Who is/was the most influential guitar player?

It would depend...
We talking Classical, Metal, Rock, Bass, Jazz...

I can say Les Claypool, but that is for Bass

Eddie Van Halen gave so much to the rock world


I would say over all it would have to be Yngwie Malmsteen
 
I was putting up a poll, but I took to long filling in the fields and it cut me off. :(

I was thinking Hendrix, B.B. King, Santana, John Bonham and John Paul Jones, George Harrison, and Clapton. I think these guys contributed the most to public recognition of guitar playing and music as a whole, and inspired legions of music fans to actually pick up instruments.
 
I still say Yngwie Malmsteen out shines them all.

Don't get me wrong I don't like Malmsteen at all... but his is the most amazing player there is... not one can even compare to his ability to play.
 
I feel the same way about Joe Satriani, he is a great player, but his music does not reach me in any way. I can appreciate the skill, but I can't listen to for long, I get bored. Music gotta have soul!
 
Hendrix IMO - the back of my Zune has a Hendrix quote etched into it

"Playing the blues is easy, it’s feeling the blues that’s hard"

B.B. King certainly

SRV - RIP

BUCKETHEAD!! LAWL
 
In rock, in a timeline it would have to be

Hendrix,
Van Halen
Iommi
Satriani
Petrucci

In terms of technical ability would say Satriani although Petrucci has taken modal work to entirely new levels.
 
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Oh and Malmsteen is so ovverated.. Sure he is good at the thing he does.. but he only does that one thing.. If you watch the DVD of the big 3 in concert (or were lucky enough to go see it) then you would have been embarrassed for him having to compete with Vai and Satriani
 
Clapton in cream is a good one.. Its difficult to distinguish influential from pioneering and technically skilled. My personal guitar heroes (and i suggest you check out all their stuff)

Rock - John Petrucci, Steve Howe, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani (honorable mention to the Yngwie)
Metal - Randy Rhodes, Toni Iommi, Zakk Wylde
Classical - Al De Meola, Rodrigo y Gabriela, John Williams
 
I don't know but that is a sweet name for a black orc.

I like Phil Keaggy personally as the most influential to me.
 
good point about RR...how could I have missed that? then again, you could probably chalk him up to classical too ;)
 
If you are a fan of the blues, and music in general, you owe it to your self to go out and buy Riding with the King, by B.B. King and Eric Clapton. It is a great collaboration. Also Me and Mr. Johnson by Clapton is amazing. A great collection of legendary blues man Robert Johnson covered with a great amount of heart and respect.
 
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