Guitar Legends

It’s quite difficult to list out simply who the world’s best guitarists are, as it largely depends on one’s personally perception on what “best” is—it’s all relative. In my own experience, at local shows of bands and performers from various genres, I am often blown away at the amount of amazing talent out there isn’t known at all. It’s almost as if every geographic region has its own pool of amazing talent that, unfortunately won’t ever hit the big time.

So who are the best of the best then? Those that are fans of blues might say Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, or B.B. King. Those that favor country might say Elvis Presley, Garth Brooks, or Willie Nelson, and those that prefer rock and roll might mention Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, or Steve Vai, among countless others. Then there are the fans of classical guitar, heavy metal, death metal, punk rock, and the list goes on. Who do they say is the best? Pick up any guitar magazine and you will see how many great guitarists there are out there.

For the sake of the decimation of information, however, for those that are new to the world of guitars, here is some info on but a few of the great guitarists out there.

Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton was born in England in the 1940s and began playing the guitar at a young age, becoming almost immediately frustrated with it soon after beginning. His road to stardom is a long and far reaching one, and at first became intrigued and curious about the blues genre. At 17, he joined his first band, and a few years after joined a band known as the Yardbirds, helping to get his name out into the masses. From there he played in a few other bands before taking a spot in the band, Cream, which has since been deemed a “Supergroup”, and was, and still is, recognized around the world as the point as which Clapton began to attain fame as a guitarist. Before Cream, he was virtually unknown outside England. After this turning point in his road to stardom, Clapton was involved in other collaborations before launching his well-known and very successful solo career, where he remains playing to this day.

Jimi Hendrix
This very influential guitarist, born in 1942, was well-known for pioneering the use of feedback and distortion in his playing, which wasn’t explored fully until Hendrix arrived on the guitar scene. He known as one of the world’s most recognized, influential and greatest guitarists in rock and roll history. His band, named The Jimi Hendrix Experience, basically rewrote rock and roll, and laid the ground work for many bands to come later. Hendrix was also known for wild guitar antics on stage; he would sometimes play the guitar with his teeth or from behind his back. He was also well-known for his weapon of choice: the Fender Stratocaster. The use of this model also influenced many later guitars to play the same guitar, with famous artists such as Jeff Beck, Ritchie Blackmore, and Eric Clapton switching over to the Stratocaster. Jimi Hendrix was made all the more famous by his death in 1970, from a drug overdose. Hendrix was known for uniqueness in so many ways; even in the way his guitar was set up: he played a right-handed guitar, even though he was left-handed, and had the strings reversed to accommodate this, essentially playing the guitar upside down.

Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix are but just a few of the many great guitarists out there from a multitude of different genres. Nevertheless, no article introducing guitars would be complete without mentioning at least those two remarkable guitarists. Other notable guitarists are Jimmy Page, Gary Moore, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Satriani, Eddie Van Halen, Jeff Beck, and David Gilmore.



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