Top 10 Greatest Whammy Bar Users

Many guitarists use whammy bar techniques, but these players are particularly famous for their skill with the whammy bar.

The Top Ten

Ritchie Blackmore

Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter best known for his work with the hard rock and heavy metal bands Deep Purple and Rainbow.
In 2004, Guitar World ranked him number 16 on its list of the "100 Greatest Metal Guitarists of All Time," and in 2011, Rolling Stone... read more

I didn't know the whammy bar even existed until I saw Blackmore using one. However, he rarely uses it anymore, thinking it's become overrated.

Before I saw Blackmore on MTV, when he was with Rainbow, I didn't know a whammy bar even existed.

Speed King is a good example of it. He used the whammy bar in the early '70s. He used a lot of whammy bar.
Jeff Beck

Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck was an English rock guitarist. He was one of the three notable guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds, alongside Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. Beck also formed The Jeff Beck Group and the power trio Beck, Bogert and Appice.

He popularized whammy bar use more than any guitarist. Whenever you talk about whammy bar use, he always comes first.

Check out Jeff's whammy bar precision at Jeff Beck Ronnie Scott live. He is the master of all time!
Steve Vai

Steven Siro "Steve" Vai (born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, composer, singer, songwriter, and producer. He is known for his virtuosic guitar playing and has released numerous solo albums. Vai was born and raised on Long Island, New York.

He has some weird whammy bar techniques. Plus, he uses it quite often. That's why he's in the top 3.
Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix was an American rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Though his mainstream career lasted only about four years from 1966 to 1970, he's widely regarded as one of the most influential electric guitarists in popular music.... read more

"Probably was ahead of his time?" Probably? He INVENTED the "dive bomb" and rolled it out at Woodstock.

He used whammy bars in the '60s. He probably was ahead of his time.
Eddie Van Halen

Edward Lodewijk "Eddie" Van Halen (January 26, 1955 - October 6, 2020) was a Dutch-American musician, songwriter, producer, and inventor. He was best known as the lead guitarist, occasional keyboardist, and co-founder of the hard rock band Van Halen. He is widely recognized for pioneering guitar techniques... read more

Next to Blackmore, Eddie Van Halen was also a master of the whammy bar technique. But he's better known for tapping.

Yes. Even Eruption has some.
Alex Lifeson

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. He co-founded the band in 1968 alongside Geddy Lee and John Rutsey. Lifeson has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Rush... read more

I heard some of his whammy bar use in songs like Limelight and Spirit of the Radio.

Just listen to the Rush catalog. Mr. Lifeson is a master.
Dimebag Darrell

Darrell Lance Abbott, also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist and songwriter. He co-founded the bands Pantera and Damageplan with his brother Vinnie Paul. Abbott was tragically shot and killed during a performance in 2004 by a mentally unstable fan.

Dimebag Darrell is one of the greatest and most influential metal whammy bar users. Different techniques, such as his dive bombs, are quite famous. He used the whammy bar in his solos.
David Gilmour

David Jon Gilmour (born March 6, 1946) is an English singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He joined Pink Floyd as guitarist and co-lead vocalist in late 1967 after the departure of founding member Syd Barrett. His arrival helped solidify the band's signature sound.... read more

Unlike most other guitarists here, Gilmour used good control of the whammy bar. He could be called the most controlled whammy bar user. And he used it quite often.
Adrian Belew

Adrian Belew is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist primarily known as a guitarist and singer, he is noted for his unusual and impressionistic approach to guitar playing. Belew has performed with notable artists such as King Crimson, Frank Zappa, David Bowie... read more

One of the greatest whammy bar users. His high-pitched whammy bar techniques are some of the most unique whammy bar techniques.
Uli Jon Roth

Uli Jon Roth is a German guitarist who rose to fame as the lead guitarist of the Scorpions. He played with the band during the 1970s and helped develop the neoclassical metal genre. Roth is known for his unique playing style and custom Sky Guitar design.

His whammy bar use in the song Fly to the Rainbow is considered one of the most powerful dive bombs ever recorded. Or simply the most powerful dive bomb. That's why I couldn't ignore him.

The Newcomers

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Brad Gillis

In the video for Don't Tell Me You Love Me, especially in the train scene, Gillis looked like he was fighting with his guitar.
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Scott Henderson

The Contenders

K. K. Downing

Kenneth "K. K." Downing, Jr. is an English semi-retired guitarist, songwriter, and founding member of the British heavy metal band Judas Priest. He's known for helping shape the band's signature twin-guitar sound alongside Glenn Tipton. Though he's no longer with the band, Downing was inducted into the... read more

The original metal whammy user in the '70s. He pioneered that technique before every extreme metal guitarist started using it as a signature part of their guitar playing from the '80s and beyond. He is not only a whammy bar user but a shredder too.

Sorry, I forgot about him. I always remembered his great alternate picking skills. But at that time, he didn't come to mind. Anyway, thanks for adding him.

How can you forget this badass guitar player? He did the stuff that Dimebag did way before him. Listen to Dissident Aggressor for example. Back in the late '70s, Judas Priest redefined metal and K.K. was a huge part of it.
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, including Steve Vai, Larry LaLonde, Rick Hunolt, Kirk Hammett, Andy Timmons, Charlie... read more

He used the whammy bar in quite a lot of songs such as Surfing with the Alien and Flying in a Blue Dream.
Kirk Hammett

Kirk Lee Hammett (born November 18, 1962) is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Metallica since 1983. In addition to playing guitar, he contributes as a songwriter for the band.
Prior to joining Metallica, Hammett co-founded the thrash metal band Exodus... read more

Like his mentor, he also uses the whammy bar in his songs. He used it in songs like Master of Puppets and Enter Sandman.

Yes, his mentor was Joe Satriani.
Neil Young

Neil Percival Young is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, producer, director, and screenwriter. He gained fame both as a solo artist and as a member of bands like Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Known for hits such as Heart of Gold and Rockin' in the Free World, Young is also... read more

Young did a frantic solo, using the whammy bar often, on When the Levee Breaks/For What It's Worth when Led Zeppelin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This was a rare occasion where Jimmy Page only played rhythm guitar.
Jeff Waters

Jeff Waters (born February 13, 1966) is a Canadian metal musician best known as the guitarist, primary songwriter, and founder of the metal band Annihilator. He's recognized for fast riffs and solos and has frequently taken on roles as lead singer, bass player, engineer, and producer. He has owned Watersound... read more

He uses it very often - in almost every song and sometimes several times in a song with different whammy bar techniques. Check out Annihilator's Schizos (Are Never Alone) Parts I & II, Imperiled Eyes, Human Insecticide, and Invite It.
Mick Mars

Robert Alan Deal, known professionally as Mick Mars, is an American musician, guitarist, and founding member of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. He was known for his blues-influenced playing style and distinctive stage presence. Mars retired from touring with the band in 2022 due to health issues related... read more

Best whammy bar user. Have a look at Mötley Crüe: The End concert film.
Rick Rozz (Death, Massacre)

The first whammy bar user in death metal before other guitarists in the late '80s. Every solo on Leprosy features whammy bar techniques. He also used these techniques with Massacre. He can also do whammy tapping, which is a very rare technique for a metal guitarist. Even Mick Mars used that technique on songs like Helter Skelter from the Shout at the Devil album.
Gary Moore

Robert William Gary Moore was a Northern Irish musician, celebrated as a singer, songwriter, and virtuoso rock/blues guitarist. His solo career included the hit album Still Got the Blues (1990).

No freaking horse sounds, just added the right amount to make it magical. He pretty much only used it during the '80s, but he still did it great!
Kerry King

Kerry Ray King is an American musician, best known as a guitarist for the American thrash metal band Slayer. He is a founding member of Slayer who has played with the band from its inception, through its 2019 farewell tour, and since its 2024 reunion. In 2024, King launched a new solo project under his... read more
Cilla Black

Priscilla Maria Veronica White (1943 to 2015), known by her stage name Cilla Black, was an English singer, television presenter, actress, and author. She achieved chart success with hits such as Anyone Who Had a Heart (1964) and later became a popular TV host of Blind Date (1985 to 2003) and Surprise... read more
Herman Li

Herman Li is a Hong Kong-born British musician, producer, and lead guitarist for the power metal band DragonForce. He was born on October 3, 1976, in British Hong Kong. Li is widely recognized for his fast guitar playing and use of advanced techniques such as sweep picking and whammy bar tricks.
John Frusciante

John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, producer, and composer. He is best known for his work with the funk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Frusciante has also been a member of The Mars Volta, Swahili Blonde, Ataxia, and several other musical projects.