Best Guitarists in the Rock Era?

Best Guitarists in the Rock Era?

I am a guitarist. At least I play one. I’m hardly a professional but I love to play. I play by ear and have only a limited knowledge of music theory. For most of my musical career I played “singer-songwriter” stuff. Acoustic steel-string, Dylan, CSNY, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, some of my own creations. Then I had a hand accident and damaged the two middle fingers on my left hand (the fretboard hand) that made some chords difficult to play.

So I started playing more solo electric guitar stuff and that is where I am now. I still do some unplugged but most of my time is spent rocking out to great old albums (Abraxas, one of my favs to play along with).

I tell this story so you know where I am coming from.

First the most influential guitarists;

1 Chuck Berry

2 Jimi

3 Eric Clapton

4 Eddie Van Halen

There are certainly more influences but these four are cornerstones. Chuck Berry defined rock guitar by trying to copy Johnny Johnson’s piano playing. Jimi showed us what could be done with an electric guitar. Clapton moved blues into the electric era and he became the historian of licks. Van Halen brought a whole new bag of tricks to the instrument.

Technically the best;

1 Stevie Ray Vaughn

2 Carlos Santana

3 Duane Allman

4 Eddie Van Halen

Simply put Stevie Ray Vaughn is the best rock guitarist ever. Carlos Santana is right there with him. Santana has all the rock chops but can also add in searing jazz, hot latin and afro licks and is one of the most soulful musicians on any instrument. Duane Allman ruled the slide and Eddie is just so technical (a bit too technical for me, most times)

My Favorites

1 Carlos Santana

2 Stevie Ray Vaughn

3 Duane Allman

4 Leo Kotke

5 Roy Clark

Who is Leo Kotke? He plays mostly slide, mostly acoustic but does all kinds of things with a guitar that I’ve heard few other musicians be able to do. If you haven’t heard this guy and love the guitar look him up. Roy Clark? Yes,  Roy Clark. He is mostly known for his cheesy country music and of course for the Hee Haw TV show. But, the man could rock. I heard him one time guest host for Johnny Carson. He started by saying that his voice had gone out but he would still jam with Doc’s band. They did a blues number that blew me away. He could be Chet Atkins smooth and still play some raunchy blues

There you have it. The definitive list of rock era guitarists.