Best Instrumental Guitarists
The Top Ten
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. If you are a player, you will love them all.
They can all do melodic, but, Joe is mesmerizing, especially live!
To say who is best is just plain silly. It's all very personal.
Bruce Sloan (Scotland)
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.
Satriani is combination of every things, speed, skill, melody, soul, emotion, theory...
What can I say
The Best all rounder. Some of the others have a few good songs but mostly to weird to listen to.
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.
"Malmsteen, Satriani, Vai, Van Halen, Vinnie Moore, Steve Stevens, John Norum, MAB, Greg Howe, Andy Timmons, Marty Friedman." The reason I posted here is to correct the guy who said 'Steve Vai was Joe's teacher'. Joe Satriani taught Vai and Jeff Tyson - the only 2 who actually passed. Andy Timmons was a great student too.
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.
Steve vai is a master of guitar he is so expressive and powerful in many of his songs
Brian Patrick Carroll, known professionally as Buckethead, is an American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist who has worked within many genres of music. The GOAT! a musical freek…. who else even could make 300 albums...not the popular vote because he is a little freaky...most don't listen to him because of his look, but those that do are amazed. I've heard them all, mostly because I'm old Eddie Van Halen, both Jimmys, Vai, Satch, SRV, Hell even Roy Clark...The greatest often is a popularity contest of egotistical internet idiots...Most can't afford tickets to go to the concerts...sorry. Not to be snobby but I've seen them all live so my vote counts more...your loving old guy
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.
Buckethead for me is the most complete guitarrist. Amazing technique but most importantly amazing composition skills and sensibility. His work is so diverse that I've been hearing his songs for years and still don't know them all. Many of his songs are technically simple but his choice of notes and scales is godlike. Overall I consider him the best guitarrist alive.
Buckethead is absolutely brilliant. Satriani is pretty damn good, but Buck is a string wizard with infinite creativity. Sweet melodies and vicious attacks all contrast in his music.
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 GUY WITH THE PREVIOUS COMMENT HAS HIS HEAD UP HIS ARSE,
This guy's much better than buckethead
I mean everyone says Eruption is impossible but try cliffs of dover
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. Compared to his level of skill, John Petrucci is relatively unknown in the modern music industry. I love Petrucci but he's not an Instrumental Guitarist.
Great guitarist, but he isn't that much instrumental.
What can I say. number 1 is like Jesus. Greatest of All time. Respect Sir
Paul Brandon Gilbert is an American hard rock/heavy metal guitarist. He is best known for being the co-founder of the band Mr. Big. He was also a member of Racer X, with whom he released several albums. My list is:
1. Paul Gilbert
2. Buckethead
3. Yngwie Malmsteen
VIKING KONG LIVE EDITION IS THE BEST!
Got to meet Paul in Centerville, Ohio at a guitar clinic and he was AWESOME! Humble and down to earth...NO EGO!
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
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
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!
Aleksandar Živojinović, better known by his stage name Alex Lifeson, is a Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist of the Canadian rock band Rush. 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.
La Villa, YYZ, Leave That Thing Alone,...
Also, his solos are amazing, and all different.
Also why is he not at least in the top 8
The Contenders
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!
William Thomas "Tommy" Emmanuel is an Australian guitarist, songwriter, and singer, best known for his complex fingerstyle technique, energetic performances, and the use of percussive effects on the guitar. The absolute best.
Guthrie Govan is an English virtuoso guitarist and guitar teacher, known for his work with the bands The Aristocrats, Asia, GPS, The Young Punx and The Fellowship, as well as his solo project Erotic Cakes. 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.
16th place? How?
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...
Highly under rated instrumentalist! Classy and inspirational melodic tunes. Also amazing Christmas music.
Got Zaza? If you want to be taken to another world listen to "Am Alright" thank me later at jackdealer123@gmail
Neil Zaza too deserves a spot on this list
Melody wise, he is the best! with less technical stuffs which makes his songs ''MELODIC''.
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
An absolutely clinical exponent of the guitar using minimum of effects.
Inspiration to many of the great guitar players of all time
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!
Underrated for sure. Got over looked because Danger Danger was not a great band. Fortunately, Andy was able to move on to a great solo career.
He makes guys like Vai and Satriani sound boring.
The best of the bests
John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery was an American jazz guitarist. He is widely considered one of the major jazz guitarists, emerging after such seminal figures as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian and influencing countless others. Non-contemporary artists generally do not do well because younger audiences may have a fleeting awareness of the performer. Across time, West Montgomery has wowed and awed his audience, even beyond the jazz genre. A complete fan of his ability to communicate and reach common sensations that his music provides.
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
Oluwatosin Ayoyinka Olumide "Tosin" Abasi (born January 7, 1983), is a Nigerian American musician, best known as the founder and lead guitarist of the instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders. Before founding Animals as Leaders, he was the guitarist for the technical metalcore band Reflux. ...read more.So creative, so inspiring, he makes his guitar sing beautifully. Many guitar player on this list are actually from bands, not instrumental guitarists...
Discovered Plini this year. Incredibly creative and unique. One of my favorite new artists.
Not much technical bit intelligently musical! Best new guitarist
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?
The &$&##&$,^$^#&÷&#;; $ is he doing at number 32
I mean
Marooned
Any colour you like
Terminal frost
One of these days
The narrow way parts 1&2
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
Shawn Lane was an American musician who released two studio albums and collaborated with a variety of musicians including Ringo Starr, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Reggie Young, Joe Walsh, Jonas Hellborg and many others. 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.