Its bound to cause a debate when you say who you think the best players of the guitar are. What one-person thinks another is going to wildly disagree or some else is going to complain that you should never have left them off the list and how could you miss them. So, it’s a subjective list ok? Your list might be different, but they are equally as good. If there is one thing that we can be sure of it’s that a visit to the website of https://www.guitarsmiths.co.uk/ the leading light in Gloucestershire Guitar Shops, will allow us to see some great axes that these people made playing look easy.
- Joe Perry of Aerosmith. The other half of the Toxic twins, the other being Steve Tyler. It’s quite a miracle that Perry is with us to this day, still performing and quite clean living now Perry is a grandmaster of the American rock scene whose playing, and energy, knew no bounds.
- Johnny Marr. I’ve gone the complete opposite with the arch indie kid and ex lead guitarist of The Smiths, Marr. Marr’s melodic playing was the perfect counterpoint to Morrissey’s crooning voice. Whilst all the attention is on Morrissey (as much to do with his controversial comments) Marr quietly produces beautiful work and shows his great skill even now.
- Steve Vai. Six guitar strings not good enough for you Mr Vai? Apparently not, his Ibanez has seven! Steve Vai is the protégé of the great Joe Satriani (yes, I know you think, he should probably be on this list too!) and there isn’t an artist that hasn’t benefit from playing with him. He’s worked with 80’s rock greats like Whitesnake, David Lee Roth and the mercurial Ozzy Osbourne. The great thing about Steve Vai is his playfulness. His fingers dance around the guitar sending it into seeming rapture and the fact hes performed with Spinal Tap (David St Hubbins or Nigel Tufnel will not be appearing on this list by the way) shows he doesn’t take himself too seriously.
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- Django Reinhardt – Django who? Isn’t he a cowboy? No, he is an incredibly ahead of his time chain smoking half French half Belgium gypsy jazz guitarist who could riff with the best of them. When teamed up with Stephane Grappelli on the violin the two could blast away through a tune in such harmony you could have sworn they were psychical connected. Reinhart’s style of playing and life leading had an effect on guitarists well into the 1970’s. As a gypsy he felt first-hand the persecution by the Nazis and was only saved by a Luftwaffe Generals love of Jazz. Guitar playing literally saved his life.
As I said before this is just my list. If you have one, and I am sure you do, then its just as good as mine. Music is never wrong.