I intended this page primarily for my younger students who may not have heard some of these names. It is also a reflection of my own personal tastes, and I’m sure that there are some who would disagree with my choices of who to include and who to omit.
There are so many great guitarists out there that it’s difficult to begin listing them. This list is based on a couple of criteria–first, they all have some kind of historical importance as guitarists, and second, they are people who I have listened to a lot, and are long-time personal favorites of mine. Quite frankly, there are a lot of other guitar players out there right now who are at least as good as anyone on this list–I certainly don’t want to overlook that fact.
It would also be absurd to attempt any kind of ranking of these guitarists, so each list is in alphabetical order by last name. They are categorized into Rock, Jazz/Blues, Acoustic, and non-guitarists who you should know anyway.
In case you’re curious, Rolling Stone Magazine has published their list of 100 Greatest Guitar players. Interesting…I certainly don’t agree with all of it, but then again I’d be surprised if I did!
Great Rock Guitarists
Duane Allman
Founding member of the Allman Brothers, died in a tragic accident in 1971. Absolute master of the slide guitar. Also played w/ Clapton on “Layla” album.
Check out a great video of the Allman Brothers playing “Whippin’ Post”. Duane is the guy with the stringy hair and long-sleeve t-shirt.
Trey Anastasio
Brains behind Phish. Known for long, extended improvisations as well as avant-garde instrumental compositions. A technical and creative master of the instrument.
Here’s a good video of Phish playing their song “Down With Disease,” a tune that often features some of Trey’s finest shredding
Jeff Beck
Best-known for helping to pioneer rock/jazz fusion in the 1970′s, but his contributions date all the way back to the Yardbirds (with Eric Clapton) in the 1960′s. His quirky sound is instantly recognizable; he gets sounds out of the guitar that I’ve never heard anywhere else.
Here’s a vid of Jeff Beck playing one of his best-known tunes, “Led Boots”
Dicky Betts
Another founding member of the Allman Brothers, known for very melodic soloing and complex compositions featuring dual lead guitars played in harmony.
Check out this old video of 1970′s-era Allman Brothers playing Dicky Betts’ classic tune “Jessica.” Dicky is the guy in the cowboy hat. Incidentally, he’s still around, but they kicked him out of the band a few years back.
Eric Clapton
One of the most influential blues-rock guitarists, particularly his work with the band Cream, and also Derek and the Dominos. His prolific career has spanned almost half a century at this point, and he continues to stay true to his roots and play some great guitar.
Here’s a sweet video of Eric Clapton’s band Cream, circa 1968. This is what you get when Englishmen take a lot of psychedelics.
Jerry Garcia
Founding member of the Grateful Dead, known for long, extended improvisations. Strong roots in American roots styles–blues, country, and jazz. An incredibly passionate and creative musician, and a virtual walking encyclopedia of American music.
Love this video of the Dead playing one of my favorites, “Saint Stephen,” on “Playboy After Dark” in the early ’70′s. This is what you get when American hippies take a lot of psychedelics.
David Gilmour
Lead guitarist of the band Pink Floyd. His solos are unforgettable–a master of phrasing and expressiveness.
My favorite solo of Gilmour’s is on the song “Comfortably Numb”…check it out!
George Harrison
Lead guitarist of the Beatles. Known for impeccably placed guitar licks that are signature parts of Beatles’ songs.
Warren Haynes
Later-day member of the Allman Brothers, as well as Gov’t Mule and other projects. Master of slide guitar and Southern blues-rock styles. One of the busiest musicans on the planet right now.
Jimi Hendrix
Probably the most influential rock guitarist ever. A visionary–took the instrument to whole new levels, blowing the possibilities wide open for the rest of us. Virtually EVERY rock guitarist out there owes something to Jimi (even if they don’t know it or won’t admit it).
Steve Morse
Guitarist for the Dixie Dregs, as well as the Steve Morse Band (also recently playing lead guitar for Deep Purple). From the school of “shredders” that was spawned in the 1980′s, but to my ears more soulful and creative than most of the others.
Jimmy Page
Guitarist and composer for Led Zeppelin. A master of the extended, fast and furious guitar solo, but also known for incredibly diverse and complex compositions and densely layered studio production.
Carlos Santana
Perhaps the first guitarist to merge a Latino influence with rock and roll. Very distinctive tone and phrasing, still a very influential player to this day.
Tom Scholz
Guitarist of the band Boston. His singing tone and triumphant phrasing have always sounded great to me.
Derek Trucks
The youngest player on this list by at least 20 years, some consider Derek Trucks to be Duane Allman reincarnated. He has certainly taken slide guitar to a whole new level, and since he’s still only about 30, we can still look forward to a lot of good music from him. Currently on tour with his wife, Susan Tedeschi, in the Tedeschi-Trucks Band.
Check out this badass guitar solo by Derek Trucks.
Eddie Van Halen
Eddie was the original shredder. His jaw-dropping chops and monster tone set the standard for a whole decade’s worth of hair bands in the 80′s.
Stevie Ray Vaughan
SRV was one of the great modern-day blues guitarists. His masterful chops and HUGE tone are imitated by countless players today. He died very tragically at a young age in a helicopter crash after a concert in Wisconsin.
Frank Zappa
Hard to know what to say about FZ…interesting that he is the last one on the list. If you’ve checked everyone else out, Zappa will take you to places you never even imagined. Careful, though, he’s not for the faint of heart (listener discretion advised!).
Great Jazz and Blues Guitarists
Tuck Andress
Tuck is simply an amazing jazz guitar player. A master at playing melody, chords, and bass all at the same time–practically a one-man band.
Bill Frisell
A great player who is difficult to categorize. Usually categorized as a jazz player, he really blends a strong helping of country/folk/bluegrass in his music. Known for his restraint and use of space–I once heard someone say that he plays guitar the way Miles Davis played the trumpet. One of my favorite players.
B.B. King
My absolute favorite blues guitar player. His delicate touch, melodic sense, and phrasing are as good as it gets.
Buddy Guy
Another favorite blues player. Very influential to people like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. About 70 years old, I think, and he puts on the best live blues concert you will ever see.
Scott Henderson
A modern-day jazz-fusion guitarist, a great player to check out for people who are into rock but curious about jazz. His band Tribal Tech is well worth checking out.
John McLauglin
A virtual living legend if there ever was one, who breaks new ground with every new project that he touches. Particularly known for his work with Shakti and also the Mahavishnu Orchestra, in which he explored the sounds of Eastern music in his blend of jazz fusion. He has 40 years of great music behind him, and he continues to put out great music all the time.
Pat Metheny
Another virtual living legend. His work with Jaco Pastorius (at the tender age of 20) is considered groundbreaking, and he is today considered one of the most influential jazz players. I love the way he includes a good helping of folk/Americana sounds into his music.
Wes Montgomery
To me, the ultimate in the classic jazz guitar sound. Used a lot of blues sounds in his jazz. Also perfected the technique of using parallel octaves in his solos.
Django Reinhardt
A pioneer in jazz guitar–most of his work was recorded in the 1920′s and 1930′s. A whole genre of guitar playing, called “gypsy jazz,” is still played to this day, and Django is considered the original master. Scary thing is, he lost use of part of his hand in a childhood accident, and only had two fingers to use on the fretboard. Stunning.
John Scofield
If you drew a line from jazz to rock, Scofield would fall a little closer to rock than most jazz players, but he is a jazz master as well. An alumnus of the Miles Davis band in the 70′s. A great player to check out if you want an introduction to jazz.
Mike Stern
A favorite jazz player of mine, another alumnus of the University of Miles Davis. Mind-blowing chops and a beautiful sense of melody.
Great Acoustic Guitarists
David Grier
One of the best guitarists in the bluegrass scene today (arguably THE best). A technical master of the instrument, particularly adept at cross-picking, a style that creates a very full, ringing sound.
Michael Hedges
Revolutionized the acoustic guitar world with his unorthodox techniques like playing over the neck, tapping, slapping, banging, etc. Sadly, Hedges died in a car accident in 1999 or 2000. But his albums Breakfast in the Field and Aerial Boundaries were groundbreaking when they came out in the 80′s.
Jorma Kaukonen
Original guitarist of Jefferson Airplane, but at least as well-known for his acoustic roots/blues band Hot Tuna. A master of fingerstyle blues guitar.
Kaki King
An amazing young guitarist who is influenced by Michael Hedges, among others. Surprising to me that she is the only woman on this list. Her playing is absolutely jaw-dropping…look her up on YouTube. You will be floored.
Leo Kottke
Another fingerstyle and slide guitar master. Has had a prolific career since the 1970′s, and has made two great CD’s with Mike Gordon of Phish.
Tony Rice
One of the masters of bluegrass guitar–few people can even touch his chops or his melodic sense.
Doc Watson
A “granddaddy” of bluegrass and folk guitar. If you want to learn to play bluegrass, start with Doc and you’ll be just fine. A true living legend in the bluegrass world.