Innovative Guitar Players

[ImaWolf]

Jack White (White Stripes, Racontuers)

Brian Aubert (Silversun Pickups)

Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead)

Between the Buried and Me!

David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)

Eric Clapton

Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)

Cody Bonnette (As Cities Burn)

Who'd I miss!?

[bradsonemanband]

Jimi Hendrix and Tom from Rage Against The Machine, I'd say

[StuffUWillHate]

Strung Out
Cynic
Dimebag Darrell
Suffocation

[Kid B]

Victor Villareal (cap'n jazz, Noyes, Owls, Ghosts and Vodka, etc)
Jack Rose
Dave Longstreth (Dirty Projectors)
Lou Reed (the Velvet Underground)
Stephen Malkmus (Pavement)

[GhostFight]

nick drake, dawg. also, isaac brock for sure.

and myself.

[Ari Christos]

Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo.

[Derka Derka]

John 5
Buckethead

[honkyg88]

The Edge
Slash

[Alex DiVincenzo]

Tony Iommi
Tom Morello
Yngwie Malmsteen
Eddie Van Halen
Adrian Legg

[honkyg88]

Tony Iommi
Tom Morello
Yngwie Malmsteen
Eddie Van Halen
Adrian Legg
Ah, yeah. Great choices!

[anthonydarko]

Stephen Carpenter- Deftones
Mårten Hagström & Fredrik Thordendal - Meshuggah

[wuninseven]

Victor Villareal (cap'n jazz, Noyes, Owls, Ghosts and Vodka, etc)
Jack Rose
Dave Longstreth (Dirty Projectors)
Lou Reed (the Velvet Underground)
Stephen Malkmus (Pavement)
yes. ghosts and vodka is a criminally underrated group. also dave from dirty p's has one of the most original guitar sounds that i've heard in a long, long time.

i would also cite Dave Knudson (Botch, Minus the Bear) and Teppei's early work as major influences on many current bands. just please, please no one say steve vai

[SophGod]

Buckethead

yes. absolutely yes.

[xxero182]

Jack White (White Stripes, Racontuers)

Brian Aubert (Silversun Pickups)

Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead)

Between the Buried and Me!

David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)

Eric Clapton

Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)

Cody Bonnette (As Cities Burn)

Who'd I miss!?



hell yeah man, cody is one of my favorite guitarists and one of my biggest influences. i would also like to add:

Adam Jones - Tool

hes sick.

[yellowhouse]

dave knudson- minus the bear/botch
omar rodriguez lopez- the mars volta/at the drive-in
tyondai braxton- battles
nick reinhart- tera melos/bygones
ben weinman- dillinger escape plan
dave davision/erin elders- maps and atlases

[kbi the crowing]

Thomas Erak (obligatory)
Dave Knudson
Trent Reznor (not innovative at guitar, but he is a guitarist and is an innovative musician)

[kbi the crowing]

dave knudsen

ahh you just beat me to it

[shes.a.ghost]

Get ready for a TON of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez responses.

[Derka Derka]

dave knudsen
omar rodriguez-lopez
tyondai braxton
nick reinhart
ben weinman

I can't believe I forgot him on my list, he's awesome.

[kbi the crowing]

John Petrucci

[shes.a.ghost]

Cody Bonnette
Johnny Greenwood

[Theseventhson]

Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo.
Came in to say this.

Also George Harrison

[|adr3naLine|]

Drake Bell.

[GeeBee]

Get ready for a TON of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez responses.

Part of talent is knowing some restraint. I don't consider him that great of a guitarist. Half-decent guitarists can noodle on endlessly.

/rant.

[HCO SF 87]

justin shekoski and beau burchell

only on TTN and the S/T though.

[FueledByRock]

Steve Vai
Paul Gilbert
Buddy Guy
J. Mascis

[shes.a.ghost]

Part of talent is knowing some restraint. I don't consider him that great of a guitarist. Half-decent guitarists can noodle on endlessly.

/rant.Agreed.

[tommy's ghost]

Zappa. Fucking Zappa.

[mikeyisaCULT!]

im surprised nobody has mentioned Justin King...

yh_24DXNy8E
guy's a beast on the get box!

[yellowhouse]

ahh you just beat me to it

the best.

[wroteurname]

Agreed.

thirded

[kearn1tm]

James Blackshaw does some very intricate work, but I'm not particularly sure if it's innovative.

[theguy77]

kaki king

instant namedrop in any thread about skilled guitarists, she can play circles around anyone else i listen to

[thegodofmusic]

Steve Morse
Pat Metheny
Joe Satriani
Eric Johnson
Tommy Emmanuel
Eddie Hazel
Blackbyrd McKnight
Robert Fripp

That's all I got in my mind right now!

[Brokenhill]

David Gilmour isn't extremely innovative, he's just extremely good with making melodies and creating solos to accompany them.

Syd Barrett.

_2wud_RqEaM

[John Mondo]

joey santiago from the pixies.

[El_Jeffe]

Ernest Ranglin
Ali Farka Toure
Ibrahim Ag Alhabib aka 'Abaraybone' (from perhaps the most innovative band currently making music: Tinariwen. These guys have completely redefined how to play the guitar & created a sound unlike any other, & are already huge influences to the likes of Thom Yorke, etc)

[MilesToGo]

Les Paul
B.B. King
Eric Clapton

[wuduprod]

Django Reinhardt
Stevie Ray Vaughan

[And Hours Pass]

Part of talent is knowing some restraint. I don't consider him that great of a guitarist. Half-decent guitarists can noodle on endlessly.

/rant.

I wish this could be posted for everybody on this site to see. Thank you.

im surprised nobody has mentioned Justin King...

yh_24DXNy8E
guy's a beast on the get box!

Justin King is fantastic. I really think he's better than khaki king.

Steve Morse
Pat Metheny
Joe Satriani
Eric Johnson
Tommy Emmanuel
Eddie Hazel
Blackbyrd McKnight
Robert Fripp

That's all I got in my mind right now!

Couldn't agree more with those. I would also add: Wes Montgomery, Russell Malone, and John Mayer (I know I'll get flack for that last one, but the progressions and extensions he chooses are always fascinating, intricate, and aesthetically pleasing)

[k1guitar]

dave knudson- minus the bear/botch
omar rodriguez lopez- the mars volta/at the drive-in
tyondai braxton- battles
nick reinhart- tera melos/bygones
ben weinman- dillinger escape plan
dave davision/erin elders- maps and atlases

damn that was half my list...

[tfieldz]

ben kenney the bassist from incubus is pretty damn good. in his solo work he plays guitar. drums, bass, sings and is incredible at all of it. he also used to play guitar for the roots who are sick. youtube the song eulogy by ben kenney to get a good idea of how his songs are

[kearn1tm]

kaki king

instant namedrop in any thread about skilled guitarists, she can play circles around anyone else i listen to

But she's sooooo boring.

[yellowhouse]

damn that was half my list...

haha, sorry.

also, a couple additions:
marnie stern
annie clark (st. vincent)

[wuduprod]

in this thread i see many good guitarists, but i don't see how many of them are innovative.

[Illadelphia]

Stevie Ray Vaughn
Jimi Hendrix
Thomas Erak (maybe not innovative, but damn good)
Eddie Van Halen
Jimmy Page
John Mayer
most of these have been mentioned but that's my list

[maxvsmaradona]

Jimi Hendrix and Tom from Rage Against The Machine, I'd say

Stole the words right from under my fingers!

[SophGod]

Tom Morello
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Buckethead
Thomas Erak
Jimmy Page

[maxvsmaradona]

Also:

hm1e4DnRiAM

[ImaWolf]

Part of talent is knowing some restraint. I don't consider him that great of a guitarist. Half-decent guitarists can noodle on endlessly.

/rant.

Very True!

Also it's a crime of me to not add Dave Knudson! Durr

Ohh and also Mike Sullivan of Russian Circles. Total beast on the Enter Album.

additional props to Zappa, Hendrix, JJ Cale, Andy McKee

Just so many talented folks.

[ImaWolf]

haha, sorry.

also, a couple additions:
marnie stern
annie clark (st. vincent)

Annie Clark is a good pick. Haunting riffs with Disney like melodies and synths/keys.

[Zachariaahh]

will swan and zac garren from dance gavin dance. i know there music isn't anyones taste but there both skilled/innovative

[cuzimlefthanded]

tom delonge.
Trace cyrus.

[RushAndAPush]

Also:

hm1e4DnRiAM
This this this.

[haloswitch]

Jonsi Birgisson - Sigur Ros
Martin Tielli - The Rheostatics
Derek Bailey - David Sylvian etc.
Robert Fripp - King Crimson etc.

Just to name a few.

[ImaWolf]

Also:

hm1e4DnRiAM

The Smiths rule but I'm not sure how innovative I think Johnny Marr is.

Changing a barred major chord to the open chord shape isnt extremely dazzling.

[ImaWolf]

will swan and zac garren from dance gavin dance. i know there music isn't anyones taste but there both skilled/innovative

Sorry but their writing seems cluttered and showy to me.

I even forced myself to pick up an album and could not make a liking. Atleast it something different than the rest of thr Rise garbage (excluding a few)

[maxvsmaradona]

The Smiths rule but I'm not sure how innovative I think Johnny Marr is.

Changing a barred major chord to the open chord shape isnt extremely dazzling.

Yes, but he had a playing style that was soo unique compared to other artists of the 80s. He helped define the jangly guitar sound.

[ImaWolf]

Yes, but he had a playing style that was soo unique compared to other artists of the 80s. He helped define the jangly guitar sound.

I reckon I can agree with that. Jangly = playing Fender guitar through a Fender amp

.....and adding some effects

[maxvsmaradona]

I reckon I can agree with that. Jangly = playing Fender guitar through a Fender amp

.....and adding some effects

He played rickenbacker. Also, have you ever really listened to The Smiths? His lead guitar parts were so unlike any 80's band. Plus, the fact he's still playing today (The Cribs, Modest Mouse), and kicking ass, is pretty damn cool.

[Illadelphia]

Sorry but their writing seems cluttered and showy to me.

I even forced myself to pick up an album and could not make a liking. Atleast it something different than the rest of thr Rise garbage (excluding a few)
Yeah on a few songs they strike a nice balance, but most of the time its too much for me.

[ImaWolf]

He played rickenbacker. Also, have you ever really listened to The Smiths? His lead guitar parts were so unlike any 80's band. Plus, the fact he's still playing today (The Cribs, Modest Mouse), and kicking ass, is pretty damn cool.

I can see hes playing a Ric 360 in the video. I was just stating an opinion. I only have one Smiths album and could never get into it but I can see the major impact they have made in today's alt and indie rock just by spinning that one I have a few times. His work on the two latest MM albums (We Were Dead and the 8 song disc) was interesting but I have to give the cred for that work up to the brains behind the opperation. (Isacc Brock)

Have you seen MM live with Johnny Marr yet? It is pretty great. He actually played an old, beat up Fender Jagstang.

[industrialbelt]

Zappa

[harveyn590]

dave knudson- minus the bear/botch
omar rodriguez lopez- the mars volta/at the drive-in
tyondai braxton- battles
nick reinhart- tera melos/bygones
ben weinman- dillinger escape plan
dave davision/erin elders- maps and atlases

yessssss

[_><_]

Ben Weinman

[Thesleepingwell]

Billy Corgan - The Smashing Pumpkins
David Gilmour - Pink Floyd
Tony Iommi - Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell
Dimebag Darrell (RIP) - Pantera
Kenny Hickey - Type O Negative
Joey Z - Life Of Agony
Jus Oborn - Electric Wizard
Dennis D'Amour (RIP) - Voivod

[bard]

Part of talent is knowing some restraint. I don't consider him that great of a guitarist. Half-decent guitarists can noodle on endlessly.

/rant.
almost word for word what i was gonna say.

also, tom morello isn't really innovative. he screws around with distortion and effects and creates weird noises, but didn't innovate anything. never understood the praise for him.

edit: and it seems that the majority of people in this thread are just naming really talented guitarists... not so much on the innovative side though

[cshadows2887]

Lindsey Buckingham

[yellowhouse]

Annie Clark is a good pick. Haunting riffs with Disney like melodies and synths/keys.

Yes. She rules.

[yellowhouse]

yessssss

:-)

[Deadbolt23]

Tim Collis from This Town Needs Guns.

[MonopolyMan]

Mansur Zennelli & Michael Barrett from Closure in Moscow
Will Swan from Dance Gavin Dance
and John Mayer

[love_american_style]

Trent Reznor (not innovative at guitar, but he is a guitarist and is an innovative musician)

i think he's pretty uniqe guitarist. at the time he started working heavy guitars into his work it was nothing i had heard at the time.

[love_american_style]

Lindsey Buckingham

this too.

[foisol]

Matt Bellamy

[cshadows2887]

this too.

Nice to see some love for the Mac.

[love_american_style]

Nice to see some love for the Mac.

that dude is all fingers, brah!

[anthonydarko]

http://www.fromthevaultradio.org/home/wp-content/images/FTV133_Les%20Paul/les%20paul.jpg
For everything he's done, this guy is the most innovative out of all the people mentioned in this thread.

[cshadows2887]

that dude is all fingers, brah!

It's true. When I first heard them I thought his acoustic version of "Big Love' had at least 3 guitarists on it.

[x togepi x]

also, tom morello isn't really innovative. he screws around with distortion and effects and creates weird noises, but didn't innovate anything. never understood the praise for him.



why is this not innovative? i tell you what, i'll let you borrow my digitech whammy and see if you can recreate some of his stuff perfectly.


i doubt you can.


and nobody mentioned kevin shields? ya'll is idiots.

[bard]

why is this not innovative? i tell you what, i'll let you borrow my digitech whammy and see if you can recreate some of his stuff perfectly.


i doubt you can.


and nobody mentioned kevin shields? ya'll is idiots.
i never said i could...

[x togepi x]

i never said i could...

so then why isn't it innovative?

basically every kind of important music has been considered "just noise" at some point in history.

[GeeBee]

almost word for word what i was gonna say.

also, tom morello isn't really innovative. he screws around with distortion and effects and creates weird noises, but didn't innovate anything. never understood the praise for him.

edit: and it seems that the majority of people in this thread are just naming really talented guitarists... not so much on the innovative side though

Totally agreed. I remember too many people were blown away by all the sounds on their S/T. A decent effects pedal did wonders to inflate his status as a guitarist.

[GeeBee]

so then why isn't it innovative?

basically every kind of important music has been considered "just noise" at some point in history.

Because there's a difference between guitar talent and the ability to manipulate buttons on an effects pedal. i won't say he wasn't influential, but innovative...methinks no.

[ImaWolf]

http://www.fromthevaultradio.org/home/wp-content/images/FTV133_Les%20Paul/les%20paul.jpg
For everything he's done, this guy is the most innovative out of all the people mentioned in this thread.

Les Paul vs. Leo Fender

NEW THREAD!

[xJesusFreakx]

I think that a focus on guitar effects would be a factor, though. I mean, it's finding a new way to play the instrument, adding a new dimension to what defines a "good" guitarist. I'm no guitarist or gear expert, so I'll make no claims about Tom's influence specifically, but I personally fail to see how the use of effects wouldn't be considered.

[x togepi x]

Because there's a difference between guitar talent and the ability to manipulate buttons on an effects pedal. i won't say he wasn't influential, but innovative...methinks no.

why are you so boring and equate "guitar talent" with shredding? Why can't successful and innovative manipulation of pedals be considered guitar talent? It's not like you can give anyone a ton of pedals and they'll instantly create music worth listening to.

shit, much of indie/underground guitar music in the 80s was about playing guitar in new and interesting ways, specifically with effects. I guess those people weren't talented either.

[GeeBee]

why are you so boring and equate "guitar talent" with shredding? Why can't successful and innovative manipulation of pedals be considered guitar talent? It's not like you can give anyone a ton of pedals and they'll instantly create music worth listening to.

shit, much of indie/underground guitar music in the 80s was about playing guitar in new and interesting ways, specifically with effects. I guess those people weren't talented either.

I don't even necessarily equate it with shredding. Nor do I necessarily exclude talent with manipulating effects from overall talent with a guitar.

I'm simply saying that Morello got a whole lot of credit for guitar work that ultimately belonged to his processor.

[SophGod]

to say Tom Morello isn't innovative is arrogant. not only does he find new tricks to do on his guitar, he incorporates them seamlessly into his band's music.

[ImaWolf]

Let's face it.....too much shredding can get boring.

That's when crazy effects come in.

I think a good mix of pleasant/unique sounding effects usage and legit guitar technigue creates an innovative guitarist.

[ImaWolf]

Johnny Greenwood did everything he could to get crazt sounds of out his guitar but he could also play an ugly solo like no one else (i.e. OK Comp)

[x togepi x]

I don't even necessarily equate it with shredding. Nor do I necessarily exclude talent with manipulating effects from overall talent with a guitar.

I'm simply saying that Morello got a whole lot of credit for guitar work that ultimately belonged to his processor.

how?

Like I said before, just because you can buy a whammy pedal for 200 bucks doesn't mean you can play his songs as well as he did. There are tons of bitchy reviews about the whammy pedal from kids who are pissed off because they think that you just need that pedal to play Killing In The Name.

[IcedOpethBlind]

Mikael Akerfeldt
Tom Reno
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Steve Vai
Jimi Hendrix
Tony Iommi
Tom Morello
Jimmy Page
Randy Rhoads
Zakk Wylde
Jon Petrucci
Joe Satriani
Eric Clapton
Les Paul

...off the top of my head.

[s.t.e.v.e.n.]

in this thread i see many good guitarists, but i don't see how many of them are innovative.

What I was thinking.

[GeeBee]

how?

Like I said before, just because you can buy a whammy pedal for 200 bucks doesn't mean you can play his songs as well as he did. There are tons of bitchy reviews about the whammy pedal from kids who are pissed off because they think that you just need that pedal to play Killing In The Name.

Sorry. It's simply a matter of opinion. I honestly don't care about it enough to argue about it. It's just my impression, and I haven't cared for RATM since Evil Empire, so to each his own.

[x togepi x]

Sorry. It's simply a matter of opinion. I honestly don't care about it enough to argue about it. It's just my impression, and I haven't cared for RATM since Evil Empire, so to each his own.

I don't care about Rage or Audioslave at all, but your dumb ass opinion would tell Kevin Shields or Thurston Moore that their bands lack talent.

[GeeBee]

I don't care about Rage or Audioslave at all, but your dumb ass opinion would tell Kevin Shields or Thurston Moore that their bands lack talent.

You're misunderstanding me. I said nothing of talent. I simply said Morello was overrated as a guitarist. However, I can't fucking stand Sonic Youth, so I guess we're at odds.

[kbi the crowing]

i think he's pretty uniqe guitarist. at the time he started working heavy guitars into his work it was nothing i had heard at the time.

I was like, two at the time haha so I don't really have much perspective on music when he released Broken (which is what I think you were referring to)

[x togepi x]

You're misunderstanding me. I said nothing of talent. I simply said Morello was overrated as a guitarist. However, I can't fucking stand Sonic Youth, so I guess we're at odds.

You agreed with the person who said he wasn't innovative. I called you out on it.

I agree that he's overrated. Audioslave was fucking terrible. His solo stuff sucked and Rage was decent, at best, but that doesn't take away from his innovation, specifically since nobody has really figured out how to steal his technique.

[love_american_style]

I was like, two at the time haha so I don't really have much perspective on music when he released Broken (which is what I think you were referring to)

yeah....that is the one that sticks out in my mind the most.

[wuninseven]

Tom Morello is damn good at a couple of things and is probably one of the 5 most influential guitar players of the 90's. Beyond his use of pedals and effects, I'd say he mastered the art of writing riffs (albeit repetitive ones) and was one of the first guys to use drop D-tuning in that same style. I'd say he's been pretty innovative , he just hasn't really done anything new since the mid-90's.
Also, kind of off topic, but I think all Morello fans should go back and revisit Evil Empire. Chops wise it isn't quite as impressive as some of the solos on S/T, but some of those riffs and tones are absolutely ridiculous (in a good way). Just a suggestion

[GeeBee]

You agreed with the person who said he wasn't innovative. I called you out on it.

I agree that he's overrated. Audioslave was fucking terrible. His solo stuff sucked and Rage was decent, at best, but that doesn't take away from his innovation, specifically since nobody has really figured out how to steal his technique.

Talent =/= innovation. He's plenty talented. His innovation, as previously stated, in my view, amounts to little more than knowing how to manipulate an effects pedal, which anyone, can do and currently does.

Exactly what "technique" are you talking about?

[x togepi x]

Talent =/= innovation. He's plenty talented. His innovation, as previously stated, in my view, amounts to little more than knowing how to manipulate an effects pedal, which anyone, can do and currently does.

Your view, is contradicted by the fact that "anyone" can't just buy an effects pedal and get the sounds he gets out of them. just like you can't necessarily buy a ton of fuzz and get kevin shields or put your guitar in wacky tunings and get Sonic Youth songs. That is innovative because the manipulation of said effects goes beyond what they're intended to be used for.

Do you even play guitar? I just find it confusing that you keep repeating that "anyone" can do it.

Exactly what "technique" are you talking about?

the whammy one

[wuduprod]

What I was thinking.


any names come to mind either way that we can agree on?

[cshadows2887]

Talent =/= innovation. His innovation, as previously stated, in my view, amounts to little more than knowing how to manipulate an effects pedal, which anyone, can do and currently does.

The gross quantities of stupid required to say something like that is turning my stomach. Wow. Just wow.