I have yet to meet a guitar player who doesn't like to talk about how awesome their guitar hero is. I like to here people talk about them too because it gives me new sources of inspiration.
My favorite guitarist is Slash. I love his stage persona with the top hat and his les Paul. I love how he brings the pentatonic and major scales to life. I love that he plays rhythm as well as lead even though he's primarily known for his lead guitar. Most of all, I love that I can easily find video of him playing awesome and then making the same mistakes that I do, like jumping into a chorus when the verse isn't finished. I've even seen him blotch the intro lick to sweet child o mine worse than I do. As great a musician he is, those mistakes make his level of playing more attainable to me.
my brother. the man can play more songs than an ipod, and he's a terrific writer, too.
Thx.....Always a topic I can't resist to post on. For me, a huge inspiration is Stevie Ray Vaughan. His left hand finger strength is huge and his phrasing is fantastic. Almost like, he's thought about all of his notes minutes in advance.....just crazy.
Well I look up to many diferent guitarest, From Peter green, that made me pick up a guitar, and want to play the first time I heard "Oh Well" to just some local guy that can sit there and grind out rock stedy rythem beats... and too many in the center to list But if your talking "Inspire"... well Ill have to list two...
Eric Claption. What more can you say... the guy makes it look easy. No matter the song, no matter the place the guy just brings it.. hit the perfect note every time, no matter what!! Eaven seeing him back in the early 80's when his songs and proformances were pretty lackluster... the playing was spot on. All that and still put the feeling, and soul into every note!! Truly a guy I could just spend all day sitting and watching him play!!
And next Would be Chris Whitley. I was first turned on to his music only a few years ago, and it just blew me away!!! Here was a guy that wrote the songs I wanted to wright... and played the music I wanted to play. Was every note the right one, or in the right place? Nope... but every one told a story. He jumpped out of the box, and smashed it. Played what he wanted, and said what he needed to say. Every proformance was like he played that guitar like it was his last day, and he had a lot left to say. He was the first proformer that mixed the blues, with the poetry, and the emotion, that I hope one day to put down in words and music.
Paul B
David Hodge. Why? Read one of his books or a lesson in the main site. When I do it, I can be playing for hours. He sparks my creativity.
Michael Hedges still stirs creativity within me......
Happy Birthday Michael.....
For me it's Brian May, he just knocks the rest of the guitar playing world into a cocked hat - listen to the live versions of Brighton Rock; one guitar and two single echo units. Alex Lifeson and Slash run close behind.
With my classical guitar hat on, there's less difference between individuals because of the way we're trained; but David Russell and Ana Vidovich are both excellent technical musicians and I can listen to them for hours.
If you fancy something a little different check out Nigel North, an English lutenist who recorded a 4 CD set of John Dowland's work for Naxos, and Paul O'Dette; both are seriously good exponents of the Early Music repertoire.
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
David Gilmour. I could listen to him play one note and love it.
On the bass side of things, the late, great Donald "Duck" Dunn.
I think everyone here knows Hendrix was a big inspiration for me.... he made me want to play guitar years before I actually picked it up.
Satriani was an inspiration once I got to be a guitarist, I never could reach his dizzying heights though.
Brian May has been an interesting kind of inspiration, because Queen was one of my first musical loves as a child and I used to sing his guitar solos but strangely enough I have rarely ever learned to play his stuff.
together we stand, divided we fall..........
I think everyone here knows Hendrix was a big inspiration for me.... he made me want to play guitar years before I actually picked it up.
Though Hendrix doesn't inspire my playing style, he definitely inspires me as a musician.
I also gotta add Jimmy Page. He was my introduction to rock when I was a kid and never would've picked up a guitar if it weren't for my mom's old Zeppelin records.
Frank Zappa - the most over-looked guitarist of his time. Such a genius composer and entertainer people often forget he was a mammoth live. Dwezil Zappa is possibly even better as a spontanious player. John Fruscante's work I like a lot. Wes Montgomery, Larry Carlton's work with Steely Dan, J Mascis. Billy Gibbons. I like guys who really do their own thing. Guitarist who I make no attempt to emulate but really enjoy are Albert King, Muddy, Buddy, Gatemouth, Dixon, Howlin Wolf and the likes.
I respect the guy, but I can't stand SRV. I thought his tone was terrible and his playing was irritating and actually fatiguing after two songs. Great player, too showy. I'm not sure why I added that.
Yea your right about Frank no one ever mentions him but I did get to see one of his shows and I loved it.
I'd probably say Slash is close or at the top and Brain May is right there too. I was never a huge GNR fan but always loved what Slash did and you have to admit he personifies a rock n roll guitarist.
I wore the grooves off any of the Queen records I owned and I think I had all of them at the time Brian was the man for me too. I havn't listened to much Queen lately I have to admit.
Like Ezra I always hated SRV but I hate most blues players in general and yea I hated his tone. OK hate is an overstatement it's just blues are not my cup of tea in any way shape or form.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Well - I grew up listening to the Beatles, the Stones, the Who, the Kinks etc etc etc.....I was too young, really, to take notice of who played what. Yeah, I knew Ringo played the drums - but to me there wasn't much difference between Lennon, McCartney and Harrison - they all played guitars (it wasn't much later till I found out what a bass guitar was!) and it was the sound of the guitars that attracted me.
So who inspired me? Well - any guitarist I've listened to whose playing I enjoyed. Riffs, solos, licks - it doesn't matter. Those early records inspired me to pick up a guitar.....my influences, or inspirators, if you like, are many. If I listen to any song I've recorded, I can tell what band/guitarist I was listening to at the time....
The one thing I can say for sure is that two particular guitarists inspired me to pick up a slide and find out about open tunings...one was Manny Charlton, of Nazareth, and the other was Ry Cooder. The common denominator is the song, "Vigilante Man" - two completely different versions, but after hearing them I knew I had to get a slide!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
