hendrix vs. van halen

i'm having an argument with a friend at school,
he says Eddie Van Halen is a better guitarist
than Jimi Hendrix
i say the opposite

voice your opinion and reasons

I guess its safe to say that you're looking for someone to end this argument, and make matters all better, :). Well when it all comes down to it, its a matter of taste. But keep in mind if it wasn't for Jimmi Hendrix, its very possible that Eddie Vanhalen would have never picked up the guitar, nor had the courage to go beyond the limit. After Jimmi Hendrix performed at the Monterey Pop Festival and watched his guitar go up in flames, a twelve year old Eddie V purchased his first guitar. With so much much conviction of passion after witnessing Hendrix's display of volatile emotion, that gave Eddie V the push that he was looking for. Most people feel that Eddie Vanhalen is the greatest, and yes when it comes to being technically proficient, (I don't think theres anyone who can top him.) But Jimmi Hendrix has that certain flair, a certain spark that no matter how fast others can play (no one can or has been able to duplicate.) So, instead of fighting back in fourth as to who has a better stroke, play your favorite records of the two one afternoon, and listen very closely for the elements that makes them so special. And take what you will, and add it to your own style.

-Joseph, :). As a matter of personal taste, I love Hendrix's style..

I'm partial to Stevie Ray myself, but it is all a mater of taste. You're in the middle of one of those arguments where you're both right and you're both wrong.

I wonder what Ed would say?

I'm glad you brought this subject up. Hendrix is my favorite and always will be. I'm always arguing about who is better than Hendrix. I think Hendrix is the best. Just look at Tabcrawler.com's list of top players, who is at the top Hendrix, Eddie is #6. But there is a lot of different styles. Eddy may be faster, but Hendrix played with more feeling. And he wrote all his songs in a period of 3 to 4 years. He was so creative. Hendrix defined Rock 'n' Roll. There was no one like him. He made it cool to be a rock 'n' roller. Hendrix set the stage for all guitarist.

I always find it interesting how one player can be regarded as the most soulful and plays with the most feeling, and another player is regarded as more mechanical. Personally, I can't agree that Hendrix played with more feeling than Van Halen. I know that Hendrix is still regarded as the most soulful player, but to say that he plays with more feeling then someone else is in my opinion incorrect. How can we be the judge of what another guitar player is feeling? How do we know that Van Halen doesn't feel it as much, nobody can get into his head while his playing. But I have seen the look on his face during some performances and I must say it looks like he's feeling it quite a bit. It's my opinion that any guitar player who has dedicated that much of his life to guitar and has reached that level of expertise would HAVE to be able to feel it (a lot), or they would never have gotten that far.

It is impossible to argue over who is better. Jimmi can't get better, obviously he is dead. Eddy is alive he can still practice and acheive higher standards for himself.

It is not a fair argument.

I kind of believe that Edward is the new Hendrix. He has changed the guitar for the better, just like Jimmi before him. They are both equal in this respect.

Peace

Sixx

For passion alone hendrix. Van Halen is a great guiarist possibly more skilled as in he gets a clearer sound but think of all the influences Van halen had Hendrix, Clapton, Page and many more to influence him. Who did Hendrix have. He got a guitar in a pawn shop after he left the army, played it upsidedown and had a job within 2 weeks. Thats brilliance for you.

EXACTLY!!

Everyone knows you can't say who's better. But... when it comes to technique it's a whole other subject. Let's face it people Eddie isn't even close to having the best technique. When someone says "technique" I automatically think of John Petrucci of Dream Theater. If there is someone that posts "Van Halen has way better technique than Petrucci" then you obviously haven't heard Petrucci play.

Do you know that Petrucci didn't even make the top 100 guitarist in the Guitar Legends magazine. So wrong. They had Wes Borland, Munky & Head, and Joni Mitchell but no Petrucci or Nuget. Sooooooo wrong. But if you ain't got that magazine go to the newstand and get it, overall it's pretty good.

Edward Van Halen is not trying to out do Hendrix.

He is just a good guitarist making mostly good albums.

The argument should be should he have kicked out Sammy or not. It was a beautiful thing. Very good music, I couldn't believe they split up (sammy and Edward).

Sixx

They should have never kicked out Diamond Dave. Van Halen with David Lee Roth was a better than with Sammy. In my opinion.

Eddie is the greatest guitar player that ever played, jimy hendrix only does a whole bunch of noise, if he had a solo it would be a whole bunch of stuff u cant even understand where eddie can make solos of real music and make it great, just look at his style in eruption, and eruption wasn't even supposed to be played it was him warming up and someone overheard and told him to record it, it was played wrong and it still sounds great, and in concert its still amazing, no one can ever play as good as eddie van halen

I'll go with Eddie on this one.

you cant judge talent by speed, you CAN judge it on feeling, ability to express on the guitar, and sometimes soungwriting. hendrix definitly wins hands down!

Another old ass thread being Lazarus'd

who was Eddies biggest influence...........hm....? Maybe that should say enough.

why do people get hot and bothered over threads like this? it's an opinion not a fact, i tend to stay away from threads like this due to people claiming that 'hendrix is better cause he's got more feel' or 'look at van halen's skill'

A more reasonable argument would be who had more of an influence towards you and your guitar playing.

Oh boy. . . This ought'a be fun. :D

While you read this post, listen to this

Jimi Hendrix, plays a bunch of noise. . . you have to be kidding me. You are kidding right? Sounds like a close minded 12 year old thing to say to me, you are 12 right?

If not I sugest you open your eyes, because you are never going to become a great guitar player if you think someone like Jimi Hendrix isn't simply amazing.

This argument is really, really stupid. Eddie kicks ass, no doubt, so does Hendrix, there is one major difference though. No Hendrix = No Eddie (or at least what we know as Eddie today), not the other way around.

The thing that set Jimi Hendrix apart from everyone else was his ability to do everything perfectly, horribly, insanely different every time he played a song. Go listen to "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" Live at the Isle of Wight, then go listen to the version on the Woodstock CD. . . is there a difference? Now, does one or the other suck? That's what I thought.

Now, take a step back, and look at the big picture. See how far Jimi Hendrix came with what influences he had? Now, see the influences we all have today, and you wonder why there are so many good guitarist, but no good musicians.

This is before the time of Led Zeppelin, remember? There was no Jimmy Page to be majorly influenced by, all he had were the great blues musicians of the -40's (think Muddy Waters, Lemon Jefferson, Son House, Robert Johnson, etc.), and the outstanding raisers of the 50's and onward, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley (thank you very much, uh huh!), etc.

I remember, while I was walking through the great big Jimi Hendrix museum in Seattle Washington, there was a big-screen, with a interview on with Jeff Beck, and he said; "We were doing fine, playing with The Yardbirds, then all of a sudden this guy Jimi Hendrix came along, and I saw him play and thought to myself "time to find a new job. . .""

I can't wait to go back to the Jimi Hendrix museum, if you ever get a chance, go, because no matter what your views are on Hendrix, if you like him or not, you won't regret it, because it is simple amazing.

You should be about done with that song by now, depending on your reading speed/blindness. Now ask yourself; "How did he do that, with what he had to work with?"

I'm done here, I need a glass of water.

RedZep