100 top guitarists

[Alan Prudhoe]

The Shadows have always made it look so easy.

[John Haldane]

maybe if hank had smashed a few Strats uo on stage and Cliff had thrown some tv's out hotel of hotel windows things might have been different.
John H

[Martin Payne]

Well I think it's a jolly good show that 5 of the top 10 are British! And arguably Hendrix only made it when he came to the UK - so that would make it 6 of the top 10.

Now where's me Union Jack.....

[Bluesnote]

Rolling Stone magazine have just published another meaningless list of the top 100 guitarists of all time. As to be expected, many are American. But most if not all of the British ones listed were hugely influenced by Hank Marvin. Of course, HBM does not feature! Inevitably Hendrix is number one - I wonder if he would have been had he not died so young?
Here is the link.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists ... s-20111123
Tim

Jimi Hendrix would always have made it. He was the biggest inspiration to all us older guitarists whether you like to admit it or not.
I could see nobody better than Hank Marvin til Jimi appeared.
The things he could do with a guitar at the time blew everybody away big style.
If you listen to his music even now, it is still as if it was done yesterday.
He has been the biggest inspiration to most of the most famous guitarists of our time.
He might not have had 'that sound' or played through an AC 30 but he took music of the time to a new level and therefore totally deserves his place at the top imo.
Hugh.

[donna plasky]

Speaking of Chuck Berry, was the "Hail Hail Rock n Roll" documentary from the late 1980s broadcast anywhere besides the US? Did you ever see it? It was on TV recently in my part of the US, and I was really impressed with the scene shown in the YouTube video below. Chuck Berry and Keith Richards were rehearsing "Oh Carol" and Keith apparently did not bend the strings correctly on a particular chord, and Chuck immediately corrected him...rather tersely, I might add. To Keith's credit, he responded very professionally and simply made the adjustment...and they went on rehearsing.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hail!_Hail!_Rock_'n'_Roll

Best wishes,
Donna

[Tim]

Hi Hugh
I have played the guitar since 1963 so fall into your older guitarists category! Of course Jimi H made an amazing impact in 1967 when he first appeared, (especially when my friends spotted that Noel Redding was in his band - NR had played locally in the area where I grew up) but he was not such an influence on me. Not quite my taste in music - nothing to do with 'that sound' or AC30s or Strats (which of course he played). I prefer more melodic playing, even when it comes to the blues and rock, eg Mark Knopfler. Jimi's output was inevitably limited, and the original Experience broke up quite soon. My memory is that JH's star was in decline when he died in 1970 - he was certainly not on his best form at the IoW festival just before his death. Hence my comment. Of course he is hugely influential - but I still wonder what he would be doing if he had survived and whether the aura surrounding him would still be there. James Dean springs to mind: a legend after three films that can never be affected by later work.
Best wishes
Tim

[phil kelly]

As usual no mention of the late great Gary Moore, for me and countless others the finest Melodic rock and blues guitar player ever and a HUGE loss , in interviews he often mentioned how much Hank was an influence on him in the early days and how much he respected Him as a guitarist, and in Garys vast catalogue of music you can hear the wonderful melodic feeling in his playing he so masterfully developed over the years , ironic how some players in the list were inspired by Hank, yet they are there and he is not ? as dear Dick Denney said to me years ago with ref to the early days of Vox , without Hank we wouldnt have had the ac30 ( and that comes from the chief designer ) and another example of Hank being overlooked and so annoying is when you read the book VOX The JMI YEARS, The Beatles on the front cover, yes the Shadows get a mention but come on , where,s Hank as far as his input to Dick to create the ac30 ? in my opinion the foreward of the book should be dedicated to the true pioneers of Vox, Hank and the Shadows ! Dick would say " you know how it was cuz , dont you "( he called most people cuz when he got to know them ) you,ll tell the story,and i think thats what we have to do, we all must continue to sing from the same song sheet about the genius Hank Marvin, and all the members of the shadows , i personally dont do the " whos the best " at anything list , its what matters to you personally, ive seen kids that could blow away some of the names on that list and they will never get a lookin , but thats life and we recognise them and others as the " unsung heroes ",
Phil.

[dave robinson]

Totally agree with Phil in all of his last post. It isn't a contest and whovever made it into one needs a rag mans trumpet inserting somewhere.
If this is a list about the best, how can Tommy Emmanuel, Chet Atkins, Merle Travis and the like, be behind players such as Keith Richard and Hendrix and the other dross listed there - do me a favour . . . . .

PS - I didn't notice one of the all time great rock'n'rollers, Eddie Cochran

[dave robinson]

Just had another look, it seems that Hank is in good company being left out - no Big Jim Sullivan, Jimmy Page, Albert Lee, Merle Travis to name a few, looks like it's a poll done by a bunch of ignoramousus, or summat.

[Tim]

Just had another look, it seems that Hank is in good company being left out - no Big Jim Sullivan, Jimmy Page, Albert Lee, Merle Travis to name a few, looks like it's a poll done by a bunch of ignoramousus, or summat.

Jimmy Page is number 3 behind Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. But I agree with the tenor of Dave and Phil's comments. I wish I hadn't posted this really! Causing too much high blood pressure, including my own.
Tim