Most Influential Guitar Players of All Time

I have wanted to put this out there for the general public and see what people's take are on the following. Who are the top 10 most influential guitar players in history. It's not a popularity contest here or what people have told you over the years, it's who you think changed the face of guitar and guitar playing over the years. It's what the guitarists brought to the table with either a technique, style, riffs, guitar product, even production ideas as a guitar player, basically anything that changed the face of guitar for everyone after them. You don't have to have an order of 1-10, just the top 10 in your mind and heart. I'm not going to put mine down right now but I'll start with Eddie Van Halen as one of the ten on my list. Everyone have fun with this.

This is the link for the poll.
http://www.nashvillemusicpros.com/profiles/profile/apps?screenName=...

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Permalink Reply by Joe Pasquale on May 2, 2010 at 10:03pm

a lot of great guitar players on the list and without being repetitive lemme add 2 more-perhaps not as well known because of the lack of solo work and very laid back personalities- but 30+ years of sessions and countless hit records warrant a bit of luv:

A) Tim Pierce- When Dan Huff, Eric Clapton & Roger Waters bring you in to play on their records and the records they produce- well n'uff said...... if you don't know him- google him- don't know if anyone has played on more hit records since the mid 80's across a wider spectrum ;)

B) Grant Guiessman- how many guitar players ape'd the licks of the 18 year old who broke through with chuck mangione- "feels so good" was his first recording- that was in 76-77?? and he is still a first call guy in LA.

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Permalink Reply by lisa johnson on May 3, 2010 at 6:58pm

Les Paul
Jeff Beck
Chet Atkins
Roy Clark
Andres Segovia
Al DiMeola
Carlos Santana
Jimmy Hendrix
Clapton
Robert Johnson

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Permalink Reply by Chuck Day on May 27, 2010 at 10:00pm

BRENT MASON!, CHET ATKINS, JIMMY CAPPS, BILLY GRAMMER

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Permalink Reply by Bruce Brown on September 3, 2010 at 10:17pm

Charlie Christian
Les Paul
Django Reinhart
BB King
Merle Travis
Chet Atkins
Eric Clapton
Wes Montgomery
Duane Allman
Larry Carlton

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Permalink Reply by Al VanPliet/K9 Kohl on October 1, 2010 at 11:42am

Jimi Hendrix Jimmy page Eric Clapton Chuck Berry Bo Didley Stevie Ray Vaughn Ritchie Blackmore Jeff Beck BB King Les Paul

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Permalink Reply by Timothy Gaines on October 13, 2010 at 12:27am

Duane Eddy, Chuck Berry, Keith Richard, George Harrison, Jeff Beck ,Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eddy Van Halen, The Edge

I suppose

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Permalink Reply by Eric Edwards on October 15, 2010 at 10:15am

1 Eddie Van Halen
2 Steve Vai
3 Brad Paisley
4 Phil Keaggy
5 Vernon Reid
6 Keith Urban
7 Jerry Reed
8 Jimi Hendrix
9 Steve Howe
10 Chet Atkins

It could change tomorrow, but this will do for now...

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Permalink Reply by Alan Brian Curtis on November 18, 2010 at 8:58pm

I may be mistaken but Charlie Christian was one of the first to apply amplification to I believe his arch top guitar so clearly he would have to be at the top of the list not to mention he took guitar playing out of mere auxiliary role to being a solo featured instrument. Then of course Django influenced every ensuing jazz player and many rock players even if they were unaware of his influence. So they arguably have to be one and two.

1-Charlie Christian
2-Django Reinhart

Roots blues tree:
3-Blind Blake
4-Robert Johnson
5-Chuck Berry (influenced the entire succesion of rock and roll players)

These 3 I would site as a collective influence on the country limb of the guitar tree:
6-Merle Travis (for the Travis Picking)
7-Chet Atkins ( Merle Travis on Steroids)
8-Lenny Breau (Chet Atkins on Steroids)

Can't leave out the Brazilian tree
9-Luis Bonfa
10-Joao Gilberto
and probably 10 more

11-Wes Montgomery (anyone that ever played octaves it's because of WM)
12-Jimi Hendrix (took the blues based pentatonic playing on an LSD trip and it resurfaced in the playing of every rock guitarist that ever played afterwards)
13-Jaco Pastorius (didn't even play the guitar but is a major influence on all instrumentalists)

This list leaves out the whole genre of classical guitar but these guitarists live on vicariously is one shape, form or fashion through any one who has played the instrument in the 20-21st centuries

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Permalink Reply by Alan Brian Curtis on November 18, 2010 at 9:08pm

Ooops- I probably left out quite few innovators with wide spread influence but Charlie Parker cannot be left off of the list. Every bop guitarist I have ever talked to cites CP as their main influence
so

14-Charlie Parker

Also I should have put Chuck Berry in the R & R tree with Hendrix listed as Chuck Berry on a mixture of Steroids and LSD)