Best Technical Guitarists

I've never heard of tomo milicevic, so I won't say anything about him, but petrucci not only plays fast, he uses the right techniques at the right time. His well placed arpeggios and screaming pinch harmonics add that extra bit to his songs. He also does all this while changing time signatures every couple bars

Other than John Petrucci and Steve Vai, this is a horrible list. No way that the guitarist for 30 seconds to mars should even be here, or the guy from muse. Van Halen was good BACK THEN. I could name 10 dudes who blow these guys out of the water easy. Kirk should not be above Dime, and I don't think herman deserves to be here because he basically only plays the same major scale and taps a lot.

This is just a bad list.

Who the hell is Tomo Milicevic compared to him? He is just very popular and no matter what the question is his fans vote for him. That is just wrong, only because he has lots of fans doesn't mean he is the best guitarist. Try looking at John Petrucci's solo's and Tomo's solos and just admit it

I can play at least one song from most of these guys, and I have to say John Petrucci arrangements are just perfection.

obvious choice is obvious. Matt Bellamy's good too. Who's Tomo Millicevic with 47. 3 votes? Oh and Tom Morello should be in the top 5. TECHNICAL GUITARIST! - AymanKabir

People who would put Matt Bellemy up there obviously have no knowledge of the guitar what so ever.

How are Tomo and Matt more technically proficient than this ultra prolific (13 albums in a single year) man?

Most of the guys on here are shredders, or virtuosos in a certain genre. Bucket beats all of them in their respective branch.

You will never find a guitarist that is as proficient in as many different styles of music as Buckethead.

Everyone who voted for this guy has clearly never sean a 30 seconds to mars tab compared to a megadeth tab or maybe they've never even heard a technically proficient guitarist because this is just beyond wrong

I am not saying he isn't technical or bad. But seriously on top 2! - zxm

Technical...really

Steve Vai is unreal I mean he shouldn't only be top of this list he should be at the top of best guitarists of all time as well I mean he quite obviously has shoul because he looks like a dork whilst playing guitar so therefore he has soul and his tremolo bar work is unreal and so is his speed I just tried to play the intro of speeding (one of his songs that he recorded but choose not to release that early on forgot what that type of song is called) and I literally found it impossible clearly someone with no musical talent and listens to chart music has been voting on this list

People often pick guitarist from their favorites bands and while they might be a good guitarist, technically they often are not even close to Steve Vai and I am certainly not a Vai fan. I have my own favorites but this is about being technical wether you the music like it or not. Steve Vai is in control of his instrument but what he actually does might not always be clear to everybody, his amazing skills go by unnoticed.

Technique is about control of one's instrument; this is about playing precisely as well as quickly. And in songs like 'Tender Surrender' and 'Call it Sleep' Vai's ability to control every tiny noise of his instrument is mind-blowing. And this is still technique, rather than musicianship or artistry or whatever.

Playing guitar for him is like breathing. I can't understand how buckethead and (who is? ) Tomo Milicevic are placed higher?!

This is a music theory encyclopedia...He's forgotten more chords and scales than the rest of this list put together - that said... I don't think his feel can match several of these guys but the list is for TECHNICAL players

How can Satriani not be in the top ten? another crappy list - vinzomo

most technical for me. He does so many different techniques in just one song - sharm7064

He is very technical. Check some of his tapping solos. - zxm

This dude must be the most incredibly, unbelievably, inhumanly technical guitarist ever. He synchronises his guitar with scenes from movies and cartoons (see 'A Wild Hare by Spastic Ink- synchronised to Bambi, or 'Cereal Mouse' by the same band) He writes loads of stuff in 12 tone, which is one of the most difficult ways of writing, and he does this thing where he assigns notes to letters of the alphabet and spells out words, like his name for example. The songs still sound amazing after all this!

He is the most unbelievably awesome guitarist ever. He has written an album with 45 songs, which can be played from any song and still sound great, and sounds like one 45 minute song if played from the start. He has written an album of songs synchronised to scenes from movies. And, he writes everything in twelve tone, a really complicated system of playing instruments. Listen to 'Cretaceous Chasm' by Blotted Science and you will know what I mean...

My favorite. He does things that you only imagine doing. All of his music is creative and gets the brain-juices flowing. He destroys everyone on this list. He can tap on every genre and not have it sound silly or lame. I liken his music to the classical greats that many don't know or have forgotten. He is at the top of my favorite guitar players. From elderly to young, when you play people the music that he has done everyone enjoys it. I can't think of a more accomplished player when it comes to writing, playing and creativity. My favorite stuff he's done is his Blotted Science stuff. When is the new album coming out?

His stuff with Blotted Science is the most technical stuff I've ever heard. So technical and brutal that hurts. - Metal_Treasure

Ygnwie Malmsteen is easily as technical as the majority of the people on this list and is only really NEAR equaled by the likes Of John petrucci, Ron Jarzombek, Joe satriani, Chris boderick (although chris is much lower on this list) and Fredrik Thordendal (depending on which song. )

The only guitarist on this list who actually plays more complex pieces of music (and only for brief moments.. usually less than 1 minute at A time. ) is MUHAMMAD SUICMEZ.

How Ygnwie Malmsteen is behind SYNYSTER GATES is completely beyond me.

I'm not saying he should top the list either... nor is he my favourite guitarst (that would be someone like Christian Meunzer, Jari maenpaa or something along these lines. ) but he most certainly deserves to be above at least 99% of the players on this list.

I'm also shocked that kirk and dimebag even got A mention on this list, sure you could argue they make great music but neither of them play anything as complex as your average MODERN ...more - technicalbrutaldeath

Inspired and entire generation of shredders and neoclassical music in general

Extremely technical player, should be FAR higher

How is this guy not at the top!?!
Yngwie was the pioneer of modern technical guitar playing and the neo-classical movement. He influenced many amazing players and remains one of the greatest guitarists ever.
1. Skwisgaar Skwigelf
2. Yngwie
3. Petrucci
4. Vai
5. Paul Gilbert
6. Satch
7. Buckethead
8. Friedman
9. Dimebag
10. Chuck Schuldiner

My gosh! This guy is THE most technical guitarist that ever stepped earth! He made one album by himself and played guitar on Necrophagist 's Epitaph... Like a boss. People should appreciate the master skills of Mr. Muhammad Suicmez.

Come on guys he's like the KING of guitar techniques. Just listen to one of his solos and you will understand.

He...is...not... human...like...not!

Trying to learn his songs, even the riffs is a real agony,yet very muscial and emotional,he is easily on of the most technical guitarists and composers of all time!

From brutal riffs, to the sheer speed of his solos. This guy has it all. He is the godfather of death metal for a reason.

He is the God of Technicality along with Trey, deserves to be #1. - GREYBOYY

RIP Chuck. :( - Oliwally

This guy is amazing.

He came after the greatests yngwie malmsteen, jason becker and marty friedman to develop their style and music, very fast and einstein of metal music

All right, whomever thinks that Eddie isn't the most technically proficient guitarist ever is an Ass. Rolling stone even ranked him no.2 after Hendrix saying and I quote "Eddie is the most technically proficient Guitarist that ever lived, but hendrix had much, much more soul!. "

His technical innovations are unrivaled;
He revolutionized tapping, used a power drill at the beginning of the song "Poundcake", and used the tuning dials on the guitar not only to adjust but used them in the Instrumental "Cathedral" to sound like a synthesizer. He also had his guitars made of chainsaw parts, and other weird shit not normally used giving him that unique sound that no matter if you can pick like him, or play as fat as him. You will never duplicate his playing. EVER!.

Eddie Van Halen is the best technical guitarist of all time. He can do things that only a few others can do. Steve Vai is right up there with him, but Eddie gets the crown by a nose.

Greatest guitarist of all time. Most influential.

Hmm, it all started with eruption. - zxm

He was a pioneer mixing classical with metal.