Crazy Guitarists

[Sandwurm88]

I've been looking around youtube for some ridiculous guitarists... know any??

Here are some I've discovered so far, and some everyone knows about...all these guys are frickin' crazy, watch the videos. Got a personal preference, or think one or more of these dudes are overrated? Discuss.

Joe Satriani - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzQb79IhoRE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Buckethead- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBaM_Uw-3WY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (gets good around 1:25)
Michael Angelo Batio- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rutyA12z3Ok" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcc7IL18m0I" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Steve Vai- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY8wyKuLY2k" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (kinda pretentious douche, but insane)
Yngwie Malsteen- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS_IYe5J ... re=related" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (weirdo, but fastest picker in world)
Eddie Van Halen- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULEBSxP725w" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ( I swear I can play the part starting at 1:06)
Kirk Hammett- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0Hx6IQ2 ... re=related" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (one is insane, but he messses up)
Rusty Cooley- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUGYxDOB ... re=related" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Which one is theee best??

[A Thing of Eternity]

I've been looking around youtube for some ridiculous guitarists... know any??
Here are some I've discovered so far, and some everyone knows about...all these guys are frickin' crazy, watch the videos. Got a personal preference, or think one or more of these dudes are overrated? Discuss.
Joe Satriani - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzQb79IhoRE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Buckethead- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBaM_Uw-3WY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (gets good around 1:25)
Michael Angelo Batio- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rutyA12z3Ok" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcc7IL18m0I" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Steve Vai- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY8wyKuLY2k" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (kinda pretentious douche, but insane)
Yngwie Malsteen- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS_IYe5J ... re=related" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (weirdo, but fastest picker in world)
Eddie Van Halen- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULEBSxP725w" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ( I swear I can play the part starting at 1:06)
Kirk Hammett- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0Hx6IQ2 ... re=related" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (one is insane, but he messses up)
Rusty Cooley- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUGYxDOB ... re=related" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Which one is theee best??

That's a fairly definitive list of guitarists, except I'd kick Kirk off right off the bat - dispite being a student of Satriani he is a pretty weak guitarist. He wouldn't even be able to play 95% of the stuff metal kids are playing now a days.
I would also say you should check out one underground friend of mine who has been writing guitar columns since he was a teen, and was recently voted the best guitarist in north america. His name is Cory Melnychuk, and you'd probably find him on the net under his stage name Les Robot. Amazing guitarist, on par with Malmsteen and the likes any day of the week, and a very nice guy. The rumour is he might be joining Ozzy's band if all goes well, which will suck for Zack Wild!

Now, who is the best out of your list? Anyone who says any one guitarist is the best is a fool, there are too many different areas of skill. For example I can bust out metal riffs that would make most country guitarists fall to peices, but the same can be said of their playing to me.

Eddie has absolutely insane control over pitch and the vibrato bar, but Malmsteen is faster by far. They are both strong writers, but Eddie is probably the better of the two in that feild.
Batio is arguably one of the fastest ever, and he can play both right and left handed, and play both right and left handed at once - something only a very short list of people can do... but he's absolutely useless as a writer, all he is is a circus freak.
Vai and Satriani are both very good guitarists, but their strengths lie more in their writing skills, because for sheer technical skill Malmsteen and Batio probably would outstrip both of them.
Buckethead and Rusty are both very well rounded writers, and very impressive technically, I love both of them.


Who's the best? Can't be answered.



I would also recommend you check out Steve Morse, he does things with harmonics that frighten me.

EDIT: And Paul Gilbert from Racer X, that guy blows my mind.

[inhuien]

I can't, and wouldn't try to, tell you which is best. I can only add one that I am glad has enriched my life.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KN2qvto ... re=related[/youtube]

[A Thing of Eternity]

Thanks for that Inhuien, that was killer.

I'm also a big fan of good fretless playing (I'm slowly learning how to play my fretless bass and saving up for a fretless guitar, I'll probably defret one myself though), and of tap styles like stick players - putting pianists to shame!

[Drunken Idaho]

Before I even clicked on the topic, I read the subject and immediately thought of Buckethead. He's not my favourite guitarist, but he's apparently the first that comes to mind when I think "crazy guitarists." Besides Freakzilla of course.

[A Thing of Eternity]

Before I even clicked on the topic, I read the subject and immediately thought of Buckethead. He's not my favourite guitarist, but he's apparently the first that comes to mind when I think "crazy guitarists." Besides Freakzilla of course.

Yeah, he does have a little crazy in him doesn't he?

There are so many insane guitarists though that I long ago grew bored of straight shred-fest playing, now I'm more captivated by odd time signatures, phrasing and the more subtle difficulties of playing.

That's why I love guitar, it has so many more subtleties to be exploited than an instrument like a piano (which really has startlingly few variables to control when you think about it compared to a guitar, or other string instrument, especially the bowed ones).

[Freakzilla]

Randy Rhodes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxN0mQgQ ... playnext=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[A Thing of Eternity]

Rhodes was definitely one of my favourite all time players and writers, but I don't think he's technically skilled enough to make it onto any kind of guitar-god type list.

[SandRider]

Chet Atkins





/thread

[Freakzilla]

Rhodes was definitely one of my favourite all time players and writers, but I don't think he's technically skilled enough to make it onto any kind of guitar-god type list.

Blasphemer!

[Crysknife]

I'm with AToE on this one. You can't call any one person "the best".

I would just add to the list:

Herman Li from Dragonforce
Slash
Eric Clapton

I would put Slash in my top 3 because of the pure soul and tone he puts into his work. Sweet child O' mine will always be one of the greatest guitar pieces ever.

[Freakzilla]

Steve Via
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Jimmy Page
Jeff Beck
Zak Wylde

[inhuien]

Here's one for all you Stick and sci-fi fans.

[Sandwurm88]

I agree Slash, and Rhodes are both sick. I also had Paul Gilbert on the list, for forgot to get a video of him. Yeah, he's insane. Freak, do you play guitar? Post a video!!

[Freakzilla]

Freak, do you play guitar? Post a video!!

I did when I was a kid but am out of practice. I have a Yamaha FG-70 accustic that needs to be re-fretted. I can't keep the kids from breaking strings or quiet enough to hear myself play so I hope to get back into it when things settle down.

[A Thing of Eternity]

Just for fun, here's a video of the band I used to be in. If it looks goofy that's because it is! They recorded it on a very small label a little while after I left the band. I did help write some of the album's material though before I left. The longhaired guy who's face you never see is the kid who replaced me, me and the other guy used to trade off on rhythm and lead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpBAnBZZoRg

[Seraphan]

Why hasnt anyone said Jimi Hendrix already?

[A Thing of Eternity]

Why hasnt anyone said Jimi Hendrix already?

Because he's not that skilled in the scheme of things. He was a trailblazer, a pioneer, and a visionary without whom guitar would be a sad bland instrument today, but compared to the sheer virtuosity of many guitarists who came later he just doesn't measure up. Definitely a guitar god, but not a shred god.

[Seraphan]

Why hasnt anyone said Jimi Hendrix already?

Because he's not that skilled in the scheme of things. He was a trailblazer, a pioneer, and a visionary without whom guitar would be a sad bland instrument today, but compared to the sheer virtuosity of many guitarists who came later he just doesn't measure up. Definitely a guitar god, but not a shred god.

Oh ok, thanks for the enlightenment.

[A Thing of Eternity]

Why hasnt anyone said Jimi Hendrix already?

Because he's not that skilled in the scheme of things. He was a trailblazer, a pioneer, and a visionary without whom guitar would be a sad bland instrument today, but compared to the sheer virtuosity of many guitarists who came later he just doesn't measure up. Definitely a guitar god, but not a shred god.

Oh ok, thanks for the enlightenment.

Don't get me wrong though, I think guitarists who can WRITE and push the boundries of the instrument in ways other than speed are much more valuable to the art than your general shredders. People like Hendrix, Van Halen, Tom Morello, and others are the real valuable players.

[inhuien]

Thanks for posting that AToE, nice unpretentious thrash. Particularity liked the arpeggios that the short haired guitarist was playing under the verse, gave a nice counterpoint to the rhythmic assault that the rest of the band were laying down.

edit: Sorry, not the verse the bridgey bit.

[A Thing of Eternity]

Thanks for posting that AToE, nice unpretentious thrash. Particularity liked the arpeggios that the short haired guitarist was playing under the verse, gave a nice counterpoint to the rhythmic assault that the rest of the band were laying down.

Thanks ol' bouncy man. The band was supposed to be a good balance of serious and not serious sounding metal.

[othaderak]

I'd be remiss not to suggest Luca Turilli and Frank Zappa:

Yeah, it's self-promoting and his hair looks pretty gay, but if I could play like that, I don't think it would matter.


If you look closely, you can even see Steve Vai!

[Freakzilla]

This guy was more talented than anyone yet mentioned in this topic:

[Sandwurm88]

Surprisingly Freak, I've heard of that guy, he's great, but I'm into rock guitarists more. (Check out Joe Pass and NHOP on Youtube playing Donna Lee for some sweet non-rock stuff. )

AToE, thanks for posting the video!!!! It's awesome, although I'm not really into metal, thrash, progressive, it was really interesting, y'all are skilled.