Which fast guitarists move me emotionally?

RedRabbit

Jalapeno said:

I can't explain any of this ....

I appreciate the technicality and incredible skills, but you won't find me listening to it for pleasure ....
Pat Metheny
Steve Vai
Robben Ford
Robert Cray
Frank Zappa

Love it ....
Mike Stern
Joe Satriani (in small doses - ace in Chickenfoot)
John Petrucci (ditto)
Paul Gilbert
Eric
Larry Carlton
Jeff Beck
Steve Ray

As Bert says fanboi phase is over for me too, at various times been obsessed by Rory Gallagher, Eric, Steve Ray, Wes Montgomery .....

If you move Satriani, Petrucci and Gilbert into the first list and Methany, Vai and Ford into the second then we're in complete agreement (even if I don't know which Eric you're referring to)

Zodiac51

Clearly I'm a rock dinosaur, I can't believe no one has even mentioned Schenker yet. When it comes to fast guitarists that move you emotionally, there you have it - all spandex wrapped in a tight little Teutonic package. 

I think he at his peak right now, he's seems go out every night and really take chances, whereas he always used to "play it by the numbers"

Then again I could just be odd, I still believe Strangers in the Night was the greatest album ever. @-)

Bucket

Yeah, I agree - Schenker is a god among men.

I don't think of him as a particularly fast player though, probably because I've been listening to Petrucci and Vai etc.

He's not a shredder - obviously pretty quick though.

dindude

Via, Satch, Ford, Johnson, I can all take in small doses. I've tried a lot of the others, appreciate most but wouldn't ever listen to them (I'm not talking about some of the slower guys above, I'm sticking with the fast), Don't get Holdsworth whatsoever though, horrible clincal tone, no expression or dynamics, so it's all about note choice then, which sounds like he's running up and down practice scales. I know this all sounds rather ignorant, I'm prepared to be educated.

bigjon

dindude said:

Don't get Holdsworth whatsoever though, horrible clincal tone. . . I'm prepared to be educated.

Ooh, allow me. @dindude, let's start with the tone. Have a listen for 20 seconds from 5:12 of this live recording from 1990 (the worst era for guitar-tone, right ;-) ) and hear the fat creamy sustain blossom into killing feedback at the end as the final note tails off.

bigjon

dindude said:

Don't get Holdsworth whatsoever though. . .no expression or dynamics. . . I'm prepared to be educated.

Now listen to the first minute of "Prelude" and notice in passing all the subtle embellishments, ornaments, trem scoops, even the tiny volume swells into the beginning of the note at 0:27 :-)

Travisthedog

stickyfiddle;5051" said:

None. 

I've never found anything remotely noteworthy that's faster than Page, Mayer, Nels Cline, Nils Lofgren. 

Agreed but I've always found a lot of musicality in what Zakk Wylde does for some reason

bigjon

dindude said:

Don't get Holdsworth whatsoever though, . . . so it's all about note choice then, which sounds like he's running up and down practice scales. I know this all sounds rather ignorant, I'm prepared to be educated.

Have a listen to Holdsworth playing over a 12bar blues. Yes some passages are scalar, but his chord tone selection is masterly and unusual (especially the first chorus of the solo, which is mainly long sustained chord tones). Allan's solo begins at 3:42