather than bottom rythm

who else?

Off the top of my head, my favorite bass players in no particular order:
John Entwistle
Jack Bruce
Chris Squire
Gary Thain
Bootsy Collins
Jack Casady
Jaco Pastorius
Geddy Lee
Mike Watt

And on another, godlike, level:
Mingus
Stanley Clarke
Ron Carter

 

[ProfessorJet]

@Fudbutter Just checked. RS did a "50 Greatest Bassists of All Time" back in July 2020. Still some dumb picks, but better than the guitarists list.

Looking through it, I should have added Geezer Butler to my list above. I loved his thumping playing with Sabbath.

The 50 Greatest Bassists of All Time

We count down the 50 greatest bassists of all time, from string-popping virtuosos to steady session heroes.

www.rollingstone.com

 

[NewMFS62]

Don't forget this guy:

Later

 

[ProfessorJet]

Don't forget this guy:

Later

Raise:

 

[ProfessorJet]

Difficult as it is, I no longer comment on the R&R HOF. I just let it's ineptitude and absurdity stand on its own merits.

But reading earlier that a true rock guitar icon, Jimmy Page, made a surprise appearance playing a Link Wray classic. (Wray was definitely worthy of induction, btw.) And I would have jumped out of my seat seeing Page on stage, especially wielding his double-neck EDS-1275. Wow.

 

[ProfessorJet]

Today's inclusion: A very influential guitarist, Arlen Roth. Incredible blues, session and slide player who has worked with anyone you can imagine, including the great Danny Gatton.

 

[butterscotch]

now that poll makes much more sense

So players who influenced permanent change to the way the instrument is played, used and sounds. Hmm.

How's this:

Charlie Christian:
Invented electricity and with that, turned the guitar into a linear solo instrument. "Lester Young with a guitar"

Alvin Lee:
First guy that made everyone start playing fast. You had to be around back then to know who much he wigged everyone out and sent 'em all woodshedding. HM to Page's Heartbreaker which had the same effect

Jimi Hendrix:
The guy was not a good player per se. His skills were primitive and uneducated. There's little he did that you can't duplicate today. The reason most still revere him is really all about his unique personality and hall of fame level writing chops. The reason he changed everything is one of the most important things anyone ever did for guitar playing: he cooked tubes like burnt ends at Arthur Bryant's. Marshall amps weren't built for this (then), but when Jim dimed the V and used his knobs down for level, he invented the sound of the guitar the is the basis to this date. He also taught everyone to slur chords not only as accompaniment, but as part of the lead

Leslie West:
Brought "heavy" into the mix. Pinch harmonics (more woodshedding), LP Jr's on the neck pickup, less is more

Robert Fripp:
Alternate tunings, true composition, Frippertronics. No one has caught up yet

John McLaughlin:
The Godfather of every modern player. Kinda did what Alvin Lee did but in a major level when the world was more ready for it. By taking jazz chops, a Les Paul and (Hi Watts? Marshall?), the need to actually learn the instrument arose. No John, there's no EVH or Vai or Satriani, DiMeola etc, so if you are looking at them as the major influences they are, look to the real souce: McLaughlin


Honorable mentions:

The Pedal Show Guys, Pete Thorn, et al.:
Modern influencers who are making playing pedals more important than actually playing. Tone chasing is now a thing

Steve Hackett:
EVH stated that he learned to do tap from wacthing him. No tap, no metal

Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page:
Unique figuring done by so many that followed

EVH:
Brown sound

... and finally the greatest event for guitar playing in history: The Beatles stepping off the plane in NYC in 1964 followed by an entire generation taking a shot at learning to play


Just a humble opinion from an old man with passing interest in the subject

Boy I am glad you brought up that one name on your list. I was ready to give up on you.

 

[butterscotch]

I'm a few years older than Vito and like him grew up on Staten Island. I had a ton of friends who were musicians and lauded Vito before he had even made his name with White Lion. Actually saw him play in long forgotten local bands. Therein lies my bias.

Although influenced by EVH, and folks might mistake his technique as all Eddie, Vito took tapping and legato style to a different, maybe more melodic, level. In a similar way to what Nuno has done. Problem is that there is just not a bunch of his stuff out there. He quit the music business eons ago. His solo in White Lion's "Little Fighter" still gives me chills.

From WiKi:
Although Bratta has not released any music since 1992, many musicians, both singers and guitar players, have continued to praise his songwriting skills and technical ability. Zakk Wylde has stated that Bratta is the only guitarist whose tapped playing he enjoys. He has also praised Vito Bratta's originality and pointed out that he considers the solo in "Wait" one of the best solos he has ever heard.[4] Bratta's partner in White Lion, Mike Tramp, also remarked that Bratta's skills as a guitar player and songwriter were unmatched:


Tramp also mentioned that many accomplished guitar players turned him down when he attempted to put together a new version of White Lion:


Guitar World Magazine named Bratta one of the best 20 guitarists of the 1980s, commenting:


Producer Michael Wagener called Bratta his "favorite guitar player" on February 17, 2007, when he called the Eddie Trunk show.

Wow does this mean Sack is a great guitarist as his play gives me chills right to the bone

 

[butterscotch]

Don't forget

Percy Jones on Bass​