Best Instrumental Guitarists

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The Top Ten

1 Joe Satriani

Joseph Satriani (born July 15, 1956) is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. Early in his career, Satriani worked as a guitar instructor, with many of his former students achieving fame, such as Steve Vai, Larry LaLonde, Rick Hunolt, Kirk Hammett, Andy Timmons, Charlie ...read more.

Unexcelled master of musical electricity.

One of the greatest musical geniuses of all time, maybe the one on the very top. He doesn't even play the guitar, the guitar plays him.

Absolutely he is the best well-known instrumental guitarist.

All the guitarists in this list are great, but (in my opinion) the best are Joe Satriani, MAB, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Buckethead, Jason Becker, John Petrucci and Paul Gilbert - rock2metal

His breadth and abilities with the guitar are unmatched.

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2 Steve Vai

Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is an American guitarist, composer, singer, songwriter, and producer, born and raised on Long Island, New York.

Vai puts SO much of himself into what he does with the guitar...some would say too much if you've ever seen him live. That is whats so great though...he'd be selling himself and us short if he didn't. I'm a product of the 80's and my introduction to Vai happened at 2 times in same day...I saw the Yankee Rose and Going Crazy videos back to back and then that same night my dad took me to see Crossroads with Ralph Machio and I got to see him play Jack Butler...I've been hooked ever since. Vai is my Hendrix.

Steve vai is a master of guitar he is so expressive and powerful in many of his songs

The guitarist with the most soul. His guitar weeps with pain, screams with joy, and produces sonic eargasms that can only be rivaled by few.

JOE SATRIANI TAUGHT STEVIE VAI AND MANY OTHERS YOU NON PLAYING IMBICILE!

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3 Buckethead

Brian Patrick Carroll, known professionally as Buckethead, is an American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist who has worked within many genres of music.

Buckethead is bucket and shoulders above all others. I've been a instrumental guitar fanatic for most of my 56 yrs and have never experienced a more diverse talent than the bucket-master. Bucket takes all guitar styles to another dimension like no other. Recently saw him in Detroit, king crab sized hands feverishly dancing on the fret board. Truly amazing artist.

Played the most difficult thing, and plays slow to show his writing and melodic skills. He has the most raw talent, so he wins. - maggot-104

Yeah I have heard steve vai, paul gilbert and joe satriani and many. But Buckethead is really different from all of them.

Great guitarist. He has done almost 300 album! He has an incredible talent, creativity, skill and feel.

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4 Eric Johnson

Eric Johnson (born August 17, 1954) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist from Austin, Texas. Best known for his electric guitar skills, Johnson is also a highly proficient acoustic, lap steel, resonator, and bass guitarist as well as an accomplished pianist and vocalist.

Cliffs of Dover is a whole lot harder to play than Surfing with the Alien, because even though it's based around the same area of notes, the fluidity of Johnson's playing style is pretty damn near impossible to pull of with ease.

Eric Johnson took the melodic flow of Hendrix and turned the tempo up. Like way way up!

The Best of The Best

THE GUY WITH THE PREVIOUS COMMENT HAS HIS HEAD UP HIS ARSE,

5 John Petrucci

John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist, composer and producer. He is best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater.

What can I say. number 1 is like Jesus. Greatest of All time. Respect Sir

I love Petrucci but he's not an Instrumental Guitarist.

Great guitarist, but he isn't that much instrumental. - zxm

6 Paul Gilbert

Got to meet Paul in Centerville, Ohio at a guitar clinic and he was AWESOME! Humble and down to earth...NO EGO!

My list is:
1. Paul Gilbert
2. Buckethead
3. Yngwie Malmsteen
VIKING KONG LIVE EDITION IS THE BEST!

7 Yngwie Malmsteen

Yngwie Johan Malmsteen is a Swedish guitarist, songwriter and bandleader who was born on June 30th, 1963, in Stockholm, Sweden. He was known for his neoclassical metal playing style back in the 1980s.

He is no less than satriani or others, he's just not that popular

I think he is the most skilled guitarist alive

Not the most skilled but one of the most known

8 Micheal Angelo Batio

Great shredder, he must be number 2 after joe satriani. He can play with 4 guitar in the same time

Best guitarist in the world in my opinion love his playing and style

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9 Jason Becker

Jason Eli Becker (born July 22, 1969) is an American neoclassical metal guitarist and composer. At the age of 16, he became part of the Shrapnel Records-produced duo Cacophony with his friend Marty Friedman. They released the albums Speed Metal Symphony in 1987 and Go Off! in 1988. Cacophony broke up ...read more.

Jason is a legendary composer. He hit all of the little nuances, from simple vibrato, to a variety of different tonal ranges. I can listen to Vai, Satriani, Malmsteen, and mostly understand what they are doing the first few listens, but with Jason it takes much more focus to get all of the subtle nuance. It is Becker number 1 for me and Guthrie Govan probably 2.

Listen altitudes, images, air, mables fatal fable, opus pocus... and then decide to whom you should vote!

10 Alex Lifeson

Aleksandar Živojinović, OC, better known by his stage name Alex Lifeson, is a Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist of the Canadian rock band Rush.

La Villa, YYZ, Leave That Thing Alone,...
Also, his solos are amazing, and all different.

His style for both rhythm and lead has inspired so many other masters. What he was doing in the mid 70s until the mid 80s was way ahead of its time.

The Contenders

11 Tommy Emmanuel

The absolute best.

Phenomenal!

12 Jeff Beck

Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of the three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds (the other two being Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page). Beck also formed The Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice.

Jeff Beck is the god of Instrumental Classic Rock... He is No.5 on The Rolling Stones 100 Guitarists. Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Keith Richards are all not instrumental. So Jeff Beck should be Number 1.

I love Jeff becks music!

13 Hizaki

Hizaki put blues and gothic scales and other variated sounds into Symphonic Power Metal, real sense of music and techniques. Is a true master of guitar and put in oversight their unique style. Their guitar make me feel like I really like feel, is food to my soul... I Don't need anymore...

His technique is just awesome and his solos are epic, when you go to one of his lives you will be definitely impressed by his performance...

14 Neil Zaza

Neil Zaza too deserves a spot on this list

You need to hear him

Highly under rated instrumentalist! Classy and inspirational melodic tunes. Also amazing Christmas music.

I'm Alright is My Favorite Song...

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15 Hank Marvin

An absolutely clinical exponent of the guitar using minimum of effects.

The greatest and most iconic lead guitarist to influence generations of budding guitarists.

Hank Marvin's interpretation of the melody makes him unique in the guitar world

BEST GUITARIST OF ALL TIME

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16 Guthrie Govan

Can't believe there is no Guthrie Govan! Like seriously I expected him to be in the top 10. He is a true maestro of guitar. haven't heard of him? Check him out

This guy is literally light years away from just your standard shredder!

Easily superior to all of these other guys.

17 Wes Montgomery

18 Andy Timmons

Phenomenal, Danger Danger was his fallback when Neal Schon (one of the greatest guitarists of all time) decided to support Bad English on tour after recording their first album hence Andy was the odd man out considering Bad English was 1/2 Journey. Although his DD material was fantastic he was lumped into the glam band genre and never got the credit he deserved. Pick up any Pawn Kings, ATB record and give a listen, pure genius. Moreover he is a great guy that is humble and more than willing to share his knowledge. Watch he and Satch have a duel on You Tube and you will know the truth about AT!

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19 Julian Bream

20 Uli John Roth

21 Marty Friedman

Martin Adam "Marty" Friedman is an American guitarist, known for his tenure as the lead guitarist for heavy metal band Megadeth which spanned nearly the full decade of the 1990s, as well as Cacophony alongside Jason Becker until 1989. Friedman has resided in Tokyo, Japan since 2003, where he has hosted ...read more.

Just listen his I love you,thunder march,tibbet

22 Django Reinhardt

...read more.

Django Reinhardt is awesome.

23 Andres Segovia

The Grand Daddy of them all!

24 Dick Dale

25 Greg Howe

Seriously good!

26 Nokie Edwards

27 Ewan Dobson

Ewan are one of the best contemporánean guitar player. Are far of the commercial traders, tends to independence and have one of the best in YouTube whit millions plays. The albums are a evolution and different styles, from pure fingerstyle to dark metal, also 12 strings guitar and classical... by EA1EF

28 Gary Hoey

Gary Hoey is a guitar god. He can play any tune and rock it!

29 Shawn Lane

Just listen to 'Get You Back' or 'The Way it Has to Be' and you'll understand why he is the best. The amount of emotion the man put in his work was unreal. You'll be missed.R.I.P.

The best guitarist who has ever lived! Buckethead's hero. Seriously, listen to Get You Back or Gray Pianos Flying.

30 Gary Moore

Robert William Gary Moore was a Northern Irish musician, most widely recognised as a singer, songwriter, and virtuoso rock and blues guitarist.

The best instrumental guitarist ever, listen to The Loner, the emotion that he portrays with his guitar is surreal, incredible guitarist

31 David Gilmour

David Jon Gilmour is an English singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He joined the progressive rock band Pink Floyd as guitarist and co-lead vocalist in 1968.

Surprised that he is so down below. He has more instrumental pieces that I can count. Angus Young is anything but instrumental what is he doing ahead of David Gilmour? - RalphSaad

32 Jeff Loomis

Jeff Loomis is an American musician, best known for his role as lead guitarist in the progressive metal band Nevermore and death metal band Arch Enemy.

33 Al Di Meola

Al Di Meola is an American jazz fusion and Latin jazz guitarist, composer, and record producer of Italian origin.

There have probably not been 5 guitar players ever with more talent

34 Tosin Abasi

35 Jack Thammarat

This guy ROCKS. Really FANTASTIC; check him out, for sure! He'll make his way to the States for sure.

36 Steve Morse

Steven J. "Steve" Morse is an American guitarist and composer, best known as the founder of the Dixie Dregs; and since 1994, the guitar player of Deep Purple.

How can Steve Morse not be high on this list? The Dregs, SMB, Deep Purple...incredible writer and player!

37 George Lynch

George Lynch is an American hard rock guitarist and songwriter. Lynch is best known for his work with heavy metal band Dokken and his band Lynch Mob.

38 Kirk Hammett

Kirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and songwriter for the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus.

Not an Instrumental Guitarist

His work on The Call of Ktulu, Orion, To Live is to Die, Suicide and Redemption... Amazing... - treyanthonyyeah

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39 Angus Young

Angus McKinnon Young is an Australian guitarist of Scottish origin, best known as the co-founder, lead guitarist, songwriter and sole constant member of the Australian hard rock band AC/DC. When performing live he does his own version of Chuck Berry's "duck walk" and has also spun on his side while ...read more.

40 Sergei Tabachnikov

A really amazing guitarist from Russia. His instrumental project called "nobody. One" shows you an awesome technics, great sound quality and interesting unusual arrangements. He deserves place in this list.

41 Jerry Donahue

A great guitarist with a very indvidual style and sound especially, when is comes down to the sting bending! Check him out when you get a chance.

42 Galen Weston

43 Eddie Van Halen

Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen is a Dutch-American musician, songwriter and producer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, occasional keyboardist and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen.

I don't think anyone has inspired more guitarists than Eddie...

44 Kenny Wayne Shepherd

45 Chet Atkins

Chester Burton "Chet" Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician, occasional vocalist, songwriter, and record producer, who along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, among others, created the country music style that came to ...read more.

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