I agree with nowheels, it's a tough call but I'm more partial to Page. I heard it said once that Jimi Hendricks was asked who the best guitarist was and he said Duane Allman. Don't know if he actually said that but You could make a good case for that.
Hendrix was left handed but his dad thought that was the mark of the devil and made him play right handed and he became ambidextrous. He picked on the neck of the guitar with his right hand. He would drop his left picking hand and pick on the neck with only his right hand. There is black and white video of him playing hey joe picking with his teeth. Google it.
Hendrix actually took a right handed Strat, flipped it over, and restrung it so he could play left handed. Changed the sound and dynamics of the Strat...and changed History a bit.
That being said, I agree with Stephengiles...Technical to Page, Expression to Hendrix
..of those two Jimmy Page easily....no contest There were/are so many great guitarist it is hard to compare when true TALENT is in the spotlight. Acoustics...hands down from the musicians own mouth and I do believe them was Duane Allman. Clean electric /call and response/ phrasing....Mark Knoplfler/Jeff Beck/ Alvin Lee and for clean outright dueling speed Hughie "the Flame" Thomassen was unmatched.
I am going to crack some eggs here but....take out the short lived "acid rock" and Hendrix would not crack the top 100 IMO for pure musical string manipulation....but then again except for the talented Don Henley I could not stand the Eagles either and we know how insanely popular they were. When my father started humming their tunes I knew they were not for me. ;-)
Not even close. Both were groundbreaking and influential but Page was at least coherent. I can see where Hendrix expanded the limits of the instrument, sure. But he's difficult to listen to on many of his cuts.
I still believe if Steve Gaines had lived another decade or two, he'd be the starting point for many GOAT lists. But that did not happen and he's not. I agree with bb, Duane gets serious consideration if for no other reason than Clapton deferred to him.
SRV is so good, he broke away from the other celestial bodies and created his own gravity. Page, BB King, Hendrix, Allman, Van Halen - they all did that. But Roy Clarke is probably the greatest living guitar player.;)
I think there are a lot of guitarists who can make a guitar speak....if that is the context. Uncle Ted is real good at that. Check out his Youtube of Hibernation. He has also been performing much longer than most guitarists dead or alive.
I think Brian Setzer can make a guitar sound good. Eddie Van Halen is another one. Prince was real good too. Who was a big influence....Chuck Berry without a doubt.
Can't leave out Satriani, extremely technical. SRV was awesome. IMHO, Gilmore is the best. Page and Hendrix had different styles, hard to compare them, but I guess Page.
John Williams is one of best acoustical guitar players in the world, extremely clean. But he is classically trained. Steve Stevens is also great ... Too many to list!
The OP was only comparing Hendrix to Page. Not Hendrix and/or Page to every guitar player in history. You guys are worse than trying to herd cats...8^)
“The OP was only comparing Hendrix to Page. Not Hendrix and/or Page to every guitar player in history. You guys are worse than trying to herd cats...8^)”
So you’re saying the thread got off track. On the CF?
Some of you just can't stick to the rules, can you?? He didn't say name your favorite guitar player or most of you would have unabashedly responded Roy Clark! lol
There was ONLY two options, and the correct answer is Hendrix..
A point of soapbox order that has broad application.
If the choice was only 2 guitarists....this would be a one-n-done and very short thread that would likely die on the vine once the usual posters say their piece. Without some latitude for thread drift....and this happens frequently, many threads would loose their interest after a few posts and become boring. Off the soapbox.....
Guitar playing is phrasing and Hendrix couldn't hang with Page, imo, along that criteria. Iconic? Yes, he's great. Page is better. Song crafting has to count, too...
Bonamassa is AMAZING. Derek Trucks, as well but do yourselves a favor and see Marcus King live at least once. He's the only guy out there who can stand on the shoulders of Duane, Dickey and Toy.
Bonamassa's "Blues Deluxe" is about as close to perfection as one can get in guitar playing. AMAZING. Check his performance(s) out at Royal Albert Hall. Then check him out performing "Mountain Time" at the same venue, less "bluesey" but phenominal.
The answers will lean toward who plays your favorite music. A lot of great names have been mentioned and I’ve listened to most of their music. I guess Led Zep is my favorite so there’s my answer.
Well, yes. If you ain't reaching folks, you won't be heard. Song crafting matters. There's a reason Yngwie Malmsteen did not roll off anyone's fingertips, yet. lol
If we're expanding the list in putting Page in context, I think he's about right where he is - somewhere in the back half of the Top 10. I personally wouldn't put him in front of Hendrix, Clapton, King, Allman, or Johnson.
That is why I mentioned Uncle Ted earlier.....he is real good. I believe he comes from the 1960's mold of guitarists who began early. Roy Clark is a good one. For the pickin' style.....Jerry Reed was very good.
In truth the greatest axe player ever is the musician and the genre that you personally favor. Many of the simplest intro's, the mark of excellence for Rock and Blues came from the most capable hands. One for me that comes to mind is Can't you Hear me Knocking by the Stones Keith Richards and Mick Taylor. Smoke on the Water is another as is ZZ Tops killer intro "Tush" and Jethro Tulls fabled "Aqualung". These sounds move me because I am a Rock head.
Little nugget of gold I found........check out Roy Buchanan's Hey Joe, who could make Hendrix blush. The man who groomed Danny Gratton who groomed...guess who?..for you Joe Bonamassa fans.
Both great guitarists. But neither IMO on the level of Chet Aikin, Knoffpler, Vai, Santriani, Malmsteen, VanHalen, Lynch, Guthrie Govan, Eric Johnson, Roy Clark, Banjo Ben, Brad Gillis and many others. There are a thousand players youve never heard of that would fall into that group. Ted Nugent? There's 10 players in every mid size town in America who are as good or better.
Funny, Sharpstick, before I opened this thread again, I was thinking of Warren Haynes and what a disservice it is that we have not mentioned him. The guy is the definition of prolific talent. His cover of "Cortez The Killer" with Dave Mathews is one of my all time favorite jams.
Anyone who can make a simple two coil pickup Fender Telecaster sound like that is beyond great in a 100 seat venue. No triples or humbuckers. Anybody who bought a Telecaster should bring them back immediately. The only guitarists I ever heard or saw who could "harp" the strings into a true melody not just noise. I am simply in awe of this guy and I have seen some of the great ones and great performances. He was voted best guitarists by his PEERS in 1971 in a MAG I had seen online. In 1987 when Mick Taylor left the Stones it was reported MJ offered him the spot and he turned them down. A year later Roy Buchanan was dead. I wish I had known of him and his music long before. Tragic.
