He’s A Great Guitarist… What Exactly Does That Mean?

Man, I grew up as a teen during the 1980s. A time of spandex and BIG hair… a time when heavy metal music was KING and every guitarist was in a completion – either officially or unofficially – to be “the best guitarist”. It was almost comical. My friends and I would have these long, deep, SERIOUS conversations about why Yingwie Malmsteen was so much better than Angus Young… or visa-versa.

Well, it’s not 1983 anymore…obviously. And I’ve got a little different perspective on things now. Hopefully it’s a little bit broader and mature perspective…but I don’t know for sure. Anyway—here’s what I think about all this “who’s the best guitarist” stuff. The BEST guitarist is the one you like best. For me—it’s a different guy every five or ten minutes, depending on how much music I’m listening to and how often I hear a lick or a riff that makes me go, “Wow, that was cool!”

I readily admit that I’ve never especially cared for all those super-technical-million-note-per-second guys. Don’t get me wrong, they’re stellar players, but every time I hear them play I’m really impressed for about five minutes, and then I’m bored. I’ve said for years, “Give me a player who can take one to two notes and tell a story with them over the million-note-per-second guys ANY DAY!” I really appreciate and respect the abilities of Malmsteen, Moore, Angelo, etc., but I love and much prefer the playing of Gibbons, Young, Van Halen, Frehley, Clapton, DeMartini, Lynch, Rhoads, and a thousand other tasty melodic players who play less, but to me more meaningful notes.

So, be liberated dude (or dudette)! You pick the guitarist you like and crown them King! That’s awesome! It’s all good. Because in the end – it’s all about the joy of listening to God-given talent being creatively expressed. So whoever our favorite player is—there’s one thing we can all agree on (I think)… it always sounds best when it’s cranked to 11!


Metal Blessings,
pb
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