Guitarists that have left you speechless

mudslide73

Jeff Beck for me. I saw him from row 4 at the NIA. I'm still looking for my jaw all these years later. 

Dominic

Jimbro66 said:

I’m not sure I would say jawdropping but there’s a player I always enjoy immensely not just because of his mastery of the guitar but also because his playing has humour and character - that is Jim Mullen.

He left me speechless when I was 17 years old and into rock ,thinking I was cool because I could play a few Pink Floyd licks and some bits of Thin Lizzy
......so we had nothing better to do than go to The Torrington Pub in North Finchley to watch a little outfit called The Morrissey Mullen Band .......a bearded guy with a Tele and a Sax Player with a drum and Bass behind them .I realised within a few bars that there was an awful lot more to playing guitar than I had thought even tho he had a boring non-pointy guitar !

JerkMoans

So so much in this thread to go and investigate.

Dominic

At risk of being facetious ...........I see some have mentioned Paco de Lucia but in reality any one of at least 30 street hobos that I have seen in Andalusia sitting on a bench playing Flamenco for a few busked pennies have taken my breath away ......from kids of 14 to older chaps ...........some are just amazing.
 My mum sat next to John Williams at school .............when you have heard a masterful Classical guitarist from 3 feet away you think about the shit that you play on an electric guitar and feel shamed.
 I went to pick up my guitar from a set up and sat with the Luthier was a youngish guy ,23 ish, testing out his Ramirez that had been worked on - it was humbling and I was quite transfixed .

Jez6345789

All Live as that's what really counts

Jeff Beck in a small bar jam play straight up blues not tricks just awesome timing and phrasing.
Gary Moore never failed to bring the chills. 
Eric Clapton Jamming with Derek Trucks that amazed me as for 30 minutes live he brought the much fabled A game.
Larry Carlton always a happy place. 
Derek Trucks and they say the man never practices
Jan Ackerman during the slim years playing a bar in Holland

I could go on 

dazzajl

Many of my favourites have moved me and emotionally taken me wherever they wanted but only one guitarist has literally taken my breath away and left me exhausted and that’s Matt Schofield. 

The energy and sheer force of his playing when you’re stood in front of him is like nothing else. 

Philly_Q

tralfamadan said:

Died before I was born but..

Roy Buchanan

Oh yes, how could I forget?  I saw him in London in 1985, maybe his last UK show.  Amazing.

arayadis

Watching Tommy Emmanuel live was amazing. He absolutely have left me speechless.

axisus

First time I saw Steve Vai leaps to mind. 

AuldReekie

Bill Nelson - the first time I heard  Be Bop Deluxe play "Adventures in a Yorkshire Landscape" live at Glasgow University in November 1975 was immense; Fast forward to spring 2011 and I was at the recording of his live DVD at the Metropolis studios in London and I heard "Beyond these clouds, the sweetest dream" for the first time and that too was jaw dropping.

SlopeSoarer

I've seen many bands over the years but I always think  back to Radiohead on the OK Computer tour, Johnny Greenwood was brilliant.

Also my playing has been known to leave people speechless: )

richardhomer

Philly_Q said:

tralfamadan said:

Died before I was born but..

Roy Buchanan

Oh yes, how could I forget?  I saw him in London in 1985, maybe his last UK show.  Amazing.

I’d have loved to have seen him - he had that ‘hairs on the back of your arms’ thing that so few have. He looked a tortured soul - but he could really play.

ToneControl

Jeff Beck
Pat Metheny
John Etheridge
Steve Vai
Matt Schofield
Tony McManus (not yet seen him live in person sadly)

TheBigDipper

Jimbro66 said:

I’m not sure I would say jawdropping but there’s a player I always enjoy immensely not just because of his mastery of the guitar but also because his playing has humour and character - that is Jim Mullen.

I saw him with Kokomo a few months ago. He's still got it - even when back in the soul band rather than the jazz combo. 

TheBigDipper

As a kid - Ritchie Blackmore. 
 
As a young adult - Tom Verlaine & Richard Lloyd. Who knew guitarists could play together and listen to each other rather than over each other? Shame about the voice, Tom...

These days - Richard Thompson - acoustic or electric. Every time I see him there's one of "those" moments.

richardhomer

TheBigDipper said:

These days - Richard Thompson - acoustic or electric. Every time I see him there's one of "those" moments.

Good call. I saw him on the 13 Rivers tour last year and was amazed by his electric playing - so adventurous - he just gets better with age.

Jimbro66

richardhomer said:

TheBigDipper said:

These days - Richard Thompson - acoustic or electric. Every time I see him there's one of "those" moments.

Good call. I saw him on the 13 Rivers tour last year and was amazed by his electric playing - so adventurous - he just gets better with age.

I don’t know where Richard Thompson buys his electric guitars but they seem to have a lot of notes that aren’t present on any other guitars. Amazing.

Good to see Jeff Beck getting lots of appreciation on here. Always such an adventurous player. I read a Steve Vai interview last year in which in which he was glowing in his praise and adoration of Jeff’s playing. Quite an endorsement coming from a player who is himself considered one of the best.

TheBigDipper

Jimbro66 said:

richardhomer said:

TheBigDipper said:

These days - Richard Thompson - acoustic or electric. Every time I see him there's one of "those" moments.

Good call. I saw him on the 13 Rivers tour last year and was amazed by his electric playing - so adventurous - he just gets better with age.

I don’t know where Richard Thompson buys his electric guitars but they seem to have a lot of notes that aren’t present on any other guitars. Amazing.

Good to see Jeff Beck getting lots of appreciation on here. Always such an adventurous player. I read a Steve Vai interview last year in which in which he was glowing in his praise and adoration of Jeff’s playing. Quite an endorsement coming from a player who is himself considered one of the best.

Slight hijack - sorry OP - but when I listen to "The Storm Won't Come" off 13 Rivers, my ears tell me that the performance is ever-so-slightly out of tune (or something not quite right about it) until the guitar solo comes in and resolves it all - just like how things feel in the air when a storm is due but hasn't broken yet. Genius! And what tone! 

Sassafras

These days I'm far more impressed by good drummers than guitarists.
I've seen Dr Feelgood a few times and Wilco Johnson always impressed me with his relentless energy.
Technically, the guy who played guitar in Squeeze was pretty damn good.

relic245

Jimbro66 said:

relic245 said:

Paco de Lucia

Django Rheinhart

You saw Django live??!!

Opps sorry, hasn't realised it had to be people I've seen live.

Sadly not seen Paco either.