Nels Cline (whose merger with Wilco has to be the greatest thing to happen to American music since Jeff Buckley recorded “Grace”)
Jeff Buckley (Who knows what could have been? Shame.)
Ry Cooder
Nick Drake
The Edge
Dick Dale
Prince (The guy rarely gets the credit he deserves for his musicianship.)
Richard Thompson
Lindsay Buckingham
Narciso Yepes

I suppose Alex Lifeson probably belongs on some list somewhere, too, but I just loathe Rush fans with the burning fire of a thousand white hot suns, so too bad!

A couple people mentioned Jack White. Please. Jack White?! WTF? One-trick pony. It’s a fun trick, but good luck ever getting anything else out of him. If you’re just gauging by live performance, I’ll take Matthew Sweet, for God’s sake. There’s a fat man who can move! Most energetic non-punk performance I’ve ever seen and, of course, his song-writing skills are undeniable. I mean, I like the White Stripes, but I can’t see lauding Jack White for his exceptional guitar skills. I just don’t see it. Maybe I just haven’t heard enough of him.

Also, someone’s probably going to want to kick my ass for mentioning him in the same breath as all these other guys, but I have to give some props to Robert Smith of The Cure. No, he’s not a virtuoso guitarist, but he’s developed such a unique, absolutely unmistakable sound, that you need only hear a few notes to know who’s behind the strings. And it’s a sound that has been tremendously influential (for good or evil, depending on your perspective). There’s a kind of “greatness” in that.

Gibson Shows Guitar That Tunes Itself

Dec 3, 12:25 PM (ET)

By YURI KAGEYAMA

TOKYO (AP) - A new electric guitar from Gibson comes with robotics technology that allows the instrument to tune itself in a matter of seconds.

The technology, developed in partnership with German company Tronical, allows the guitar to recognize pitch and use its processor and six motors on its tuning pegs to tighten the strings accordingly.

Gibson Guitar Corp. claims it’s the world’s first guitar with such self-tuning robotics technology, and that it’s particularly useful for beginners, who tend to find tuning the instrument properly a headache.

The Gibson Les Paul guitar model with Blue Silverburst finish goes on sale globally Dec. 7 for 308,700 yen (US$2,780; euro1,880) in Japan, and US$2,499 in the U.S. The self-tuning feature added an extra 100,000 yen (US$900; euro600) to the price tag.

The guitar comes preset with six types of tuning for the guitar’s strings, which are used to play different kinds of music. But it can also remember a totally original tuning by recognizing the sound of the strings it picks up on its microphone.

The way it works is simple.

You pull a knob on the guitar, turn it to the kind of tuning you want, which shows up as a blue light on the knob, such as “E” or “D.” You then push the button back in.

The electric signals travel up the strings to the tuning pegs, which begin turning by themselves with a whirl of a motor. It’s powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

U.S. guitar-maker Gibson plans to sell 4,000 of the first batch of limited edition “robot guitars” worldwide. Ten percent of the sales are expected to be in Japan, said Yasuhiko Iwanade, president of Gibson Guitar Corp. Japan.

“Robots are very popular in Japan. So this is something that matches the developments here these days. It’s a technology that Japanese can understand,” he said.

It may offer the robotics feature in other models in the future, officials said.

Gibson, based in Nashville, Tennessee, boats a history of innovating the guitar, and robotics fit right in with that legacy, Iwanade said.

Japanese musician Ichiro Tanaka tuned and played the guitar in a demonstration at Gibson’s Tokyo office Monday. He said it’s handy for professional musicians who may use special tuning for one song in a concert because he won’t have to lug around an extra guitar.

“It’s more than just convenience. It’s a feature I really appreciate,” said Tanaka.

1) Caetano Velosa
2) Vini Reilly (The Durutti Column - you could find them on iTunes)
3) Knox Chandler

While you listed some excellent guitarists, two were notably absent:

1) Joe Satriani - Heavily influenced by Hendrix, but he developed his own
style. Surfing with the Alien is one of my favorite albums.

2) Steve Vai - Satriani’s student. There isn’t a better 7-string guitar
player out there. BTW, Kirk Hammett was as student of Satriani’s as well.

Both are very technical and are formally trained musicians.

You could probably argue that Randy Rhoades belongs in there as well,
although I think dying at a young age made him better than he actually was.
Still, he shreds on Ozzy’s first couple solo albums (Blizzard of Oz and
Diary of a Madman).

Perhaps Yngwie Malmsteen? Another influenced by Hendrix’s death. You could
probably list a hundred great guitarists.

Very thorough list!

You did forget two notables, however: Joe Satriani and Neil Young.

I saw McGloughlin in 1968 at the “Electric Theatre” in Chicago when he played with a band called “Pentangle.” They did mostly Irish ballads and had a female singer with long straight blond hair who sang seated on a stool while remaining completely motionless. (Ah …. the 60’s!)

While not a big Clapton fan, I recently bought the Cream double CD, and the “Live” CD (one of the two) is awesome, including a 16:46 minutes jam on “Spoonfull”

Jimi was one of a kind. I think his unique sound came from being left handed and learning to play on a right-handed (dime store brand) guitar, with the strings reversed. (Plus, all the chemicals certainly enhanced his sound.)

If you don’t know of him, be prepared for a variety of styles and sounds, some of the best lyrics being written today, and a voice/delivery that always seems to create some great debates (it’s not for everyone). I once read a review that said something like, “James will make you think the guitar is the most beautiful instrument ever created.”

James does a great live show, but unless you’re lucky enough to be in Texas (with Merrill) you may have to wait a while to catch him in your neighborhood.

Thanks for the fun guys!

Firstly, fabulous blog and such tremendous and overwhelming responses! I hope it continues cause we all love it!

This whole guitarist ‘who’s the best’ conjecture is purely subjective to the listener. Now that I have stated the obvious; when it comes to pioneering efforts, trailblazing new frontiers and generally taking the guitar into new dimensions, the technical aspect of the instrument has to be taken into consideration.

Here are a few players which I think are exceptionally note worthy:
Scotty Moore - This guy has done more for Rock n’ Roll than we realize. Think about it. Go back and listen to your Presley records and you’ll be convinced … again.
Cliff Gallup - Gene Vincent’s guitar player. As technically proficient as Scotty but perhaps faster and more inventive.
Chuck Berry - Invented the greatest riffs ever composed (and comped by all that followed) but did it all in non-guitar keys. Why? Because he joined a piano player’s group. Why is this extraordinary? Piano keys are easy keys to play in provided you’re a piano player but … it’s a bitch if you’re not.
The Yardbirds - A triad of extraordinary guitar players graced this English blues/rock band in succession; Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page respectively. Each a legend in his own right.
Lenny Breau - This man could play three guitar player’s parts with one hand. He worshipped Chet Atkins and Chet Atkins worshipped him. Enough said.
Dick Dale - ever metal guitar player owes Dale his paycheck for letting guitar out of the box and showing them what arpeggiated solos are all about.
Jimi Hendrix - busted his knuckles playing bass and guitar for the Isley Bros. and Little Richard and then suddenly ‘The Wind Cries Mary’. I don’t care who you are, Jimi led the guitar revolution and he humbled every guitar player in Britain at that time including Townsend, Beck, Clapton, Page, the lot.
Pete Townsend - no one can play as subtly or as unabashedly as Pete. He wrote some of the most anthemic and poignant rock songs ever to be written and smashed every guitar known to man. His music and playing is as relevant today as it was back when The Who were the greatest rock band in the world.
Ritchie Blackmore - the one that launched a thousand ships. If it weren’t for Ritchie’s riff in ‘Smoke on the Water’ there would only be half as many guitar players in the world today.

There are plenty of others that can’t be overlooked: Steve Howe, Frank Zappa, Chris Spedding, Neil Young, Alex Lifeson, Randy Bachman, Steve Jones (Sex Pistols), The Edge, Johnny Ramone, George Harrison, Richard Thompson, Nick Drake, Dave Edmonds, Brinsley Schwarz, Keith Richard, the list is infinite and each one just as compelling and we haven’t even scratched the surface of the fret board …