200 guitarists whom i've admired since...1965? Guitarists who affected me, excited me, and/or made me think. Why this list? Why 200?? First, when asked to name guitarists who have influenced me or who i admire, i always toss out a few names and then later experience pangs of remorse for forgetting names -- now i can just say, "check out the list on my website." Second, i believe in giving credit where credit is due.
The number 200 just popped into my head randomly, but it has turned out to be a pretty good estimate. The first 170 or so came easily, jotted down in under two hours during a mixing session for the Destroy All Nels Cline alb. Of course, i inevitably came up with more than 200, but i've decided to limit myself (!) -- for now...
There will undoubtedly be much chatter about who is NOT on the list. Please, don't harass me -- i'm sure i've forgotten many, and i would prefer to be spared the embarrassment of having to justify my decision to leave certain people off the list consciously. But at least let me confront some controversy about those who are on it briefly. And without thoroughness -- it may shed some light on how my tiny brain works in this regard.
Many of the guitarists on this list were favorites of mine when i was a teenager. There are a lot not only because i am, after all, a guitar fan, but because one is perhapsless discerning as an excitable boy. THIS LIST IS NOT ABOUT WHO'S BEST. It's in NO PARTICULAR ORDER because i don't believe in "best." It gives me pleasure to lump all these artists together. It's humorous and surreal, and i intend it as both an homage to them and to show how randomly things collide in this life, how one just
never knows...
Some brief explanations, then we're all on our own: I'm anticipating shock at the inclusion of Peter Frampton on this list. I single him out here because he was a huge influence on me, but only at a small portion of his career. His playing with Humble Pie was, to me at age 15 or so, profoundly melodic and "jazzy," even during the most torrid and blustery rock tunes. I tried to copy his lines. By the time of his massive solo success, none of these traits seemed in evidence. In fact, i didn't even recognize him on his solo stuff! But how many guitarists on this list burned brightly for me, later to fully dim artistically? How many are dead? All that matters here is that moment when inspiration strikes and nourishes a life. Take also the inclusion of Jerry Garcia. I struggled mightily with this one. I enjoyed the Dead from about 1967-1971, but unfortunately this path went on for, what, 25 more years without my hearing any further illumination. And the phenomenon of Jerry Garcia frankly is hard to fathom, yet i enjoyed "Anthem of The Sun" and "Workingman's Dead" a lot! So in he goes. Same with Jimmy Page, who i came to admire as an arranger/colorist in the late Zeppelin work. Never liked his "lead" work much, sorry. But in he goes!
Get it? So have fun, and try to keep a positive (and fun) frame of mind/heart. My profound thanks to Devin for not only doing this silly thing, but also for (without me asking) doing research when i wrote things like "the guy in the Count Five" (John Michalski.) And one other thing: Jan Hammer is included both as a joke and in all seriousness because even though he's a keyboardist, he's done some of the best guitar work ever! So there!!!
I'm sure i'll soon add 100 more. Lord knows, there are so many guitarists that i haven't heard and/or haven't learned to appreciate yet.
*NOTE: We've attempted to include links for some of the guitarists listed. However, we suggest checking the All Music Guide for info. on the others. They are a great resource!
*The first part of this list highlights guitarists i've been lucky enough to play with whom i truly admire:
Woody Aplanalp
Kenneth Ando
G.E. Stinson
Ken Rosser
Nick Kirgo
Joe Baiza
Rick Potts
Rod Poole
Jim McAuley
Tom Watson
Bill Watts
Bill Frisell
Wayne Kramer
Thurston Moore
Duane Denison
Lee Ranaldo
Carla Bozulich
Elliott Sharp
Tim Foljahn
Steve Cardenas
Eric Von Essen
Joel Harrison
John Schott
Peter Maunu
Allan Jaffe
Henry Kaiser
Chris Muir
Jeff Parker
Jeremy Drake
Smokey Hormel
Jeff Tweedy
Pat Sansone
Noah Phillips
Eugene Chadbourne
TOP 200(+) FAVORITE GUITARISTS LIST
Jim (aka Roger) McGuinn
John Scofield
Michael Gregory Jackson
Jan Akkerman
Steve Howe
Albert King
Jim Hall
John Abercrombie
Ralph Towner
Robbie Basho
John Cippolina
Freddie King
Jorma Kaukonen
Jimi Hendrix
Paul Kossoff
Duane Allman
Peter Frampton
Pat Martino
Sam Brown
Mick Goodrick
John Renbourn
Terje Rypdal
Ted Greene
Lenny Breau
Neil Young
Pat Metheny
Stephen Stills
Howard Roberts
Herb Ellis
Joe Pass
Wes Montgomery
Robert Quine
Jeff Beck
Otomo Yoshihide
Dick Dale
Alain Johannes
Freddie Green
Polly Harvey
Mississippi Fred McDowell
Lonnie Johnson
Alex De Grassi
D. Boon
Muddy Waters
Hubert Sumlin
Ike Turner
John McLaughlin
Django Reinhardt
Andy Gill
John Fahey
Peter Lang
Julian Bream
Vincenzo Macaluso
Balthazar Benitez
Sergio & Odair Assad
Egberto Gismonti
Derek Bailey
Davey Williams
Fred Frith
Hans Reichel
Attila Zoller
Larry Coryell
King Sunny Ade et al
Gary Miller (aka "Dr. Know")
Glen Campbell
Roy Clark
Otis Rush
John Lee Hooker
John Williams
Frank Zappa
Bill Harkelroad (aka "Zoot Horn Rollo")
Jorgen Ingmann
John McGeough
Robbie McIntosh
Rafe Mandel
Johnny Marr
Robert Smith
Tony Rice
Don Helms
Bob Andrews
John Michalski
Peter Laughner
John Dietrich
Kevin Shields
Leigh Stevens
Rory Gallagher
Willie Nelson
Eric Clapton
George Benson
Christy Doran
Stephan Wittwer
Robert Fripp
Lee Ranaldo
Adrian Belew
Jan Savage
Mick Abrams
Staffan Harde
Johnny "Guitar" Watson
Richard Thompson
Sonny Greenwich
Ted Dunbar
Michael Whitmore
Baden Powell
Johnny Winter
Bola Sete
Syd Barrett
Lightnin' Hopkins
Joni Mitchell
Nick Drake
Dean Roberts
Tal Farlow
Jimmy Vaughn
Bobb Bruno
Ron Asheton
Buddy Guy
Charles Ganza
Peter Banks
Mike Esposito
William Reid
Slim Harpo
George Harrison
Satoru
Pete Townsend
B.B. King
Billy Gibbons
Jan Hammer
Ollie Halsall
Ash Bowie
Dave Brylawski
Sonny Sharrock
Randy California
Gary Burger
Agata
David Scott Stone
Radio
Duane Eddy
Duck Baker
Oscar Aleman
Marc Ducret
Roger Troutman
Matt Piucci
Prince
Manito De Plata
Nile Rogers
The guy in Lakeside
Peter Greene
Jerry Douglas
Eddie Hazel
Leo Nocentelli
Joe Diorio
Arto Lindsay
Elmore James
Paul Burlison
Tom Verlaine
Chan Marshall
Robert Johnson
Ali Farka Toure
Victor Jara
T-Bone Walker
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey et al
Charlie Christian
Santo & Johnny
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
Brij Bhushan Kabra
Silla
Norman Blake
Blackbird McKnight
Robin Trower
Kevin Dunn
Jarrett Silberman
Jerry Garcia
Dave Edmunds
Ry Cooder
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Doug Martsch
Brett Netson
Carlos Santana
Adam Levy
Jeremy Keller
Gel
Rowland S. Howard
Keola Beamer
Jose Maria Saluzzi
Jimmy Page
James "Blood" Ulmer
Gene Bertoncini
Sterling Morrison
Dickey Betts
Bonnie Raitt
Trey Conner
Bill Conners
Steve Tibbetts
Mark Landon
David Hidalgo
Ed Bickert
Billy Bauer
Bill Horvitz
Marc Ribot
Sara Jaffe
Paul Lai (Upsilon Acrux)
Vinicius Cantuaria
Grant Green
Janet Feder
Kevin Drumm
Taku Sugimoto
Annette Krebs
Rich Gilbert
Chris Cohen
END!
