Ditto!!! Saw him & Double Trouble in '89. 1 of my all time favorite concert memories. I also agree with Al D., Joe S., Leslie, Jeff, David, Johnny & of course Robin.

I can't believe no one hasn't mentioned Slash. He released an acoustic cd a number of yrs back that just kicks. You should hear him play flamenco style, amazing!! And don't forget Brian May & his 1 of a kind guitar.

Thank you Quietman. I forgot all about Robin Trower. Definetly one of the best. Must be getting old and senile.

He's still recording. He & Jack Bruce released a CD together in 2007. I saw him yrs ago. Great concert. Here's the wiki link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Trower

He also used to play for Frank Zappa.......

did anyone say joe satriani? he's great

One that hasn't been mentioned is Carlos Santana.......

Speaking of Frank, ever hear his cover of Stairway to Heaven? It's awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1vfGoy4-Rs

Wow a lot of greats had been said but I think people are forgetting another big one. George Harrison is at least in my opinion of the greatest. I mean aside from being in the Beatles and close friends with Clapton his solo career gave some pretty great songs. The best part is that they could be simple in sound, yet be complex to play. So George Harrison gets my vote.

A bit dated but I havent mentioned Eddie Van Halen yet

Hendrix! Nuff said....

Eric Johnson
Steve Howe
Bo Diddley


..to add a few.

Yep George is definitely one of the greats!!!

My personal favorites... LOVE these guys

i have to respectfully disagree. without Chuck Berry, there would have been no rock-n-roll as we know it. both he and B B King changed the way people play electric guitar. i don't feel like either of them get the credit they deserve. (from the general public)

their influence started a whole new sound that was incorporated into much of the popular music of the sixties and seventies and eighties and all the way up to today.

Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, Page, The Beatles, Stones even U2, all of these people acknowledge the effect Chuck Berry and B B King had on them...so yes, Chuck Berry belongs on the list.

Dick Dale

Dick Dale reigns across the decades as the undisputed king of the surf guitar. In Dale's own words, "Real surfing music is instrumental, characterized by heavy staccato picking on a Fender Stratocaster guitar." Moreover, it's best played through a Fender Showman Amp — a model built to spec for Dale by Leo Fender himself. Igniting California's surfing cult with such regional hits as "Let's Go Trip-pin'," "Surf Beat" and "Miserlou," Dale made waves with his fat, edgy sound and aggressive, proto-metal attack. "Miserlou," released in 1962, marked the first use of a Fender reverb unit — creating an underwater sound with lots of echo — on a popular record. Fittingly, it sparked a surf-music revival when director Quentin Tarantino used it in the opening scene of Pulp Fiction.
"Nitro" is also a fantastic tune by him, very high energy with some temporary slow downs just to catch you off guard.

Bo Diddley

Diddley's beat was as simple as a diddley bow, the one-stringed African instrument that inspired his nickname. But in songs such as "Mona," "I'm a Man" and "You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover," his tremolo-laden guitar argued that rhythm was as important as melody, maybe more so. Born in Mississippi, he grew up as Ellas McDaniel in Chicago, where he studied violin and learned how to make both violins and guitars. His late-1950s singles on Checker could be both terrifying ("Who Do You Love") and hilarious ("Crackin Up"). The sounds he coaxed out of his homemade guitar were groundbreaking, influencing just about everyone in the British Invasion.

I didn't actually know the guy's name. Thanks.

Both of those dudes are REALLY good.

Not to mention..the bass player HAS to be equally good just to run the riffs that fast.

I would agree with most of those.

With the possible exception of Ted Nugent. He is just a 3 chord wonder. Good music, but nothing that would really make him a " great " guitar player.

Buddy Guy would top my list. His shows are fun to hear and watch. Its hard to believe hes as old as he is because he acts like a kid on stage.

I'm surprised nobody said Chad Grey yet.

Can I respectfully suggest Chet Atkins, Mark Knofler & Les Paul?