I can't really listen to SRV any more

soma1975

The million imitators that still seem to exist have just put me off that sound and that style. 

Oh, and I also never want to hear Smells Like Teen Spirit or Seven Nation Army again as my brain has just heard them too many times. 

Is there a guitar great or legend you can no longer listen to after listening to them too much in your formative years due to their style becoming ubiquitous?

Weirdly I can still listen to Cream/Zep/Hendrix and even the Chillis for a bit before Keidis winds me up. 

KrisGee

Steve Vai. 

guitars4you

I can go many weeks without listening to SRV - Then by chance I hear a track again and it reminds me why I got hooked on him in the first place - So try a rest from SRV then hopefully get re-energised

Late 70's I got hooked on the likes of McLaughlin and Holdsworth - Probably only lasted 4-6 months - Now I can't stand listening to the lack of tune/melody - Yes great technicians and I'm sure an inspiration to many, but not me  

soma1975

I still like listening to Vai on occasion, but the out and out shredders leave me cold these days. Even for comedy value Yngwie tends to get about 10secs before being turned off. 

Agree completely about Holdsworth. 

prowla

I have to say I've always found SRV underwhelming; whilst he can play for sure, I just don't relate to the music.

Sassafras

Shredders in general although I've never enjoyed listening to any of them.
Pink Floyd. It was all very well when I was doing drugs but now it just leaves me cold and slightly bored.

markr76

Yeah. I grew up on satriani and Vai. That shred stuff bores me to death these days. The other stand out band for me is Metallica. I loved them growing up but can’t listen to them anymore. Even the older stuff like master of puppets. Not sure if I listened to them too much or my tastes have changed so much.  

Sassafras

Jimmy Page and Slash.
Sometimes I wonder what all the fuss was about even though I enjoyed them at the time.

Nikc

Never got into Vai, but Satriani floated my boat (I still have the original albums) occasional listen to surfing with the alien. Gilmour or Rothery I could listen to anytime

richardhomer

I struggle with Dire Straits after the first two albums - yet Knopfler is one of my favourite guitar players. In particular, I find the Brothers in Arms album unlistenable these days.

maltingsaudio

It’s Eric Clapton and Jo Bonamassa for me, and could never get on with Robert Johnson.

Actually could sum it up as “Blues in A!”

p90fool

The first time I heard SRV he was doing Hendrix covers note for note, it seems a bit rich to talk about HIS imitators! 

I was never interested in him tbh because his own music is always either obviously lifted from a specific Hendrix number or just routine bar band stuff, but I have to say that every time I catch a bit of video of him playing he definitely had a style and sass to his playing which is way above anyone else in that genre.

He was an absolutely world class guitarist with very little to say for me, give me 1970s Dr Feelgood every time. 

hywelg

Free. 

Whilst I can dip in and out of all my previous favourites (SRV, Rory, Mick Taylor era Stones, Matt Schofield) I can't do much before I need a rest, but I always return to listening to Free which I do a lot of. So many good songs and all have a 'soul' to them that is missing in other stuff. 

axisus

I still love SRV, I'm a big fan of cranked blues generally. Having said that, I don't play his stuff anything like as much as I used to, I prefer the current guys at the moment - Philip Sayce, Ainsley Lister, Davy Jones, Eric Gales to name a few.

I've been a big fan of Yes all my life, but I rarely delve back into their stuff now. There are so many great prog bands out there now, I gravitate to them instead.

thomasross20

God Pink Floyd bore me to tears. 
I could never get bored of Slash. 

proggy

I seem to be the complete opposite, I only really listen to the old stuff and never get tired of my favourite old bands.

New music doesn't do it for me.

rze99

I know what you mean. Only go back to it when you really want to.

 I went for years not wanting to go near SRV. Then I put on the El Mocomobo DVD. It's SRV at his early best in a small club with his old fender only rig... it's a fierce dynamite performance. Really he was never better.

   

Fortheloveofguitar

I’m a huge fan of Steve Vai though his last great album was Fire Garden. The ultra zone onwards it all goes downhill for me apart from a few select songs 

I grew up on the shred style and put serious hrs in over the years to reach that technical level playing ability.  

Though these days I can’t really play that fast etc anymore as I don’t play that much and also I prefer the laid back rock style of Joe Perry and Slash etc and more feel 

These modern shredders like Nick Johnson etc I find to be a complete yawn fest and also players like Tom Quayle bore me to tears. 

Just seems to be the same old shred and fusion scale playing with no real emotive context of a melody in a song format. 

I think Chris Buck is a fantastic and emotive player but he’s infuriating to watch lol 

MikeS

What really does my box in, is all these acoustic players with their percussive taps, scrapes and right hand hammer ons. Sliding to or touching a single note with the right hand. Everyone seems to want to join that party, and they all look like tits in my opinion (apart from TE, he has my permission to carry on).

Just play the guitar you tits.

MikeS

Oh yeh... and I idolised Stevie. He's probably the main reason I started to take guitar seriously when I was a teenager. Now also at that stage where I struggle a bit to listen for any length of time. I'm sure it's just a phase though.

lysander

Totally agree with @p90fool in this one, I could never understand what the big deal was about SRV, always found his albums boring to tears and most of his good licks are lifted straight from Hendrix, who actually wrote brilliant songs.
That being said I haven’t watched videos of him live, maybe I should give it a go.