Originally posted by PonyOne
I don't even bother getting caught up in these discussions. To me, Jimi Hendrix is an awesome guitarist but it seems like it's become this knee-jerk, accepted-as-truth answer that he's #1. I think he's an awesome guitarist, and I've listened to the Experience over and over and the Woodstock CD and everything else, and again, I think he's awesome, he just doesn't strike me as being the bet guitarist ever to live.

If you want to talk underrated guitar players, there's the guy who would probably top my list of top guitarists: Danny Gatton. For some reason the best musicians have this habit of dying way the hell before they came to the acknowledgement the deserved.

Agreed. Danny Gatton was supremely versatile, playing jazz, rockabilly, blues..you name it he could play any style pretty much. A lot more than can be said for most metalheads. Similarly, the Hellecasters can play the arses pretty much off anyone on the plant today, yesterday and tomorrow. They've also got the tunes, the humour..the lot. A big up then for John Jourgensen, Jerry Donahue and Will Ray. If you're American and you love great guitar, I suggest you get all 4 albums as a masterclass. I only say that, cos it should be easier to get them Stateside than anywhere else. I've had to import them at great cost. Worth it though. Steve Vai at al would kill for their chops.

That's 4. 5th? Albert Lee. Im biased towards anyone who can chickin pick banjo-style at speed.