Your Favorite Guitarist?

I just wanted to start a discussion type thread.
Lets talk about your favorite guitarist or band, and what or who inspired you to start playing.
My favorite guitarist would probably be someone like Eddie Van Halen, Jimmi Hendrix, SRV, David Gilmore, Steve Vai, etc.
As for what inspired me to play, (your gonna laugh) that part in The Wedding Singer were Adam Sandler plays that son he yells alot in for Drew Barrymore. I had always liked music, but when I watched that I thought, 'That would be fun to be able to do' So I bought me firts axe and started lessons that summer.
Bin playin for 2 years (its 2002 now) and I'm in two bands, and I like to practice for several hours each day. If it werent for the extra practice I got out of my first band I probably would'nt be as good as I am now, but I still got lots to learn.

JERRY CANTRELL To me he is one of the best guitarist's i have ever heard. When he puts music together it just goes man. I stop and ponder how the hell he thinks of some of those rifss. I think i was like 12 or 13 and my friend was listening to the radio and i heard "I stay Away", and i knew i had to learn to play guitar. He has motivated me very very much. I also love such people as Kurt Cobain, James H, Kirk H, Muddy Waters, Tony Rambola, Randy Rhoads....etc.

I would have to say Brian May as my favorite guitarist. No one can come close to matching his skill when it comes to making a guitar sing. As for who first got me playing I would have to say David Cassidy. I used to watch him on the Partrige Family (the original not the reruns, yes I'm old)(and I can hear you laughing) I always thought it look great to be playing up on stage. It inspired me to pick up a guitar.

I'm not laughing, I watched the Partridge Family too, but we all know that they were impostors, the Monkees, now they rocked! Yeah Right, The Beatles made me want to play guitar, so I blame it all on them........

Can I just say that Jerry Cantrell's new album is really good.
Cant remember what inspired me to play guitar. I had a real old beat up one for ages, then bout 5 years ago I thought **** it. I started lessons, n I've never regretted it since. I think it was Ritchie Sambora that compelled me to pick an axe up. Hey! don't laugh Rich is quite good. Plus I've grown up a lot and widened my music tastes n like loads o great six stringers (not too keen on the 7 string thing).

I agree, Richie Sambora is one of my favs.

George Harrison because he is God basically.
Noel Gallagher because he is also God.
Izzy Stradlin & Slash especially Izzy .
Jeff Buckley.
And most recently Neil Young because (you guessed it) he is God.

Originally posted by Led Zeppelin

Izzy Stradlin & Slash especially Izzy .

That's interesting. Izzy is a great songwriter but I'm not sure if he is that great player. Anyway, they both are great
I just meant that not many people realize that Izzy was as important as Slash for the band

My favorites are
Hendrix
Navarro
Slash

My big brother inspired me :D! I used to listen to him play all the time. But now I can rip him :).

Slash is thee last remaining Guitar Hero out there!! Still pure rock n roll to this day!!

I like John Frusciante, and Hillel Slovak of RHCP....not to mention Dave Navarro!!! They all rock!!

The two first guitar players i realy loved were angus young and brian may. Till this day i realy think that brian may has the best solos in rock music.. every thing he have done with Queen sounded so good because he knew what he was doing through the way, and not just mastrubated on the fretboard like certain people do.
Then when i was 14, (4 years ago :) ) i heard ritchie blackmore playing the highway star solo on the "made in japan" album. it realy blew my mind and i got my nylon acustic .. and the rest is history :)

Randy Rhoads, Jimi Hendrix, Kirk Hammet, Zakk Wylde, SRV, Eric Clapton, Van Halen, they're all great. My two favorite's are definetly Rhoads and Hammit, though.

These are the dudes that do it for me on the guitar!
Billy Corgan
Dimebag
Steve vai
These three guys allthough each very different are god!

I'm 15 and when I was 8 or 9 and heard one of Korn's albums that really inspired me to start playing and then my dad turned me on to Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones and thats when I knew I had to start playing guitar. As my favorite guitarists, I like Tom Morello's style, the guys from lynyrd skynyrd because they are just incredible, David Gilmour, Dickey Betts, and Mike Mushok.

hell yeah tom morello is the man! thats the man that made me want to get a guitar and join a band.

Speaking of Dickey Betts, how about Tommy Crain formerly of CDB? I watched a taping of Austin City Limits on CMT the other night of CDB and was really turned on by this man with the LP. Charlie is not bad either. This was recorded in 81.

Those guys you mentioned are all great players, but one I didn't see there and is definitely worthy of recognition is Mike Einziger from Incubus. You guys for the most part seem to be stuck in the past, but maybe it's because you're older than me. I mention Mike because he is experimental and is pushing the boundaries when it comes to guitar. Anyways you probably don't listen to that kind of music. Unfortunately they get lumped into the Nu-Age metal scene which in my opinion is unfair. He's not one to emphasize his ability in solos, but he more than makes up for it in his uniqueness and originality. He's more than a guitar player, he's a songwriter. I write this, because I find that this sight can become a little redundant with all the shredder veneration and the idea of a melodic song is lost. Personally I rather hear a stimulating and intelligent chord progression than a primadonna that can shred 20 notes a second.

He doesn't emphasize his ability with solos because he has no ability to play solos. It takes no talent to run a one fingered power chord. As far as incuschit having talent, they are bankrupt of it. As far as being stuck in the past, if all I have to compare with the 80s talent pool is this schit being touted today, I'll stay locked in the 80s thank you.

You're too cool, what was I thinking comparing my music to shred metal?