The best British Guitarist?

Sassafras

p90fool said:

soma1975 said:

Clapton
Green
Page
Gilmour
Beck

Thats the top 5 sorted, in no particular order. 

So nobody who's arrived on the scene in the last 55 years then? 

I'm sure somebody must've had a go at this guitar thing in the last half century or so...

Trouble is, an awful lot of players try to emulate all those guys.

Sassafras

No Brian May fans on here then?
I'm not one but I'm surprised he hasn't had a mention.

soma1975

Hydra19 said:

Why British? Other than Clapton I don't think there's a british guitarist that contributed as much as american. Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Chet Atkins, Scotty Moore....Currently, I guess Matt Bellamy is doing something unique with his guitar playing

Yep Bellamy would definitely make a top 20, maybe top 10  for me. Influenced tons of people.  Mastery of his instrument. Immediately distinctive sound. Even if everything after Black Holes and Revelations is shite. So is most of what Clapton did after Derek and the Dominoes.  

stickyfiddle

Avoiding the blues/dullards, how about;

Brian May
Pete Townshend
Johnny Marr
The Edge (born in Wales)
Matt Bellamy
James Dean Bradfield
George Harrison
Them blokes off of Iron Maiden
Jonny Greenwood

soma1975

Everyone there ^^^ would fill out my top 20 except Bradfield. 

Also Keef, Ronie Wood. Kossof. Steve Howe, Richard Thompson. Possibly Steve Craddock. 

Is Edge British?

danishbacon

Guthrie is alright

Whitecat

soma1975 said:

Is Edge British?

He was born in Essex, so technically, yeah!

fftc

Could of been Green if his career had continued as it started, but since it didn't it has to be Gilmour.

The reason it's Dave and not any of the other very talented guitarists IMHO is about contribution to the songs over such a prolonged period. Beck might be more innovative or technically gifted but he's never written a decent song, with help or otherwise.

Winny_Pooh

Greatest:
Clapton
Page
Beck
Blackmore
Edge
Gilmour
Johnny Marr
Knopfler
Brian May

Best:
Holdsworth
Guthrie Govan
Julian Bream

Philtre

Ooh. it's the Jeff Beck thread again!

Jeff Beck.

/thread

kswilson89

Clapton for me!

crunchman

Hard to pick one.  Probably Knopfler.

adampeter

i answered this the other day, its Beck
No wait Clapton.......or Gilmour

beed84

Matt Schofield is certainly up there with the best. 

soma1975

danishbacon said:

Guthrie is alright

For some reason despite seeming to be lovely and being outrageously talented he leaves me cold. Although his work on the Hans Zimmer live concert was brilliant. 

soma1975

fftc said:

Could of been Green if his career had continued as it started, but since it didn't it has to be Gilmour.

The reason it's Dave and not any of the other very talented guitarists IMHO is about contribution to the songs over such a prolonged period. Beck might be more innovative or technically gifted but he's never written a decent song, with help or otherwise.

Clapton was still having number 1 bestselling guitar-based albums in the 80s and 90s even if they weren't fire breathing Bluesbreaker type albums. 

Beck co-wrote Superstition. 

Lebarque

Fretwired said:

Technical: Allan Holdsworth, Jeff Beck, John McLaughlin, Robert Fripp ...

Riffs: Jimmy Page, Pete Townsend, Richie Blackmore, Keith Richards ...

Blues: Peter Green, Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor ...

Prog rock: David Gilmour, Steve Hacket

Pop/rock: John Squire, Johnny Marr, Hank Marvin, Mark Knopfler, Brian May

Jazz: Martin Taylor

There's no one 'best' British guitarist

I know That Pedal Show is popular, but jeez...

Sassafras

How many of you have secretly thought to yourselves "it's me of course"?
I've met a few people who honestly believe themselves to be the best ever.
It's like that old joke:
How many guitarists does it take to change a light-bulb?   
20, one to change the bulb and 19 to say how much better they could've done it.

SteveRobinson

Sassafras said:

I've met a few people who honestly believe themselves to be the best ever.

I meet plenty of dads who think their son is going to be the next big thing.

Greatape

If we consider players that forged a new path in music, playing at the very highest level - more than once -and truly transcended the limitations of the instrument, it's John McLaughlin. Hands down. 

Notables in other fields:

Keef
Richard Thompson