Most important/influential rock guitarist ever?

[Badronald]

EVH.

The other guys are amazing, and none are better than the other, but when VHI hit the street it all changed.

Hendrix changed things as well, but not the way EVH did. I'd argue there were many more people emulating Clapton than Hendrix by a long shot. Hell, we all play Clapton licks every time we pick up a guitar. He and Page wrote the rock guitar handbook. Hendrix took it to the stratosphere.

They're all amazing. Beck, Iommi, Blackmore.....etc.

 

[Badronald]

Jimi Hendrix is the most overrated guitarist of all time IMO. There are multiple guitarists of his own era that don't get as much "the best ever" talk as he does, but to me are better musicians.

I've always felt like his image and untimely death took him a lot further than his actual guitar playing did. The thing he's most famous for isn't even playing guitar, its lighting one on fire and smashing it, which Pete Townshend did the set before, well without the fire

Really clueless. It's more sad than anything else

Informative response Carl, tell me more

Pretty self explanatory. If you're gonna pin Hendrix's fame on burning a guitar once, that kinda says where you're coming from. I guess he's still talked about decades after his death cause he BBQ'd a guitar. Real intelligent

Yeah that's silly. Hendrix is a one of a kind. Legend.

 

[syncrodude007]

jimmy page!!!!!!!!!!!!

x2

 

[Heritage Softail]

Kurt Hammet!!!

Bitchez....

Where is that guy that always says Cobain?

 

[Motorpud]

Jimi Hendrix is the most overrated guitarist of all time IMO. There are multiple guitarists of his own era that don't get as much "the best ever" talk as he does, but to me are better musicians.

I've always felt like his image and untimely death took him a lot further than his actual guitar playing did. The thing he's most famous for isn't even playing guitar, its lighting one on fire and smashing it, which Pete Townshend did the set before, well without the fire

Really clueless. It's more sad than anything else

Informative response Carl, tell me more

Pretty self explanatory. If you're gonna pin Hendrix's fame on burning a guitar once, that kinda says where you're coming from. I guess he's still talked about decades after his death cause he BBQ'd a guitar. Real intelligent

Actually, I do hear people talk about it all the time. Its obviously not the only reason he's famous but before that moment in time he was relatively unknown, so him burning that guitar did in part make him a household name. Its pretty well documented, but being a devout fan I'm sure you already knew that.

 

[Gadzz]

EVH

 

[Rogue]

Actually, I do hear people talk about it all the time. Its obviously not the only reason he's famous but before that moment in time he was relatively unknown, so him burning that guitar did in part make him a household name. Its pretty well documented, but being a devout fan I'm sure you already knew that.

There are other places in the world than America. Hendrix was quiet popular in Europe before Monterey show.

Nevertheless, Jimi Hendrix is not talked about as on the best rock guitar players of all time because he burned his guitar. This is a ridiculous concept.

 

[zentman]

I said the Beatles because pretty much everybody who picked up a guitar back then did so because of them. Where each artist took it from there is another matter.

 

[Motorpud]

Actually, I do hear people talk about it all the time. Its obviously not the only reason he's famous but before that moment in time he was relatively unknown, so him burning that guitar did in part make him a household name. Its pretty well documented, but being a devout fan I'm sure you already knew that.

There are other places in the world than America. Hendrix was quiet popular in Europe before Monterey show.

Nevertheless, Jimi Hendrix is not talked about as on the best rock guitar players of all time because he burned his guitar. This is a ridiculous concept.

Pretty funny double standard. He's definitely marketable and is a household name. I guess he's "one of the best" in the same way Metallica or Kiss is the best.

I guess since a Iot of teenagers think Lil' Wayne is he greatest thing ever then it means he is. When and where do opinions become factual?

While you're at it, maybe you can explain the criteria for being "one of the best" seeing how you've already said we're not allowed to use things that can actually be measured, such as technical ability. Then maybe I can figure out who the best is too so I won't be so misguided.

 

[Zap]

Jimi is not a huge influence on me, but he was on SRV, who then became a huge influence on so many other players. Look how many dedicated their lives to being his clone. I do agree that Hendrix is a bit overrated because he overshadows so many other excellent players :::cough::: Robin Trower and Jeff Beck, but when talking about influential, he's second to none. Just compare what he was doing to what everyone else was at that time.

 

[Rogue]

Pretty funny double standard. He's definitely marketable and is a household name. I guess he's "one of the best" in the same way Metallica or Kiss is the best.

I guess since a Iot of teenagers think Lil' Wayne is he greatest thing ever then it means he is. When and where do opinions become factual?

While you're at it, maybe you can explain the criteria for being "one of the best" seeing how you've already said we're not allowed to use things that can actually be measured, such as technical ability. Then maybe I can figure out who the best is too so I won't be so misguided.

I think the only measurable standard is the opinion of a great number of guitar players place him on the top or close to the top. It bears repeating that technical ability does necessarily make a great guitar player. You can find any number of YouTube videos of really technical guys and about as uninteresting as paint drying.

Your opinion may differ.

 

[rokket2005]

Pretty funny double standard. He's definitely marketable and is a household name. I guess he's "one of the best" in the same way Metallica or Kiss is the best.

I guess since a Iot of teenagers think Lil' Wayne is he greatest thing ever then it means he is. When and where do opinions become factual?

While you're at it, maybe you can explain the criteria for being "one of the best" seeing how you've already said we're not allowed to use things that can actually be measured, such as technical ability. Then maybe I can figure out who the best is too so I won't be so misguided.

I think the only measurable standard is the opinion of a great number of guitar players place him on the top or close to the top. It bears repeating that technical ability does necessarily make a great guitar player. You can find any number of YouTube videos of really technical guys and about as uninteresting as paint drying.

Your opinion may differ.

I think this debate over the influence of Hendrix is of little importance, there is no solution, nor a right or wrong. Is my playing influenced by Hendrix? Not at all. Were some of the guitar players that I enjoy and influenced me influenced by him? Probably. But so what? Everyone has watershed moments in their life that make them who they are, and to say that because one persons influence is more valid because they share it with a greater number of people is silly to me. At the end of the day, it's nothing more than a popular opinion, and I put little credence in those. I'm a musician because when I was 3 I heard We didn't start the Fire and I couldn't comprehend how awesome it was. Other people are musicians because they heard little wing, or fight fire with fire, or 2112. They all reach the same ends through different means. These means shape them how they want to be shaped and creates diversity. Diversity, in this instance, is great because I would murder everyone if all music sounded like it was influenced by Jimi or EVH or George Lynch.

 

[Superunknown]

Henry Kaiser destroys them all....sucker MC's call him sire!

 

[Nico]

Hendrix and Page

 

[VC4Ever]

Hendrix. Look at what he accomplished in such a short life..dude died at 27. He paved the way.

 

[Heritage Softail]

The Rolling Stone greatest guitarist list has Hendrix voted #1' but then Duane Allman number 2. Not even mentioned here.

Interesting

 

[LP Freak]

The Rolling Stone greatest guitarist list has Hendrix voted #1' but then Duane Allman number 2. Not even mentioned here.

Interesting

For good reason. I like Duane but #2?.....c'mon.

 

[Heritage Softail]

What players think and listeners think is quite different. That RS article had thousands of respondents. Clapton was third. Page was 9th!!

Allman over Page ?

That was the stunner

 

[stephen sawall]

Looks like EVH & Hendrix are mention on this thread the most .... It does not surprise me on this forum. I do kind of wonder how it would pan-out on a forum with a lot more members - like HC or TGP ??

 

[Jer]

Personally: Gilmour, Rhoads, SRV, Lynch, DiMartini, DeGarmo, Friedman, Bettencourt

To guitar playing in general: Hendrix