People won’t pay attention to what you’ve written here but you’re absolutely correct. For example, you CAN say “the most beautiful woman in this room of 20 people”. But to say “the most beautiful woman in this city”, or “this country” is meaningless. There are countless ways to be a great guitarist, and countless ways that a woman can be beautiful.
I do totalment agree You can’t reduce the best to just one option Or you can certainly but you’d get short Uncomplete Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson, skip James, Hendrix, many others are the best Aren’t them? I went kinda retro but contemporary has its bests as well
And he made a good choice. Albert can play circles around most anyone. My dream collaboration would be Albert and Lari Basilio hooking up. Both excel in a wide range of styles.
Albert Lee would be Eric's favorite British guitarist but I once read it was Richard Thompson. Unsure how one could compare the guitar licks/original sound /guitar songwriting of Albert Lee to say Jimi Hendrix or B.B. King.
@@cazmolukrich7901 This isn't about comparisons though, it's about Clapton's favourite guitarist. Everybody has their own favourites so nobody can say who was the best. I once made a list of my 10 favourite guitar players and I wouldn't want to drop any of them from that list in order to pick my absolute favourite.
I assume you mean the Version of Crossroads on the Live Album of Cream's Wheels of Fire. If so, then I agree with you...i have Played that Song 100's of Time.
I got to agree with that on the crossroads solo. I've spent a lifetime listening to that and I hear new things every time. Don't know if you've ever heard it but Eddie Van Halen copy that solo very well it's on RUclips it's amazing how the nuances he captured
Eric, that's a true Statement: There are so many Great Guitarist with so many different Styles for them to admire I think your Great Guitarist that doesn't make you the best Your admiration for the Guitarist you admire how he plays and you would like to play like him Profesionally Thank You, and God Bless Eric Clapton and his Family 🎉🎉🎉🎉..
Both are superb choices. Incredible guitarists. John Mayer too. Nobody mentions the late Danny Gatton, except you. Incredible player. Roy Buchanon on that 53 Tele. Jeff Beck! There are too many to count. On the acoustic end you have Leo Kottke and Tommy Emmanuel. How do you beat them?
We all have favorites. I have about 7 favorite 6 string and 4 string guitar players, favorite drummers Buddy Rich, Vinny Appice, Peart, Moon. The best do not think, they just feel and act. WoW Clapton with the left handed Strat to be given to Hendrix but he never connected that night and the next day Hendrix was dead. SRV behind his back, Ten Years After Alvin Lee at Woodstock-ZiNg! Some ppl are born to play the guitar. I grew up with a boy for about 4 tight years starting 7th grade. This kid was a lefty and it was like riding a bike, usually like a LUGE rider, fast and tight, easy, normal, he died early but these ppl with gifts. their brains develop fast. Heck my ability to understand guitarists and guitars finally came to understand it at about 30 years of age, I'm still getting it. Allman tells his brother, quit school, we got to go now and start a band. There are so many accomplished guitar player and drummers now, it like what's the use? The use is personality. If you develop you and it meld with the masses you don't have to be the best, you need a niche, personality in rhythm song writing, lyrics.
It's hard to really name a "best" guitar player because individual styles set them apart. I was not a guitar player, but I know quite a bit about guitarists. I have many favorites, but now that I'm 70 years of age, I have my top 2 favorites, those being Jeff Beck and Rory Gallagher. I love guitar, what can I say ?
There's no such thing - I know 3 people who can play any song any note - solos , classical - They just do it without even thinking about it - I've been an above avg guitar player for years - I can play , I'll say 80,% of any solos whether it's Heavy Metal or country chicken pickin - I'm a very good singer - not bragging I was just blessed with range - I can't play Eddie's stuff and do it justice ( except you really got me ) so I don't even attempt it - my hands aren't as big as Jimi's - but you get the picture - there is someone you know who is as good as any guitar player in modern music - Christopher Cross - Sailing ? He made a lot o$$ - another is Mutt Lange - yep , Ex Mr Shania Twain -: The legend with Mutt is when recording Highway to Hell he challenged Angus - told him to kick his playing up a notch - Angus said with an attitude "show me" & offered his guitar + Much to A's surprise, Mutt took the guitar , nodded at the band and preceded to put on a clinic - handed the guitar back and said " like that" !
@williams3631 Same here. I'm 78 with too much arthritis in my fingers to ever hope to take up learning to play but I absolutely love listening to a good blues player. I like listening to a good bass player too. Sure wish I had learned to play when I was young. Too busy chasing girls I guess lol.
@williams3631...I too am in my 70's and I agree there is no best IMO there are too many great guitarists to count for that but I'd like to add my 2 favorites Steve Hackett and Joe Walsh both have different styles but are great doing what they do.
Bought his first Guitar from Bells Musical Instruments in Surbiton Surrey ( I trained as a Accordion Repairer) in 1975 I learned Drum Set ups there, long after he was in there, to think, I had bought Guitars from the same place as well. Eric was at Chas Hodges Memorial Gig So was many, Albert Lee
Those guys were kids - Jimi never saw his potential - Jeff is an iconic guitar player but he was no better than Ry Cooter or Jerry Reed or Reggie Young - Jeff wasn't the all around musician Eric is simply because of EC's incredible songwriting catalogue - At this point in his career I believe what is so impressive about EC ? His voice - it's never been better - He doesn't use auto tune like most of his contemporaries - Don Henley , Stevie Nicks and just about any other 70yr old singers - not EC - hell no
I hate "best", it's too relative imho, I always go for favourite(s) My most favourite one will always be Peter Green, who could touch my heart and spoul like no other. He only played the notes that mattered. Jeff Beck was a real guitar wizzard. I Like Clapton too, some others.
Yeah, in my above comment, I was TEMPTED to say "better than..." but it's NOT worth it. Consult Rick Beato...you'll learn all about amazing guitarists. Mr. Beato himself has a reasonably flexible facility on guitar!
@@Rock-i4o It’s all about a sound that identifies someone ; where you hear them and know the unmistakable sound that tells you who it is that’s playing. Those guitarist that can play different genres whether it’s rock , blues ,jazz , fusion pop top 40 , metal are special .
There are so many kick as guitarist. IMO it’s a matter of tone and unmistakable sound that identifies them . Such as Hendrix, Clapton Page, B.B. King, Albert Lee, SRV , Santana , Beck, Rory Gallagher,Peter Green , Van Halen , Neil Schon. All known by the different unmistakable aspects of their playing. Once you hear them you know who they are.
For the last cenury, my heroes (but NOT limited to...) were: Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and non-guitarists: Miles Davis and Weather Report. ONE current favorite: JACOB COLLIER...not ONLY a guitarist; a multi-instrumentalist, AND SINGER.
@ …bull..sh..it! Hendrix is God, he invented the electric guitar ⚡️🎸 He was a bomb for this limited world and consciences, a wild blue angel too far away beyond the future even today in this Neanderthal primitive age! For this reason God was killed by the grey hands, grey devils looking you at me from the deep darkness, moving the threads like favorite clowns, pushing the buttons, selecting the news, paying our silence…So “Limited” is a euphemism where freedom is a utopia buried in this capitalist society, consumerist of free puppets with empty souls, the same exquisite mentality, extravagant favorite tastes... In summary: bull…sh..it!
Clapton, to me, is Soooo Good, his lead guitar acts like a type of Open Soul Surgery, cutting like an invisible scalpel. The Resonance is so Rich in harmonial ecstasy, listen to it in 3d surround sound if, you don't believe me. Lol, but true, soaring thru clouds and blue sky for background!!! A high all its own!!! Badge me!!!
Clapton has a special sound. I'm not a guitarist but love listening to him play. His hands and fingers are like magic on the fretboard but there is a distinctive sound that he creates that others try to cover but it's never the same. There must be something about his guitars that allows him to produce this sound, like some secret sauce that separates a food from all others even though they have all the same ingredients except for that one secret sauce. Whatever it is he is unique. His magical hands (maybe that's why they call him slowhand?) and the tones that come from his guitars create something very, very rare imo. btw, I kind of feel that way about Buddy Guy too.
Lucky you. I like the vids on here where he had young kids on stage playing with him. It was a good while back and the kid's name escapes me at the moment but he was very young but very good.
Buddy Guy hasn't played a complete song in live performance in decades. For years his shows have been unfocused shambles. He was great during the late 60's to mid 70's in partnership with Junior Wells when Wells would carry the shows. He's been a total bore on stage for the last 50 years.
There are many amazing guitarists, Clapton is one of them, then there is Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Robin Trower, Keith Richards, David Gilmour, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Joe Bonamasa and on and on, they are all great...Javi G.
I have been enjoying Clapton’s guitar work since the Bluesbreakers days and still consider his work from Cream through to 461 and Unplugged as being his best years. He hasn’t had much to offer since then and yet the music factory still churns out his reruns and tracks that are now better suited to rest homes. But to pick a “best” rock/blues guitarist from the vast array of historical talent is virtually impossible. SRV, Jimmi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, BB King, Larry Carlton, Carlos Santana, Steve Lukather, Mark Knopfler, Jimmy Page, Albert Lee, Buddy Guy, Keith Richards, Albert Collins, John Mayer, Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh ……. Every one of them has put their fingerprints on some of the best tracks ever recorded. 👍😎🇳🇿✨🌹🎸
Children or infantile adults need a number one, a God, a best one like a father. His father who was all. A grown-up doesn't see or need that kind of things : he has likes, loves, favorites, all different. Musique is not a 100 mètres !
Clapton is good, but he is no where near Johnny Winters. Quote from Jimmy H. at Woodstock when asked what’s it like being one of the best guitar players ever, “I don’t know, go ask Johnny Winters”
"I don't know, go ask " has been attributed to many diffement people, and has been filled by many _more_ guitarists. 100% pure urban legend. The version I heard first was attributed to Hendrix, referring to Rory Gallagher, after the 1970 Isle of Wight concert, where Hendrix bombed & Rory's band _Taste_ electrified the crowd.
I have heard both Page his buddy since the age of 10 and Clapton state that Beck was the best. Jeff would never even comment on his talent. He loved Jimmy and played with Clapton every time he could.They were great to him. Clapton has used Albert Lee and Andy Fairweather Low as often as he could.
SRV and Jeff Beck did a shared headline tour. I caught 5 of their shows. Those were among the best shows I ever saw and them playing together was way too much fun.
@ you are way ahead of me. I do not remember the year I think 1990 after I worked in the Bay Area. I believe Stevie was killed in a helicopter crash for some reason Bill Graham was with him or was at the show. I knew that everyone at his Office was devastated.
@@PowertotheHIGHIQPeople I'd say both.Plus he was a great vocalist.He said in an interview the only difference between him and Hendrix was they each played what they personally liked.When you watch him play the guitar just looks like a part of him.Makes it look effortless.He could've emulated anyone he wanted but he only played what he liked.Died at 35.He had a lot left in him.EVH is not a big favorite of mine.He may have done some different things but to me his playing lacked feeling and was very mechanical.If I wanted to play like someone it wouldn't be EVH. .
Il più grande chitarrista non esiste ci sono tanti chitarristi bravi e tanti generi musicali tra i più grandi ci sono sicuramente Clapton Hendrix Beck Page Albert lee mark knopler Eddie van hallen joe satriani steve vai steve ray vahughan ed altri
Many underestimate how good Glen Campbell really was, also Roy Clark, our Tommy Emmanuel, Santana, David Gilmour, Mark knopfler and mr Chet Atkins.. 😎👍
So many original Rock/Blues Electric Guitar Legends from 1965-early 1970s. Alvin Lee,Bloomfield,Buddy Guy, Dickey Betts, Johnny Winter, Nugent’. so many. Then you had Players like ,Gatton & Roy Buchanan that could play any genre. There really is NO greatest. Maybe someone’s favorite is a better way to put it. Steely Dans Guitarist Elliot Randall’ that composed Reeling in the Years Solo -for interesting complex guitar work.
The “Guitar World” never thought he was God, but, some of his local followers seemed to think so. At least one graffiti writer thought so. The photo that showed the dog pissing on it, was about the same way Eric felt about it as well. Albert Lee is definitely the man! I believe I heard Eric saying John Mayer is one his favorite contemporary guitar player at some point.
Definitely Albert lee is the man and because of that I went to see him play as much as possible . In anticipation of Lee playing leed😅 guitar, there is adrenaline flowing in those that are watching and listening . I've seen Peter Frampton and Albert playing with Bill Wymans , Rytham kings and watched Frampton just shaking his head in disbelief when Albert took over a lead solo . When Albert is on stage at a none seating venue, it's hard to get near that part of the stage where he's set up because of the crowd of guitar enthusiasts that will hoard their to see if they can gleam something from him . Truly a great guitarist in his heyday . And he's still playing into his 80s .
There are many great and accomplished guitarists. but far fewer great and accomplished guitarists who can also write great songs. Whether Clapton's compositions will endure only time will tell. Some of the names of accomplished guitar players mentioned in the comments here are already headed into obscurity for this very reason and indeed, some never made it in the first place, despite their technical proficiency with this musical instrument.
Something Eric and I have in common . Being raised By GrandParents . And thinking mother was older Sister . My mother and I was never close , i was 1200 miles away from Her But I knew when she passed away asleep at My Half Brothers house . Figure That! 2:06
Thanks, I didn't even start it. I know he said Stevie Ray was a channel for the music. Said he never had to search for the next lick because it was already happening.
@@Raymond-rr5iv I wasted a bit more ... but grokked it when Duane Allman was mentioned a second time, as if the "algorhythm" had forgotten mentioning him a first time.
Don't forget Roy Clark and Glen Campbell, maybe not Claptons picks. But they were the greatest guitar players of their time.... And They were multi stringed instrumentalists!
I love it. The psychedelic fool is the name of the iconic Gibson SG that Clapton played in Cream. Well.....no. The Fool were a group of Dutch artists who had settled in London. They did a great ammount of artistic work for many people in London at that time ( 68/69 ). Clapton's SG was done up in a swirl of psychedelic mayhem that fit the times perfectly That guitar was not named the " psychedelic fool ". For that matter, one of the truly great musical artists is not Pete Town _ Shend, or Carl Rattle ....... oh what's the use.Try hiring a vocal narrator who has some knowledge of contemporary rock music instead of someone who usually narrates travelogs.
Awe Yeah, so glad you got STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN in here, and thank you Eric, SRV best ever FACT and Duane’s right up there too… Dereck Trucks keeps the fire burning but Also PLEASE PLEASE CHECK OUT A LADY CALLED JACKIE VENSON… Probably One if not the best guitarist out there as well as Dereck but LORD can that Girl sing too Y’ALL.. I beg you check this lass out, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED… Promise💯👍👍👍💚💚💚
Jeff Healey played Badge , oh that sustained note. Roy Clark, Les Paul, Roy Buchanan; etc….. no best for me each is unique in their own styles, songs, many imitators, few originals.
Hendrix was great as an innovator and rock guitarist but the greatest nope. Roy Clark,Glen Campbell,Chet Atkins were so far greater than Hendrix hands down. It’s amazing how we measure just one genre as the greatest, how narrow minded we are!
Theres thousands of guitarists in this World now its hard to be a Judge just have to accept the ones in the public domain every one has a different style
For me it’s S.R.V. then Jimi Hendrix and then Brian May. Clapton is great but I feel at some point he sold out. All of the unplugged stuff and mellow music. He was at his best with Cream. I put Brian May at third only because he built his own guitar. He was completely self taught. And because Brian May is the perfect example of a gentleman. I know that has nothing to do with guitar playing but it says a lot about him.
@ I put Brian May in there because of his real human qualities. There are so many like Rory Gallagher, Gary Moore, Duane Allman,Billy Gibbons. It goes on to on. Like you said B.B and Albert. Modern players like John Frusciante and John Mayer and Mike McCready deserve honourable mention.
Clapton thought Hendrix, Allman, etc. were all great players. It's Clapton's technique and style that distinguish him. He never wrote great songs or was a great singer. Only a guitar player can appreciate his greatness.
No one is the best , they are all different & many are great , simple as that
💯 percent. Thankful for Les Paul and his wife.
People won’t pay attention to what you’ve written here but you’re absolutely correct.
For example, you CAN say “the most beautiful woman in this room of 20 people”. But to say “the most beautiful woman in this city”, or “this country” is meaningless. There are countless ways to be a great guitarist, and countless ways that a woman can be beautiful.
You're correct except for Allan Holdsworth, who is actually The Best.
@ Lenny Breau is better, as Chet Atkins and Pat Methany assert. (I need to check out Allan Holdsworth). Does Allen play slide guitar like Son House?
I do totalment agree
You can’t reduce the best to just one option
Or you can certainly but you’d get short
Uncomplete
Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson, skip James, Hendrix, many others are the best
Aren’t them?
I went kinda retro but contemporary has its bests as well
Eric Clapton was the inspiration that made me want to play guitar. I think that was true for alot of guitarists over the last 50 years.
Same for me. Wheels of Fire was the catalyst for me to take it up way back then.
No, it was Bo Diddley in 1959/60 Besides, Elvis had a guitar and girls liked him, so?
Same for me
@@trevorbarnes9100 you still get it up now? (Laughing sounds)
Clapton has said for many years that Albert Lee is his favourite guitarist. He certainly didn't wait until he was 79!
And he made a good choice. Albert can play circles around most anyone. My dream collaboration would be Albert and Lari Basilio hooking up. Both excel in a wide range of styles.
Albert Lee would be Eric's favorite British guitarist but I once read it was Richard Thompson. Unsure how one could compare the guitar licks/original sound /guitar songwriting of Albert Lee to say Jimi Hendrix or B.B. King.
To true
@@cazmolukrich7901 This isn't about comparisons though, it's about Clapton's favourite guitarist. Everybody has their own favourites so nobody can say who was the best. I once made a list of my 10 favourite guitar players and I wouldn't want to drop any of them from that list in order to pick my absolute favourite.
Clapton's solo on the live version of Crossroads, is arguably his best, and one of the best solos ever.
One of the best? If best, there is just one. Contradiction.
I assume you mean the Version of Crossroads on the Live Album of Cream's Wheels of Fire.
If so, then I agree with you...i have Played that Song 100's of Time.
@@DivocwaxPlease tell me English isn't your first language.
I got to agree with that on the crossroads solo. I've spent a lifetime listening to that and I hear new things every time. Don't know if you've ever heard it but Eddie Van Halen copy that solo very well it's on RUclips it's amazing how the nuances he captured
@@Divocwaxwho is contradiction?some unknown guitar player?
Wes Montgomery, Jimi Hendrix, and Lonnie Mack, and Jaco Pastorius were among my major influences.
They're all fallen asleep but will not be forgotten.
Eric, that's a true Statement: There are so many Great Guitarist with so many different Styles
for them to admire
I think your Great
Guitarist that doesn't make you the best
Your admiration for the Guitarist you admire how he plays and you would like to play like him Profesionally
Thank You, and God Bless Eric Clapton and his Family 🎉🎉🎉🎉..
Best is personal. SRV and Danny Gatton are mine.
Both are superb choices. Incredible guitarists. John Mayer too. Nobody mentions the late Danny Gatton, except you. Incredible player. Roy Buchanon on that 53 Tele. Jeff Beck! There are too many to count. On the acoustic end you have Leo Kottke and Tommy Emmanuel. How do you beat them?
How about the late Mike Bloomfield. The first two PBB albums can stand up to any early stuff from that period.
It’s not about being better than others it’s about being better than you used to be
Absolutely
If we hadn't been robbed of most of Duane Allman's career this could have an entirely new chapter in the story...
We all have favorites. I have about 7 favorite 6 string and 4 string guitar players, favorite drummers Buddy Rich, Vinny Appice, Peart, Moon. The best do not think, they just feel and act. WoW Clapton with the left handed Strat to be given to Hendrix but he never connected that night and the next day Hendrix was dead. SRV behind his back, Ten Years After Alvin Lee at Woodstock-ZiNg! Some ppl are born to play the guitar. I grew up with a boy for about 4 tight years starting 7th grade. This kid was a lefty and it was like riding a bike, usually like a LUGE rider, fast and tight, easy, normal, he died early but these ppl with gifts. their brains develop fast. Heck my ability to understand guitarists and guitars finally came to understand it at about 30 years of age, I'm still getting it. Allman tells his brother, quit school, we got to go now and start a band. There are so many accomplished guitar player and drummers now, it like what's the use? The use is personality. If you develop you and it meld with the masses you don't have to be the best, you need a niche, personality in rhythm song writing, lyrics.
It's hard to really name a "best" guitar player because individual styles set them apart. I was not a guitar player, but I know quite a bit about guitarists. I have many favorites, but now that I'm 70 years of age, I have my top 2 favorites, those being Jeff Beck and Rory Gallagher. I love guitar, what can I say ?
There's no such thing - I know 3 people who can play any song any note - solos , classical - They just do it without even thinking about it - I've been an above avg guitar player for years - I can play , I'll say 80,% of any solos whether it's Heavy Metal or country chicken pickin - I'm a very good singer - not bragging I was just blessed with range - I can't play Eddie's stuff and do it justice ( except you really got me ) so I don't even attempt it - my hands aren't as big as Jimi's - but you get the picture - there is someone you know who is as good as any guitar player in modern music -
Christopher Cross - Sailing ? He made a lot o$$ - another is
Mutt Lange - yep , Ex Mr Shania Twain -:
The legend with Mutt is when recording Highway to Hell he challenged Angus - told him to kick his playing up a notch - Angus said with an attitude "show me" & offered his guitar + Much to A's surprise, Mutt took the guitar , nodded at the band and preceded to put on a clinic - handed the guitar back and said " like that" !
@williams3631 Same here. I'm 78 with too much arthritis in my fingers to ever hope to take up learning to play but I absolutely love listening to a good blues player. I like listening to a good bass player too. Sure wish I had learned to play when I was young. Too busy chasing girls I guess lol.
@williams3631...I too am in my 70's and I agree there is no best IMO there are too many great guitarists to count for that but I'd like to add my 2 favorites Steve Hackett and Joe Walsh both have different styles but are great doing what they do.
@@davidrice3337mutt produced H T H? Good to know
@@jerryinsc nothing wrong with that
Bought his first Guitar from Bells Musical Instruments in Surbiton Surrey ( I trained as a Accordion Repairer) in 1975 I learned Drum Set ups there, long after he was in there, to think, I had bought Guitars from the same place as well.
Eric was at Chas Hodges Memorial Gig So was many, Albert Lee
The Guitarist's Guitarist and the only man that frustrated Hendrix: Jeff Beck.
All day, every day.
Those guys were kids - Jimi never saw his potential -
Jeff is an iconic guitar player but he was no better than Ry Cooter or Jerry Reed or Reggie Young - Jeff wasn't the all around musician Eric is simply because of EC's incredible songwriting catalogue - At this point in his career I believe what is so impressive about EC ? His voice - it's never been better - He doesn't use auto tune like most of his contemporaries - Don Henley , Stevie Nicks and just about any other 70yr old singers - not EC - hell no
EC was one dimensional and boring ..JF..was the one experimenting and bringing forth ground breaking sounds , techniques and equipment
Crap , Hendrix most admired Terry Kath.
@rays3036 Per mutual friend Billy Gibbons.
@@rays3036 urban myth
I hate "best", it's too relative imho, I always go for favourite(s) My most favourite one will always be Peter Green, who could touch my heart and spoul like no other. He only played the notes that mattered. Jeff Beck was a real guitar wizzard. I Like Clapton too, some others.
Yeah, in my above comment, I was TEMPTED to say "better than..." but it's NOT worth it. Consult Rick Beato...you'll learn all about amazing guitarists. Mr. Beato himself has a reasonably flexible facility on guitar!
Prince RIP
Got to meet Albert Lee this year, very nice guy.
Rory Gallagher he said inspired him to go back to blues!
Absolutely Rory is the best a million miles away x❤
I'm glad, we have more than one 😊
As usual, too many comments here take up the issue of who is the "best" guitarist as opposed to who is someone's "favourite" guitarist 😞
Agreed. 'Best' lists and 'All Time' lists are imbecilic.
A matter of taste.
Best is subjective, no?
@@Rock-i4o Indeed. 'Best' is always subjective; but try telling that to the masses of GOAT clowns who insist their 'best' is THE 'best'.
@@Rock-i4o It’s all about a sound that identifies someone ; where you hear them and know the unmistakable sound that tells you who it is that’s playing. Those guitarist that can play different genres whether it’s rock , blues ,jazz , fusion pop top 40 , metal are special .
I saw Clapton in L.A. doing "Little Red Rooster" with the Stones in '89 and at MSG doing all his biggies! He is awesome!
Hendrix said Johnny Winter was the best. Clapton said Albert Lee was the best. They both could play unbelievably fast and clean.
Robin Trower (playing live: ignore the studio albums)
GATTON, Lenny, Django, Wes, Scotty, Johny Smith, Beck, Holdsworth, Garland, JWiiliams, SRV.
Mark Knopfler
Yup. He's a great one.
Steve Howe classically trained and can play any style and of coarse SRV.
There are so many kick as guitarist. IMO it’s a matter of tone and unmistakable sound that identifies them . Such as Hendrix, Clapton Page, B.B. King, Albert Lee, SRV , Santana , Beck, Rory Gallagher,Peter Green , Van Halen , Neil Schon. All known by the different unmistakable aspects of their playing. Once you hear them you know who they are.
He took Bonnie and Delaney rhythm section with him ..becoming Derek and the dominos
.
The boys from Tulsa, OK.
Hey, that's Delaney and Bonnie lol Delaney taught him how to sing btw
🎸🔥❤️Forever Hendrix
For the last cenury, my heroes (but NOT limited to...) were: Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and non-guitarists: Miles Davis and Weather Report. ONE current favorite: JACOB COLLIER...not ONLY a guitarist; a multi-instrumentalist, AND SINGER.
@ …bull..sh..it! Hendrix is God, he invented the electric guitar ⚡️🎸
He was a bomb for this limited world and consciences, a wild blue angel too far away beyond the future even today in this Neanderthal primitive age! For this reason God was killed by the grey hands, grey devils looking you at me from the deep darkness, moving the threads like favorite clowns, pushing the buttons, selecting the news, paying our silence…So “Limited” is a euphemism where freedom is a utopia buried in this capitalist society, consumerist of free puppets with empty souls, the same exquisite mentality, extravagant favorite tastes... In summary: bull…sh..it!
Saw him with Albert Lee 79’ Odessa Texas, Lee blew Clapton away and Clapton loved it!
For my ear the best are
#1- Thomas Emanuel
#2- Stevie Ray Vaughn
#3- Paul Gilbert
#4- Richie Kotzen
#5- Alex Lifeson
#6- Rich Robinson
The best guitarist is the one that suits that person's ears...its like who's the best looking woman in the world ...impossible to pick 1
Clapton, Beck, Bonamassa, for me share the top spot as equals.
Bonomasa ""is" Clapton and Beck
Clapton, to me, is Soooo Good, his lead guitar acts like a type of Open Soul Surgery, cutting like an invisible scalpel.
The Resonance is so Rich in harmonial ecstasy, listen to it in 3d surround sound if, you don't believe me. Lol, but true, soaring thru clouds and blue sky for background!!! A high all its own!!! Badge me!!!
Don't forget Duane Allman
Clapton has a special sound. I'm not a guitarist but love listening to him play. His hands and fingers are like magic on the fretboard but there is a distinctive sound that he creates that others try to cover but it's never the same. There must be something about his guitars that allows him to produce this sound, like some secret sauce that separates a food from all others even though they have all the same ingredients except for that one secret sauce. Whatever it is he is unique. His magical hands (maybe that's why they call him slowhand?) and the tones that come from his guitars create something very, very rare imo. btw, I kind of feel that way about Buddy Guy too.
It’s the mid/treble boost
@@joshfrankem4372 Is that something to do with the pickups? Please forgive my ignorance and thanks.
Love Buddy Guy too. Had the pleasure of meeting him n his French wife in Burnley UK back in 1989 or 1990
Lucky you. I like the vids on here where he had young kids on stage playing with him. It was a good while back and the kid's name escapes me at the moment but he was very young but very good.
Buddy Guy hasn't played a complete song in live performance in decades. For years his shows have been unfocused shambles. He was great during the late 60's to mid 70's in partnership with Junior Wells when Wells would carry the shows. He's been a total bore on stage for the last 50 years.
Great story about a great musician with ❤
I've listened to Eric Clapton since I was in 6th grade
There are many amazing guitarists, Clapton is one of them, then there is Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Robin Trower, Keith Richards, David Gilmour, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Joe Bonamasa and on and on, they are all great...Javi G.
Wow, no Hubert Sumlin, no Freddie Kind, no Eddie Taylor, no Buddy Guy, no...oh well plus a crowd of influences , he evensaid a lot about!
And Brent Mason, Glen Campbell, Jerry Reed, Roy Clark, Jimmy Bryant.
Yes Don, many underestimate how good Glen Campbell really was, also Roy Clark, our Tommy Emmanuel, Santana, David Gilmour and mr Chet Atkins.
The same family situation was Jack Nicholson’s in New Jersey. His “sister” was mother and grandmother his mom.
I have been enjoying Clapton’s guitar work since the Bluesbreakers days and still consider his work from Cream through to 461 and Unplugged as being his best years. He hasn’t had much to offer since then and yet the music factory still churns out his reruns and tracks that are now better suited to rest homes. But to pick a “best” rock/blues guitarist from the vast array of historical talent is virtually impossible. SRV, Jimmi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, BB King, Larry Carlton, Carlos Santana, Steve Lukather, Mark Knopfler, Jimmy Page, Albert Lee, Buddy Guy, Keith Richards, Albert Collins, John Mayer, Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh ……. Every one of them has put their fingerprints on some of the best tracks ever recorded. 👍😎🇳🇿✨🌹🎸
Add Bloomfield to the list ,especially Chicago blues,where he played with the LEGENDS.
Did you know, Delaney taught him how to sing?
Children or infantile adults need a number one, a God, a best one like a father. His father who was all. A grown-up doesn't see or need that kind of things : he has likes, loves, favorites, all different. Musique is not a 100 mètres !
You're future might change your mind.
Thank you Mr. Grand Inquisitor for telling us the errors of our ways and that we should think just like you. What an ar rog ant arse!!
We all have a favorite or favorites as a drummer myself my guy is Mr. Chick Webb ( The DADDY)
Clapton is good, but he is no where near Johnny Winters. Quote from Jimmy H. at Woodstock when asked what’s it like being one of the best guitar players ever, “I don’t know, go ask Johnny Winters”
@Ron-ih4ox Jimmy?
Or Terry Kath, as voiced by Jimi Hendrix
"I don't know, go ask " has been attributed to many diffement people, and has been filled by many _more_ guitarists.
100% pure urban legend. The version I heard first was attributed to Hendrix, referring to Rory Gallagher, after the 1970 Isle of Wight concert, where Hendrix bombed & Rory's band _Taste_ electrified the crowd.
Duane Allman the best I think.
Yep. Tone. Phrasing. Creativity. And, of course, his slide playing.
I have heard both Page his buddy since the age of 10 and Clapton state that Beck was the best. Jeff would never even comment on his talent. He loved Jimmy and played with Clapton every time he could.They were great to him. Clapton has used Albert Lee and Andy Fairweather Low as often as he could.
Hendrix was Jeff's fav.
SRV and Jeff Beck did a shared headline tour. I caught 5 of their shows. Those were among the best shows I ever saw and them playing together was way too much fun.
@ you are way ahead of me. I do not remember the year I think 1990 after I worked in the Bay Area. I believe Stevie was killed in a helicopter crash for some reason Bill Graham was with him or was at the show. I knew that everyone at his Office was devastated.
SRV best all time.
He's my favorite electric guitar player for certain.
My favorite is Johnny Winter but all the pros are good or they
What was so special and groundbreaking about SRV s sound or technique?..EVH ..was 100 x better
@@PowertotheHIGHIQPeople
I'd say both.Plus he was a great vocalist.He said in an interview the only difference between him and Hendrix was they each played what they personally liked.When you watch him play the guitar just looks like a part of him.Makes it look effortless.He could've emulated anyone he wanted but he only played what he liked.Died at 35.He had a lot left in him.EVH is not a big favorite of mine.He may have done some different things but to me his playing lacked feeling and was very mechanical.If I wanted to play like someone it wouldn't be EVH.
.
@@JP67 same old texas blues .. sounded like zz top, the winters.. .. etc.. same thing every song
Joe Pass too.
I love R&R, but Roy Clark was among the top 2 or 3 of all time. He was a freak with stringed instruments.
Glen Campbell too.
Saw E Clapton one day after Vaugh was killed in the Helicopter: "Almost" canceled the gig in KC, but in August 1990 saw greatness hurt...
Albert Lee 👍💯🎸
Il più grande chitarrista non esiste ci sono tanti chitarristi bravi e tanti generi musicali tra i più grandi ci sono sicuramente Clapton Hendrix Beck Page Albert lee mark knopler Eddie van hallen joe satriani steve vai steve ray vahughan ed altri
I saw him I was 14 he was 15 in the Yardbirds I'm 75 so he must be 76
Lay off the booze?
Hendrix,santana,clapton,page ,van Halen all great but the sound that appeal to my ears ,Joe Walsh.
Have been playing guitar from aged5im now70 as far as I'm concerned there's only one who me I think is right up there at the top slot Mr Garry Moore
Antoine Boyer, go check how He played “Norvegian Wood”and see who can do better.
Many underestimate how good Glen Campbell really was, also Roy Clark, our Tommy Emmanuel, Santana, David Gilmour, Mark knopfler and mr Chet Atkins.. 😎👍
Joe Bonamasa is the best imo
I would really like to know what Eric's thoughts are about my favorite guitarist, Joe Bonamassa.
Ya Albert Lee can do it all!
So many original Rock/Blues Electric Guitar Legends from 1965-early 1970s. Alvin Lee,Bloomfield,Buddy Guy, Dickey Betts, Johnny Winter, Nugent’. so many. Then you had Players like ,Gatton & Roy Buchanan that could play any genre. There really is NO greatest. Maybe someone’s favorite is a better way to put it. Steely Dans Guitarist Elliot Randall’ that composed Reeling in the Years Solo -for interesting complex guitar work.
James Burton, Roy Nichols, George Benson and Jerry Reed..
The “Guitar World” never thought he was God, but, some of his local followers seemed to think so. At least one graffiti writer thought so. The photo that showed the dog pissing on it, was about the same way Eric felt about it as well. Albert Lee is definitely the man! I believe I heard Eric saying John Mayer is one his favorite contemporary guitar player at some point.
Definitely Albert lee is the man and because of that I went to see him play as much as possible . In anticipation of Lee playing leed😅 guitar, there is adrenaline flowing in those that are watching and listening . I've seen Peter Frampton and Albert playing with Bill Wymans , Rytham kings and watched Frampton just shaking his head in disbelief when Albert took over a lead solo . When Albert is on stage at a none seating venue, it's hard to get near that part of the stage where he's set up because of the crowd of guitar enthusiasts that will hoard their to see if they can gleam something from him . Truly a great guitarist in his heyday . And he's still playing into his 80s .
Clapton early work with mayall &cream was out there on its own you didn't just hear it you felt it then everyone else caught up.
Im going with Charo
Yuchi Yuchi
You left out the one they all looked up to, Buddy Guy.
This is incomplete! What about Buddy Guy?? Strange Brew is all buddy riffs!!
If you read Claptons book. He names BB King as his favorite.
There are many great and accomplished guitarists. but far fewer great and accomplished guitarists who can also write great songs. Whether Clapton's compositions will endure only time will tell. Some of the names of accomplished guitar players mentioned in the comments here are already headed into obscurity for this very reason and indeed, some never made it in the first place, despite their technical proficiency with this musical instrument.
Theres Jimi , then we can talk about guitarists after that like Zappa, Rory G, Schenker , Eddie
Do we need 24 minutes of this?
Something Eric and I have in common . Being raised By GrandParents . And thinking mother was older Sister . My mother and I was never close , i was 1200 miles away from Her But I knew when she passed away asleep at My Half Brothers house . Figure That! 2:06
I just wanted to know who his favorite guitarist was but the video was a word salad read by a computer. Big thumbs down on this video.
I thought the same!
Thanks for the warning I'm only 3 minutes into this and I've been through this before so I'm not going to watch the end 🙏.
Thanks, I didn't even start it. I know he said Stevie Ray was a channel for the music. Said he never had to search for the next lick because it was already happening.
@@Raymond-rr5iv I wasted a bit more ... but grokked it when Duane Allman was mentioned a second time, as if the "algorhythm" had forgotten mentioning him a first time.
Danny Gatton, Junior Brown, Lowell George and we've all heard of Matteo Mancuso by now eh?
Don't forget Roy Clark and Glen Campbell, maybe not Claptons picks. But they were the greatest guitar players of their time.... And They were multi stringed instrumentalists!
The WRECKING CREW.
Allan Holdsworth. If you know, you know.
I love it. The psychedelic fool is the name of the iconic Gibson SG that Clapton played in Cream. Well.....no. The Fool were a group of Dutch artists who had settled in London. They did a great ammount of artistic work for many people in London at that time ( 68/69 ). Clapton's SG was done up in a swirl of psychedelic mayhem that fit the times perfectly That guitar was not named the " psychedelic fool ". For that matter, one of the truly great musical artists is not Pete Town _ Shend, or Carl Rattle ....... oh what's the use.Try hiring a vocal narrator who has some knowledge of contemporary rock music instead of someone who usually narrates travelogs.
The guitar was nicknamed The Fool because they were the people who painted it.
Jezus Christ, just jump to 23:00 if you’ve seen Clapton’s life story already…
ALVIN LEE, of Ten Years After fame at first, was the greatest guitarist in the world. Now it's JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR...hands down!
winwood, young, kings, and zappa
Awe Yeah, so glad you got STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN in here, and thank you Eric, SRV best ever FACT and Duane’s right up there too… Dereck Trucks keeps the fire burning but Also PLEASE PLEASE CHECK OUT A LADY CALLED JACKIE VENSON… Probably One if not the best guitarist out there as well as Dereck but LORD can that Girl sing too Y’ALL.. I beg you check this lass out, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED… Promise💯👍👍👍💚💚💚
Jeff Healey played Badge , oh that sustained note. Roy Clark, Les Paul, Roy Buchanan; etc….. no best for me each is unique in their own styles, songs, many imitators, few originals.
hendrix clapton albert king,is my best !!!!
So in turn, he left behind offspring of his own who grew up without their father. Nice job, Eric.
"working on his beloved cars" - 21:27 - the pronunciation of 'beloved' is interesting here
If you have no pain there is no gain..RocknRollflat5
Roy Clark, hands down. Brewman
Hendrix was great as an innovator and rock guitarist but the greatest nope. Roy Clark,Glen Campbell,Chet Atkins were so far greater than Hendrix hands down. It’s amazing how we measure just one genre as the greatest, how narrow minded we are!
I've heard them all play and please don't compare to Hendrix, there is no one better than Jimi.
@ I beg to differ, I too have heard them all play and I respect your opinion
are we jumpin' up and down to know?
Theres thousands of guitarists in this World now its hard to be a Judge just have to accept the ones in the public domain every one has a different style
Eric the love of my life😊for ever a great guitarist❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
That Italian kid is the best
Matteo Mancuso?
@sunsparkle8443 I couldn't think of his name. Yes. Matteo.
@@bbhalstead I think he's amazing.
Without Mike Bloomfield there would be no great guitar players..
Phil Keaggy is one of the best.
24 minutes to give the answer?
Clapton FINALLY reveals? Why don't YOU finally reveal? I'm not waiting around.
1:03 Who is THAT ?
SORRY IT'S JUST NOT his Guitar. Its everything Else.
DUANE AND ERIC STUDIO JAMS 1-6 BEST JAM ALBUM EVER MADE
For me it’s S.R.V. then Jimi Hendrix and then Brian May. Clapton is great but I feel at some point he sold out. All of the unplugged stuff and mellow music. He was at his best with Cream. I put Brian May at third only because he built his own guitar. He was completely self taught. And because Brian May is the perfect example of a gentleman. I know that has nothing to do with guitar playing but it says a lot about him.
I agree with your first 2. After that I lean to the Kings
@ I put Brian May in there because of his real human qualities. There are so many like Rory Gallagher, Gary Moore, Duane Allman,Billy Gibbons. It goes on to on. Like you said B.B and Albert. Modern players like John Frusciante and John Mayer and Mike McCready
deserve honourable mention.
Clapton thought Hendrix, Allman, etc. were all great players. It's Clapton's technique and style that distinguish him. He never wrote great songs or was a great singer. Only a guitar player can appreciate his greatness.
I always thought that Clapton was one of the cleanest playing guitarists out there. He's much better than he thinks he is.
He's not my favorite Rock/blues player, but he's the best I've ever heard.