GuttersnipeXL

Here's another...Paul Gilbert from Racer X and other bands....Underrated.

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iamtheone

overrated = Eddie Van Halen (although damn smooth)

underated= David T. Chastain

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iamtheone

underated = .10 bag

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God of Thunder

Excellent post. Very valid points.

At this point I think everyone in here would expect me to jump all over you about the Ace Frehely statement, but truth is I agree with you. He was usually too stoned to do anything good in concert. He was a prime example of more flash than substance.

I'll say it again, I think Bruce Kulick was the best guitarist KISS had. But, since he was the 4th one, he is overlooked.


As far as my (and a lot of others) bashing on Jack White. He is the same thing, more flash than substance.


After reading your comments skullfunk, I am pressed to defend artists like Clapton, Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen from some of the negative votes they are getting here. Their styles may seem old and tired now, but they've been around over 20 years.

Hendrix was an inovator. He changed the way people played the guitar. I could elaborate for days, but I won't.

The same can be said about Clapton and Eddie too. Eric has always bucked the trend of loud and fast playing, while Eddie embraced it and took it to another level.

I would imagine off the comments about Jimi and the gang are from the younger generation. To them I say, don't confuse over-hype with over-rated.

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jasonresno

underated-John Nolan/Jesse Lacey

supafly

Kurt Cobain was way overrated.

Hendrix was underrated.

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Poloboy

I don't think Jimmy Page is overrated at all, as a guitar player or as a musician. Skullfunk and otherse were talking about the difference between technical skill and musical talent. I think the key to Jimmy Page is his combination of both. He had the hands, but he also wrote all of Led Zeppelin's songs. Robert Plant mostly just helped with lyrics. Listen to some of their softer acoustic stuff, Jimmy Page is much more impressive in those songs imo. For innovation, look at the heavier stuff. It takes guts to pull out a violin bow and experiment on stage in front of hundreds of thousands of fans.

I also agree that George Harrison was underrated.

Many people base their perceptions of how guitar players are rated for their technical skill on lists like Rolling Stone's top 100 guitarists. A lot of those lists aren't looking purely at skill, they're looking at innovation and musical talent as well. For that reason I don't think Dave Gilmour is overrated. He certainly doesn't hold a candle to countless other guitarists with respect to speed or skill, but his solos were so lyrical he truly turned the guitar into a vocal instrument.

I also agree with skullfunk about live performances. If anything, the energy from the show should make you better, not worse. That's why I like Led Zeppelin.

images

Overrated - Yngwie Malmsteen; albeit he is proficient in theory and technique, he's written the same album countless times. I saw him at the last G3, and during the 'G3 Jam', he kept interrupting Satch and Vai with the same thing, that is, a flurry of notes, cyclic patterns, the same rehashed crap he's been doing for decades.

Underrated - Nuno Bettencourt. Contrary to a lot of modern shred, Nuno employed a lot of interesting, almost funky rhythmic work to compliment his lead playing.

perripken

Ditto on Nuno, damn I miss Extreme!

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nash

Out of curiosity, how do you guys feel about Slash?

Bodyhammer86

dimebag darrel from pantera is also a damn good guitar player and the jespers stormbald from in flames plays some pretty sweet solos and leads too

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Bodyhammer86

shit, i forget alexi laiho from children of bodom

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Mojo_PeiPei

Its funny but Slash is probably one of the most underrated guitar players.

I don't know how many people know it, but he used to be Michael Jackson's guitar player, and outside of that his shit in GnR was straight bad ass (read November Rain).

Slash rules.

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pan6467

Dave Davies of the KINKS, Chuck Berry, George Thorogood, Tom Petty, Rick Neilson from Cheap Trick, Nancy Wilson from HEART, BB King, Bo Diddley, Les Paul, Joe Walsh, CC Deville, AC/DC's Angus Young, Jeff Beck all very very underrated for one reason or another.

Overrated, Page (sloppiest player ever), Santana (good at what he knows), Townshend, Richards, Randy Rhodes, Hendrix all good but not as great as people say.

Just my opinion. Music is in the ear of the beholder and everyone's taste is different.

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iamtheone

I hate the mother, but Prince is a pretty good guitar player that is not really classified as one.

God, did I just type that?

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newmanator

Jimi Hendrix = way underrated, at least while you're tripping your balls off SRV has always seemed like a blantant Hendrix rip, much like how Scott Staap is a blatant Eddie Vedder rip, but I guess that's a whole new thread altogether.

Tirian

I listen to Coryell....dropping his name usually nets me a blank stare. Wicked player!!!!

I like to listen to Ian Bairnson. Plays within the musical context with taste, and that to me is what it's about.

See

http://www.ianbairnson.com/recordings/recordings.htm

for credits.

Both underrated IMHO.

phlox

Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth is vastly underrated as a guitarist. Mostly what people remember/take from Sonic Youth is that they are arty and weird, but Moore's guitar work is both excellent and was very influential.

assilem

Over: Jack White
Under: Josh Homme

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dcbullet

I'm going to reiterate what others have said here. There seems to be confusion as to whether you can be a great songwriter vs. guitarist.

Cobain can't be an overrated guitarist because nobody says he was a great guitarist. People say he was a great songwriter, argue about that.

Also:

How can Jimi Hendrix be underrated when he is considered by most to be the greatest guitar player ever?

Anyways, my unknown guitarist contribution is Jr. Brown.

shred_head

Actually readers of Guitar World voted his solo for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as like the 3rd or 4th best of all time, so clearly some people think he was a great guitarist. And really, that solo sucks balls, I mean please.

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dcbullet

Readers of Guitar World??!!

I get that mag and I think they also voted James Hetfield both the Best and Worst guitarist. Its just a popularity contest.

I can't even think of what the solo to Smells Like Teen Spirit is right now so I'd have to agree with you there.

warrrreagl

Underrated - John Lennon. Just TRY to play those triplet strums on "All My Loving."

Overrated - Yngwe Malmsteen. So you can play faster than anyone....so fucking what?

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OFKU0

Underated-- Gary Moore

Overated-- toss up between Keith Richards and Ron Woods.

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Smimpinj

My guitarist for under-rated gets some credit but I just find his music so beautiful and emotionally invoking I'm putting John Frusciante of Chili Peppers fame.

My over-rated: Definitely Santana,, all his solos are exactly the same. It's as if he wants us to be impressed he learned a few scale patterns and shifts keys every so often.

Gortexfogg

Under-rated - Bob Dylan, he's not incredibly spectacular at guitar, but he's better than a lot of people think he his. His older stuff proves this, in my opinion.

Over-rated - I can't think of any at the moment...

assilem

I agree, but "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" is one of the sickest riffs ever.

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Jadedfox

Overrated: Dave Matthews, Jack White (saviour of rock 'n roll? Please...)

Underrated: Jerry Cantrell, Zakk Wylde

--jaded

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iamtheone

Good call brother! ecspecially Zakk. All hail!

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Smimpinj

Hmm I'm not sure if I agree hear. If you have the chance listen to the song stream and tell me its not one of the craziest songs you've heard in an acoustic jam.

canuckguy

overrated- van halen dude

underrated- johnny marr

Phaenx

Jimi Hendrix is the most overrated guitar player to ever live.

Most classical guitar players are totally underrated. I listened to this guy the other night and he was so disgustingly good it made my stomach turn. No human has the right to play a bunch of crazy arpeggios at nearly a fucking 300 tempo.

I think he was a cyborg.

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Tusko

jimmy page is NOT overrated. sure, maybe stairway and like i dunno, black dog, but, if anyone has actually listened to the layering on Achilles Last Stand, then arranging on the Rain Song or the style in Black Mountain side, you'll realize that few guitarists of that era could come close to him.

ditto goes for jimi hendrix, everyone who calls him over rated has probably never listened to anything past purple haze. there is HUGE progression along all 3 albums, huge. in fact, he is almost a different player on Electric Ladyland, going into "shred" like ballads, something i could see Satch writing, these long dreamy, progressive movements.

Zakk Wylde IS over rated. he's a great player, dont get me wrong, i love his style. But. i can only listen to about 3 of his songs (1 heavy, 1 acoustic and 1 other) before they all sound the same. His songs and solos are SO predictable. He is definately one of my favourite guitarists, but he could take a big lesson from someone like jimmy page and learn how to change up his style once in a while

Yngwie.. yes, Buckethead and Joe Stump do it faster and cleaner. And take up half as much room. Plus, singing about giant robots is way cooler than singing about unleashing the focking fury.

jbuffett

Alex Lifeson, Way underrated.

Most guitarists to come out since 1990, Way Overrated.

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kurtisj

overrated-cobain as much as i hate to say it, he is one of the best artists to walk the planet, but hes not all that hes hacked up to be on the 6-string

underrated-TOM MORELLO formerly of rage against the machine. just listen and youll agree

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nicculus

Under: Jeff Beck, Paul Asbell
Over: That guy from Metallica, Kurt Cobain, Anyone with a top 40 song

Jadedfox

3rd or 4th best of alltime?!? Whatever they were smoking, I want some.

I remember when first learning how to play the guitar, that was one of the first songs I learned and I had that solo down in about...30 seconds? Not saying just because a solo is easy to play makes it bad but please...

A good solo imo, is the last solo in Opeth's "The Funeral Portait" off the Blackwater Park album. It takes some skill to write a solo that is so technical yet in complete harmony with the chords it's played over.

--jaded

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Scipio

I never really thought of Cobain as being a great guitar player, or perceived that he had that reputation. I guess if they're "popular" and "play the guitar" they're fair game. Same goes for Jack White.

Overrated: Stevie Ray Vaughn, Hendrix, John Mayer

Underrated: John Frusciante

I want to say Mark Knopfler for underrated, but it's not that he's not well regarded, he's just not as famous. Everybody who's in the know has heard Sultans of Swing before, which has probably my favorite guitar solo on it. No raging distortion, just beautiful guitar playing backed up with plenty of ability.

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Hat

Underrated - Billy Corgan. Whenever you hear of great 90s guitarists Corgan rarely ever gets mentioned...why not? Has no one listened to Gish? Siamese Dream? Pisces Iscariot? MCIS?

ickma

Underrated is Dimebag Darrel from Pantera. This guy makes me want to kickmyself in the throat for being significantly less awesome then he is.

As for all of you talking about Kurt Cobain being an overrated guitarist, he was never known for his guitar playing. He was known as a songwriter that changed the flow of music in his time using only powerchords. A lot of his lyrics are also very profound. That could be due to the heroine though, no one will ever know.

And all the overrated votes for Page and Hendrix should be burned. These are amazing guitarists that are getting the respect they deserve.