Let's settle this once and for all: Who's the greatest lead guitarist of all time?

He’s got a very different style to a lot of those mentioned, but Johnny Greenwood needs to be in the mix.
 
Satanical Eve said:
You hit the nail on the head in regards to Frank and his body of work. A lot of it came off as silly simply for the subject matter but he was always on point in the instrumental aspects of the songwriting. Like you said Frank never caved to what was popular when he was alive and it shows because some of his records are very hard for the average person to get into and I'd have it no other way. I'd love to pick his brain too and mainly his arrangement skills. The man was legendary in his ability to write such a variety of music from Jazz fusion, orchestral music and everything in-between. Also in my opinion without Frank Zappa nobody would know who Steve Vai is since Frank gave him his big break when Vai was only 18 by putting Vai on salary as a transcriptionist to transcribe his work and then hiring him as a full fledged band member after auditioning for Frank in 1980. Frank had a major eye for talent and some of the greatest musicians recorded with him including Terry Bozzio and his massive drum kit (Which I feel is way overkill).

I've been listening to Eat The Question from the Grand Wazoo a lot lately. The guitar is my first love instrument wise but I also enjoy playing the keyboard/piano and I love that Eat The Question gives me the best of both worlds. Starts out with some amazing keyboard work by George Duke that then morphs into Frank doing what he does best in playing a nice extended guitar solo.
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Yeah, like I mentioned, he was almost a scientist, a chemist of music, you just picture him surrounded by beakers of sound trying to make something react. Eat That Question, and any song where someone goes nuts on an organ ("House of the Rising Sun" by The Animals is a personal favorite), is high on my list. When they are doing it right I can feel every key pulling on my heartstrings, snapping the sound into my consciousness. I love when someone hears Zappa and doesn't like it, and then I'll play some other Zappa, usually something more instrumental, and they'll get right into the groove and ask who it is. Surprise! Same dude. I wish more musicians didn't give a fuck in the proper fashion, I feel there are less scientists and more engineers.
 
KONG-D'SNT-TAP said:
Lol he most certainly is. Calptons great but he’s a blue style guitarist. Morello can do more with the guitar
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no, most of clapton's music is not blues. Morello makes noises with his guitar like people have been doing since the 60s. There is nothing innovative about doing that in the 90's.
 
Jimmy Jazz said:
no, most of clapton's music is not blues. Morello makes noises with his guitar like people have been doing since the 60s. There is nothing innovative about doing that in the 90's.
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I disagree with this post. Morello does more with the guitar and Clapton is most certainly a blues guitarist.

He even stated jokingly all he did was copy B.B. KING
 
KONG-D'SNT-TAP said:
I disagree with this post. Morello does more with the guitar and Clapton is most certainly a blues guitarist.

He even stated jokingly all he did was copy B.B. KING
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most of Clapton's critically acclaimed music is not blues. B.B. King is blues, and he doesnt sound anything like most of cream, or blind faith or derek and the dominos. Clapton can say he inflluenced Hendrix. Morello can claim nothing of the kind.
 
Jimmy Jazz said:
most of Clapton's critically acclaimed music is not blues. B.B. King is blues, and he doesnt sound anything like most of cream, or blind faith or derek and the dominos.
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I’ve never met anyone in all my life who said this. Even Clapton himself said he’s a blues guitarist. Guess hes wrong about himself and you’re right
 
Jimmy Jazz said:
yeah this blues.....right.
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Even on wiki he’s listed as a rock blues guitarist and said it himself. Does that mean he can’t play rock guitar? No. But his background is blues.

Clapton became a singer song writer as time went on. Jeff Beck is much better than Clapton as well.
 
KONG-D'SNT-TAP said:
Even on wiki he’s listed as a rock blues guitarist and said it himself. Does that mean he can’t play rock guitar? No. But his background is blues.

Clapton became a singer song writer as time went on. Jeff Beck is much better than Clapton as well.
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There you go a "rock blues guitarist." Which encapsulates psychedelia hard rock and the various types of music he played. So no, he is not just a blues guitarist.
 
Jimmy Jazz said:
There you go a "rock blues guitarist." Which encapsulates psychedelia hard rock and the various types of music he played. So no, he is not just a blues guitarist.
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Dude are you stupid or something. He said he’s a blues guitarist himself. Lol

He’s been a blues/rock guitarist his entire life. I don’t even know what you’re denying here. It’s like denying Michael Jordan was a basketball player because he played some golf and baseball
 
KONG-D'SNT-TAP said:
Dude are you stupid or something. He said he’s a blues guitarist himself. Lol

He’s been a blues/rock guitarist his entire life. I don’t even know what you’re denying here. It’s like denying Michael Jordan was a basketball player because he played some golf and baseball
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blues is not rock. any old blues guitarist will tell you that. any blues fan will tell you cream is not real blues music.
 
Jimmy Jazz said:
blues is not rock. any old blues guitarist will tell you that. any blues fan will tell you cream is not real blues music.
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Lol okay bud. Have it your way. Every music publication is wrong and you’re right I guess.

He himself is a self proclaimed blues guitarist. He mixed that style together with other things but his roots are blues.
 
KONG-D'SNT-TAP said:
Lol okay bud. Have it your way. Every music publication is wrong and you’re right I guess.

He himself is a self proclaimed blues guitarist. He mixed that style together with other things but his roots are blues.
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you said it yourself he's a rock blues guitarist. If you had said that initially it wouldve been fair, but you tried to say he was just a blues guitarist like Muddy Waters or bb king who never played anything but blues music.
 
Jimmy Jazz said:
you said it yourself he's a rock blues guitarist. If you had said that initially it wouldve been fair, but you tried to say he was just a blues guitarist like Muddy Waters or bb king who never played anything but blues music.
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He introduced British kids to some type of American blues style guitar playing.

Just admit you’re wrong and his roots are blues.
 
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