Most underated/overrated guitar players
 

Zakke Wylde - under

Jimmy Page - over






-- Post your thoughts and any comments.

Frank Zappa...primarily because he was never really in the commercial spotlight. underated

Jack White from the White Stripes...I think that's his name. Anyway, he plays good rock and roll, but doesn't belong on any list of greatest guitar players of all time. overrated

overrated: Jack White (**Slap)

Eric Johnson - WAY under rated

CLIFFS OF DOVER!!

Frank Zappa has to be one of the greatest guitar players ever. I would call him 'underrated'...

As far as overrated, I'm not sure. Probably Jack White, considering all their music is powerchords.

Actually, now that I just typed 'powerchords', I remembered: Kurt Cobain. O-V-E-R-R-A-T-E-D.

That is an intresting subject. Kurt Cobain/Nirvana... Yeah, their music was ok, they did help to boost a new genre of music. But, does he deserve the damn "genuis" status that so many have given? My opinion, NO.

well.... I agree that Kurt Cobain isn't a genious that everyone pegged him as but I'm going to listen to his music and he is a good musician... as good guitarist probably not but still a good musicians.

I think that Jimmi Hendriz maybe a little overrated... hes good but I think that Eric Clapton is better.

Underrated definately is Frank Zappa

I too agree Cobain is grossly overrated.

Hendrix is a little overrated too... Was he good? Yes. Was he the best player? No, but his influence was such, it immortalized him.

Most underrated player? Not enough credit is given to George Harrison.

You beat me to it.

Add Prince, Alex Lifeson and Bruce Kulick to that list.



Do I think that Jack White is over-rated? NO.

I think he is waaaaaaaaayyyyyy over-rated!!

His 15 minutes is up, move on to the next flavor of the month people.

Roger that.

Yep Hendrix is overrated... I love him, but damn he dun make my ears bleed from estacy yet.

over-rated: David Gilmour

Under-rated: Mark Knopfler (he's big overseas, but not so much here)

underrated --> Johnny Greenwood. Sure, he got his props after The Bends and OK Computer, but people have forgotten about him since even though he can still play(when Thom lets him).

overrated --> I'll go with Hendrix too, if only because some treat him like a god, when he's just a great guitar player.

Under rated= George Harrison, David Gilmour (How Gilmour placed in the 80's in that stupid rolling stone list is beyond comprehension). Also I think Kirk Hammet gets dogged because he is labeled strictly as a heavy metal guitarist. Oh and Mark Knophler from Dire straits is pretty sweet too.

Over rated= Dude from the White Stripes is a joke. Cobain was innovative but nothing special. Also Tom Morello, he wasn't that great, just knew how to rock it with some crazy effects.

Underrated: Jim West. Who, you ask? The guitarist for Weird Al Yankovic. In fact, I think his entire band is underrated; they can sound like ANYBODY, quite accurately.

(And I agree with Zappa and Eric Johnson on the pluses, and Jack White and Kurt Cobain on the minuses.)

Sounding like somebody is one thing, writing your own shit is entirely different.

I think what he is trying to say is that no matter who writes it, they can emulate it. And they do have their own 'shit' and it is not bad, altho I don't listen to it, I have heard it.

For all you who are dissing on Jack White, sure he is an average guitarist, but his music is amazing. The first time I heard the album Elephant I honestly thought I was listening to long lost Led Zeppelin.

If you don't appreciate The White Stripes, listen to:
Black Math
I Just Don't Know What To Do
Ball and Biscuit
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
Hotel Yorba
and of course, Fell In Love With a Girl

I honestly don't know how anyone who likes classic rock cannot like The White Stripes!

Simple, we have taste.

Phew!...... G.O.T., for a minute there I thought you were gonna say Ace Frehley- under! heh heh heh!

Overrated - not sure, don't really feel "qualified" to make that call; but I do find the whole Kurt Cobain thing annoying, so I'll go with him.

Underrated - I always feel K.K. Downing and especially Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest never get much credit. Best guitar duo in metal IMO.

Yes!

Under-rated:

Larry Coryell (old school Jazz)

I am not taking anything away from Jimmy Paige. I think he is good, damn good. I just don't feel that he deserves the honors that he recieves. Chet Atkins is another, good but not great.

So, would you say that Jimmy is under rated?

Over - Clapton

Under - Mike McCready

Hetfield and Hammet :D

Nah, I think he gets enough credit. But, did you notice I mentioned Bruce?

Eddie Van Halen & Eric Clapton- Way Overrated

Jimmy Vaughn & Jimi Hendrix- Underrated

Stevie Ray Vaughn is also an excellent guitarist. I like 'im.

No, not under rated, but definately not over rated! Everyone has a right to their own opinion, though!

I also agree with 440sixpack on Tipton and Downing!
Priest rocks!

I don't think you can classify Hendrix, Clapton, Paige, Van Halen, and several others as over-rated just because of how we compare them to other guitars players of today. When they got huge with their playing it was because no one had ever heard anyone play like that, they basically invented a new way to play the instrument, so to speak. Sure they probably started out copying their idols but eventually they surpassed them and went way beyond everything else that was out there at the time. You have to remember the context and place in time of when these players came about. For instance, in the eighties when playing guitar proficiently was hugely popular you had most players all doing the same thing, they all copied each other and a lot do actually sound the same, if someone said that the guitar player from (pick one from a hair metal band...Warrant perhaps) was the greatest player ever then I'd have to say that he's overrated because he played just like everyone else of his day. Was he a good guitar player because of his technical skills, of course there's no doubt about it, but there wasn't anything special about his playing, he played just like everyone else around him. However, this doesn't always apply. For example, in Cobain's case, sure he didn't play like everyone else which made him innovative, but was he actually very good at playing guitar, I would have to say no (power chords will rarely win you points with guitar critics). Basically, if you improved on the playing that came before you and went way beyond it I don't think you can be classified as over-rated. So assuming that all makes sense since I probably got lost in there some where, I'll end with my picks.

Over-rated: Kurt Cobain

Under-rated: Prince, Alex Lifeson, Brian May

Oh yeah, and I don't think that Eric Johnson is under-rated, anyone that's heard his playing knows he incredibly fucking good.

OK, I am confused here. He himself said he could not play worth a damn, had to bring in another guitar player to back him up because of his inability. Don't get me wrong, I liked Nirvana. But to even put Kurt in a class of a good musican is a joke..

NOW, before I get flamed here, this is only my thoughts and everyone has them..... Music is here for all of us to enjoy.

Anyone agree with me on this ?

Overrated - Vai, Satriani, Malmsteen, Clapton

Underrated - Prince, Harrison, Jim "Horton" Heat, Gilmour

Agree with the first three big time, but Clapton?????

Oh well, everyone is entitiled to their own opinion. No need for me to start a flamewar.

I'm with you GoT, I don't understand it either.

Personally I don't think Vai or Satriani or Malmsteen could ever be overrated, they're just too good musically and technically for their skills ever to be overrated, but that probably has do to with myself being a big fan of their's. However, you could probably easily overrate their music because some people just don't like it but how can you overrate a virtuoso? You can go ahead and bash me for this if you wish. I can respect your opinion though, everyone has one.

I hadn't thought of "Horton" Heat though, that's a good one. With that I'll have to add Brian Setzer to my underrated list also.

I think some of you are confusing over/underrated guitarists with good/bad guitarists. Someone's ability to play guitar does not have anything to do with his ability to write music.

The Beatles will never be remembered for their musical talent, but their mark in music history is deep because they knew that music doesn't have to be complicated to be beautiful or revolutionary. Bob Dylan is remembered because his music was great, in spite of a below average voice.

You can't fairly judge someone on his guitar playing ability when he makes no claims to be good. Also, people who are calling Kurt Cobain overrated--who has ever said he was an expert guitarist? If somebody thinks he is a great guitarist, please elaborate.

That said, I think Ace Frehley is a good guitarist, but he has to be considered overrated, because he couldn't perform some of his studio solos live. This doesn't make him a bad guitarist, but it does make the perception of him overrated if anything. An underrated guitarist wouldn't be limited by his own band's playlist.

I'm a huge Metallica fan (even the later works); Hammet may not get the respect he deserves from places like Rolling Stone, Spin, etc., but the guitar mags give him his props. In at least one of them he's now ineligible for certain awards because he's won them so many times. He still gets the respect of his peers, last year Kerry King was ripping St Anger and said something along the lines of "you have one of the best lead guitarists in the world and you don't let him go"

You can't expect mags like Rolling Stone to talk about actual talent. They look at album sales and media coverage. They'd never acknowledge a virtuoso like Mike Amott from Carcass or Chuck Schuldiner.

Overrated: Cobain, the guy from Pear Jam, pretty much any "grunge guitarist, and the White Stripes

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

overrated = Eddie Van Halen (although damn smooth)

underated= David T. Chastain

underated = .10 bag

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.

underated-John Nolan/Jesse Lacey

Kurt Cobain was way overrated.

Hendrix was underrated.

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.

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.

Ditto on Nuno, damn I miss Extreme!

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

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

shit, i forget alexi laiho from children of bodom

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

Over: Jack White
Under: Josh Homme

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.

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.

Readers of Guitar World??!!:lol:

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.

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?

Underated-- Gary Moore

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

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.

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...

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

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

Underrated: Jerry Cantrell, Zakk Wylde

--jaded

Good call brother! ecspecially Zakk. All hail!

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.

overrated- van halen dude

underrated- johnny marr

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.

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.

Alex Lifeson, Way underrated.

Most guitarists to come out since 1990, Way Overrated.

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

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

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

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.

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?

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.

Under: Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, The Edge, Prince.

I love guitarists who have a distinctly unique sound.

Over: Van Halen. Anytime I hear him in the list of Top 5 guitarists, etc., I get sick to my stomach. He is good no doubt, but Top 5?

Also, Johhny Marr from the Smiths. Very distinct.

Objectively where does Eddie VanHalen place. Over or Under?

If that question is to me, I would put him around 10 to 12. I think he is great as a guitarist, and he certainly had commercial success. However, musicians like Jeff Beck are known primarily for their prowess as a guitarist, not for their individual songs. Eddie, however, is part of one of the greatest rock bands of the last 25 years.

Hmm, I think that Slash and Joe Perry are very underrated. These guys for sure have a distinct guitar sound and are very blues oriented. Taking in to account the old croud, B B King is an excellent guitarist as well as Chuck Berry. Zakk Wilde is very under rated (he may get the publicity now, but back in the 80's he was pretty much underrated), CC Deville (Poison), or even the Cinderella gang ( if people remember).

Overrated hard to really tell, since all good guitarist deserve some credit and each have their uniquness.

Unfortunetly this seems to be all about rock guitarists, but for jazz guitarists I'd say
Pat Matheny - Very overrated
Jim Hall - Underrated, I'd say he's one of the best in the world.

yes, well.....there are lots of guitarists (and people who play other instruments) working in experimental/new classical/avant-jazz formats who are underrated simply because their music does not penetrate the wall of commercial music....

agreed entirely on pat metheny.

underrated: sonny sharrock. john mclaughlin during the period with miles davis's band and before.
fred frith. everyone should know who this cat is....really interesting, really innovative player/composer...

am not a fan of the clean old-school jazz sound--i appreciate what is required technically, but the sound seems prissy to me.

Overrated: Eric Clapton While Slow hand has had a massive influence on my own playing, after checking out superior technical players he falls short on them sometimes

Lots of ya have Kurt Cobain. I doubt he'd say himself he was much of a guitarist. Greatsong writer, bad player.

That White STripes guy, probably can play fairly well but he's being held down by his drummer.

Underrated: Hendrix. Lots of you have said he's overrated and you're not seeing the HUGE absolutely MASSIVE contribution he had to music that we hear today. Without Hendrix there would be no Heavy Metal, no Hard Rock, No killer guitar players after him like Page, Van Hallen, Beck, Via, Satriani and so on and so forth. He has had an influenece weither you know it or not on your own playing (if you play)

Jimmy Page is a blues like player and a lot of people associate that with cop out playing. yeah he sticks inside a box on the guitar. Hell, BB King is so underrated it's not funny. Page is a %100 montherFU<ker on the guitar.



PatMy Wennie (Pat Methany) is so overrated it brings the bile to my throat (not that much just you know what i'm saying) Sco or Abercrombie could play him out of any club with there originality and personal touch. Pat's a great technical player but ever since Bright Size life it's been the same old stuff.

Jim Hall is a huge master, I think he IS the best in the world.

Abercrombie is underrated.

Ben Moniter is overrated.

And Eddie Van Hallen is Overrated, he is a great finger tapper, that's all I hear when I listen to him, sorry

Oh yeah, Lenny Kravitz.

Shutup Kravitz, you suck.

I think Ry Cooder and Johnny Greenwood are underrated.

Can't think of anyone overrated.

I haven't seen Brian Setzer mentioned here. I don't see many write ups on him, but I think he's an awesome guitar player.

Not really. Jimmy Page played like that before Hendrix had come out, and Led Zeppelin had a much bigger influence on hard rock then Hendrix did. Shredding might have existed before Page, but without Heartbreaker it probably never would have caught on. Then again, if it wasn't for shredding there wouldn't have been hairmetal, or the backlash of untalented musicians after it.

Thanks chos. I would have thought he would have been higher but I am certainly not a musician and really can't name too many guitarists expect for the big ones.

over: Jimi Hendrix
Kurt Cobain (why does his name even come up?)

under:
Duane Allman (outside of that one list awhile back I rarely ever see him mentioned)
Bob Dylan
Pete Townshend (Just never see him mentioned alongside Clapton,Hendrix, Van Halen ,etc.)
Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top who Hendrix even praised
Dick Dale

The KINKS and Dave Davies had a lot to do with the garage sound/heavy metal/punk. IMHO moreso than Hendrix as there were others just as experimental that just didn't get the attention he did.. I'd take the solo of You Really Got Me over any other solo in the 60's.

Dave says how he did it was to take an old Elpico amp and he slit it open and put knitting needles in. They called it the "fart box".

Hendrix praised Dave's guitar playing and was quoted once as saying that solo inspired him.

You know why that is? It's because he's a rhythm guitar player. I think he's great, but people are always going to put him on tier two because of that.

I always thought Al DiMeola was underrated, cause so few people know how incredible he was.

Still, I'm just a bass player, what the hell do I know :)

Roger that on Mark Knopfler

I dont know who David Gilmour is so he must be some what overrated

But the Guitarist from poison is way overrated I saw him on VH1 as being one of the better ones WHY ??

David Gilmour is the guitarist from Pink Floyd. He's a good player, but his riffs have been pretty repetitive over the years.

overrated - steve vai, joe satriani, yngwie malmsteen, jack white, tom morello

inderrated - buckethead, john frusciante, dave navarro,tim mahoney, mike einzinger