Underrated Rock Guitarists

[FFTT]

I mentioned George Pittaway above.

Just found a great youtube clip demonstrating his guitar expertise.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=61snQH-aIuU

Also a link to his web page.

http://www.ezrollguitar.com/id7.html

[O.F.F.]

+1 for Eddie Hazel

Also Michael Karoli of CAN.

Both sadly not with us anymore.

[earldrum]

Originally Posted by Sounds Great

I probably already said it back there somewhere, but I'll say it again.

Terry Kath. My number one most underrated rock guitarist. thumbsup

I totally agree! Terry Kath what a loss.

I'll add Phil Keaggy - if he has not been mentioned before this - check it out.

YouTube - Phil Keaggy - Live - 2002 - Spend my Life with You

[dbbubba]

Originally Posted by allencollins

Couldn't agree more. The second scorps guitar player to be exact right?
I was listening to Virgin Killer last week. I left the room for a minute, when I came back in and I swear I was listening to Joe Satriani for a moment. It caught me off guard. Joe totoaly stole his style from Roth.

What year was Virgin Killer? 76? Uli is really in the top 5 gtr player as far as originality. He really pioneered the whole neo classical/shredder thing when everyone else was still playing pentatonics blues licks and singing china grove. He did it before Dimeola!!!

As original as Uli was I still like the original scorps guitar player schenker the best. He was so good.

ALLENCOLLINS... I can't find your exact post, but you state that Stevie Ray Vaughan and even add that John Mayer are over-rated?
John Mayer probebly wouldn't be signed and widely known as he is if it wasn't for Stevie Ray, but that is another topic. John Mayer does have a cool voice.

If the pic on your posts is you playing that Strat then you of all people ought to know better than to slag off Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Let's ignore that I met him a few times and sat watching him and Double Trouble with four other people at a club. I saw him quite a few times at tiny clubs. This was in about 1982 before he was discovered. It was pretty well just what you hear on the Austin City Limits shows.
As a point of reference, I was sitting with my friend Joe Kubeck (another HIGHLY under-rated player) at a samll club in Dallas. Joe sat in with them and I could have as well, but they were more straight blues players and I just couldn't "say much" in that style back then. I'm just not in their leaque as a traditonal Texas blues player.

I grew up in Dallas playing guitar and I can probebly play EVERY lick that Stevie plays on the stuff you hear most often. I am strong player, but I play a different style than the straight blues guys like Stevie and others.

IMPORTANT PART:
What I CAN'T do (and I have played GTR for most of my 52 years on this planet) is voice those licks, melodies and figures with the conviction and passion that Stevie could. FEW people can or could.
This is what seperates the masses of players from the real deal.

If you know ANYTHING about what Stevie was playing, you would know that he isn't copping Jimi Hendrix. They are both copping previous blues cats.
Are you very familiar with Jimmy Reed?
The fact that Stevie uses a tone that is somewhat similar to Hendrix makes the stuff sound similar.
It isn't Stevie copying Hendrix. He did cover some of Hendrix's songs.
Perhaps you are not that aware of blues GTR, so I'll let you off easier.
You probebly think that you are hip to blues GTR, but obviously not.

Do your homework and then comment on Stevie being an over-rated player.

You simply DO NOT have a clue of what you are talking about.
You are also making a statement that contrdicts the opinion of a bunch of quite "educated" people, too.

I don't think that John Hammond Jr., Jackson Brown and David Bowie were demonstrating any lack of understanding true talent when they chose to work with Stevis and his band.

Listen to some more SRV and try to play it like him.
I doubt that you can.
I can't and I'm certianly no beginner!
I can do a good job, but I can't tap into the emotion that Stevie could.
Few players can.

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by dbbubba

ALLENCOLLINS... I can't find your exact post, but you state that Stevie Ray Vaughan and even add that John Mayer are over-rated?
John Mayer probebly wouldn't be signed and widely known as he is if it wasn't for Stevie Ray, but that is another topic. John Mayer does have a cool voice.

If the pic on your posts is you playing that Strat then you of all people ought to know better than to slag off Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Let's ignore that I met him a few times and sat watching him and Double Trouble with four other people at a club. I saw him quite a few times at tiny clubs. This was in about 1982 before he was discovered. It was pretty well just what you hear on the Austin City Limits shows.
As a point of reference, I was sitting with my friend Joe Kubeck (another HIGHLY under-rated player) at a samll club in Dallas. Joe sat in with them and I could have as well, but they were more straight blues players and I just couldn't "say much" in that style back then. I'm just not in their leaque as a traditonal Texas blues player.

I grew up in Dallas playing guitar and I can probebly play EVERY lick that Stevie plays on the stuff you hear most often. I am strong player, but I play a different style than the straight blues guys like Stevie and others.

IMPORTANT PART:
What I CAN'T do (and I have played GTR for most of my 52 years on this planet) is voice those licks, melodies and figures with the conviction and passion that Stevie could. FEW people can or could.
This is what seperates the masses of players from the real deal.

If you know ANYTHING about what Stevie was playing, you would know that he isn't copping Jimi Hendrix. They are both copping previous blues cats.
Are you very familiar with Jimmy Reed?
The fact that Stevie uses a tone that is somewhat similar to Hendrix makes the stuff sound similar.
It isn't Stevie copying Hendrix. He did cover some of Hendrix's songs.
Perhaps you are not that aware of blues GTR, so I'll let you off easier.
You probebly think that you are hip to blues GTR, but obviously not.

Do your homework and then comment on Stevie being an over-rated player.

You simply DO NOT have a clue of what you are talking about.
You are also making a statement that contrdicts the opinion of a bunch of quite "educated" people, too.

I don't think that John Hammond Jr., Jackson Brown and David Bowie were demonstrating any lack of understanding true talent when they chose to work with Stevis and his band.

Listen to some more SRV and try to play it like him.
I doubt that you can.
I can't and I'm certianly no beginner!
I can do a good job, but I can't tap into the emotion that Stevie could.
Few players can.

He's a clone and gets way too much love. Horrible singer too.I'm sorry
I agree his playing on Lets Dance was admirable but he did leave that band
I'm sure the producers told him what and when to play.

On Pure technique I think he's great. Also I don't think he's a 'pure' Hendrix Clone I just threw that out there. I think he's a clone of many players. Albert collins? Albert King? one or the other. Johnnie Winter? Trower? (another hendrix clone too)

You are right I can't play like him and I don't want to. I try to develop a more unique less predictable style of playing.

Anyone can buy records and clone them. Being original is alot tougher. Look at Uli Roth, an Early Hendrix clone that totally broke the mold and created a unique style.

SRV is waaaaaaaaay overated. There are so many more original players that get no love. Guys that pioneered a sound. Even Johnny Ramone and the Great James hetfield are more original than SRV. They influenced many more bands and players than SRV ever will. And those two guys COULDN'T EVEN PLAY SOLO'S !!!!!! But they were original and have their own sound. That is so much more important and very tough to do. Even Ace Frehley from Kiss had his own sound. He plays one note and you know it's Ace. Stevie plays 1 note and you have to pull names out of a hat to help guess who it may be. Get it?

When you get a little older and more experienced you will get it. Until then, keep spinning that willy the whimp in you r caddilac coffin disk. How stupid id that song?


John Mayer? I could play of tapes of this guy from boston who I know that had that sound in the 80's. When I first heard Mayer on the radio a few years back I said cool That guy from Boston finally got signed. well come to find out it was someone else. Mayer is overated too.

[dbbubba]

Originally Posted by allencollins

He's a clone and gets way too much love. Horrible singer too.I'm sorry
I agree his playing on Lets Dance was admirable but he did leave that band
I'm sure the producers told him what and when to play.

On Pure technique I think he's great. Also I don't think he's a 'pure' Hendrix Clone I just threw that out there. I think he's a clone of many players. Albert collins? Albert King? one or the other. Johnnie Winter? Trower? (another hendrix clone too)

You are right I can't play like him and I don't want to. I try to develop a more unique less predictable style of playing.

Anyone can buy records and clone them. Being original is alot tougher. Look at Uli Roth, an Early Hendrix clone that totally broke the mold and created a unique style.

SRV is waaaaaaaaay overated. There are so many more original players that get no love. Guys that pioneered a sound. Even Johnny Ramone and the Great James hetfield are more original than SRV. They influenced many more bands and players than SRV ever will. And those two guys COULDN'T EVEN PLAY SOLO'S !!!!!! But they were original and have their own sound. That is so much more important and very tough to do. Even Ace Frehley from Kiss had his own sound. He plays one note and you know it's Ace. Stevie plays 1 note and you have to pull names out of a hat to help guess who it may be. Get it?

When you get a little older and more experienced you will get it. Until then, keep spinning that willy the whimp in you r caddilac coffin disk. How stupid id that song?


John Mayer? I could play of tapes of this guy from boston who I know that had that sound in the 80's. When I first heard Mayer on the radio a few years back I said cool That guy from Boston finally got signed. well come to find out it was someone else. Mayer is overated too.

Allen.... do yourself a favor and don't post comments when you don't have a clue about what you are talking about.
It confuses people and you sound like an idiot!
Putting James Hetfield or Joey Ramone in the same class as Stevie.
Even they'd call you an idiot!
I don't even know why I am responding to such idiotic talk!

You are talking about actual people I have known and worked with.
I know where they stand as players.
You don't need to explain it to me, but if you do then at least KNOW WHAT THE F*CK YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!

Where do you live anyways?
It is pretty devoid of any real blues isn't it?
How old are you?
You sound like big mouthed kid.

Who is Stevie a "clone" of?
That is a stupid statement.

Here is a case of your ignorance:
He wasn't told what to play on "Let's Dance."
He clearly stated that they put the tapes up and then only told him the key the song was in. That is first take stuff you are hearing for the most part.
He also didn't "leave" that band... it was a contract dispute.
He didn't like waht he was offered.
I can recall when that went down because we were all pretty jazzed because a local player got snatched up to play with Bowie.

SRV's vocals?
Have you ever heard of Doyle Bramhall?
Probebly not.
He was a drummer that SRV played with in a lot of bands including The Nightcrawlers out of Austin. His son is that GTR playing guy Doyle Branhall II.
Doyle wrote a lot of the classics that Stevie played like "Tightrope."
Doyle's vocal style is pretty much what Stevie is doing.
If you are hip and want to talk about Stevie then say his vocals copy Doyle's.
Don't show your ass as a musician.

Opinions can be opinions, but you ate speaking from a platform of ignorance.
If you are trying to goade me then KMA!

Don't post if your only aim is to argue.

[johnnyjellybean]

+1 on Doyle Bramhall II. Superb musician.

[mr.gefell]

nick perri

[manthe]

Who *hasn't* heard of Doyle. +1 for doyle..top notch!

Oh yeah, and SRV is a guitar God (with an upper-case 'G')!!

Originally Posted by dbbubba

Allen.... do yourself a favor and don't post comments when you don't have a clue about what you are talking about.
It confuses people and you sound like an idiot!
Putting James Hetfield or Joey Ramone in the same class as Stevie.
Even they'd call you an idiot!
I don't even know why I am responding to such idiotic talk!

You are talking about actual people I have known and worked with.
I know where they stand as players.
You don't need to explain it to me, but if you do then at least KNOW WHAT THE F*CK YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!

Where do you live anyways?
It is pretty devoid of any real blues isn't it?
How old are you?
You sound like big mouthed kid.

Who is Stevie a "clone" of?
That is a stupid statement.

Here is a case of your ignorance:
He wasn't told what to play on "Let's Dance."
He clearly stated that they put the tapes up and then only told him the key the song was in. That is first take stuff you are hearing for the most part.
He also didn't "leave" that band... it was a contract dispute.
He didn't like waht he was offered.
I can recall when that went down because we were all pretty jazzed because a local player got snatched up to play with Bowie.

SRV's vocals?
Have you ever heard of Doyle Bramhall?
Probebly not.
He was a drummer that SRV played with in a lot of bands including The Nightcrawlers out of Austin. His son is that GTR playing guy Doyle Branhall II.
Doyle wrote a lot of the classics that Stevie played like "Tightrope."
Doyle's vocal style is pretty much what Stevie is doing.
If you are hip and want to talk about Stevie then say his vocals copy Doyle's.
Don't show your ass as a musician.

Opinions can be opinions, but you ate speaking from a platform of ignorance.
If you are trying to goade me then KMA!

Don't post if your only aim is to argue.

[Ken Walker]

Jan Akkerman from Focus--the original Dutch master wailing away on Hocus Pocus

Scott McGill--one of the most technically gifted guitarists on Earth

[laser]

Originally Posted by Sounds Great

I probably already said it back there somewhere, but I'll say it again.

Terry Kath. My number one most underrated rock guitarist. thumbsup

Kath is certainly worth mentioning twice (three times if you count my post)

But, I still say Danny Cedrone was even more underrated.
Tremendous guitar player.

Laser

[laser]

Originally Posted by allencollins

He's a clone and gets way too much love. Horrible singer too.I'm sorry
I agree his playing on Lets Dance was admirable but he did leave that band
I'm sure the producers told him what and when to play.

On Pure technique I think he's great. Also I don't think he's a 'pure' Hendrix Clone I just threw that out there. I think he's a clone of many players. Albert collins? Albert King? one or the other. Johnnie Winter? Trower? (another hendrix clone too)

You are right I can't play like him and I don't want to. I try to develop a more unique less predictable style of playing.

Anyone can buy records and clone them. Being original is alot tougher. Look at Uli Roth, an Early Hendrix clone that totally broke the mold and created a unique style.

SRV is waaaaaaaaay overated. There are so many more original players that get no love. Guys that pioneered a sound. Even Johnny Ramone and the Great James hetfield are more original than SRV. They influenced many more bands and players than SRV ever will. And those two guys COULDN'T EVEN PLAY SOLO'S !!!!!! But they were original and have their own sound. That is so much more important and very tough to do. Even Ace Frehley from Kiss had his own sound. He plays one note and you know it's Ace. Stevie plays 1 note and you have to pull names out of a hat to help guess who it may be. Get it?

When you get a little older and more experienced you will get it. Until then, keep spinning that willy the whimp in you r caddilac coffin disk. How stupid id that song?


John Mayer? I could play of tapes of this guy from boston who I know that had that sound in the 80's. When I first heard Mayer on the radio a few years back I said cool That guy from Boston finally got signed. well come to find out it was someone else. Mayer is overated too.

Geez Allen..............

I know what you are trying to say, but come on. People told me I played liked SRV before I even knew who he was. When I finally heard him on the radio, I wasn't impressed. Some time later, I told a friend of mine that he didn't really do much for me; he sat my ass down in front of his very expensive stereo, gave me a cold beer and played "Lenny", "Little Wing" as well as some his other songs not played on the radio---I've been a huge Stevie fan since.

Live---he kicked ass.

As for the Great James Hetfield-----dfegad

Laser

[Jim Williams]

SRV always did a live show better than any of his studio stuff, it's his venue.

I must have heard about 100 unknown guitar players that could play circles around him.

I still belive the best players have not been heard from as they languish in some backwoods place where fame never reaches....

The commercial music industry does not seek nor want to expose these great players as they would have little appeal to anyone besides other players.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

[bigos]

nels cline
duane allman
david torn
bill frisell
jimmy herring
nemanja rebic
frank zappa

I know there are many others but these guys are some of the most unique sounding Ive heard.

[FFTT]

The commercial music industry and their A&R scouts don't know real talent when they hear it.

Also, some of the better bands and artists simply won't agree to some of the old school rip-off publishing deals, so that also limits who is getting promoted.

[Jim Williams]

Originally Posted by FFTT

The commercial music industry and their A&R scouts don't know real talent when they hear it.

I believe the opposite is true, They know when they see real talent. It's not what they are looking for. They want marketability. They don't know what to do with real talent. Accomplished musicians are "difficult". They don't take directions well. They scoff at being told what to do. Only other great musicians would appreciate or understand what they do. There arn't enough of them to support current business models.

The guitar god era is over. We are in the Jessica Simpson era.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

[FFTT]

With three daughters, you can bet I get an earfull of modern trends, Ugh!

So funny how so much of popularity still depends on the ability of fans to sing along.

Actually Country, Rockabilly and Country Rock seem to have more room
for the advanced musician, than in any of the rock circles.

It's where a single artist needs a strong back-up band built from a staff of hired guns.

[ITJ]

Originally Posted by manthe

It is hard for me to fathom a fan of rock & roll that cant appreciate and 'feel' what he did!

I'm glad I never felt what he did.

[FFTT]

I'm just glad the up and coming musicians do have so much to draw from
in every style.

Hopefully a handful of truly dedicated new players will carry on what they have learned
from the old timers and those who can only entertain us from the spirit world.

Those who broaden their horizons will have a much better chance of making a career
of it than those who limit their influences.

Players like George Pittaway were mastering the masters while still in their teens.
While eveyone else his age put all their effort into rock, he was studying complex
works in all styles from A to Zappa.

[laser]

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

I must have heard about 100 unknown guitar players that could play circles around him.

Most being in Escondido, of course.

Seriously, so have I, but none who were lead singers, frontmen and did the majority of the lyrical and musical songwriting good enough to hit the top of the charts. SRV was the total package.

A real sign of his legacy--and the same can be said of Eddie Van Halen, Jimmy Page, Chuck Berry, Hendrix ect. is how many guitarists were compelled to imitate him.

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

The guitar god era is over.

Being a guitar player, I saw it coming in the late 1980's. When the guitar chops became more important than the song itself, I knew it was just a matter of time.

It seems Corbain and the grunge boys in Seattle basically spat upon every woodshedding punk kid in foofy hair/spandex pants along with their legato flurries and countless hours in front of a mirror (practicing their head nods, windmills and sneers).

The guitar god was reduced to an outdated fad, kind of like pooka shells. Too bad tasty guitar solos--those that added a nice seasoning to an already tasty song--were thrown out in the bathwater.

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

We are in the Jessica Simpson era.

Traded one recipe for another. Slut-blondes and gangsta wannabes.

I keep hoping/waiting for a renaissance involving both creativity and musical talent, but each year it's still slut-blondes and gangsta wannabes. Was encouraged when groups like Brian Setzer and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy started to get traction with the teen audience, but it fizzled. Keep hoping, though.

Laser

[manthe]

What about the 1-2 punch of Billy Corgan/James Iha?! I eat that shit up! Anything PRIOR to Melancholy...they tanked after that, IMO. But, I felt like they were responsible for bringing guitar back to rock...for a brief while.

THAT is a highly underrated duo!

[manthe]

Originally Posted by ITJ

I'm glad I never felt what he did.

me too

[dbbubba]

Originally Posted by Jim Williams

I believe the opposite is true, They know when they see real talent. It's not what they are looking for. They want marketability. They don't know what to do with real talent. Accomplished musicians are "difficult". They don't take directions well. They scoff at being told what to do. Only other great musicians would appreciate or understand what they do. There arn't enough of them to support current business models.

The guitar god era is over. We are in the Jessica Simpson era.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

You are right when you are talking about fairly recent history, the present and the foreseeable future, but it wasn't always the case.

I was watching old videos of bands like Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Mahavishnu Orchestra and even Zappa (a few people familiar to you.)
Well, once-upon-a-time they did figure out how to market good bands with highly talented people.
Granted Mahavishnu Orchestra and Zappa didn't have GIANT sales, but you can't argue that ELP wasn't just HUGE.

It could come back!

One really big problem these days is that it is too easy for artists to work alone.
As soon as you have only one guy in a room supplying the bulk of the creative ideas the ideas are only going to last so long.
At least with a band or group there is a collective effort.
Creativity spawns creativity and other people's influences meld together and the sum is often more interesting than the individual parts.

The extremely creative individuals like Zappa and his like are rare.
He was signed on a fluke anyways, so...

[halljams]

Originally Posted by rockrev

So, yesterday I was listening to some Bryan Adams tracks and "Cuts Like a Knife" still rocks as if it were cut just the other day. Then I realized . . . another underrated guitarist is making this happen . . . Keith Scott.
dj

Keith didn't play on cuts like a knife. He is fantastic though and he can definatley branch out way more than he did with Adams.

[Beyersound]

Originally Posted by halljams

Keith didn't play on cuts like a knife. He is fantastic though and he can definatley branch out way more than he did with Adams.

Originally Posted by rockrev

The other day someone had a post about Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" and it really got me thinking about how bad @ss Neal Schon is. He's one of the most underrated rock guitarists ever, IMHO. So, yesterday I was listening to some Bryan Adams tracks and "Cuts Like a Knife" still rocks as if it were cut just the other day. Then I realized . . . another underrated guitarist is making this happen . . . Keith Scott. I decided I'd start a post so everyone could chime in and mention some others. Here's two more . . . Mike Campbell and Lindsey Buckingham (though one could argue he's a little more recognized).

dj

Hey Halljams, Of course Keith Scott played on Cuts Like A Knife! Check your album credits Grasshopper!!! You guys are both right, Keith is fantastic and underrated. I think we could also give an attaboy to Clearmountain for helping it sound like it was cut just the other day. I second the Campbell and Buckingham choices Rockrev, nice one! With so much talk about the SRVs and Claptons of the world, it seems people forget this thread is about UNDERRATED guitarists! I don't know what the rules for that are, but I can bet they don't include guys with dozens of magazine covers and feature articles spouting their rock god status. Happy Holidays!

[halljams]

Originally Posted by Beyersound

Hey Halljams, Of course Keith Scott played on Cuts Like A Knife! Check your album credits Grasshopper!!! You guys are both right, Keith is fantastic and underrated. I think we could also give an attaboy to Clearmountain for helping it sound like it was cut just the other day. I second the Campbell and Buckingham choices Rockrev, nice one! With so much talk about the SRVs and Claptons of the world, it seems people forget this thread is about UNDERRATED guitarists! I don't know what the rules for that are, but I can bet they don't include guys with dozens of magazine covers and feature articles spouting their rock god status. Happy Holidays!

He didn't play the solo. He told me himself, sorry grass hopper.

[Beyersound]

Originally Posted by halljams

He didn't play the solo. He told me himself, sorry grass hopper.

Touche Halljams! I thought you were talking about the entire album. I thought it was the usual mistake about Jamie Glaser and the first 2 records being stretched to the 3rd. How do you know Keith? Cheers

[roxxon]

Ian Crichton from Saga.

Kim Mitchell

Rick Emmett

Prince

Pat Thrall

Russ Ballard

Colin James

[roxxon]

Davey Johnson: Elton John

Brian Robertson: Thin Lizzy


George Kooymans: Golden Earing

Andy Scott: The Sweet

Warren Cuccurullo

Rick Derringer

Michael Schenker

Mathias Jabs

Uli Roth

Lindsey Buckingham

Steve Morse

Jim Stafford

[FFTT]

George Pittaway's ezrollguitar.com demo is a riot!

He's actually quite a serious musician, but he doesn't take himself too seriously.

Just a little more info about his background. http://www.ezrollguitar.com/id7.html

" As a lead guitarist I’ve toured extensively, opening many times for some of my own favorite guitar slingers like Ritchie Blackmore and Pat Travers."

"I’ve played the big arenas with everybody from Screamin Jay Hawkins to the Cars, Hall & Oates to the Clash. Somebody online keeps claiming my band played with Van Halen, but even though those days are hazy, I think I would have rememberd that. They did turn up at one of our shows at the L.A. Forum."

" The late great Danny Gatton remains a huge influence. We were fortunate enough to play his club in D.C. on a regular basis. Seeing Jon Jorgenson (Elton John, Hellecasters) play solo re-energized me in the art of the possible."

" I've played in the native styles, on the native instruments in dozens of countries. I've played Sitars with Indians, Bazoukis with Greeks. I've playd Ouds with Egyptians, and Dombras with Uzbeks. Believe me, I learned a lot about technique. Interestingly, speed and dexterity are prized in every country on every stringed instrument anywhere you go. Everybody wants to be a hot picker. "


Two other players that deserve attention.

Peter Thorn, currently touring with Chris Cornell of Soundgarden.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKkFb5HQwxo

What beautiful tone with his Suhr Strat and the Komet Concorde.

Johnny Tsak
Video circa 1994?
Working with Eddie Kramer in pre-production.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPTerzmFwZ0

Daisy chained Marshalls slaved to another soild state power amp in the rack.

There are so many unknown or underrated guitarists that have more talent
than some of the big names.