The greatest rock guitarist of all time

[The Ruptured Duck]

Slowhand

[Hagar]

Slowhand

He would certainly have to be a contender. IMHO
Clapton was himself influenced by other musicians including Hendrix & Buddy Guy. I heard that at some of his solo concerts he often invited guest musicians like Guy on stage & let them play for the whole evening while he either played rhythm or left them to it. He was also reputed never to play the same solo twice or repeat a phrase so each concert was completely different. Some of his solos lasted 30 minutes or more.

It would be interesting to see which musicians people think had the most influence on the Rock music in all its forms (I hate the word genre) that we know today. This might be better in its own topic, unless it's already been discussed.

[Anti-Societys Snake]

Hendrix, easily. He populerized distortion, now without distortion your playing some f***ed up blues type sh**.

~Snake

[Hagar]

Hendrix, easily. He populerized distortion, now without distortion your playing some f***ed up blues type sh**.

~Snake

He might have helped make it popular but I'm quite certain he wasn't the first to use it. There are other forms of Rock that don't use distortion at all & the Blues you seem to hate so much was originally played on acoustic instruments. You have to broaden your horizons. For example, who was the Blues musician who first played electric guitar? Without him you wouldn't have Hendrix or any of your other heroes.

[Politically Incorrect]

Well when it comes to overall influance on Rock music then it would be obvious that it was the origianal Blues men such as Robert Johnson, T-Bone Walker, Buddy Guy, BB King, Albert King etc.
The many "Blues Ledgends" i feel are the true foundation on what we call Rock music today.

[Clipper]

I'm glad someone finally mentioned Robert Johnson. He was reputed as selling his soul to the devil to transform hmself, seemingly overnight, into the incredible talent which he became. Anyone know how he died?
Here's another name for you...Leo Kottke, the man with four hands. More of a bluegrass picker, but his 12 string abilities are almost inhuman. Well worth a listen...
A word on Hendrix..Definately a unique style, but I don't think he was that great technically. Unquestionably a pioneer deserving of tremendous respect, but just not among the greatest.

[Anti-Societys Snake]

WHOA WHOA WHOA hagar, I don't hate blues at all, in fact I enjoy it. I was saying that what the non-distorted rock would sound like some realy SH*tty blues. B.B. Kind is one of ,my heoros.

[Anti-Societys Snake]

I'm not sure who it was who firstplayed on electric.

[RichieB16]

I would have to give my vote to Eric Clapton.  I got a chance to see him play a while back when he was in the area and it was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.  He's deffinately one of the best in my opinions.

[Anti-Societys Snake]

yeah, clapton does rule.

[Hagar]

I'm glad someone finally mentioned Robert Johnson. He was reputed as selling his soul to the devil to transform hmself, seemingly overnight, into the incredible talent which he became. Anyone know how he died?

Short biog here. http://blues.about.com/cs/halloffame/p/blprorbtjohnson.htm

In Greenwood, Mississippi, Johnson messed with the wrong man's woman and was murdered by strychnine placed in his whiskey by the jealous husband.

Here's another name for you...Leo Kottke, the man with four hands. More of a bluegrass picker, but his 12 string abilities are almost inhuman. Well worth a listen...

One of my old favourites although I haven't listened to any of his stuff for years. I couldn't possibly list all the guitarists I've admired over the years.

A word on Hendrix..Definately a unique style, but I don't think he was that great technically. Unquestionably a pioneer deserving of tremendous respect, but just not among the greatest.

It might offend some people but I would have to agree. I was never that keen on most of his stuff at the time. I was more interested in his brilliant drummer Mitch Mitchell who had previously played with Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames among others. http://www.angelfire.com/mac/keepitlive/drummers/Mitchell/mitch.htm

I grew up listening to most of these people everyone seems to regard as heroes now & the ones like Clapton that are still alive are now much the same age as me. Although I played drums, not guitar, in those days & never became famous my background is not that much different from his or any other British rock musician. We were influenced by listening to the same music of many varied types & I suspect this is what gave them the ability & musical knowledge to become what they are today. Things are very different now. We really didn't believe it would last that long but were determined to make the most of it while we could. I'm sure none of those guys ever dreamed they would become legends 40 years afterwards.

[elwellnick24]

i would have to agree that all the old blue's players were a major influence on nearly all of todays styles of music, be it rock, metal or r n b. etc.
black sabbath were the first band to play heavy distorted music, and as such are often quoted by popular rock/metal bands as major influences.
i think, though i may be wrong, that chuck berry was one of the first to play electric, 'jonny be good' was certainly played on an electric.

[Politically Incorrect]

Well considering the first "electric" guitars was really nothing more than a microphone placed inside a accustic guitar it goes back aways.
If I recall it was Leo Fender that made the first solid body electric so I would have to assume he would have been the first to play it

http://www.b0b.com/infoedu/tutmarc1.html

Here is a link to where one claims to know the true origin of the electric.

[Hagar]

Well considering the first "electric" guitars was really nothing more than a microphone placed inside a accustic guitar it goes back aways.
If I recall it was Leo Fender that made the first solid body electric so I would have to assume he would have been the first to play it

http://www.b0b.com/infoedu/tutmarc1.html

Here is a link to where one claims to know the true origin of the electric.

Depends what you call an electric guitar. Fender electrics were solid bodied & I believe first appeared around 1950. Charlie Christian was playing electric guitar in the late 1930s & he was not the first to do so.



I really don't know the first Blues musician to perform regularly on electric guitar but from what I've read, Muddy Waters was the one who introduced electric Blues to the masses soon after establishing himself in Chicago around 1945.

PS. Chuck Berry had a great influence on Rock 'n Roll (his music was then described as R & B) but didn't start recording for Chess until 1955. Interestingly, it was Muddy Waters who introduced him to Leonard Chess.

PPS.

I have several memories of Muddy Waters. The weirdest one is when we first went into Chess Studios in '64, the first time we came here... There's Phil Chess and there's Ron Malo, the engineer, and this guy in white overalls painting the ceiling. As we walked by into the studio, somebody said, Oh, by the way, this is Muddy Waters, and he's painting the ceiling. He wasn't selling records at the time, and this is the way he got treated... I'm dying, right? I get to meet The Man - he's my fucking god, right - and he's painting the ceiling! And I'm gonna work in his studios. Ouch! Oh, this is the record business, right?... And bless him. When we started the Rolling Stones, we were just little kids, right? We felt we had some of the licks down, but our aim was to turn other people on to Muddy Waters.

- Keith Richards, 1992
===================

When I started out, they called my music nigger music. People wouldn't let that kind of music into the house. The Beatles started, but the Rolling Stones really made my kind of music acceptable. I really respect them for opening doors for black music. The Stones made all that possible. I'll tell ya, the guitar player ain't bad either.  - Muddy Waters
========================

http://www.timeisonourside.com/STChicago.html

[Woodlouse2002]

Neil Innes would have to be one of the greatest. Completely under-rated yet can write and play songs in almost any style out there from jazz to Hendrix type distortions. Whats more he's got a good sense of humour too. And if any of you say you havn't heard of him then let me tell you to go and listen to "Knights of the round Table" from Monty Python and the holy grail. Then take a look at Sir Robins minstrel. Then take a look at the prisoner who runs round in circles in the Life of Brian. See you all know him.