Most Under Rated Guitarist?

[qblue]

IMHO:

Chieli Minucci

Jeff Golub (RIP)

Chuck Loeb

All Jazz guys are underrated, but smooth jazz guys are roadkill, when it comes to being recognized. I tried to name guys that used Strat style guitars. I could name more if I don't limit myself to strats. Jeff Golub died recently, but he was a rock-jazz hybrid, who played in Rod Stewart's live band in the 90's. He played other guitars in the jazz idiom, but always seemed at home on his 60's Stratocaster. Minucci and Chuck Loeb use H/S/H S-style guitars.



If I step up to archtops then:

Norman Brown

Paul Brown

These guys are clones of their predecessors and are technically better, and more awesome. Norman Brown is a Geo. Benson clone. Paul Brown is a L. Carlton clone. They are ridiculously good.



Here's some other guys I never get tired of listening to:

Paul Jackson, Jr.

Eric Krasno

These guys have had signature guitars named for them in the past. I just like what they do. P. Jackson, Jr.= Gibson CS-336; E. Krasno = Ibanez EKM 100. And the irony is neither uses the exact same instrument they sell with their name attached to it. P. Jackson must have played his namesake for a minute. Krasno has the instrument , but had it loaded with TV Jones pickups.

 

[mojosman]

Interesting thread. I've read all of the responses, and you guys have made some great suggestions. Toy Caldwell. Awesome choice but probably a virtual unknown to the younger members. Mike Campbell also a great choice. Very talented guy, that never seems to overplay, or hot dog it for the sake of looking like a shredder. Uses crazy alternate tunings, plays everything from mandolins to banjos. Gets very little attention. Steve Morse was also mentioned. Again, younger players may not know about his early career. He's been doing it a very long time. I've seen him live during a solo tour and I was amazed. I think my list ends with Ronnie Earl. He gets very little attention, but he's one of my favorite players to see live. I've been lucky enough to have seen him many times over the years. He's incredible. The one name no one else has mentioned yet is Smokin Joe Kubek. Killer player. Great tone. He has that Buddy Guy knack of being able to do these huge bends without getting that awful funky bad intonation sound us mere mortals can suffer from trying multi step bends. He's a great guy too.

 

[ZacZeppelin]

Ron Asheton
Greg Ginn
Jimmy Herring

Tom Morello gets a fair whack of appreciation but I think he's really a top 5 all time guitarist

 

[SoggyStrat]

Peter Frampton and John Fogerty. What struck me after seeing them both a while back on HDNET (now AXS channel I think), is how cleanly they play and how awesome their timing was while singing. I'm not an expert on these types of guitarists but my experience is that most singers who play guitar seem to play stuff you'd expect from a guy who's singing. In other words less technical than if the guitar was being played by a stand alone guitarist. But not these guys.... And all without ever looking at their guitars. I can barely sing and play 4/4 open chords rhythm with my eyes LOCKED on my fretting hand, so though these guys are kick ass.

 

[stevierayfan91]

Peter Frampton and John Fogerty. What struck me after seeing them both a while back on HDNET (now AXS channel I think), is how cleanly they play and how awesome their timing was while singing. I'm not an expert on these types of guitarists but my experience is that most singers who play guitar seem to play stuff you'd expect from a guy who's singing. In other words less technical than if the guitar was being played by a stand alone guitarist. But not these guys.... And all without ever looking at their guitars. I can barely sing and play 4/4 open chords rhythm with my eyes LOCKED on my fretting hand, so though these guys are kick ass.

+1. buddy.


i saw some footage of Frampton from early days of his live album, and he tore it up. almost wanted to put guitar down ,lol.

 

[SoggyStrat]

+1. buddy.





i saw some footage of Frampton from early days of his live album, and he tore it up. almost wanted to put guitar down ,lol.

Lol! Crap yeah! I still got his live album from the 70's. Great also seeing him and Fogerty at their age now, better than ever, including their voices..... Instead of looking and sounding like something your dog spend the day chewing on like most musicians from that era!

 

[Slidertom]

Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane. Totally underrated.
Someone mentioned Justin Hayward. Another brilliant talented guitarist.
Another I'd forgotten: Peter Green.

 

[Zipperfoot]

Phil-X baby!

 

[stevierayfan91]

Phil-X baby!

he's one of my newer favorites,lol.

i love his enthusiasm and skill,imo. .

one time saw him do dive bomb stutter effect needed for song, but on a Les Paul Jr from 60's . don't know how but he did

 

[Zipperfoot]

he's one of my newer favorites,lol.

i love his enthusiasm and skill,imo. .

one time saw him do dive bomb stutter effect needed for song, but on a Les Paul Jr from 60's . don't know how but he did

I think he does a pretty good version of Little Wing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RQ3HiJvO3o

 

[stevierayfan91]

I think he does a pretty good version of Little Wing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RQ3HiJvO3o

that too .

i guess for me what i find most interesting, is Phil throws same amount of passion regardiless of who he is playing with. like he can go from metal power trio to larger areana type rock and lots of blues .

 

[ClaptonLover13]

Alex Lifeson. Mark Knopfler. Billy Corgan. Yes... I just said Billy Corgan. Dude doesn't get as much respect as he deserves.

 

[sam_in_cali]

Alex Lifeson. Mark Knopfler. Billy Corgan. Yes... I just said Billy Corgan. Dude doesn't get as much respect as he deserves.

Rockstars on kiddie trains get no respect nowadays

 

[IMMusicRulz]

I’ve always thought that John Petrucci is an underrated guitarist. Partly because he is such a complex guitarist to emulate, but also because he is pretty much the only progressive guitarist nowadays.

His acoustic playing on Pull Me Under by Dream Theater is very melodic.

 

[dbb541]

Magic Sam
Mike Bloomfield
Danny Kirwin
Jimmy McCulloch
Otis Rush
Jimmy Dawkins
Wilko Johnson
Mick Taylor
Lightnin' Slim
Neil Giraldo
Elmore James
Bruce Springsteen... yes, I think he is under rated... did you know he could do this?

 

[lbpesq]

Robbie Robertson.

He played to support the music, where so many others use the music to support their own chops.

Bill, tgo

 

[crankmeister]

Me

 

[dbb541]

Crankmeister
Johnny Thunders

 

[racerx819]

Alex Lifeson and Lindsey Buckingham come to mind.

Lindsey Buckingham is a monster guitarist!!!!!

 

[mad axe man]

I’ve always thought that John Petrucci is an underrated guitarist. Partly because he is such a complex guitarist to emulate, but also because he is pretty much the only progressive guitarist nowadays.

His acoustic playing on Pull Me Under by Dream Theater is very melodic.

8 years ago..how did you find this? big bang theory