Who is the Most Underrated Guitarist?

[BigDoug1053]

Who deserves more props, press, respect, awareness? To make this list, the guitarist must have chops, be a stylistic influence on players, and not have gotten wide recognition or reward from the general public. I will start off with:

Danny Gatton
Alan Holdsworth
Charlie Christian
Johnny Smith
Ernie Isley

[Marty Horne]

Chuck Loeb

[wixedmords]

Holdsworth is a great one.

Add Leslie West.

Many guitarists list him as an influence, mostly for his thick sound.

[VegasGreg]

I'd say Lindsey Buckingham is pretty darn underrated.

I never thought much of him until I was dragged screaming to a Fleetwood Mac concert by an old girlfriend...I had a whole new appreciation of his playing (and the entire band) after that night.

[mainsale]

Duke Robillard

[lhallam]

Martin Barre - a true workhorse and gets zero credit. I don't think I've ever seen him in any guitar type magazine.

[KRosser]

John Stowell
Joe Diorio
Lenny Breau
Harry Leahy
Ted Greene
Reggie Young
Sam Brown
Hubert Sumlin
"Pops" Staples
Michael Gregory Jackson
Blind Willie Johnson
James Burton
Magic Sam
Mick Goodrick
Attila Zoller

+1 on Johnny Smith & Lindsey Buckingham, definitely

About two dozen more guys are going to pop in my head as soon as I send this....

[rwe333]

Great suggestions so far...

I'll add, off the top of my head:

Ollie Halsall
Ed Bickert
Steve Topping
Pierre Bensusan
Richard Thompson
Jan Akkerman
Domenic Troiano
Frank Marino
acoustic Bill Connors

...

[JofZ]

Rory Gallagher
John Frusciante
Stone Gossard
Mike Bloomfield-never hear enough about this guy!

That is my very short list.

[Clorenzo]

Originally posted by Marty Horne
Chuck Loeb Huge +1. I saw him live with Metro a couple of years ago and it was one of the best concerts I've been to, the guy blew me away and the same goes for the rest of the band. Besides, from the concert and interviews I've read he seems to be the nice, humble, Lukather type. Check out his impressive credits here http://chuckloeb.com/ (there's some clips too) and if you're into contemporary jazz I think the album Metrocafé by Metro is a must.

[KRosser]

..I told you I'd forget some...

Djelimady Tounkara
Fred Frith
Mark Stewart
Tim Brady
Marc Ducret

..in addition to Wayne's list..I can't believe I forgot Ed Bickert and Richard Thompson, two of my all-time fave guitar players, and who I've actually been listening to a lot of lately....

[B Vance]

I think Bonnie Raitt is consistently overlooked in terms of her guitar ability. Not only is she an amazing song writer, but she can make you cry with her slide work. I think she has great technique as well.

[Al Z]

Wherever you rate this guy, even if it was #1, he'd still be underrated


Johnny Winter

[Guy from Idaho]

Originally posted by Al Z
Wherever you rate this guy, even if it was #1, he'd still be underrated


Johnny Winter

:dude :dude :dude :dude :dude

[BigDoug1053]

+1 on Johnny Winter

David Lindley
Steve Tibbetts
David Torn

[Taller]

Rick Neilson.
He can play on my team any day!:dude

[tommyg]

Originally posted by Guy from Idaho
:dude :dude :dude :dude :dude

+1 for Johnny Winter AND Mike Bloomfield....


....add Don Felder and Dickey Betts to the list too.

[ivers]

The entire country of Brazil.

[DanR]

No offense, but a lot of guys being mentioned I wouldn't consider as being underrated :confused:


DanR

[thezombie99]

John Sykes (Whitesnake, Blue Murder)
Pete Lesperance (Harem Scarem)

[pbradt]

James Pennebaker

Bill Hullett

Bill Kirchen

Rob McNelley

[Power Freak]

Originally posted by BigDoug1053
Alan Holdsworth
Charlie Christian

:dude

I agree with those and maybe add Nguyen Le (I think that's how you spell his name?)

[Teleplayer]

+1 on Johnny Winter
Johnny Hiland

[hear and play]

George Benson?

Sorry, Tag, I couldn't resist. ;)

[MichaelK]

2 guys who are stellar players but who usually come up in conversation for their songwriting:

Prince

Marshall Crenshaw

[Jon Silberman]

I can't believe this thread, people listing the most widely respected guitarist I know and claiming they're underated.

Prince?! Bill Kirchen?! Johnny Winter?! Are you guys for real? Who doesn't consider these gents among the best?

[Cheebatone]

Howard Alden and Anthony Wilson.

[MichaelK]

Originally posted by Jon Silberman
Prince?!

A lot of people I know (not musicians) think of him as a showman first, songwriter second, singer third and instrumentalist distant fourth. Unlike someone like Johnny Winter, who has always been known first and foremost as a blues guitar player.

It's just a perception among ordinary (musically) uneducated people, a quick answer to the question as asked. Don't get upset. :)

[diminishedlogic]

Bireli lagrene, nyugen le, allan holdsworth, shawn lane.

[Al Z]

Originally posted by Jon Silberman
I can't believe this thread, people listing the most widely respected guitarist I know and claiming they're underated.

Prince?! Bill Kirchen?! Johnny Winter?! Are you guys for real? Who doesn't consider these gents among the best?

Not sure how Prince got in here, but I know many that hardly know of Johnny Winter. Just yesterday someone told me, "He's not that good and he hides it with too many notes". I get back many a blank stare when I mention Johnny Winter to many guitar players. Only older players are aware of him.

[Calloway]

+1 for Johnny Winter and Rory Gallagher(I just love his tone!)

Alvin Lee
Jim McCarty (Cactus)
Peter Green
Danny Kirwin (Fleetwood Mac)
Roy Buchanon

[Antero]

Charles Bissel and Greg Whelan would qualify as two of the most excellent guitarists I've ever heard and are some of the best songwriters I've ever heard, but their band, The Wrens, is virtually unknown, despite having been around for 14 years.

Curtis Mayfield is an awesome, interesting guitarist, but nobody thinks about his guitaring.

[mc5nrg]

As far as Winter is concerned,and musicians in general I suppose,how well known/"rated" they are is a function of age and era.Winter at one time was one of the biggest rock stars around and could fill arenas and certainly was known as a hotshot guitarist.However the last release that showcased him in full health and ability was Hey Man,Where's Your Brother which IIRC came out over a decade ago.Music careers and public acclaim ebb and flow.Folks who weren't alive or into music in the time period when Winter was in his prime and quite well known quite naturally might not be aware of him likewise for the the countless other great,sometimes known/sometimes not players.

Anyway, my nominee for an influential but underappreciated guitarist and musician is the late,great Fred "Sonic" Smith (MC5,Ascension,Sonic's Rendezvous Band,Patti Smith's Dream of Life LP..)

http://makemyday.free.fr/goldart3.jpg

Chances are I went to this show.RIP Fred

[Joe]

Steve Stevens

Not only is Steve a Grammy winner, but he is an in demand studio/touring player that has played on many albums outside of Billy Idol and Vince Neil.

Let's not forget that Vai and Satch learned most of their guitar tricks from Rebel Yell, Satch lists Rebel Yell in his top five albums of all time and freely admits that other than Hendrix, Stevens invented many of the sounds that made him and Vai rich.

[Unburst]

Fred Frith

[Clorenzo]

Originally posted by Joe
Steve StevensI've just discovered this guy ("Situation dangerous" by Bozzio / Levin / Stevens, the usual chop galore approach of this type of album but man, some chops). I had no idea he was upstream of Vai and Satch in "guitar evolution".

[TravisE]

George Harrison.

[jbright44]

Carl Bell

[tommyg]

Originally posted by MichaelK
A lot of people I know (not musicians) think of him as a showman first, songwriter second, singer third and instrumentalist distant fourth. Unlike someone like Johnny Winter, who has always been known first and foremost as a blues guitar player.

It's just a perception among ordinary (musically) uneducated people, a quick answer to the question as asked. Don't get upset. :)

I played an outdoor fair recently with my band Fun Money (blues band). After the show a young male (14-15 yo) came up to me and complimented me and asked "do you listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan"? I said "yes" but couldn't tell if he was asking if he was an influence on my playing (I'm more into Chicago blues). I didn't know how to take it though...kinda weird; I played a Strat for a few songs but for 90% of the show I use a Heritage 535. But it got me wondering; is SRV the ONLY person these kids associate with the blues? God I wish these kids could listen to some of the electric blues roots like the 3 Kings, Sumlin, Muddy, Milton, Bloomfield, Winter, Bishop, Allman, Lonnie Mack, Albert Collins, Guy, Copeland, Buchanan....they're just missing sooooo much!

[kingsleyd]

Originally posted by BigDoug1053
Who deserves more props, press, respect, awareness?
Johnny Smith

Jeez... in his day, Johnny Smith was HUGELY popular, one of the best known jazz guitarists. True, time has sorta passed him by, although he still gets a lot of respect within the jazz guitar community. (and the luthier community!)

And Allan Holdsworth... he gets plenty of props, respect, and awareness, and a fair amount of press as well.

The way I see it, most people get about as much in the way of props, press, respect, and awareness as they deserve (limited of course by what they seek)

[fr8_trane]

+1 for George Harrison.
Jesus, I think evey fill, interlude and solo that guy did was melodic magic.

Wayne Krantz

[No Code 5]

Originally posted by JofZ

Stone Gossard



The soundtrack of my young life was written by this guy. Talk about coming up with some good riffs. :dude

[TNJ]

Lindsay Buckingham
Michael Allsup
Trevor Rabin

For one reason or another, these guys havent gotten their due as real players.

S.
j

[ungarn]

Blues Saraceno

www.bluessaraceno.com

[eric-d]

DOYLE BRAMHALL II (this guy should be bigger than Clapton)

[BBHollowbody]

Tommy Bolin

[Flyin' Brian]

There are so many great ones who play "for the song" and don't just solo. That's why a +1 for Lindsey Buckingham. Also Peter Stroud, and from the jazz world Sheryl Bailey.

+1 for David Lindley.

Kinda hard because many get props from the guitar world but not from the general public....like Howard Roberts, or James Burton. The general public hasn't heard of people like Tommy Tedesco or Lee Ritenour either. My teacher Henry Johnson is another one.

[Hardtail]

The correct answer is Don Barnes, .38 Special

Close second is Neil Geraldo, Pat Benetar

HT

[ChrisGS]

Eddy Shaver .
I saw him with his father on Austin City Limits , like 10 years ago or so . When I found out more about him , I was thinking how come I never heard of this guy ?

I saw one thing written about him once in Guitar Player Magizine...That he died .

[BattleAngel]

I'll very proudly be the second person to say Martin Barre.

[Garygtr]

2 examples of players well respected and acknowledged by their peers but not well known by the general public:
Duke Levine
David Grissom

And for purely underrated:
Gary Louris (Jayhawks)

[dookie]

+1 for Tommy Bolin
+1 for Fred "Sonic" Smith (I love the MotorCity 5)

My addition?? J Mascis... Truly underrated IMHO...

[TravisE]

Originally posted by dookie

My addition?? J Mascis... Truly underrated IMHO...

Amen! I love J's playing. And you've gotta love a guy who can't sing but does it anyway. :D

[Bassomatic]

Mascis underrated?

Think i've just entered the Bizarro world for sure.:eek:

[Jerrod]

Originally posted by RL in Fla
" not have gotten wide recognition or reward from the general public. "

Jerry Reed - " Oh, the guy in Smokey and the Bandit ? "

Johnny Winter - " Yeah , he's hilarious ... cracks me up !! "

_______ (<--- insert name here ) - " Who ?? "

Yeah, if you're going to use "general public" as the yard stick, pretty much all of em besides Jimi, SRV, and a handful of others. Otherwise, I think pretty much all of them listed in this thread are pretty NOT underrated.

[Phil Bennett]

JJ Marsh

[hpsauce]

Brian Setzer
George Harrison
Joe Perry

[davess23]

Johnny Winter, for sure. He's up there with the greatest in the guitar hero universe, and I'm always surprised by how many players aren't aware of him.

Ditto for Bloomfield. My personal guitar god. Those who under-rate him generally haven't dug very far into his body of work.

Walter Trout is seriously underappreciated.

Martin Simpson is a great acoustic player who deserves to be better known.

So's Guy Van Duser.

[tastylicks]

Willie Nelson is a very underrated guitar player.

I'll also say James Taylor is better than you think on the acoustic.

[Thwap]

WOW!!!

You went deeeeep to revive this one.:D

[AnthonyL]

Ronni LeTekro - 80's/90's metal band TNT. Wicked, hot-rodded Marshall tone as well as right hand.

Jeff Loomis - Nevermore

Tuck Andress

Buddy Whittington

Brett Garsed

[takakat]

Jeff Skunk Baxter?
Steve Khan?

[backaxe]

+1 for George Harrison and Johnny Winter
Also, Larry Chaney, and old hand from way back......

[BluesRocker]

Larry Reinhardt (aka El Rhino)

[takakat]

How can we put George Harrison in to this category?
He was the guitarist for the best rock group of all time.
I know that he was not as popular as John and Paul but he was one of the most recognized face in the world.

[AJ Love]

Brent Mason

[echobaseone]

Will Sergeant from Echo & the Bunnymen.
The REAL genius of Liverpool.

[frisco kid]

I've just discovered this guy ("Situation dangerous" by Bozzio / Levin / Stevens, the usual chop galore approach of this type of album but man, some chops). I had no idea he was upstream of Vai and Satch in "guitar evolution".

Another vote for Steve...gotta check him out if you can on the billy Idol Live at the Congress HD concert. Phenomenal playing by SS. He can really do it all. Even does the Jimi teeth picking schtick, just a monster player all around.

[arthur]

Dean Parks. Lowell George

[Ud Reks]

Yep, I'd say Neil Geraldo too. Then I'd add Bob Mould.

But, Charlie Christian? How can he be underrated? He's neither underrated nor overrated. He's just...Charlie Christian.

[TBird66]

joe walsh
lindsey buckingham
steve stevens
brian setzer
billie joe armstrong

[DejavuDave]

Lyle Workman

[Austinrocks]

Eddy Shaver .
I saw him with his father on Austin City Limits , like 10 years ago or so . When I found out more about him , I was thinking how come I never heard of this guy ?

I saw one thing written about him once in Guitar Player Magizine...That he died .

+1000

Saw Eddy a couple times at an all day Texas Music Revolution at south fork with his dad, he was incredible, really stupid him dying of drugs, Thinks for mentioning him. A true great gone to soon,

here are some video clips including when I saw him the TMR in 2000

http://www.texasmusicguide.com/lovingeddy.htm

and some mp3 files

http://texicanmusic.com/eddymp3.htm

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y257/austinrocks/eddyshades.jpg


Ran across this in wikepedia about Billy Joe Shaver


Police in Lorena, TX about 80 miles north of Austin, issued arrest warrants April 2 on charges of aggravated assault and possessing a firearm in a prohibited place. This was in connection with an incident outside a tavern, Papa Joe's Texas Saloon in Lorena on March 31, 2007, in which Shaver shot a man, Billy Bryant Coker, in the face with a handgun. Coker's injuries were reported as not life-threatening.
Shaver's attorney stated that Coker had threatened Shaver and that Shaver shot in self-defense. Witnesses interviewed by police report hearing Shaver saying "where do you want it?" and then, after the shot was fired, "Tell me you are sorry" and "No one tells me to shut up." Coker told police the attack was unprovoked.[8] (http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/statesman/pdf/04/040407shaver_affidavit.pdf)
After unsuccessfully attempting to surrender to police in Austin, TX, who were unaware of the warrant, Shaver turned himself in at McLennan County Jail in Waco, TX on Tuesday, April 3. He was released after an hour on $50,000 bond and gave his scheduled performance at Waterloo Records in Austin that evening.[ (http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003566638)

[csd]

Billy F. Gibbons
Dann Huff
Guys like Doyle Dykes, Elliot Easton, the dude who played with RamJam!!
Alot of underrated guys.

[crawdad]

+1 on duke levine - my favorite
philip sayce - srv...the next generation. a force of nature live.
jim campilongo - tele incarnate
russ parrish - old GIT instuctor and probably the best rock guitar player i've ever heard

[les]

buzzy feiten

[Lance]

Steve Kimock (doesn't get nearly enough credit for how good he is)
Terry Haggerty
Kazumi Watanabe
Jimmy Herring
Scott Henderson (Fairly well known to guitar players, but not too many others)
Steve Lynch (Amazing abilities) I'm not really into this style of playing these days, but I always thought this guy deserved more recognition.
Jennifer Batten

[les]

+ 1 Terry Haggerty

[kwaves99]

Lance wrote:

Steve Kimock (doesn't get nearly enough credit for how good he is)

+ 1,000 :AOK:AOK:AOK

[K.E.P.]

I have no idea where he is now, but Ross Childress formerly of Collective Soul was incredible the times I had seen him.

[lamf]

Mick Ralphs Bad company Mott The Hoople Mick Ronson Both iconic players who flew under the radar

[The Smith]

Zappa

[YOUNGIE41]

A few underated but influential players:

Nils Lofgrin
Mick Ronson
Nils Rodgers
Snowy White
Mike Campbell
Marc Ford

[reverber8]

Michael Gurley from dada

I'm going to see them tonight!

www.dadatheband.com (http://www.dadatheband.com)

[jeswin123]

Ty Tabor of King's X
Timo Tolkki of Stratovarius
Johnny Marr of The Smiths and others
Phil Keaggy

[MR Haney]

Audley Freed

[Stratocast]

They all are. :AOK

[Tone Disciple]

They all are. :AOK

+1 on that!

How about:
Gary Hoey
Vince Gill
Brad Paisley
Wayne Krantz
Jim Weider
Phil Brown
Greg V

[TwoTubMan]

Guitarist? Randy California. The only effect he ever used was those three songs during his career when he turned his fuzzbox OFF! Thousands of fuzz threads on this board, and this guy is almost never mentioned. And he died while saving his son from drowning. Guitar/Hero.

Bass? John McVie. Buy "Future Games" and play it really loud some time.

:)

[backaxe]

+1 for Mick Ralphs.......TASTEFUL!!!!!!:AOK

[crawdad]

i forgot about greg v. i love his tailgate troubadour cd. dustbowl soundscapes.

[Ken Swanson]

Audley Freed

absolutley!!! The guy is a monster.
Also David Grissom
Dave Holt and John Wedemeyer.:AOK

[Johnnythunders]

Let's see now....

James Williamson
Ron Asheton
Fred "Sonic" Smith
Brian James
Dr Know
Greg Ginn
Dez Cadena
Mike Metoff
Chettah Chrome
Rory Gallagher
Lou Reed
Johnny Ramone
Wata

and well I wouldn't call him underrated but not even rated as a guitar player Johnny Thunders!

[K-Line]

Todd Park Mohr!

[Dana Olsen]

I'll very proudly be the second person to say Martin Barre.I'll gladly be the third, after Ken and yourself.

Also, Mick Abrahms, who played guitar for Tull before Martin Barre, and then for Bloodwyn, is quite underrated, IMHO.

I'll also submit Stephen Bruton, Mark Goldenberg, Robert Cray (Bob Cray is actually an AWESOME player, but seldom gets to stretch out so he can show it). Rick Vito, Jere Mendelsohn, Josh Smith, Kirk Fletcher. How's about "Dangerous" Dan Tolar, Rick Derringer, Doug Pettibone, Andy Timmons, David Torn.

+1000 for Terry Haggerty. Oh, Jerry Donahue, Richard Thompson, Martin Carthy, Alex DeGrassi, Mike Hedges. There are so many

I think that most of the great guitarist who play live we'll, never hear, or hear about, because they're not often recorded. There's a ton of great players out there. Anybody who's toured the country gigging in bars and clubs knows what I'm saying. One of the best cowboy guitar players I ever heard was playing in a little dive in rural North Dakota on a Sunday night. 3 piece band and I swore outside I heard a peday steel and a fiddle too - nope, just guitar, bass, and drums.

Dana O.

[GDking]

Let's see now....

James Williamson
Ron Asheton
Fred "Sonic" Smith
Brian James
Dr Know
Greg Ginn
Dez Cadena
Mike Metoff
Chettah Chrome
Rory Gallagher
Lou Reed
Johnny Ramone
Wata

and well I wouldn't call him underrated but not even rated as a guitar player Johnny Thunders!


No no not OVERrated, UNDERrated!

[Fengato]

A bit off topic:
There was a thread the other day called ‘the best guitarist in America’ (seems to have been deleted.) It featured a Youtube vid of a picker playing a double neck guitar (half tele-like, half steel guitar.) Who was that underrated player? :)

[backaxe]

Almost forgot Stephen Stills......

[pete n.]

Alex Lifeson (very underrated)

Pat Thrall (& Pat Travers too)

Adrian Legg

Bill Nelson

[DonR]

A bit off topic:
There was a thread the other day called ‘the best guitarist in America’ (seems to have been deleted.) It featured a Youtube vid of a picker playing a double neck guitar (half tele-like, half steel guitar.) Who was that underrated player? :)

Junior Brown maybe :)

[arthur]

+1 Randy California.
Ernie Isley
Roland Bautista (check all music, if you don't believe me)
Craig Snyder

[Third Stone]

Joe Moma. Everyone asks me "who's Joe Moma?"

[YOUNGIE41]

Johnny Marr - unique and underated

[alvagoldbook]

in my opinion Johnny Ramone and Ron Asheton are way under rated.

[bforest4]

Billy Corgan had some killer leads on Smashing Pumpkins
Lyle Workman - Sting, Beck, but check out his solo records
Richard Fortus - Guns n Roses, Psychedelic Furs
Russ Parish currently of Metal Skool(Sunset Strip Metal Cover Band, he is a way better player than most of the people he is covering.)
Oz Noy
Guthrie Govan

[Fengato]

Junior Brown maybe :)
Thanks Don.:AOK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPpAbhLKRnU

[stu2]

David Hildalgo of Los Lobos

[Fengato]

David Hildalgo of Los Lobos
+ 1 …the tone that David gets out of his white Firebird on the Cross Roads DVD is so very distinctive. Almost harmonica like.:drool

[dogfood]

Alex Lifeson (very underrated)...



Yeah, Alex Lifeson is just as underrated as Eddie Van Halen.

[Big White Tele]

Me!! I get no respect....

[bstranathan]

philip sayce
audley freed

[Dana Olsen]

Couple other guys came to mind:

Jerry Cortez and Garth Weber, both Marin County guys who are sensationally good layers and songwriters as well. Both of 'em played at one time for the Mark Ford Band. That's Robben's younger bro Mark, who is a terrific singer and harp player.

Garth replaced Robben when Robben left Miles' band - yeah, Miles Davis.

Dana O.

[anyone]

Daniel Lanois
Edge
Shawn Tubbs
Stuart Garrard

All don't seem to get the credit for their scope of skill and influence.

[ByTor]

Alex Lifeson (very underrated)

Pat Thrall (& Pat Travers too)

Adrian Legg

Bill Nelson

Alex Lifeson for sure! It's not his fault though. Even the best of the best will get shadowed by Neil and Geddy.

[wichita]

Matt Henderson...One of the scariest guitarists on Earth

[mojocaster.com]

hmmm... John Mayer?


MUHAAAHAAAHAAHAA...

[Stratofuzz]

Hank Marvin
Nokie Edwards

[miketv]

Marco Pirroni (and Adam) - Adam And The Antz
Ross The Boss - Dictators
Pete Wells - Rose Tattoo
Josh Homme - Kyuss
Graham Coxon - Blur

[TwoTubMan]

The saddest thing is that it took my girlyfriend to lean over my shoulder while I was reading this thread and say, "What about that Richard Thompson guy you're always listening to?"

From the mouths of babes.
I am so ashamed.

[mge80]

Todd Park Mohr!

:eek: :crazy :AOK

[go7]

The late George Harrison. Enjoy!

[dunara]

Dean Parks - almost 40 years of outstanding (and often anonymous) session work.

[guitbeef]

Lenny Breau- he's probably a little too welll known to be genuinely underrated, but I have found that still a lot of players have never heard of him.
And on that note, I should also mention Ted Greene.

[Tuberoast]

Robert Johnson
Bob Margolin
The guitarist for Gentle Giant
Leo Kottke..to name a few

[MrMo]

Chris Duarte--hands down. Why he isn't a household name, I'll never know.

[Kalalau Hiker]

Chris Duarte--hands down. Why he isn't a household name, I'll never know.

:jo because he looks like Tommy Lee Jones on acid and has SUCH SUBTLE "look at me .. I'm so sexy" stage moves! :)

we saw him play a gig last year - for 1 hour I was lovin the bar bash play your ass off quality of it - his tone kinda sucks tho - uses a lot of generic Boss pedals - and he played THREE hours! that was actually kinda cool - but my girlfriend felt head banged at the end!

seemed like a fun guy to hang with!

[Kalalau Hiker]

um ... DUH!! ???

anybody? ...I can't BELIEVE you guys know guitar players! :jo

Winged Eel Fingerling??

http://www.freewebs.com/teejo/crew/band25.jpg


right next to the Captain.

:roll

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLdRh7qdi_g

and what about Zoot Horn Rollo there!


no shred masturbation with THESE guys! :D :nono :roll

[david henman]

1. vince gill - criminally underrated.

2. frank marino

-dh

[JohnSS]

Jorma Kaukonen
Nils Lofgren
Jimmy Vaughan
Richard Lloyd (Television, Matthew Sweet)
Ernie Isley
Tinsley Ellis
Vernon Reid
Bruce Springsteen (great live guitarist)
June Millington
Todd Rundgren
Vince Gill
Marty Stuart
Robbie Robertson
Lee Roy Parnell
Lenny Kravitz

Chris Spedding (listen to "Guitar Jamboree" where he copies Albert King, Chuck Berry, Hendrix, Jack Bruce, Harrison, Clapton, Kossoff, Beck, Page, Townshend, Gilmour, and others)

[drod2045]

not that hes underated, but probably not as well known, but Tim Reynolds (plays with Dave Matthews a lot) since hes the only one i havent seen mentioned yet that i can think of

[BluesRocker]

Many great offerings here ! One could argue that some are not truly "underrated", but "underrated" is such a subjective thing to pin down. Are we talking about relative obscurity versus legendary status, or simply that the talents of these artists are greatly underestimated? And underestimated by whom? Hmmm...

Anyway, I like to think of this thread in terms of "unsung heroes", so I'll add:

Brad Whitford (cos' Joe Perry gets all the glory)
Malcolm Young (cos' brother Angus gets all the glory)
Derek St. Holmes (cos' Ted Nugent got all the glory)

Not to say all that glory wasn't well deserved !

And leave us not forget:

Marc Bolan
Earl Slick
Mick Box
Walter Becker
Larry Reinhardt (aka El Rhino)

[grantgreenfan]

The guy from Foreigner. I like some of his solos, whoever it is.

[Onswah]

Django Reinhardt seems to get brushed off a lot these days.

[VH5150]

I haven't read all 10 pages but Scotty Anderson

[bluegrif]

To my mind, a lot of these are undersung rather than underrated. I would think underrated means "not given enough credit for how good they really are", as opposed to "not many people are familiar with". If you think of it that way, it sort of solves the whole issue about who older guys remember as opposed to some that may have been too young (or not even born) when certain players were popular. So, with that frame of reference, I think players like Johnny Winter do qualify. Simply because his name doesn't tend to be placed along side "highly rated" players like Beck, Clapton, Page, Hendrix, etc., etc.

Now that I've yammered on about what I think of as "underrated", here are some my choices:

Jimmie Vaughn - A lot of people (including players) just don't "get" him. But his sublime playing is minimalistic brilliance.

Anson Funderburgh - Sweet, clean toned blues playing. Sustain from the fingers more than the gain.

Johnny "Guitar" Watson - His fifties stuff just killed and even his 70s and 80s playing is deeper than you think.

[VH5150]

Good call on J Vaughn and Johnny "guitar" Watson
sublime playing is minimalistic brilliance:AOK

[GibsonSGgirl]

That's easy. One of my favourite guitarists of all time, and the reason why I got a SG: Robbie Krieger of the Doors.

Also Roddy Frame, guitarist/singer with the old 80s British group Aztec Camera.

There, that's my 2cents.

[jbylake]

Tommy Bolin, Hands Down! Next would be Robin Trower!:JAM

[Noah]

I know one guy who really was great and never got much recognition-Max Slamer... another one is Rex Carroll. Then there was this guitarist from Illinois in a band called Dexter Riley. Man that guy was awesome! Wish I know who he was.

[84Bravo]

I've read this whole thread...and nobody mentions Steve Cropper. Nobody, unless I missed it. This guy made more hits with fewer notes in all the right places and with great, stupendous, tone. Dig this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Uv-18oG9AE

[jrm]

David Rhodes. The work he does with Peter Gabriel is very inspiring to me. Great tone, and tasy placements.

[bluegrif]

I've read this whole thread...and nobody mentions Steve Cropper. Nobody, unless I missed it. This guy made more hits with fewer notes in all the right places and with great, stupendous, tone. Dig this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Uv-18oG9AE

Cropper would definitely be on my list.

[mge80]

I never thought of Steve Cropper as being underrated. I believe his talent and influence are widely known and acknowledged.

[GibsonSGgirl]

Don't know if this has been mentioned before on here or not, but Mike Bloomfield. :D

[The bear]

Sylvain Luc.




www.myspace.com/josteing (http://www.myspace.com/josteing)

[twferrill]

The Edge
Joey Santiago
Andy Summers

[BluesRocker]

Whoa ! What about:

Kim Simmonds
John Cipollina
Les Dudek
Waddy Watchell
James Burton
Robert Fripp
Matt Andes
Dave Hill
Ronnie Montrose
Bill Nelson
Zal Cleminson
Mike Campbell
Billy Duffy
Steve Hunter & Dick Wagner
J. Geils
Michael Monarch
Sam Andrew
Lenny Kaye
Steve Jones

And we can't forget the lady blues-pickers:

Debbie Davies
Rory Block
Susan Tedeschi

Nor the riot grrls:

Joan Jett
Jackie Chambers
Donita Sparks
Suzi Gardner
Allison Robertson

[KBR]

Jimmie Vaughan
Anson Funderburgh
Johnny Moeller
Doyle Bramhall II
heck even me, Kenny Blue Ray

[kstraine]

Don't hate, but I think Billie Joe Armstrong is a pretty solid and underrated guitarist. I know people are familiar with Dookie and American Idiot, but if you look at Green Day's whole body of work, especially stuff from Warning and Nimrod, you'll see the guitar isn't always just three chords and go. Even though there isn't much lead stuff, often times people overlook how rhythm guitar is really the guitar that'll make or break you. Just look at EVH, sure, legend as a lead player, but everyone underrates the fact that he was a super-solid rhythm player. Alright, down off the soapbox...:BITCH

Gotta love three chords and go.

[billm408]

Malcom. No one ever notices the stuff he does, but ac/dc is just another bar band w/o him. Even Angus says that his brother is the better player. I read an interview once and when asked why he doesn't play any leads, Malcom's answer was that it interferes with his drinking! That's R&R baby!

[Redrum]

RONNIE EARL.

[schaljo]

+1 for Chris Duarte!

Warren Haynes. Why Gov't Mule isn't a household name is just plain wrong!

[mikeyb]

+1 for the following:
Duke Levine
Jim Campilongo
Richard Thompson
Ed Bickert
Mick Goodrick
David Hidalgo
Duke Robillard

Ones I didn't see listed, but might have missed:

Derek Trucks (gives me hope for younger generation...Songlines is a fantastic record)

Jack Pearson Was in Allman Brothers in 97-8. Great slide player and phenomenal regular guitarist. Jazziest guitarist ever in ABB and a complete guitar wizard with fantastic tone and taste.

Cranston Clements Local New Orleans guy who has the history of southern r & b, blues/rock in his hands. I heard him in a club one night with John Mooney and together they played some of the best guitar I've ever heard. His daughter, Annie, is bass player with some big country band.

Snooks Eaglin (THE guitar player of New Orleans R & B, gospel, blues etc. his Black Top albums of the 80s/90s are my fav blues/R & B records of the last 20 years)...he's still alive and kickin hard. Heard him last year in NO and he was fantastic. Killer lead player, killer rhythm, great singer and always the best players in NO in his bands. He often plays with a trio which is great because his own guitar arrangements of the tunes slay what most people would do with lots more instruments to work with. If you're not smiling while Snooks is playing you should look into Prozac.

Phil DeGruy - big Lenny Breau influence...probably the most impressive solo jazz player I've ever heard. Very very unrecognized, even in New Orleans, his hometown. He got asked to be Steely Dan's new guitar player on the strength of his "Innuendo Out the Other" solo record until he had to confess that the solo stuff was really what he did. He's got huge ears and a giant sense of humor as well as amazing chops and a really cool instrument with added harp strings. Blow away player.

John Mooney Completely distinctive player combining deep blues of Son House (who he was friends with in NY in his teens) with the deep New Orleans funk of Professor Longhair, Snooks Eaglin and others. Nobody plays like Mooney. He's a rhythmic force of nature and about as much fun as you can have while staying vertical. Always has killer rhythm sections and writes really great tunes. One of the few modern blues players not just recycling the same old same old.

Habib Koite Fantastic Malian guitarist with an equally amazing band who have been together over a decade. He blends old Malian tradition with an electric rhythm section and his nylon stringed guitar. He writes fantastic songs, plays beautifully and his band is one of the great live music experiences on the planet. He's well known in the world music arena, but not generally known. He has a couple of albums on Putamayo (one of only a few individual artists to do so), but his live album, Foly, is the absolute real deal. It's one of the few live albums I've heard that totally captures how great those guys really are. 7559 stars for that CD.

Dean McGraw Local Twin Cites guy who blends jazz/world music/Irish/African and whatever else he's been listening to into a beautiful amalgum. Really a great player who's collaborated with a who's who of local greats and has a new CD out. He's a very good electric player, but when he plays his old Martin, it's just as good as it gets.

Dean Granros Another Twin Cities local who isn't very well known. Years ago he got mention in a Guitar Player deal about unknowns submitting cool demos. He is a monster jazz player with super advanced harmonic knowledge, massive technique and a penchant for chicken pickin and blues in the right context. He plays in everything from B3 combo type situations to more experimental projects with cello and laptop. I once heard him play in a coffee shop solo doing jazz standards and it was the most amazing solo jazz guitar I've ever heard live. He took those tunes and improvised with the fluidity of a piano player, gradually taking his harmonic inventions further and further out before bringing it all back together. I've never heard a solo jazz guitarist improvise with that fluidity and maybe 3 people were paying any attention. Sometimes the better you are, the fewer people are able to get it.

Phil Heywood Another Twin Cites guy. What can I saw, we're blessed. One of the most beautiful fingerpickers I've ever heard. Deceptively chopsy. He's not flashy, but every note is articulated exactly as he wants it which gives his music fantastic rhythmic drive and a beautiful singing quality. His CDs are great.

Tim Sparks One more TC guy. He's one of the most amazing fingerstyle guitarists on earth. He's played jazz, Brazilian, blues, Balkan, Jewish and whatever other musics cross his ear. I used to think his ear slightly surpassed his chops ability to keep up, but not anymore. He has unbelievable technique and improvisational ability across a huge range of genres....a one man global village. Last time I saw him he just blew a whole room of good-great guitar players completely away. I know he has at least one CD and maybe more on John Zorn's label. Well worth finding.

Ok, I'm done and my lunch break's over.

[flaming_head]

PAUL GILBERT!!!!!!!
Audley Freed!!
Stan Lassiter

[JazzHessian]

Nels Cline, easily.

[LightninBoy]

Tommy Bolin - unbelievable talent and hardly known at all - imagine Jimi dying just before Monterey.

[waxnsteel]

Vito Bratta - Maybe he was doing a lot of what all the other fretboard olympians were doing, but he did it musically.
Bob Alan Deal - Mick Mars - I just love all the parts he wrote and played, riffs, leads, but nobody cares cause it was Motley Crue. Sadly all his bones are trying to fuse together(Ankylosing Spondylitis).
Eric Shenkman - I rarely found the guitar work in the Spin Doctors tunes to be boring or not fit. Great player.
Elliot Easton - Made The Cars musical.
Mike Campbell - Tom Petty would just be Bob Dylan without him.
Richie Sambora - Everybody wants to bag on Bon Jovi, but the guy plays his ass off.

[agreatheight]

Reb Beach from Winger.

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

He's rather underrated, even back in the day. I guess playing with Kip will do that to you. Anyway, he's a very talented player and and an excellent harmony singer.

Flame on!

[billm408]

I love Tommy Bolin! Great songwriter and guitarist- Both Teaser and Private Eyes are still in rotation on the disc changer. He spread himself a little thin during those days he was doing his solo stuff and playing with DP at the same time. A shame we never got to see him fully develop.

[javahut]

Possibly one of the most unknown unheard true masters of slide guitar... Mike Henderson (http://www.mikehenderson.com). First heard and saw him play with Kevin Welch and few times on ACL. I don't care for Kevin Welch, and I don't play slide, but I would love to have those performances on DVD to see Mike lay down his thick greasy retro tones... never over plays... always lays down the choicest licks. Sonny Landreth eat your heart out.:AOK

http://www.javahutd.com/MikeHenderson.jpg

[jb70]

ben monder

[XKnight]

Gary Moore.

[Bloozman]

This guy is not only underated, he is my favorite guitarist of all time...I met him in the 60's in Chicago, and have followed his career and he is still playing the blues as we speak. His name is Kal David, and he has influenced me more than any other guitarist...You can listen to him at www.kaldavid.com (http://www.kaldavid.com)

Its amazing to me that Kal has never been "discovered"...he is one of those guys that has always been just a little under the radar, and never got the national attention he deserves. One of his band members from an early band "The Exceptions" is Peter Cetera. Also, a keyboardist named Marty Grebb (Buckinghams and Bonnie Raitt) was also in that band.

Again, Kal is a truly great player, and a real gentleman too. Classy guy all the way. I cant say enough about him!:JAM

[OldRhoadsFan]

Roy Clark. I saw him live in Nashville back in the '80s and he did this totally awesome jazz-country fusion thing that just blew my mind.

[takakat]

Glen Campbell

[avincent52`]

+1
David Hidalgo
Skunk Baxter
Duke Levine
Jim Campilongo
and if you can consider him underrated
Richard Thompson

I'll add (Electric subdivision)
Marc Ribot
Bill Frisell (who's kind of the Richard Thompson of jazz)

Acoustic?
Where do I begin
Wayne Henderson (bluegrass and old time flatpicking with fingerpicks)
Eddie Pennington (the reincarnation of Merle Travis)
Ernie Hawkins (A remarkable country blues player, especially his Rev. Gary Davis material)
Howard Emerson (a lyrical fingerstyle player who makes magic in crossed tunings)
Paul Asbell (a monster blues fingerstylist with a seriously jazzy bent)


And a bunch of amazing bluegrass pickers: Bryan Sutton, Robert Shafer, Roy Curry to name three.

best
Allen

[fenderpro]

marv tarplin (smokey robinson's guitar player)criminally ignored...and billy butler, the guy who played on Honky Tonk.

[Bloozman]

marv tarplin (smokey robinson's guitar player)criminally ignored...and billy butler, the guy who played on Honky Tonk.


Forgot about Butler...great player...but what about George Barnes??..he played the guitar solo on the Connie Francis song "Lipstick On Your Collar"..great solo, and the guy played jazz too..

[BluesRocker]

Wow, how did I forget:

Andy Powell
Jim McCarty
Clem Clempson
Hughie Thomasson
Toy Caldwell
Jeff Healy
Ian Moore
Albert Lee
Tommy Emmanuel

Dave Hole (exceptional slide player with a unique style)

[jpastras]

Man, nobody hears Albert Lee and rates him a "2" on a "10" scale. People don't hear Paul Gilbert and go, "That guy can NOT play guitar."

Ronnie Earl- I've seen blues players watch him live and wet themselves.

Duke Robillard - Ronnie Earl watches him live and wets himself.

Chris Duarte throws a scare into everybody in the room when he does his thing.
These guys are under-recognized, but NOBODY wrongly maligns them or ignores their significance as really gifted players. When you hear Lyle Workman, you know he's better than you, no matter who you are (really, the guy's just weirdly good beyond anything normal). He gets a very high rating from the majority of people who know what they're talking about, and a lot of people that don't.

When I think of under-rated players, I think of guys like:
Mike Campbell (need a hook?)
Elliot Easton
Robert Cray
Chris Whitley
Robert Quine
Richard Llloyd

[Alejandro]

Steve Morse, the most versatile guitar player. He can play any style, with any guitar, from ultra fast licks to sweet and slow melodies, from simple to complex... and all without any strain, always smiling. He makes me crazy :crazy

[john]

Eddie Hazel, especially his Funkadelic years. Maggot Brain should be essential listening for guitar players.

john

[Bluesfingers]

:RoCkIn Larry McCray--blues artist from Saginaw MI!

[Surfkat]

John Martyn - I heard some of his stuff from the 70s and I swore I was listening to some early unreleased U2 record.

Doc Watson - nobody is living upstream of this guy.

Freddy King - without him Clapton, Hendrix and SRV got nothing to start from.

[Stratophile]

Buddy Guy-God's want to be him (Clapton, Hendrix)

Mr. Roy Buchanon- Can anyone play with emotion like this guy?

[Nolatone Ampworks]

Danny Gatton


Roy Buchanon (spelling?)

If it weren't for Roy, Gatton may not be well enough known to be in the list.

I'll add Bill Kirchen too,

and 10,000 other guys who are amazing players and get out and do their thing for $100 a man per night...WITHOUT USING A POD :moon

Paul

[grill]

i saw david crosby in a 4 piece band and i was pretty much totaly impressed with his playing, never figured he could hold up without alot of backup.
real different than csny stuff.
they were stripped down rockin, he's got a great rock voice too.
this was around 85'? only familier with his earlier stuff. so i didn't know any of the other players.

[wstsidela]

Eddie Hazel, especially his Funkadelic years. Maggot Brain should be essential listening for guitar players.

john

:BEER

[YOUNGIE41]

Phil Manzanero - Does'nt waste a note & knows how to give a song class and dynamics.

[jpastras]

The guy from Roxy Music? Wow! Yeah, I gotta hand it to you, totally under-rated guitar player.

[bikeplate]

HI

Ty Tabor

Rob

[lspaulsp]

Prince?! Bill Kirchen?! Johnny Winter?! Are you guys for real? Who doesn't consider these gents among the best?

Everybody but us!!!!! Add Jimmy Thackery

[bosstone]

Johnny Winter
Blues Saraceno
Phil Brown
Joe Walsh
Steve Stevens

[bosstone]

Johnny Winter
Blues Saraceno
Phil Brown

[yZe]

I am the most underrated guita - - - oh wait

I am the most UN-rated guitarist

[Ed-Venture]

Gerry McGee
Mitch Holder
Marc Cooper

[todd richman]

Todd Richman
John Buday
Chris Belucci

[jellyroll]

+1 for George Harrison.
Jesus, I think evey fill, interlude and solo that guy did was melodic magic.


+100000000000000000

[jellyroll]

How can we put George Harrison in to this category?
He was the guitarist for the best rock group of all time.
I know that he was not as popular as John and Paul but he was one of the most recognized face in the world.

besides this post, when was the last time you heard someone talk about Harrison's guitar playing?

[jellyroll]

That's easy. One of my favourite guitarists of all time, and the reason why I got a SG: Robbie Krieger of the Doors.

I think It's about DAMN time someone said it!!!
A very big +1

[stratman89]

Jeff Skunk Baxter?

Great influence for me in the 70's

[ttuck]

+1 for Frank Marino - I've seen him a few times, he's an amazing player.

[WurstBurst]

Lindsey Buckingham.

I'm not a huge fan of Fleetwood Mac, but that guy has some major chops.

[Strat335]

JJ Marsh
Barry Richman
Alan Haynes
Roky Erikson
Kelly Schappa
Randy Corner
lots of great and underappreciated guitarists on this forum, also.


and don't laugh, but I was thinking no one really appreciates Merle Haggard as a guitar player, but he has written hundreds of hit songs on his Martin guitar that guitar players all over the world do every night of the week to make a living, plus he can rip off a pretty good (and sometimes stellar) lead on occasion. I'd say he's underappreciated as a guitarist with an incredible influence.

[snoopy1@isoc.ne]

I'd say Lindsey Buckingham is pretty darn underrated.

I never thought much of him until I was dragged screaming to a Fleetwood Mac concert by an old girlfriend...I had a whole new appreciation of his playing (and the entire band) after that night.


Lindsey Buckingham :dude

[jgnov99]

What a GREAT thread! There's a wealth of great guitar players listed here for all of us to investigate and explore! My votes are:

Duke Robillard
Ronnie Earl
Garth Weber
Dan Toler (Look him up! He Played with the Allman Brothers and the Gregg Allman Band. A phenominal player by any standards!)
Tommy Emmanuel (OMG!!! If you haven't heard this guy you are really MISSING OUT!!!)

[Bart]

Ry Cooder.

[RvChevron]

To my mind, a lot of these are undersung rather than underrated. I would think underrated means "not given enough credit for how good they really are", as opposed to "not many people are familiar with". If you think of it that way, it sort of solves the whole issue about who older guys remember as opposed to some that may have been too young (or not even born) when certain players were popular. So, with that frame of reference, I think players like Johnny Winter do qualify. Simply because his name doesn't tend to be placed along side "highly rated" players like Beck, Clapton, Page, Hendrix, etc., etc.

Now that I've yammered on about what I think of as "underrated", here are some my choices:

Jimmie Vaughn - A lot of people (including players) just don't "get" him. But his sublime playing is minimalistic brilliance.

Anson Funderburgh - Sweet, clean toned blues playing. Sustain from the fingers more than the gain.

Johnny "Guitar" Watson - His fifties stuff just killed and even his 70s and 80s playing is deeper than you think.

I totally agree!! And a lot times it's not how complex or fast they play but how simple yet the whole package (tone, feel, compsosition...etc) just makes me go WOW!

[elicious]

Cornell Dupree

Ike Turner

Shuggie Otis

Frank Zappa

Peter Green (sure, WE know who he is but how many people who listen to Fleetwood Mac have ever heard of him?;))

[theBruce]

Dick Wagner.

[rastus]

Hell, I am, ask anyone I've talked to lately! Ok, seriously...Al Anderson when he eas with NRBQ. There.

[Redfish]

How about Monte Montgomery?

[Izy]

In addition to those that had been mentioned.

I wish to add:

Paul Jackson Junior
Tommy Emmanuel
Gutherie Govan
Shaun Baxter
The late Eric Roche

[Vibrolucky]

Check him out on You Tube!

[K-Line]

Brian Mathus!

[cube]

Buckethead,
Guthrie Govan.
Bumblefoot
Dweezil Zappa

[pickaguitar]

Jason Hayes

[RP Rad]

Steve Stevens
David Grissom
Jeff Blando
Mike Nuggen
Gary Hoey

:cool:

[rooster]

And, of course, not only the most underrated guitarist in history, but the most unappreciated on this thread,

Buck Dharma. Only player like him.

rooster.

[jezzzz2003]

Probarbly some guy who sits at home and doesnt play out, theres sooo many of these dudes, anyones bound to be a good player if they play alot, unless theyre just born without it.

[verdemi]

=Guy from Idaho;820845 Johnny Winter :dude :dude :dude :dude :dude

Shame what became of this guy--he is gravely ILL, but they (his backers--money hogs) still tour him. They walk him on stage. Put him in his spot, wind him up, and he plays (like shit--a shadow of his old self).

I was at Fillmore East the night when he was a ball of fire recording the live Johnny Winter AND record--with Rick Derringer. He was great that night as the record shows...

How's it going Guy? Been a very very long time. I still have that Jekyl and Hyde pedal you gave me for free many many years ago.

verdemi

[Birdy]

Mike Ness...great song writer, killer tone.

[Bloomfield fan]

Doyle Bramhall II

[Mullet Kingdom]

Romeo Rose :dude

[anxiousmofo]

Bob Weir.

[citolja]

if you really want to go back to old school sound,and maybe the one who started the whole " Grunge" sound would be "Dave Davies" of The KinKs

[drod2045]

you can say John Mayer is either the most overrated and yet underrated for how much hate he generates here saying he cant play

[mockoman]

Howard Leese,formerly of Heart.

[arfalax]

Michael Gurley from dada

I'm going to see them tonight!

www.dadatheband.com (http://www.dadatheband.com)

+1 on Michael Gurley, love Dada. They never come to TX!:nono

[Kalalau Hiker]

surprised no one has mentioned Blind Boy Smegmahopper

[mumford]

Me.

-Steve S.

[eddie101]

Rory Gallagher and Rick Derringer. Jimmy Page in his hey day could not carry their respective dirty underwears and yet he gets all the publicity. Life is not fair, is it?

[citolja]

Dave Davies of the KinKs

[seeker]

Haven't seen his name pop up, but John Abercrombie really shredded in a little jazz club in Hermosa Beach many years ago.

[Rock Johnson]

Most underrated guitarists ever:

Phil Keaggy
Bob Hartman of Petra
Rex Carroll of Whitecross
Glenn Kaiser of Rez

[RDM]

- Steve Cropper (Booker T. & The MGs)
- Jim Heath (Reverend Horton Heat)
- Leo Nocentelli (The Meters)
- Robby Krieger (The Doors)
- Nigel Tufnel (Spinal Tap)

Now.....when is the OVERrated guitar player thread going to start?

[waylay00]

Eric Gales and Barry Richman

[Tuberoast]

Bill Nelson

[Kalalau Hiker]

"WOW - that guy's the greatest guitarist I've EVER heard!"

quoted from Neal Schon after hearing Danny Toan record at Electric Ladyland in 1978 for his "Memories of My Future" album with Larry Coryell's rhythm section, along with Randy and Micheal Brecker. It was never released to to "creative differences" w the A hole Rec Execs. Danny just told em to F off and walked away with nada, but kept his integrity.

and Neal heard Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, McLaughlin, and Carlos Santana - live and up close. that's quite a statement.
Others that might agree : Larry Coryell and Miles Davis - they both wanted Danny to tour with em. Billy Cox also stated no ever had Jimi down like Danny did, after Danny played with Billy and Buddy Miles in Band of Gypsy's reunion gigs in 1988. Covered in Guitar Player back then.

[The Last Rebel]

Ted Nugent
You can't understand how good he is till you've seen him live, he's like nothing else.
Alex Lifeson
He's been outshined, come on it's easy to go unnoticed when you've got one of the greatest rock drummers in you band, and one of the best, most inventive bassists in your band. He made me want to play guitar, he's an amazing guitarist, and it wouldn't be Rush without Lerxst.

[John Bell]

Keith Scott
Barry Bailey
Barry Richman
Jeff Carlisis
Dan Toler
Steve Ferris
Tom Principato
Tom Johnston
Andrew Gold
Ed King

[Shades]

here's a handful off the top of my head

Ray Gomez

Catfish Collins

Harold Bradley

David Lindley (known but often underrated)

Tiny Grimes

Aubrey Ghent

Hugh McCracken

Roger Fisher

Mike Hampton

John Stowell

Terje Rypdal

Earl Hooker

Matt Murphy (tons of people only know him as the blues brother guy)

Wayne Bennett

David Creamer

Billy Butler

Jimmy Raney

Jimmy Wyble

Jimmy Rogers

Louis Myers

Linc Chamberland

Mel Brown

Josh Smith

Kid Andersen

Tim Volpicella

Derek O' Brien

Billy Johnson

Billy Rogers

Mark Korpi

Hershel Yatovitz

[tonepolice]

Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and the heartbreakers....very articulate...very tasteful....extremely underrated.

[Bobbofallenstar]

People either love or hate The Edge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Edge). But no one can deny that he created a new vocabulary for the guitar. Never when you are listening to him do you think; "I wonder who this guitar player is?" And never a wasted note.

Always plays to the song and not to his ego.

Marty Willson-Piper (http://www.myspace.com/martywillsonpiper) from the Church. Jangly, melodic and awesome. Listen to the way they weave on the song "Reptile" (from Starfish) - there isn't a single guitar chord played in the whole song. It's a Rickenbacker and a Vox but it doesn't sound Beatle-y at all!

Danny Ott. (http://www.guitardoctorwest.com/) He should be a household name. But he ain't. I've only seen his name in print once and it was in the Orange County Weekly's "Best of Orange County" issue. It was #1 - Junior Watson, #2 Dick Dale, #3 Danny Ott, #4 Rusty Anderson, #5 Matt Barnes. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Whether he's playing a flying V or a Gretsch C.G. He is simply amazing.

[buddatron]

K. K. Downing.
Does anyone know how to get that "K.K." tone going?

[echobaseone]

K. K. Downing.
Does anyone know how to get that "K.K." tone going?
As Jan Brady was wont to say, "MARSHALL, MARSHALL, MARSHALL!"
also, big +1 for Marty Willson-Piper.

[NeoConMan]

Finally saw Roger Fisher in here. All the early (good) Heart stuff was him.
Steve Lukather? Under rated? EVERYBODY knows who he is.
Mick Ralphs is one of my favorites.
Mike Campbell IS Tom Petty when you talk guitar.
Don Felder IS the Eagles when you talk guitar. Joe Walsh is not under rated, we all know him.
Lindsay Buckingham.
Audley Freed. Get BOTH albums by Cry Of Love!
David Grissom. I met him after years of listening, he was a prick. Sorry.
Dave Holt
Neil Geraldo of Pat Benatar fame. That guy smokes!
Jeff Carlisi/Don Barnes .38 Special
Mick Jones of Foreigner made me wanna play guitar.
Billy Duffy of The Cult
Neal Schon of Journey. Under rated? Damn good.
Vince Gill. I saw him live, he can PLAY! Of course, alot of country cats can play.

Rhythm guys who never get their due;
Paul Stanley of Kiss
Malcom of AC/DC
Sammy Hagar. This guy can ROCK!

[amc]

Todd Sharp
Tom Bukovac
Jeff Golub
Phil Keaggy
Jack Zucker

[rburkard]

Sonny Landreth

[pickaguitar]

Phil Keaggy
Jason Hayes
Jimmy Raney

[Bantha]

+1 on Lindsey Buckingham

[Backless]

Ted Horowitz A.K.A. Popa Chubby. This guy has monster chops and tone and can play just about any style.

[padols]

+1 on Danny Gatton
+1 on Bill Kirchen
How bout some props for Rick Miller if he hasn't been mentioned. A monster in his own right.

[MartinC]

Matt Schofield (http://www.mattschofield.com).

I just picked up his latest album (ear to the ground). I can hear tone and feel like Robben Ford, BB King, Clapton (in his more straight blues moments ... like on "Riding with the King") and Ray Beadle (Australian jump blues master). Plus his own style. Not all at the same time, but they're in there and the joins are seamless, and it works in such a way that it sounds totally convincing rather than borrowed.

The site has some sound clips. Would recommend to anyone into the straight and/or funky ends of blues/jazz :BluesBros

[macheesmo3]

Duane Denison ( Jesus Lizard , Denison Kimball Trio , Tomohawk , Hank III...)

Richard Thompson

Junior Brown ( seeing him live is a real treat )

[NeoConMan]

Todd Sharp
Tom Bukovac
Jeff Golub
Phil Keaggy
Jack Zucker

Golub was with Billy Squier for all his big stuff in the eighties, right?

[Rdahmen]

andy aledort!

[troykennedy]

Just saw Rush last night.
Alex Lifeson has never goten the props he deserves in my opinion.

[arfalax]

Got about 6 pages in and saw Bill Nelson....vastly underrated Lester player with BBD.

Elliot Ingber.....Mothers/Little Feat/Beefheart "I've known guys that are great guitar players, but they've got such high standards of themselves that they're complete jerks, and nobody will play with them. And then there are those guys that are so scared! There's a guy, Elliot Ingber from the group, The Winged Eeled Fingerling - who is such an amazing guitar player but thinks he's terrible. He played guitar on the Mother's Freak Out album, and with Captain Beefheart. One time I was jamming with Elliot and Jimi Hendrix, and Hendrix stopped playing to listen to the guy! But in front of an audience, nothing - the guy's scared stiff! " Lowell George

Gotta love that guy.....:munch

[stephax]

Nels Cline and Eddie Hazel (already mentioned)
Plus :
Cary DeNigris
Carl Verheyen
Reeves Gabrels
Jean-Marie Ecay