Glad to see Buck Dharma getting recognized. His live solo work is just… wow. He gets my vote.

(Seriously, check out his work on “Some Enchanted Evening”)

Anyone who thinks Fogherty, give me a break! He was a singer, primarily. Name any good song by CCR, and Its good because of the lyrics and singing, the guitar work is not impressive. I know Im forgetting many greats, but here goes: Alex Lifeson, Jagori Tanna, Chuck Schuldiner, Andy Laroque. Tanna because he has sooooo much style, and hes an amazing composer. Also, no one tops Jag at funk guitar, not even close, and he battled John Petrucci for christs’ sake (while opening for Dream Theater)! Definately Jag Tanna. But Alex Lifeson gets overlooked because he’s accompanied by the best bass player ever (other than possibly Les Claypool), and one of the most influential drummers of all time, Neil Peart. Alex Lifeson writes more solos that make me shiver than anyone else. He ices his technical prowess with intense passion. I bet most of you have no idea who Schuldiner and Andy Laroque are… Pioneers of melodic death metal. Listen to the song Overactive Imagination by the Schuldiner’s band Death. Laroques solo is definately the sexiest one ever written.
Les Paul is not underrated, he’s forgotten because his music sucked
Angus Young is the most OVERRATED of all time.

ELVIN BISHOP

Close second, Paul Gillbert. For all the same reasons.

Everyone ranks John Patrucci up there in the top 15, but I really think he is still the most underrated and this is why. After about number 20, it gets very difficult to pick the proper order of ability. If you have ever heard any of Dream Theater’s work (you will have to endure the weak lead vocals) you will know that they play some really technical key signatures and changes. Patrucci plays some, if not THE most technical solos breathtakingly cleanly. In many lists of the top shredders, I see some sentimental picks that a truly discerning judge of ability would place below Patrucci. My placement would put him 5 or 6 from 10 or 11, where he is ranked now. At this top level of competition, this makes him the most underrated in my book.

Honestly, I’m all for Elliott Smith. So underrated, and so talented. Totally forgotten, too. He played the Oscars, for Christsake! He was truly an amazing artist and a beautiful songwriter as well. The man could play 8 instruments. Beat that.

RIP Elliott

Chris Oliva (savatage)
Kai Hansen (helloween)
Donald Roeser (Blue Oyster Cult)
Mick Bolton (UFO)
“Dimebag” Darell Abbott (Pantera)

Chris Oliva (savatage)
Kai Hansen (helloween)
Donald Roeser (Blue Oyster Cult)
Mick Bolton (UFO)
“Dimebag” Darell Abbott (Pantera)

Isaac Guillory, Lindsey Buckingham, Phil Keaggy

Turn off the lights, be sure you have not distractions, Turn on MAGGOT BRAIN by Funkadelic and just listen. Don’t think about anything. Just listen. At about 7:25 into the song you actually hear his guitar cry. One of (not THE) but one of the most underrated is Eddie Hazel. Now take this and run with it. He inspired both Prince and John Frusciante. (Two other underrated guitarists)

Go Maggot Brain

Mick Mars

Josh Homme
Matt Bellamy
Dean Deleo
Daniel Johns

Dean Ween is the most underrated guitarist of all time. Ween is the most underrated band of all time. If more people knew Ween, and didn’t look at them as a parody joke band, they would be at the top of a lot more of these lists.

Some of you guys seriously make me sick, you say Ace Frehley isn’t underrated even though he was the first guitarist ever to tap, he has influenced Dimebag Darrell, Eddie Van Halen, Scott Ian, Pearl JAms guitarist etc. and yet you still don’t think hes underrated!? He was the lead guitarist of one of the top 10 greatest hard rock bands in KISS, and yeah, Ace plays with soul, when he plays it comes from deep within, go listen to live “Shock Me”, “Firehouse”, or “LEt Me Go, Rock ‘n’ Roll” and it becomes very easy to understand why he is the major influence of so many guitarists. Anyone who thinks Ace isn’t underrated is a fucktard period, and to think that Joan Jhett or fucking Bruce Springsteen are on this list makes me sick.

tom verlaine is one of the best guitarists to walk the earth…

i’d like to add wes montgomery, nick drake, kevin shields, andy gill, colin moulding, sterling morrison, and the incredible reeves gabrels to the pool.

Don Henley
Mike Oldfield
Andy Summers
Chris Spedding
Paul McCartney
George Harrison (slide!)

These 3 should be in the top 25 if not the top 10 of “underrated” guitarists.

1. Roine Stolte - The Flower Kings
2. Steve Hackett - (formerly of Genesis)
3. John Petrucci - Dream Theater

Steve rothery from Marillion is waay to underrated!!
HE is one of worlds best guitarist.

Todd Rundgren

what about Neil Schon???? David Gilmore needs to be on that list too!!

What about Gary Richrath of Reo Speedwagon? He is as fast as anyone on anyone’s list short of Malmsteen and Dimebag, and he has terrific tone. Listen to the live version of Ridin’ the Storm Out, or Golden Country, or Back on the Road Again(features two top 100 solos)

Hey, why am I not on the list?

Actually, what about

RICHARD JOHNSTON?

And…
JO E SATRIANI
STEVE VAI
Eric JOHNSON
…they’re pretty good.

One day the world will wake from it’s stupor of droning guitar pulp (The Edge, Kirk Cobain, Keith Richards, Lou Reed!! JEEESUS.. give me a break..). And see DEAN WEEN as a true guitar GOD. He could mop these fuckers up with 2 fingers.

Colin Cripps of Kathleen Edwards band. The emotion behind each note is what creates the haunting/longing atmosphere of her songs.

Ed King, just for the amazing work on “Sweet Home Alabama”

John Frusciante (RHCP)
Neil Young
Omar Rodriguez (The Mars Volta)
Mike McCready (Pearl Jam)
Adam Jones (Tool)
Josh Homme (QOTSA)

I’m having server problems and I just had it again after I posted all of my comments again!

Warren Haynes - Govt Mule
Mike McCready - Pearl Jam
Marty Friedman - Megadeth
Lindsey Buckingham - Fleetwood Mac
Dave Maniketti - Y&T
Ronnie Montrose - Montrose, Gamma
Ted Nugent
Prince
Tom Morello

John Frusciante the best

Terry Kath…so underated many of you are saying, “Who?”

Listen to any of the first 10 Chicago albums..some of his licks are amazing. The album, “Live at Carnegie Hall” provides a great example of Kath “freestylin” his guitar.

I challenge people to go listen to that album (or any of the first 10 albums) and then continue to say he doesn’t even deserve to be in the Top 100.

As mentioned below, Jimi Hendrix is on record as saying that Terry Kath was an “idol” for him. So, if the Number 1 guitarist thinks there was one better than himself, where should we list Terry Kath?

What has happened to everyone’s memory?

TED NUGENT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =O3J-XYnZHfU

BONNIE RAITT
http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Z04r_tlWdRs

Matthew Bellamy

The late Terry Kath of Chicago. Jimi Hendrix said that Kath was a better guitarist than he was.
Also, Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna fame - a truly amazing player

Joe Bonamassa!

The end, the end, the end.

Vivian Campbell
Joe Walsh
Don Felder
C. C. DeVille
Tommy Shaw

Look, people like Vernon Reid, Steve Howe, Thurston Moore, Robert Fripp and Nels Cline aren’t under-rated!! Playing guitar is what they do and are known for (have you ever heard someone talk about “Larks Tongues in Aspic” who doesn’t know Fripp plays gutiar?). Maybe they’re not well known, but they’re not underrated.

Great guitarists who are known for something such as songwriting or singing often have their guitar playing overlooked. So, underrated:

Prince, Mick Jones, Syd Barrett, Willie Nelson, Robert Smith, Cat Stevens, Al Stewart…

Michael Schenker should be in the top 10. If you disagree listen to UFO’s Strangers in the Night, or Michael Schenker Group’s One Night in Budokan and then let me know if you still disagree.

Also, Matthias Jabs from the Scorpions is WAY underrated.

Reeves Gabrels (now in Nashville, btw)

New YorK Doll 2,

Besides me and MM, you just might be the coolest person alive!!!
Way to stand up for your band!

Remember UNDERRATED GUITARISTS!!!

So therefore, I submit:

Steve Rothery of Marillion

Oh yeah and the ONLY REASON why Bob Ezrin used Dick Wagner on ONE CUT off the Kiss Destroyer album is because Ace was partying too hard and could not be found.
That’s it.
He plays all the other solos on the rest of the album.
Now since you point out session players sneakin’ in solos then i guess you might as well put down Aeromsmith’s Joe Perry because “Train’ kept a rollin” off Get your wings was played by Lou Reed’s Steve Hunter.
Yes those killer leads are freakin Steve Hunter so i guess that also makes Joe Perry a turd even though he’s one of the best hard rock guitarrists ever.
Slash i respect your opinions but i gotta stand up for Ace so i gotta put my two cent in.
I call on all the Kiss Army and stand up for Ace because he TRULY deserves respect.
The rest of Kiss instrumental wise can fuck off except Paul who’s a damn good vocalist.

Here’s a lesson in guitar playing.
Guitar playing mixes in with musicianship.
If a guiarrist is able to compose a picture perfect fits like a glove solo for a song then that makes them a damn good artist.
Guitar playing is not only about technique, it’s about having your own sound and style.
It’s about feeling and meaning what you play when you play it.
Now for those of you who look down upon ace well i rather hear a guitarrist who stirs my soul with guts and glory playing then a guitarrist who plays ten thousand notes in one second.
Ace’s solos are brilliant and more than anything they’re memorable.
Ace is an inspired artist who plays from the heart and it’s as real as it gets.
That to me is a great guitarrist.
Need examples then open your ears and close your eyes then listen to the BLISTERING guitar work of “Shock me” which is a perfectly constructed guitar solo or “Makin’ Love”which simply smokes and is not easy feat to play or “Calling dr. Love” which burns with more fire and balls then most of those stupid speed demons who shred out forgettable caffeine buzz solos that fizzle out once the buzz is gone.
Ace Frehley kicks fuckin ass so open up your ears and EDUCATE YOURSELVES>
There are MANY aspects to be being a guitarrist/artist besides speed blinding technique.

Two very good guitarists which are underrated are:
1)Dean DeLeo (STP, Army of Anyone)
2)Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters)

as a bonus to my readers, I’ll throw in an additional name
3)Prince

Ray Toro is the best guitarist in the world and I love his afro because I have one 2

P.S. join the Afro parade!!!!!!!!!

70. yeah, i see what you mean. most critics are fuckin’ douche bags anyway. most of ‘em are musical failures so they think that everyone who doesn’t see it their way is an idiot. maybe we should put our heads together or come with our own lists and compare(not really i’m too fuckin’ tired) but you know what i mean. fuck ‘em, he’s a tool!

That’s cool. I’m a drummer myself and I got my own studio situation and I’m recording my own record. vocals, guitars, drums, keyboards. all me baby. and it’s gonna fuckin’ rule! i got sick of the politics with bands, so i’m gonna do it all myself. it’s under the name rockstar butterfly. that’s the name of my “band” when i’m finished, then i’ll put the band together. it’s not an “Axlish” situation. it’s more “Lennyish” but it’s pure rock and it’s gonna rip. you’ll hear from me again!
here’s the deal. i grew up on staten island and there was this drum teacher named john sarracco. and he was phenominal. he turned out a bunch of drummers who all were jazz fusion guys who could play neil peart note for note. so basically, it was almost impossible to get a gig unless you played like peart. well, i didn’t and still can’t, i decided to pursue my heros john bonham and stewart copeland. all those guys could out-rudiment me and out roll me. but where are they now? who knows? i’m the only left still rocking and rolling. so sometimes i get a little touchy about the whole technique. now that i trust myself, i look back now and realize that one of those guys could rock. they could “roll” but not rock! so here it is. i have to admit i really dug steven when he was playing with you guys cause he had a vibe and a fuck all attitude which i always like in my rock stars. i always felt like he “fuck you. I bring it simple, but i still rule. maybe someday i’ll jam with ya! i can rip it up pretty damned good!
peace! keep rockin”

Joey Santiago
Albert Hammond Jr. and Nick Valensi
Billy Corgan

Tom Delonge rox my sox, he’s sooooo hot xoxoxo

RockStar Butterfly, I appreciate your considerate responce. I won’t bore the others with Ace anymore, I do get his vibe for sure, I think he’s cool, I just don’t think he’s underrated. The vibe is what makes him good. I did have Dynasty on vinyl, when it came out(Ouch), his best work was drunk on the Tom Snyder show, real funny…and that list from Rolling Stone has got many up in arms. While guitar playing isn’t gymnastics, maybe why he dropped EVH down, but to 70? The guy that wrote that article is always on VH1, I think he was trying to hard to be avant guarde, picking guys like Jack White at 17??? I mean, I appreciate him, but really? He’s trying to be provocative, & its boring. Like “i get it more than you, that’s why Cobain is #13, you just dont’ get it man!”. Please. He’s a fine song writer(overrated, but good), & I know guitar playing is also about creating music, as oppose to shredding(omitting the vai’s, I get it), but this guy went way overboard. “EVH isn’t hip, so he’ll barely be on my list”, please! Joan Jett? She did covers, & just banged away…anyhow, that’s why he wrote this to stir the pot.

people to give you an idea on who’s under-rated here are rolling stone’s top 100 guitarists (so I was wrong in including John Frusciante, he’s appreciated by RS):

The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time
Posted Aug 27, 2003 12:00 AM

1Jimi Hendrix
2 Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band
3 B.B. King
4 Eric Clapton
5 Robert Johnson
6 Chuck Berry
7 Stevie Ray Vaughan
8 Ry Cooder
9 Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin
10 Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones
11Kirk Hammett of Metallica
12 Kurt Cobain of Nirvana
13 Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead
14 Jeff Beck
15 Carlos Santana
16 Johnny Ramone of the Ramones
17 Jack White of the White Stripes
18 John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
19 Richard Thompson
20 James Burton
21 George Harrison
22 Mike Bloomfield
23 Warren Haynes
24 The Edge of U2
25 Freddy King
26 Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave
27 Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits
28 Stephen Stills
29 Ron Asheton of the Stooges
30 Buddy Guy
31 Dick Dale
32 John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service
33 & 34 Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth
35 John Fahey
36 Steve Cropper of Booker T. and the MG’s
37 Bo Diddley
38 Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac
39 Brian May of Queen
40 John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival
41 Clarence White of the Byrds
42 Robert Fripp of King Crimson
43 Eddie Hazel of Funkadelic
44 Scotty Moore
45 Frank Zappa
46 Les Paul
47 T-Bone Walker
48 Joe Perry of Aerosmith
49 John McLaughlin
50 Pete Townshend
51 Paul Kossoff of Free
52 Lou Reed
53 Mickey Baker
54 Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane
55 Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple
56 Tom Verlaine of Television
57 Roy Buchanan
58 Dickey Betts
59 & 60 Jonny Greenwood, Ed O’Brien of Radiohead
61 Ike Turner
62 Zoot Horn Rollo of the Magic Band
63 Danny Gatton
64 Mick Ronson
65 Hubert Sumlin
66 Vernon Reid of Living Colour
67 Link Wray
68 Jerry Miller of Moby Grape
69 Steve Howe of Yes
70 Eddie Van Halen
71 Lightnin’ Hopkins
72 Joni Mitchell
73 Trey Anastasio of Phish
74 Johnny Winter
75 Adam Jones of Tool
76 Ali Farka Toure
77 Henry Vestine of Canned Heat
78 Robbie Robertson of the Band
79 Cliff Gallup of the Blue Caps (1997)
80 Robert Quine of the Voidoids
81 Derek Trucks
82 David Gilmour of Pink Floyd
83 Neil Young
84 Eddie Cochran
85 Randy Rhoads
86 Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath
87 Joan Jett
88 Dave Davies of the Kinks
89 D. Boon of the Minutemen
90 Glen Buxton of Alice Cooper
91 Robby Krieger of the Doors
92 & 93 Fred “Sonic” Smith, Wayne Kramer of the MC5
94 Bert Jansch
95 Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine
96 Angus Young of AC/DC
97 Robert Randolph
98 Leigh Stephens of Blue Cheer
99 Greg Ginn of Black Flag
100 Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

Will you guys quit talking about Kiss? Kiss suck. Always have, always will. Musically, they’re a joke, including “Ace.”

Now go back to your parent’s basement and play with your action figures.

Especially tracks 5 “Charisma” to the end of the Album. That’s where it all happens.

Peace

PS Get a copy of Kiss Dynasty. That’s an excellent record, despite the extremely exaggerated bad press it’s gotten. You can really hear Ace on that record. I think it’s some of his finest work!
Peace

RE: Slash | 10/1/2007, 12:16 pm EST

Look, if you don’t hear Ace’s vibe, maybe you need to break out your Kiss records again. Ace had a great vibe and his own sound. If there are a billion and one guitarists better than him, what are their names?.

I don’t think Ace is the greatest of all time, but his leads had a lot of feel and emotion in them. You make it sound like he plugged in and slapped a bunh of shit together. He comes from the same collective creative pool that was fashionable at that time who produced Alice Cooper’s guitar player that you worship.

Maybe you should read your comments again. Calling him a poor man’s Jimmy Page is a lot closer than to it than calling him a comical player.

As far as this Rock 101 business in concerned, what’s the what? Good rock and roll is real simple. You get your solo together and then put it across as confidnetly with as much balls as you can muster. That’s Rock 101, buddy. And frankly that’s what it’s all about. Get the right sound, create your solo, and then rip it out as hard and as fierce as you can. That’s what Ace did.

If you don’t hear that, you have to back and listen again. Just becuase it’s simple doesn’t mean shit. What’s important is getting the right vibe. And Ace had a lot more vibe than you seem to be able to hear.

I’m not trying to diss you, I’m trying to say that perhaps a second listen may be in order.

All these people aren’t idiots. They’ve been moved by his guitar playing.

As far as this Eddie Kramer business is concerned, if he pushed Ace, it’s simply because he knew that has something greater inside than he was showing.

I thought that’s what the job of the producer was, to be an objective ear and help the band get it right, so they can make a good record. If Ace needed to be pushed, so what?

The bottom line is he laid it right, and laid it down with a lot bigger vibe than you’re willing to give him credit for.

Michael McKeon

PS the “drunk” thing was just a joke. No hard feelings, eh?

David Gilmore
Alex Lifeson
Lindsay Buckingham

where’s the slam on Ace, I said I enjoy him? But what makes him underrated, he’s a bar chordin’, blue’s scalin’ guy that wrung out the most he could with average talent, & was a superstar, always given attention…I liked his solos, melodic, hit the mark in relation to the song, but its quite basic, as was 99% of Kiss’ music, still fun stuff. Its entry level as far as rock’s big time is concerned….according to what I read, Eddie Kramer had to bust Ace’s b*lls to get him to play better, & he was lazy. Trust me, Eddie Kramer wasn’t thinking “I MUST work with the mega talented Ace frehley”, it was a nice payday. KiSS had stand ins on the destroyer album, cuz they wanted more complicated playing. Ace is fun, humor in his playing, but come on. there are a billion & one better players & he’s gotten more attention than many he couldn’t play on hte same stage with….Slash is from the same “school”, the Page type of playing but Slash is far better technician, even if that is a boring thought, shredding & all, its silly,but he’s a much more schooled player.

Whoops, my mistake. Not that many Ace Frehley or Izzy Stradlin fans will care, but in writing about Rory Gallagher, I mentioned “Race the Breeze,” but incorrectly said it came from Deuce, when it is actually on Blueprint. But if you want to hear some stunning slide work, find a copy of Deuce anyway and crank up “Crest of a Wave”; the cascades of sound sweep you along with a motion that is the aural equivalent of riding the wild surf. If I wanted to carry the analogy to its more-or-less logical extreme, I could say it’s the first (and only) great Irish surfing song, but I wouldn’t do that.

Glen Tilbrook from Squeeze

How about Courtney Love?

. . .nah, I’m just fuckin’ around, man!

“I’m a big Ace fan, but how is he underrated . . .”

I find it funny how you can slam Ace, when sound a lot like him. Trying to cover your tracks, old boy?

Lindsey Buckingham
Marc Bolan
Johnny Marr
Joni Mitchell

mike mccready and ben gibbard

Kevn Kinney
Danny Gatton

Two of the best blues-rock guitarists got only one mention apiece, so let’s get their names back to the top of the discussion.

Johnny Winter paid his dues in spades, but never received his dues, especially from RS, which seemed to regard him as a white-boy upstart undeserving of serious consideration. Before age and illness caught up to him, he was as devastating a hard blues and rock player as anyone, and he was as black inside as he was as white outside (albino, for all those unfamiliar with the man). If you need convincing, listen to his cover of B.B. King’s “Be Careful with a Fool” off his eponymous Columbia debut. Stunning technique and incredible depth of feeling, which is a combination flash poseurs like Eddie Van have never been able to capture (or understand, for that matter).

Those in the know back in the ’70s and ’80s were well aware of Irish blues-rocker Rory Gallagher, but he never sold many albums, and following his very untimely death at age 49, has more or less disappeared from public consciousness. He presaged the grunge look with his ubiquitous flannel shirt and jeans, and his Strat looked like he had rescued it from the local dump, but there weren’t many out there who could touch his technique on everything from slow country blues to gutbucket rock, complete with slashing slide. There was no pretension about him, and his obviously gentle, modest spirit came through in even his nastiest licks and his distinctive singing voice. I was lucky enough to see him live, and he blew the place down, but without evincing the slightest hint of ego. Definitely one to be missed. Check out “Walk on Hot Coals” from Blueprint, “Catch the Breeze” from Deuce and “Souped-Up Ford” from Against the Grain.

I’d really like to know how the inimitable Johnny Thunders from the New York Dolls rated only one mention, as well. Most of the Johnny Come-Latelies (hello Ace!!) would have been hard-pressed for an “original” style without Johnny’s buzzsaw guitar and big hair, Maybe not technically great, but style to spare and unbelievable energy for a born-to-mainline junkie. “Born to Lose” (or “Born too Loose”, depending on which edition you see) from L.A.M.F. by the Heartbreakers (before Mr. Petty took the name) is a killer track, as is pretty much everything from the Dolls.

And what about Alvin Lee from Ten Years After? As fast as any of them, and a nice, distinctive tone. I’d rather listen to his straightforward speed trips than Jimmy Page’s overblown ego exercises anyday.

Finally, Dave Alvin from The Blasters, who nobody has seen fit to mention. His lean, muscular style epitomizes American roots rock at its best, and he’s a great songwriter to boot. It’s a shame he has such an undistinguished singing voice, though, because his instrumental voice restores your faith in American music. Listen to the live Blasters reunion disc, Trouble Bound, and tell me I’m wrong.

Stevie Ray Vaughn? Pete Townshend? Johnny Winter? Robert Johnson? Those are some of the most acclaimed guitarists ever.

Walter Lure of The Heartbreakers–now there’s a guy who could really play and no one ever mentions him.

Billy Corgan

you can’t be underrated if you were on David Fricke’s….errr RS’s 100 top guitar player list. That is why no one is mentioning Joan Jett (really dropped the ball on that one Fricke)

“New York Doll”

Yeah. Somebody who fuckin’ GET’S IT! I’ve been rockin’ out on ALIVE and Gonna get ALIVE 2 Today!

The New Foos is real good!

NYC . . . where it all fuckin’ began baby. Although, I have to admit I think Gene’s a real fuckin’ arrogant piece of shit. really. When is this fucker gonna mature past the age of 12?

Ace was the best and so was Peter.
That’s whole other reason why Gene’s a dick! KISS ARMY SOLUTES YOU!!! These stuck up assholes, just don’t fuckin’ get it!

Tommy Malone of the subdudes.

oh,
and MATTHEW BELLAMY
THAT’s how unappreciated he is

that Donna with the guitar in The Donnas, yeah I think that this already shows how underrated she is

fOR ALL YOU SCEPTICS ON ACE FREHLEY, GO WATCH KISSOLOGY VOL.1 TO SEE A GREAT GUITARRIST SPITTIN OUT FIREBOMBS OF FANTASTIC LEAD SOLOS THEN GO BUY HIS EXCELLANT 1978 SOLO ALBUM AND HEAR SOME FANTASTIC INSPIRED SHREDDING.
ACE FREHLEY FUC#IN ROCKS.
EVEN JIMI HENDRIX’S FORMER PRODUCER EDDIE KRAMER ADMIRED ACE SO IF YOU THINK YOU KNOW MORE THAN HIM THAN YOU NEED TO GET A LIFE.
GREAT SOLOS BY ACE=LOVE HER ALL I CAN, DEUCE, LOVE EM LEAVE EM, CALLING DR. LOVE, STRANGE WAYS, BLACK DIAMOND, I WANT YOU, MAKIN LOVE,GOD OF THUNDER, RIP IT OUT, WATCHIN’ YOU ETC..
HOW BOUT JOHNNY THUNDERS OF THE NEW YORK FUC#IN DOLLS!
HOW BOUT RITCHIE BLACKMORE OF DEEP PURPLE ?
I DO AGREE WITH ROBERT FRIPP ESPECIALLY THE WORK HE DID WITH BOWIE WAS KILLER.
ROBIN TROWER TOO IS ONE BAD ASS GUITARRIST BUT PEOPLE PUTTING DOWN ACE SIMPLY HAVE NOT LSITENED TO THE MUSIC.
THEY’VE JUST LOOKED AT THE PICTURES AND JUDGED THAT ARTIST BASED ON THEIR PREDJUDICE TO THE IMAGE WHICH HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH ACE’S INSPIRED GUITAR WORK.

Omar from the Mars Volta

Robert Quine

I actually saw KISS play one their first shows at a skanky motel in Manhattan, the name of which totally escapes me. They literally scared the shit out of people with their crazy look. A lot of us went in the “lobby” for lack of a better term, because being in the small room, the sound was so loud it felt like we listening planes taking off right over our heads. Also the sound made you feel like you were being punched in the chest and stomacn. One woman actually threw up!

I had no idea what I just saw or couldn’t come to a conclusion about what I had witnessed.

About 6 months later I was in a record store and I bumped into their record by accident. I decided to take a chance because a record only cost about 3.99 or 4,99 in those days.

I took the record home, and I found it to be “entertaining”. But once they broke through, I was saw them at MSG and I fell in love.

So I say Ace is underrated for his playing, not for his popularity. Also, believe it or not, Paul is quite excellent as well, and is even more underrated than Ace is!

So I guess I’ll have to say that its Ace and Paul for me.

Kurt Cobain, Robert Smith, Billie Joe? Great Guitarists? You are all on glue!

Tony Iommi is a living legend.

Trey Anastasio…

Trey and Phish in particular never get any love from this magazine. Trey is one of the best guitarists alive

I’d like to see James Honeyman-Scott and Wilko Johnson get more
due for their guitar work.

george harrison

Agree about Springsteen. Mick Jones from the Clash. Thom Yorke’s rhythm playing is fantastic, just check out his acoustic rendition of his song “The Clock”, incredible…

Dean Ween has been doing amazing guitar work for the past 20 years.

Joey Santiago is incredible.

Homme’s work with Kyuss was great.

Chris Thorn/Rogers Stevens of Blind Melon.

Guy and Ian from Fugazi.

Paige Hamilton. King of the a-tonal noise solo.

Jonny Greenwood. By the way, people, RADIOHEAD’S NEW ALBUM IS ENTITLED “IN RAINBOWS” AND IS OUT ON OCTOBER 10TH!

Tom Verlaine is my hero…

how about Mick Ronson? Listen to what he did w/ Bowie and THEN on the Dylan ‘75 bootlegs. Versitile man. Oh, and what about Lyndsie Buckingham? Shit, you try to create some of the sounds he does.

Eddie Van Halen & David Gilmour by this particular magazine in their greatest guitarists of all time. I think you guys listed VH around # 70 and Gilmour lower than that which was a complete rip off.

However other than that I’ll go with George Harrison and Warren Hayens.

Okay….first of all, Neil Young, Tom Morello and Buddy fucking Guy are not underrated. They all kick righteous ass, don’t get me wrong. but they get the credit they deserve.

Pearl Jam fans, one word for you: OVERRATED. They’re a good band, and Mike/Stone are good guitar players, but they are in no way underrated or deserving of “guitar god” status.

To repeat myself:

-Jason Isbell
-Dickey Bettes

I’d also add Johnny Greenwood, Robbie Robertson, Richard Thompson, Nick Drake, Mark Knopfler.

Honestly though, why are we even arguing? These lists are all stupid, seeing as RS makes their lists of

a.) the ones they “nominated” in the first place
b.) any other old, safe bands/artists for whatever category it is
c.) whatever young, hip band they’re desperately trying to lend credibility to, e.g. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs (awful band) or The White Stripes (they happen to be a great band but my point remains)….they don’t ever actually take our postings.

But, seriously….Jason Isbell. The kid is goddammed prodigy.

I’m back at it while I’m waiting for something else to load, here’s a few more:

1) The Edge–his guitar licks and processes are very much the main reason why many have dug U2. I know Bono has brought the chicks in, but the guys stick around for the strange sounds of the Edge. Sure he’s not technically brilliant, but he’s as brilliant a soundsmith as Thurston Moore or David Gilmour (And I tend to prefer Sonic Youth and the Floyd to U2)….

2) Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna). Jorma’s had some awesome riffs in his Airplane days, and proved in Hot Tuna he can play a multitude of styles. Embryonic Journey and The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil feature some awesome guitar. THe Airplane went from once being the princes and queen of acid rock, to being almost forgotten today and it’s a shame as I’m a modern 20 something who totally digs their sound.

3) Todd Rundgren. He’s known more as a keyboardist, but he’s more proficient on guitar in my opinion. Prince labelled him as his biggest influence in the 80s, and while Todd’s had his share of fluff and dated experiments, his guitar genius is found on the Nazz’s “Open My Eyes”–one of the best guitar licks of all time, and “Black Mariah” and much of A Wizard A True star, ain’t too shabby either…..it’s too bad Todd’s such a hit or miss guy and one who definately does not work well in a greatest hits format as his stuff sounds horribly dated depending on the genre/album. At his best though his guitar work was astounding.

4) Pete Townshend. The Who are known as great rockers, but people focus on the technical brilliance of John Entwistle (one of the best bass players ever) and Keith Moon (ditto but for drums) but Pete’s guitar licks are astounding, and he gets a bit slighted by the other guitar gods of his British Generation (Clapton, Page, Beck, etc….even Hendrix, who was from Seattle but basically discovered in Britain). Tommy and Live at Leeds feature some of the coolest guitar ever, as does a quick one while he’s away…….

5) Ryan Adams. Basically I think overall Ryan is today’s most underappreciated all around genius. He can write a classic country tune “Strawberry Wine” and some great rockers “Anybody want to take me home”. My favorite Guitar licks from him come from Love is Hell part 2 (maybe I see Monsters, though Chelsea City Nights is pretty darn fantastic too). It’s much harder to be a guitar god accross a variety of styles, and I think Ryan is one, and is very underappreciated……he’s made a few mediocre records sure, but they are mediocre records for him, not mediocre for everyone.

6) I guess I’d also add that Paul McCartney is underrated as a guitarist…I mean there is a guy that can do anything…..he’s an awesome bass player so it should come as no surprise that he’s a fantastic guitarist too….see “Taxman” or the 1st solo part of “The End” for some of his best moments, as well as the entire McCartney album…..sometimes he writes crappy songs, but the musicianship is always solid.

7) Just to even things at 10 for me, I’ll add that Johnny Marr has to get a mention as “The Queen is Dead” is one of my favorite guitar songs of all time.

FYI: My favorite Guitar solo of all time is a tie between Mick Ronson’s solo on David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust LP “Moonage Daydream”. THe way the guitar swirls into a spacey, druggy haze is astounding….I guess I could put Mick Ronson on here too, maybe ahead of Sir Paul or Ryan Adams, but I won’t because I think people who know guitar know Mick.

The tie with this song is with a lesser known “Lost Woman” from the Yardbirds, a song that really needs to get turned up to an 11 every time….. Jeff Beck is a guitar god, but even though he’s never sold that many records as a solo guy I couldn’t call him underrated because he’s in the Rock Hall of Fame since his guitar work is always so breathtakingly brilliant, even if his solo records aren’t as good as the guitar….

You all missed the most underrated, underappreciated and amazing guitarist name Chris Whitley…rip…

johnny marr & johnny greenwood

RICK NEILSEN and definitely, Definitely JERRY CANTRELL.

NELS CLINE
JEFF TWEEDY
KEITH URBAN
MARK KNOPFLER

matt bellamy

dave grohl
daniel johns - can play with his mouth.

O.K…I’ll take the bait.
NOT in any particular order:
Eddie Hazel
Steve Stevens
Ernie Isley
Billy Corgan
Michael Cooper (Con Funk Shun!)
Mike Campbell
Prince
Neil
Lenny
Fog erty

jeff beck,
cmon people the guys been around from 1964, yardbirds era, he is ancient but still releases new albums that stun the hell out of you.

Daniel Johns

Phil Keaggy

Neil Young
Rob Baker
Jeff Martin
Jagori Tanna

curt kirwood gets my vote for greatest of all time, but nels cline is like a magical guitar superhero.

pioneers of grunge? i thought neil young invented it

Stone Gossard & Mike McCready!!!!!

1) Marc Ford, formerly of the Black Crowes-He was certainly one of the top guitarists of the 90s. Listen to Cursed Diamond, Wiser Time, and Descending off of Amorica. There are also more obscure Crowes songs such as Title Song and especially Feathers that show how great Ford is.

2) Jason Isbell, formerly of the Drive By Truckers-listen to his slide work on Decoration Day and Dirty South. This guy is amazing and only getting started. And he is just as good a songwriter as he is a guitarist.

3) Billy Corgan-listen to Starla off of Pisces Iscariot. That is all there is to say. Until you hear this, you don’t know the Pumpkins.

Definitely Tim Reynolds (regular on Dave Matthews/DMB tours) and Andy McKee

Ace Frehley underrated??? I’m a big Ace fan, but how is he underrated, he’s a poor man’s Jimmy Page, has some nice melodic solos the really fit the songs well, but its pretty basic both technically & creatively AND he was a major superstar to boot…I agree with the J.Frusciante & Lifeson picks, along with Mick Taylor, Harrison, etc….there’s reason Peter Buck is not mentioned, cuz he’s a hack. He used to always whine “I don’t need to solo in a song, its a beat concept blah blah.” he was right in some respects, but it was also sour grapes….Eliot Easton another great pick by many out here, he took the classic rock formula, but did something new with it, great sound & can really solo, but it wasn’t a band driven by guitar.

RE:what’s that smell? | 9/30/2007, 11:04 am EST

I’m with all the Kiss fans out there. Ace deserves props. He’s the only true musician out of that band.
Tom Verlaine
Mick Taylor
Kim Thayil

…also, what’s up with all the Bukowski quotes? Stop it, it’s annoying.

You’re right about Ace. Wasn’t Verlaine a French poet? Chris Cornell was the talent in Soundgarten and Thayil was a good little soldier who did what he was told to do.
I also nominate Mick Taylor.

As for your request it’s not going to happen, as a matter of fact IN YOUR HONOR I will post even more stuff and nominate Dave Grohl as an extrememly underrated guitar player. Because from what I can see, people still seem to think the he is still the drummer of the Foo Fighters he is not; Taylor Hawkins is.

1. Joe Walsh (best work- Barnstorm album)
2. Randy California (find: Kaptain Kopter and the Fabulous Twirlybirds)
3. J.J.Cale (any album, file under: Subtle)
4. Pete Anderson (his work with Dwight Yoakam and especially his SOLO albums)
*Guitars STILL rule the world

Johhny Greenwood
Jack White
John Mayer becuase people don’t useally think of him as a great guitarist.

Mike Campbell - He took some pretty good songs from Tom Petty and made them #1 hits. It’s always the Campbell intro that you remember.

Also, Elliot Easton from the Cars was great at turning a good song into a great song.

I think what you guys are missing here is it’s not the most underrated guitarist, but the most unappreciated.

Like, I would not put Prince on this list because people love him, and frankly, when he wants to play guitar god he just turns up the big muff or whatever and plays blues scales and pantomimes like jimi hendrix.

On the other hand, I would include Nick Zinner on there, because he is a quiet guy and Karen O hogs all the spotlight in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but his playing is essential to the sound. He’s kind of like their secret weapon.

Some others:
Jeff “Skunk” Baxter
Jonny Greenwood
Kirk Hammett

All these guys have been praised by guitar geeks (like myself) but they all keep a fairly low profile and just let the music do the talking.

Captain Sensible
Steve Jones
Poison Ivy Rorschach
Billy Zoom

Mick Ronson
Mick Taylor
Mick Jones
Nick Zinner
Thurston Moore
Johnny Marr
Jonny Greenwood
Nels Cline
Jeff Tweedy
Tom Verlaine
J. Mascis
Doug Martsch
Elliott Smith

Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age)
Nick Zinner!!
Tom Dumont (No Doubt)

izzy stradlin, johnny ramone

noel gallagher oasis ppl think of his songwriting but is guitar was brilliant as well just think of the definetly maybe album. class.

Mike McCready, Mike McCready, Mike McCready!!!!!!!
also, the guitarist from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs rocks too!

Mike Campbell

Robbie Robertson
Mark Knopfler
George Harrison- as a guitarist, at least
Ritchie Blackmore

Is there a difference between being underrated and being underexposed because their music isn’t really that good? There’s a lot of good players on this list, but there’s also a lot of shit.
My vote would be John Mayall. There’s very few people you can listen to that really understand their instrument. And i dunno if Jerry Cantrell is underrated, but he’s as good as i’ve ever heard controlling a wide variety of musical genres. Nice to see Johnny Winter mentioned as well. I guess it’s easy to apreciate a bluesman since they always get the opportunity to showcase their best.

I agree with Robert Fripp. I would say also George Harrison and the guitarist from the Donnas.

Oh, and Peter Buck

I agree with Prince, true musical genius

here’s my non-RS nominated top 10:

10. Jeff Hanneman (Slayer)
9. Chris Poland (Megadeth)
8. Joshua Homme (Kyuss/Queens of the Stone Age)
7. John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
6. Pat Simmons (Doobie Brothers)
5. Buck Dharma (Blue Oyster Cult)
4. Terry Kath (Chicago)
3. Tom Scholz (Boston)
2. Alex Lifeson (Rush)
1. Neal Schon (Santana/Journey)

Peter Green is the first name that springs to mind. At his best, his solos sent shivers down my spine. Also, Richard Thompson, a unique and wonderful guitarist. The echoplex guitar technique of John Martyn is also worth a mention.

dr. know of bad brains?

Eddie hazel is an amazing guitarist, just listen to the song Maggot Brain by George Clinton and Parlimentary Funkadelics, its basically like a 10 min solo that soothes the soul

“I’ve said that playing the blues is like having to be black twice. Stevie missed on both counts, but I never noticed.” - BB King on Stevie Ray Vaughn

Robyn Hitchcock is wonderful and woefully underated in the pantheon of guitar gods.

George Harrison

Nuff said.

I don’t know how Tom Verlaine can be underrated when every time you read anything about Television the critics blab and blab on about Tom Verlaine (who is awesome). Prince I’ll give ya, but not Tom Verlaine, Television’s entire MO was the guitar…..here’s my off my head 3.

1) George Harrison. Harrison is well known because he was a Beatle, but few appreciate just how great a guitarist he was, and how influential his lics were. He was consistently great too, and I think actually one of the nicest guitar lines he ever had was in the early Beatles’ “Till There was You”. That solo is awesome and saves the cover from being maudlin. George was continually great as a guitarist, even when his solo songs were less so….his work on John’s imagine record, is breathtaking.

2) David Byrne–Talking Heads…..he might not be technically brilliant, but his strange rythyms, etc….made for very interesting guitar work.

3)Stephen Stills…..he seems to get overshadowed by guitar guys by Neil Young, but Stills is and was the more technically brilliant guitarist….listen to Manassas for more info.

Curt Kirkwood.

F**king awesome guitarist.

“Kurt Cobain?” Come on. Are you kidding? He could not even play the studio intro to Smells Like Teen Spirit. He had a session guitarist do it.

Peter Green- Without him no Santana. Listen to Supernatural prob sums up Santanas sound only was recorded in 1967, also listen to early Fleetwood Mac before they went light, the early stuff amazing guitar work and BB King says Green has the best tone of any blues guitarist, i agree def underated is up there with Clapton Hendrix etc.

Myself.

And Ace Frehley really wasn’t that good. Bob Kulick played a lot of the studio recordings without being credited.

have to agree with nomination of daniel johns. chord progressions of his last 2 albums (diorama and young modern) are completely underrated. there is nothing that has been put out that is comparable to young modern. SEE HIM LIVE, their shows are so powerful and his talents as a guitarist are UNBELIEVABLE. so much so i need capslock to stress his skills…

I’m with all the Kiss fans out there. Ace deserves props. He’s the only true musician out of that band.
Tom Verlaine
Mick Taylor
Kim Thayil

…also, what’s up with all the Bukowski quotes? Stop it, it’s annoying.

Alex Lifeson of Rush. Has been one of the best guitarists in rock for over 30 years. I saw the band a week ago and his playing is getting better, as is the playing of the other band members.

did anybody say Kayne West!?!?!? he’s the McDonalds of Music!!!!

Two that immediately come to mind, because everytime their is some “Greatest Of All Time” list these guys never ever get mentioned.

1. Dr. Know of Bad Brains. He pretty much invented speed metal by combining hardcore punk with virtuoso skill. He is the Eddie Van Halen of punk. He changed everything whether you know it or not. Ask most Rockers how under appreciated Bad Brains are. To this day, Dr Know will blow the doors off most heavy metal guitarists.

2. Alex Lifeson of Rush. This guy does it all. Anyone who has seen Rush live know this guys chops and array of sounds make him world class. Geddy Lee and Neil Peart are bonafide Rock Gods and always make “Greatest” list and therefore often overshadow his contribution.

James Dean Bradfield - spent nearly 20 years playing lead guitar, filling in for lack of a rythym guitarist, and singing lead vocals, and doing all 3 very well. Hugely underrated…

What about Pepper Keenen that guy is a great guitar player but you dont hear much about him

I personally think Robert smith is a pretty underrated guitarist, even when he doesn’t play anything particularly flashy, his guitar playing is still very powerful nonetheless.

From the list I would choose Nick Zinner.

Frank Zappa
John Fogerty
Neil Young
Dean Ween

Mick Taylor - Sway live

Neil Young!!!

johhny greenwood.

anybody who could is both radiohead’s guiatrist AND a composer for scores for the BBC is obviusly a rightous.

Neal Schon (1st vote Very Surprised. excellent. I almost forgot about him myself)

i havent read anything about tim reynolds. he isn’t a metal god, but he does things with an acoustic that no one else does.

Ace Frehley
Adrian Smith/Dave Murray
Glenn Tipton/KK Downing

not on roster:
McCready/Gossard

beep beep

Buddy Guy. if anyone here plays guitar and truly loves music (sometimes it’s hard to tell) it might seem odd that i would say a legend like Buddy is underrated. but in a day where people gush at every opportunity over jack white’s never ending, but nonetheless impressive, quest to be the next jimmy page, or where fall out boy actually draws a crowd; taking a moment, or ten, to get back to the roots of it all is welcomed refreshment, if not revelation. we all love it when a player can rock the house. But Buddy, his cohorts, and his predecessors built this house; and if you let them, they’ll tear it down, and start again.

are you all afraid of Ted Nugent

it’s a little depressing that nobody has mentioned Robert Johnson

Rivers Cuomo

im a pearl jam fan, so yes, im biased. but i love music and the guitar in general, and while McCready & Gossard might not be hendrix and townshend the are at the very least underrated. certainly one of the strongest duo’s in rock past or present. now if you truly think they “suck”, anyone with an ounce of reverence for music would recognize how false you are. i would even speculate that you’re jealous and perhaps genuinely, however sad, convinced yourself that you are better, more creative, and that it’s just not fair that your fantasy is their reality…poor fella

the law of “diminishing returns”

copying someone note for note doesn’t make you an original it makes you a carbon copy. When you compare a carbon copy to the original, it’s not as good as the original it’s all faded and distorted looking. that’s all Mike Mcready is.

RS RRD: don’t split the votes. there’s two people sitting here. you made the rules

Good one, babe. I’m proud of you.

Adrian Belew

We better slow down or we’re gonna run out of guitar players

Fuck the plan!!!

Adrian Belew (but I’m too young and too stupid to know about someone like that). yeah okay whatever

We’re not sticking to the plan

Gary Moore

She makes one 500 word comment and look how all the random shit starts to flow

Lou Reed

Ritchie Blackmore (now there’s a real guitarist)

So let me if I got this right. The only thing that Jimi Hendrix has listened to in his eternal resting place has been Stevie Ray Vaughn and bands from Seattle.

No wonder he can’t stop tossing and turning!

Not another pretentious voice from the grave! Stop trying so hard. Pearl Jam sucks and so do you!

You know, people use entirely wrong definitions for what makes a great guitar player. I never cared for how technically sound someone was. I never cared how fast they played. How innovative they were didn’t really matter. What matters with a guitar player is whether their playing reaches his/her audience deep down inside. It has to come from some place deep, and if I am the standard, there are are only two guitar players who remind me of me.

Stevie Ray Vaughn is underrated in the sense that he is often lower than #2 of people’s lists, and anyone who puts him lower than 2 doesn’t know a damn thing about playing guitar. He took Voodoo Chile and made it better. He took Little Wing and made it better. Every time he took the stage, every note he played, he was coming from a place that few other guitar players can access.

The other is Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready. He gets slammed because of the polarizing nature of the band he is in, and his playing often goes unnoticed because of his band’s low profile. But anyone who has ever seen him live, they know. When he played Machinegun with my old band, he nailed it. And when he (and Pearl Jam) played Little Wing and moved into Maggot Brain, that was the finest guitar playing I have heard in the last 20 years. That came from that special place I mentioned earlier. I wish people would realize how talented he is. Take a listen to his Mad Season project with Layne Staley, when he wasn’t restricted as he often is in Pearl Jam. One of the all-time greats.

Yeah, Trey. That motherfucker owes me a couple of Gs for all the phony scripts I wrote for him.
He thinks I’m just some scrawny MD who can’t do anything about it?

If he doesn’t cough up some cashola soon, I’m gonna send some of my gumba friends to collect. He won’t like that very much. If you see that weasel Trey, tell him I’m lookin’ for him, and he’s running out of time!
Rob

Adrian Borland

“jeremy,” huh?

rs put david gilmour at 84 he deserves top 20 in the very least i mean comfortably numb, anyone?

obviously you retards have never heard ani difranco’s live albums

Look. This is an unpopular pick. But hear me out:

TREY ANASTASIO

Yes, the last several years of Phish featured a coked-out shell of a man in Trey’s place, but at age 20, he was as good technically and a more inventive composer as anyone in recent memory. Listen to all of Junta. Listen to “Fly Famous Mockingbird.” That’s not easy to play.

also:
Dickey Betts
BUCKETHEAD (listen to his music. he should be taken seriously)
JIMMY HERRING is ridiculous, and probably the best guitarist touring today.

And if you count the banjo as a guitar, which once upon a time we would, Bela Fleck. Don’t tell me he’s not underrated. He is the best musician I’ve ever seen on any instrument.

“ace was an average guitar player at best….”

Neil Young with all that country and western crap he does now?

If you think that’s actually pleasurable to listen to then you’re in no position to discern ROCK guitar players.

Randy Rhodes? A gimme. Everyone knows that.

Andrew Stockdale. So YOU, think he sounds like Page. Well, if YOU think he sounds like Page, well, then he MUST SOUND just like Page!

Bugger off? WTF?

Sorry, we’re here for the duration, so tough shit! BTW, I haven’t even voted yet!

Scott Ian
Ritchie Blackmore and
Ace “New YorK Groove” Frehley

DEAN WEEN.

Johnny Marr never gets the credit he deserves, he was as inovative as anyone ever

you KISS fans need to bugger off…you know why they only released live albums?? its because they sound like complete crap without screaming fans and fire works, ace was an average guitar player at best….KISS was a gimmick with a great live show and little to nothing more

neil young - just listen to cowgirl in the sand

randy rhoads - he helped create ozzy solo career

andrew stockdale - reminds me of page

“Mike McCready from Pearl Jam. You didn’t even include him on your 100 Greatest Guitarists list, and he’s the closest thing to Hendrix we have right now.”

I can’t get back to sleep. Let me turn to the left. Nope, horrible; that’s not comfortable.
How about to the other side? no that’s even worse.
How about on my stomach . . .

Randy California:
Age 45
Spirit

(b. Randy Wolfe, 20 Feb. 1951, Los Angeles, d. 2 January 1997).
Guitarist/singer/songwriter Randy California is best known as the leader of Spirit, although he occasionally has made solo albums. A guitar prodigy, California played in Jimi Hendrix’s pre-Experience group the Blue Flames in New York’s Greenwich Village in the summer of 1966. It was Hendrix who named him Randy “California.” Spirit, an eclectic band with rock, jazz, and folk tendencies, was formed in Los Angeles in 1967. After four albums, the original quintet split up in 1971. He rejoined Spirit in 1974 and has led the band ever since. (Spirit charted with ten albums between 1968 and 1976.) Several subsequent Randy California solo albums have been released in Europe.
Randy California died tragically in January of 1997, when he was gripped by an undertow when swimming on the coast of the Hawaiian island of Molokai. Before he died, he was able to save his 12 year-old son, Quinn.
~ William Ruhlmann, All-Mus

i’d have to say..
Matt Bellamy - Muse
Daniel Johns - Silverchair
Mike Einziger - Incubus
Billy Howerdell - A Perfect Circle

I’d also second Lindsay Buckingham. Another guitarist ignored in your top 100 list, and yet he’d be in my top 10 of all time. Just watch him play Big Love or I’m So Afraid.

Mike McCready from Pearl Jam. You didn’t even include him on your 100 Greatest Guitarists list, and he’s the closest thing to Hendrix we have right now. You have to go to Pearl Jam’s shows to really understand. He’s unreal.

Matt Followill from KOL

Randy California-the real writter of Stairway to Heaven

brian may and ray toro.

“looking at all y’alls lists I just gotta say it is the whitest bunch of anything I’ve ever seen.”

Hold on a minute, you picked PETER BUCK, and you’re saying that we’re all voting like white people? Maybe you should take a long look in the mirror, you might be surprised at what you see!

mark knopfler!

Steve Vai
Mark Knofler
Ace Frehley
Joe Satriani

Brian May

Brian May

David Gilmour

David Gimour

Angus Young

Steve Cropper
Richard Thompson
Peter Buck
and definitely yes on Elliot Smith. I’ve never heard acoustic played like that before.

Bootsy Collins because, looking at all y’alls lists I just gotta say it is the whitest bunch of anything I’ve ever seen. Let’s start laying down the funk along with our metal and blues.

Leslie West! Yes, yes. I can’t believe that I forgot him. Shame on me!

And it’s really sad that you know so little for being SO MUCH older than me.

Frank Hannon
(I bet you don’t know who that is, grandma. don’t try to fake it by wiki-ing it1)

Ace Frehley
Bruce Kulick

You are way way off target with the age-thing…and quite frankly, your argument is rather boring.
Next…

Bob Stinson, Leslie West

RE:dvdambr | 9/29/2007, 6:19 pm EST

“MIKE McCREADY STONE GOSSARD”

Give everyone a break with this already. What kind of name is GOSSARD, anyway? Sounds like a disease of the colon.

Marnie Stern is one of the best guitarists out there right now, especially when you factor in the uniqueness of her music.

Peter Frampton

MIKE McCREADY STONE GOSSARD

Henry Garza and Claudio Sanchez

Hats off for dean Ween!!!!!

I was already in college in 1987, miss little know-it-all. Furthermore, Chris Cornell is around my age, and I saw him in concert (with Soundgarden during their peak) when you were what, about 5 years old?

Phil Keaggy - an incredible guitarist who gets little of the attention he deserves because he plays mostly Christian music.

Glenn Tipton
KK Downing
incredible tag team lead guitarists.
That might be why neither one of them don’t get their due because they’re in the same band.
IJf they were both powering different bands they’d be household name legends.
But they enjoy being together in Judas Priest, especially with Rob Halford as their frontman.
Who can blame them?

Id say Neil Young but I suppose its a matter of who you talk to whether hes considered underrated or not.

Prince is overrated so I think they put him in the wrong list.

Im probably going to have to agree with everyone in the Mick Taylor camp on this one.

Yep. The year after I graduated high school! Deal with that!!!

Izzy Stradlin
Trevor RAbin
Steve Howe

I wouldn’t know anything about that since I was born in 1987.
Deal with that!!!

With that said, Chris Cornell survived and still is amazing and totally hot.

Ace Frehley really does have a “spacy” sound.

And David Byrne and Jerry Harrison did very innovative stuff.

It’s not 1971 anymore either. Deal with that.

The Guitarist from Muse. Bellamy… I think is his name… he’s probably the greatest guitarist of the 21st century.

Johnny Winter…end of discussion

RE:buspop | 9/28/2007, 3:59 pm EST

“Kurt Cobain certainly developed his own style…however, the pioneers of the “grunge” sound were Green River, Mother Lovebone, and Mudhoney.”

What year are you living in?
It’s not 1993 anymore. Seattle’s dead. Deal with it.

Roger McGuinn
Stephen Stills (he does get his just due, but not nearly as much as he deserves)

Alex Lifeson.

“Ok, time for some sleep. I will check in in about 7 hours
about 13 hours ago from twitterrific . . .”

. . . Allllriiiightyyyyy Then!

Ronnie Wood

Josh Homme - Queens Of The Stone Age
Adam Jones - Tool
Matthew Bellamy - Muse
… Six-String Gods in my book

Dean Deleo - had he & his band come up in the 70;s. Borrows alot from Page, but added many funky chord progressions, could rock your face off, but like Page, can have a light touch.
Billy Gibbons- underappreciated for his early stuff. Could write within the Blues framework as well.
Mick Taylor - only true soloist in the Stones, in my opinion, probably played & wrote more than is given credit, the hard rockin’ riff on Can’t you hear me knockin’ is him, but maybe Keith wrote it?
George Harrison - beatles get forgotten for their musicianship.
he’s a solid pro, versatile.
Richie Blackmore - once a rock God,he’s been forgotten, just view the DP DVD’s from heyday, he was also a 1st rate performer as well

Phil Keaggy, Phil Keaggy Phil Keaggy

John Frusciante
Steve Howe
Greg Lake
Ace Frehley
Lindsay Buckingham
Prince

this just shows how underrated he is: the kid from Kings of Leon
also, m knopfler

Spiralstairs!

Mike McCready & Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam have been 2 of the most (overrated) guitarists of all time.

All of the Godspeed You! Black Emperor guitarists
Munaf Rayani, Mark Smith, Ohad Benchetrit, Justin Small.

to me it’s simple. either you love ace, or you’ve never listened to him.

ace frehley
jeff healey
(surprised he hasn’t been mentioned)

Johnny Marr

Mike McCready & Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam have been 2 of the most underrated guitarists of all time.

Richard Thompson

Frank Zappa!

All worthy choices , but Tommy Emmanuel change your life.

Ace Frehley

Lindsey Buckingham

Mark Knopfler

John Squire
Mike Einsinger
Noel Gallagher

Nobody’s mentioned Tony Iommi. Maybe he gets his just due?
Not sure, but he was not mentioned once. Surprising.

And Andy Summers with his beautiful chiming guitar sound. Extremely underrated. The Edge owes a lot to Andy Summers (not voting Edge, btw)!

Lita’s not here ’cause she’s a chick, in all honesty. She belongs (maybe Pat Benetar was writing about Lita too).

Speaking of Pat . . .
Her husband Neil Geraldo is good, real good.
Here’s one for you, Neil. Somebody cares!

Also Ritchie Blackmore

Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits

A few choices:
Bruce Springsteen is extremely underrated. He’s obviously known for his singing and songwriting, but listen to a few of his solos–namely from “Darkness” and “Born to Run”–and you’ll see how he fluid his chops are.

Paul Maroon from the Walkmen coaxes some great sounds from his guitar. When you hear him play, you know it’s him.

I think Jeff Tweedy from Wilco falls in the same category as Springsteen. He’s not as technically proficient as Nels Cline or even Jay Bennett, but he plays some truly gut-wrenching pieces on “A Ghost is Born.”

And, of course, M. Ward is outstanding.

I cant believe no one has mentioned Mike Campbell from the Heartbreakers…

pj harvey
thurston moore/lee ranaldo
stephen malkmus/spiral stairs
carrie brownstein
nick zinner

The most underrated guitarist is Dean Ween.

glad to see bill nelson mentioned.
didnt see robin trower,john hammond,or reeves gabriele [sp?]

Robert Quine

We’re not saying KISS is underrated, we’re saying Ace Frehley is underrated. Obviously you’re just another bird brain who can’t make fuckin’ distinctions.

Lindsey Buckingham
Matt Bellamy (though I think over the last year or so people are coming around to his playing)
Prince

I never considered Prince being a great guitarist in the first place!!

“oh yeah and all these people raving about Kiss being underrated have a collective iq of about 10″

On behalf of all KISS fans (500 million strong): bl*w us!

might as well get my vote in while i’m at it. You wanted the best, you got the best . . .
Mr. Ace Frehley

Slash an underrated guitar player? He’s gotten a lot of props for his playing.

Not a lot of press? Slash gets a lot more than most, and as much press as any of the elite players.What planet are you from, dude?.

Tommy Shaw
Lemmie
Ace Frehley

Oh yeah… The Edge and Lindsey Buckingham as well.

Tom Verlaine for sure, amazing guitarist. John Cippolina from Quicksilver Messenger Service is one of my favorites of all time. Fred (sonic) Smith and Wayne Kramer are mindblowing and not enough people know. Albert Hammond Jr.s style has had a huge cultural impact, inventing the adjective “strokesy”.

Alex Lifeson from Rush.

Ray Toro from My Chemical Romance. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like their music, he’s a great frelling guitarist.

oh yeah and…

Roy Buchanan
Andy Partridge
Ron Asheton
James Williamson
Kim Thayil
Matt Pike
Michael Akerfelt and Peter Lindgren
Dave Murray and Adrian Smith
Josh Homme
Dave Navarro
Elizebeth Goodman’s List with the possible exception of Nick Zinner
Keith Levine
Greg Ginn
Billy Zoom
Chuck Schuldiner
Lou Reed
Robert Quine
Bob Mould
Bob Stinson

Surely missing a few dozen….

great topic by the way….

oh yeah and all these people raving about Kiss being underrated have a collective iq of about 10

uh, am i missing a post or does no one have Richard Thompson, easily on a short list of one of the greatest guitarists ever……

Buckethead!

whoops, oh yeah. duuuhhh, Ace Frehley!

Kiss has the strongest and biggest fan base on the entire planet(that includes the Rolling Stones)!! If it was all just the costumes and explosions most of us walked away a long time ago. Kiss puts on the best stage show out any band. They shouldn’t be not taken seriously because they want to entertain their fans.

With that put aside, they had to deliver musically. And everyting they did until 1980 when they put out “Unmasked” was incredible.”

Dismissing them musically often occurs 8 times out of ten from people who have never even listened to one single solitary song. So their opinions don’t hold water.

BTW, someone who thinks Thurston Moore has it going on must be an idiot!

lita ford,susan tedeschi,debbie davies,charlotte caffey(the go-go’s).

Hey, where did my vote go?

Buck Dharma - Blue Oyster Cult

John | 9/28/2007, 10:45 pm EST

On KISS’ “KISS Symphony” dvd Gene Simmons said it best.

“The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame can kiss my ass”.

Ace, obviously. baconsartre, Here’s a dollar, go buy yourself a clue!

yeah definitely Mick Taylor and Robbie Robertson too, man, that solo in King Harvest gives me goosebumps every time i hear it

baconsartre | 9/28/2007, 10:13 pm EST

“i guess there really is only one group of people who are in actuality dumber than the members of kiss…

kiss fans.”

You sound like a real stuck up snot. Ace Frehley is an amazing guitarist! You don’t have to even like Kiss to appreciate his playing.

BTW, Thuston Moore. Great stuff. NOT!

Daniel Johns of Silverchair, caught them live last week, refreshing to see someone not afraid to show off his obvious talents. Their new stuff is something special live, truly pushing boundaries like few of their contemparies

Brad Whitford?

Two guitarists - One Underrated/one completely forgotten:

Link Wray - His stuff in the early 60’s is unreal (not just Rumble in 58) For it’s day the volume is awesome, and makes even some early Stones records sound tame.

Danny Cedrone: Lead guitarist for Bill Haley & the Comets. He played perhaps the first rock guitar solo ever on Rock Around the Clock. No one ever mentions him.

Steve Howe of Yes and Asia-nuff said
Andy Partridge of XTC
the late great Terry Kath of Chicago (a true monster)
Phil Keaggy-incredible Christian musician
Peter Frampton-not just a pretty boy, but a damned fine guitarist
Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze

NEIL YOUNG.NEIL YOUNG.NEIL YOUNG.NEIL YOUNG.NEIL YOUNG.NEIL YOUNG.NEIL YOUNG.
Thank you for putting this list. Most people think of Neil as Heart Of Gold. They’ll never know his music, and never understand the majesty of his electric guitar epics such as Like a Hurricane, Down by the River, Cortez, and his new (old) song Original People. Way too underrated for his input on singer/songwriter/ flat out rock and roll pioneer. He rewrote the book for guitar players with his one note solo on Cinammon Girl. Passsionate but simple. Shows that you don’t need to be technical to be emotional, (technical is actually quite boring when it all sounds perfectly the same) and I wonder if Johnny Ramone would ever have had the guts (or the ability) to get his solos on mainstream radio without neil young in 1969 paving his way.

Vernon Reid: he’s a virtuoso, an intellectual, yet he’s work is still so visceral. Check out his astounding work on recent releases by the Yohimbe Brothers and Masque. The only guy who’s hip enough to be able to have is his guitar work gel with rock, hip-hop, jungle, blues and total exotica.

Dave Murray/Adrian Smith - Iron Maiden
Lee Renaldo/Thurston Moore - Sonic Youth
Malcom Young - AC/DC
Scott Ian - Anthrax
Neil Young
John Frusciante - RHCP

Come on, Frank Zappa, Pete Townsend and Mark Knofler are not underrated.

Good on Mike M for mentioning Bill Nelson..one of the great unsung heroes from the 70’s. No-one else sounded like he did.

Just read a book on Nick Drake. Fellow guitarists couldn’t understand his technique. Listening back on his music, it makes me appreciate it that little but more.

You know, it’s too bad people can’t post their favorites without people insulting them.
We insult each other all week long. It’s the weekend and these lists are for fun, and Rolling Stone came with a good one this time! Can’t we all just get a long?!

Ace Frehley
KK Downing and Glen Tipton from Judas Priest

Of course Prince is one of the most underrated guitarists. He didn’t make RS list for 100 greatest guitarists, but Joan Jett did. That says it all right there.

SAM ROBERTS!!!

Also Noel Gallager from Oasis- very talented guitarist

I can’t believe Trent Reznor has yet to be mentioned???

Bernard Bulter- New order
Courtney Love- say what you say about her but she knows how to rock

Also Eric Erlandson from Hole- his work on ‘Live through this” is amazing!

Ted frakin’ Leo
Doug Marsch of Built to Spill and the magic beard pixies that enchant his playing

I’ll definitely second Nels Cline

Elvis Costello/ Being known as a great songwriter blurs the fact he’s played all the guitar parts on all his album’s for 30 years.
Bruce / Kurt/ Muddy Waters / Paul Westerburg / Wilie Nelson /
Worst reader pics - Those 2 knuckleheads from Pearl Jam, pfff, the most tragically riffless band of all time. John Mayer ! Oh god, I need to lie down, when I ssaw that guy on RS with the label “Rock’s New Guitar Hero’s”, lord. I was sickened. If you want a new guitar god with a blues influence his name is Jack White

Vernon Reid from Living Colour.
Peter Green from Fleetwood Mac.
D. Boon from Minutemen

I second Mick taylor - most talented memeber of anyone that was in the stones.

Jonny Greenwood

Texas guitarist Eric Johnson deserves a lot of acclaim not only for his gorgeous, fluid lead playing and chiming rhythm parts but also for being a decent songwriter who writes songs with interesting hooks and melodies. The guy can really do it all, though he makes fans wait an awfully LONG time for releases.

I don’t see The Edge from U2 anywhere here. So I must add his name. Not only was his scratchy-echo style pretty original but the drama and fury of almost every song on “Achtung Baby” secure his position as a true guitar hero.

Mark Knopfler

Andy Partridge and Dave Gregory.

WTF would anyone noiminate those 2 meat heads from Pearl Jam?!

I second the Michael Gira nomination

A bunch that already have been mentioned

Bill Nelson - Be Bop Deluxe

rory gallagher
roy buchanon
robbie robertson
robert fripp
warren haynes
prince
nels cline

and from the jazz world:
john scofield
bill frisell
pat martino
al dimeola
django reinhart

Not everyone’s favoriite guy, but an incredible guitar player,,,,just listen to Stranglehold,,,,TED NUUUGGGGENNT

Rivers Cuomo
Jerry Cantrell
Dude from Monster Magnet
Niles Pulsford (BUSH)
Stevie Stevens (Billy Idol)

Dan Auerbach (Black Keys)
J.Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.)
Steve Turner (Mudhoney)
Dave Navarro
Vernon Reid
Billy Duffy (The Cult)
Larry LaLonde (Primus)
Ty Tabor (King’s X)

omar rodriguez-lopez - the mars volta

michael gira - swans, angels of light

justin broadrick - napalm death, godflesh, jesu

robin guthrie - cocteau twins

MICK TAYLOR for God’s sake

I’m a huge KISS fan, so I have to go the predicable route with Ace. And Dave Grohl is getting better with each album!

Nick Zinner

Thurston Moore’s guitar playing is a noisy, screecy piece of crap!

George Lynch

“McCready and Gossard off the 100 greatest list is a crime against humanity”

i don’t think so

baconsartre: you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Ace Frehley
Lundsay Buckingham

Bruce Springsteen is very underrated, and leaving McCready and Gossard off the 100 greatest list is a crime against humanity

Dickie Betts (Duane was better, but Dickie is still great)
John Mayer
Bob Dylan (’just like a woman’ is so hard to play)
Dave Matthews
Ben Harper

(seems like prominently acoustic guitarists are often over-looked)

David Rawlings

Carrie Brownstein

Joni Mitchell

Matthew Followill

Elliott Smith

Ace Frehley
Johnny Thunders

I second Peter Buck, and agree with Thurston Moore, Slash, and Prince.

thurston moore.

i guess there really is only one group of people who are in actuality dumber than the members of kiss…

kiss fans.

Denis D’Amour of the great Canadian band Voi Vod was one of the greatest electric guitarist’s ever. The albums Killing Technology (1987) through The Outer Limits (1993) showcase one of the most creative guitarists popular music has ever know. R.I.P.

Jerry Cantrell
Kim Thayil
Kurt Cobain
Mike McCready

Fudge, i meant Matt Pike

Mike Pike (Sleep/High On Fire)- Riffmaster General

McCready/Gossard
Neil Young

Tom Morello, how can so many people over look him?

Jorma Kaukonen
Mick Ronson
Tom Verlaine
Neil Young
Dickie Betts
Thurston Moore

Ritchie Blackmore
Ace Frehley

Prince
Michael Hampton (Funkadelic)
Eddie Hazel (Funkadelic)
Mick Ronson (Spiders From Mars)
Lou Reed
Ben Harper
Neil Young
Willie Nelson

Mike Einziger
Some very inventive and unique stuff,don’t judge based on the ‘hit’ songs

Prince
Johnny Marr
Tom Verlaine
Joey Santiago

Joe Satriani
Dave Navarro
Dick Dale
Roy Buchanan
John Frusciante

Alex Lifeson, from RUSH is amazing, and being a lifelong KISS fan I have to agree on Ace.

Robbie Robertson
Andy Summers
Paul McCartney (I know)
David Gilmour
Pete Townshend
Mark Knopfler
Steve Cropper

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
Nick Zinner
Daron Malakian

Prince is not in any way underrated.

John Frusciante
Andy Summers

Also Steve Hackett. Pretty much unknown except by early Genesis heads.

Nathan, LOL. Very clever,dude.

My nominee is so underated that he’s not being considered by anyone as underated.

Ace Frehley. If you listen to his listen to his leads, you’ll here very creative work and how he definitely has his own vibe.

Lindsay Buckingham
John Squire (Stone Roses)
Mick Jones (Clash)
Billy Joe (Green Day)
and given the feedback on this site Jack White

robbie robertson
mike bloomfield
mike campbell
billy gibbons (who was jimi hendrix’s favorite guitarist)
scotty moore
roger mcguinn

and the king of underrated guitarists…
STEVE CROPPER

Paul Kossoff of Free

vernon reid. probably the greatest guitarist no one realli knows… rs he should be in the top 20 of the greatest guitarists of all time not down in the 60s…

Slash, just like the rest of GnR. he doesn’t get any respect from the press

McCready/Gossard

id definitely have to say Steve Jones and Kurt Cobain.

robert fripp and prince.i saw prince do a cover of “whole lotta love” .page in his prime couldn’t come close.

Have to say of the not listed

Elliot Easton of the Cars
Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze

Izzy Stradlin
Brad Whitford

Def. underrated

I didn’t see anyone mention the late Terry Kath. I just did. I read a report where another Chicago bandmember claimed that Jimi Hendrix said he thought Kath was better than him back in the day or something like that…It sure is sad when talented people don’t know how to handle firearms…~JBK

Mike McCready/Stone Gossard
Randy Rhoads
Dave Matthews
Rich Robinson/Marc Ford
Warren Haynes

Lots more, prob too many to post…

Robby Krieger, by the way definitely Prince he doesnt get as much recognition for his guitar skills.

CanCon time:

Martin Tielli (Rheostatics and solo work)

Rob Baker (Tragically Hip)

Bruce Cockburn

Since when is Prince underrated? He’s a living legend and everyone knows he’s a great guitarist.
I agree with Mick Mars,Malcolm Young,Eddie Hazel and Izzy Stradlin, by the way.
-Brad Withford
-Michael Hampton/Kidd Funkadelic
-Lita Ford.

randy bachman,george harrison,john lennon and rob baker

Kurt Cobain certainly developed his own style…however, the pioneers of the “grunge” sound were Green River, Mother Lovebone, and Mudhoney.

A second vote for Nels Cline from Wilco, the guy is absolutely amazing. And my other favorite guitarist who gets no credit at all is Ira Kaplain from Yo La Tengo. The guy is truly amazing live.

No question…

BILLY GIBBONS!!!

Take a listen to Just Got Paid…

Prince isn’t really underrated, he’s pretty much universally regarded as one of the best guitar players alive

Prince and Billy Corgan are underrated

Omar Rodriguez Lopez

randy rhoads

neil young

kurt cobain (he found that sound that made grunge what it is)

Andrew stockdale of wolfmother (buy their record its worth it, the mans jimmy page and robert plant rolled into one…easily one of the more talented musicians who holds a guitar today)

David–Bernard Butler was a brilliant choice. Even better, though, in my opinion are the two greatest British guitar players since the late 1980’s–John Squire of the Stone Roses and Graham Coxon of Blur.

Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre.

The bassist from Rancid

Malcolm Young
Neil Young
Elliott Smith
Izzy Stradlin
Mick Mars

I’ll second Neil Geraldo and Billy Zoom, and no one’s mentioned Mark Knopfler, who plays beautifully.

Glen Buxton and Michael Bruce from the original Alice Cooper Band.
Robert Randolph.
Robbie Kreiger.

On Topic - you are correct…I meant Jerry Harrison - thanks for the check.

Don’t forget Mike Bloomfield, George Harrison, Robert Randolph, John Lennon, Tommy Smothers, Doyle Bramhall II, Andy Fairweather Low,Elvis Costello and Snowy White.

I can’t get that right, cut and paste the whole thing folks.

Prince
Neil Young
Bob Stinson
Elliott Smith

Al bum — Chris Frantz is the drummer for Talking Heads, not the guitarist.

I’d nominate Peter Buck–he’s tasteful and modest compared to a lot of other ‘great guitarists’.

Prince and Fripp are definitely kings, tho.

Good calls on Prince and on seeing Willie and Dickie Betts being called out. I have to add Jerry Cantrell, the man is brilliant!

No one plays guitar in Hell like Elliot Smith…well maybe Hendrix and Duane Allman.

I think Springsteen’s guitar in the Darkness era was as good as anybody’s. His guitar makes the song better to me. Honestly can’t beat this in my mind:

http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=pijURu9Qzrg

good call on prince, how about Andy Summers (Police), Andy McKee (check him out on YouTube wow. Jim Peters (my freshman year roommate) jk, there are so many out there that are underrated because people “don’t get it”. John Mayer for example, his left hand is amazing, and he doesn’t get enough credit for that. Rich Robinson, Marc Ford, those two are amazing together on the Crowe’s early work. Robert Johnson isn’t underrated, just under appreciated, but still amazing. And Jimmy Nolen, from James Brown… whooo!

Where to start

Kieth Scott
Tom Petty
Ace Frehley
Mark Knopfler
Kim Mitchell
Tom Cochrane
John Fogerty
Bonnie Raiht
Mick Jones

Bob Dylan

Adrian Belew
Chris Frantz (Talking Heads)
Syd Barrett
Les Paul
John Mac
Mick Abrams (Jethro Tull)
Mojo Nixon
Billy Zoom (X)
John McLaughlin
Dan Zasueta
Jeff Rudolph
Peter Green
John Mayall
Pink Anderson
Floyd Council
Leadbelly
Willie Dixon
John Lee Hooker

Vini Reilly of Durutti Column.

Ben Harper + Mike Einziger

Pete Townshend

Toss Nels Cline in there, too. Seen him live with Wilco and it was pretty wild.

Neil Young.

Pete Cosey (Miles Davis electric era)

gary moore

Steve Hackett
Lindsey Buckingham

Frank Zappa
Prince
Robert Fripp

Robert Smith (The Cure)

BERNARD BUTLER

Willie Nelson- a great guitar player with his own unique style that blends Django Rhienhardt with james Burton

Willie Nelson- a great guitar player with his own unique style that blends Django Rhienhardt with james Burton

Kim Thayil
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
Brian Benoit and Ben Wienmann

Mike Eizinger

Rachael Leigh Cook in Josie & the Pussycats. I don’t think she was actually playing, but her tates looked pretty good with the strap between them.

Elliott Smith, one of the most original guitarists ever.

Elliot Easton of the Cars and Neil Geraldo from Pat Benetar’s band. Some of the greatest (under-rated) solos in rock.

CT

Robert Fripp re-invented the way musicians approach the guitar…his work with Brian Eno (”Here Come The Warm Jets & “Another Green World”) is especially awe-inspiring.

I’d definitely go with Prince…I’d add Dickey Bettes, mostly because he was always overshadowed by Duane. I’d also say Jason Isbell, formerly of Drive-by Truckers…to be fair, he’s underrated mostly because not enough people know him, but anyway he rules.

Mick Mars