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is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

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Old 24-01-2008, 12:18 PM   #1
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is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

steve vai is a rock god.
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Old 24-01-2008, 12:33 PM   #2
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

I'll see your Steve Vai and raise you Joe Satriani...
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Old 24-01-2008, 1:04 PM   #3
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Quote:
Originally Posted by fluffrick View Post
I'll see your Steve Vai and raise you Joe Satriani...
Is anybody able to advise if either of these have music available on the hi-res formats (DVD-A or SACD)? I've had a bit of a search around, but haven't been able so far to find anything. I'm doing my best not to buy CDs if I can help it.

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Old 24-01-2008, 1:55 PM   #4
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Hehe, such a subjective question, this is a fairly good list Nuno Bettencourt was one of my faves back in the day..
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Old 24-01-2008, 2:04 PM   #5
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Quote:
Originally Posted by fluffrick View Post
I'll see your Steve Vai and raise you Joe Satriani...
And I'll take the winnnings with Michael Schenker while you two skulk off home .

Vai and Satriani sure are technically good, but Schenker has a connection with his guitar which Vai and Satriani can't even begin to contemplate dreaming of having and he plays with a feeling that I have never heard from anyone else [apart from Hendrix possibly].

Thread closed .
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Old 24-01-2008, 5:58 PM   #6
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Nope........technically competent is he, but the dark side he has turned, showing off with his widdling tendencies.

All time best rock guitarist.........Hendrix, I was never sure if he played the guitar or the guitar played him. Amazing guitarist that only sank into my consciousness when I began playing guitar seriously.

Satriani is better than Vai and I would rate Petrucci as equal to Satriani without the legato slides.

I notice that the website puts 3 brits in the top places the holy trinity of Beck, Clapton and Page.........all were about guitar 'feel' instead of outright technique (Page dropped huge clangers in his solos).
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Old 25-01-2008, 3:00 PM   #7
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

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Originally Posted by karkus30 View Post
Nope........technically competent is he, but the dark side he has turned, showing off with his widdling tendencies.

All time best rock guitarist.........Hendrix, I was never sure if he played the guitar or the guitar played him. Amazing guitarist that only sank into my consciousness when I began playing guitar seriously.

Satriani is better than Vai and I would rate Petrucci as equal to Satriani without the legato slides.

I notice that the website puts 3 brits in the top places the holy trinity of Beck, Clapton and Page.........all were about guitar 'feel' instead of outright technique (Page dropped huge clangers in his solos).
I'll go with that. Listening to Hendrix is nothing like any other guitarist. His technique is totally without peer, and unlike the British guitar Gods he does it so effortlessly.

No wonder Clapton was so upset when he went to seem him play........... and I rate him as the best guitarist I've seen!
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Old 28-01-2008, 5:12 PM   #8
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Steve Vai reckons Tommy Emmanuelle is the greatest guitarist
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Old 28-01-2008, 10:04 PM   #9
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

They're both great. But shred is subjective just like any other genre of music. Yngwie Malmsteen has to be right up there with them, as does Eddie Van Halen of course. My personal vote/s would go to Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big, Racer X) and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
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Old 29-01-2008, 8:35 AM   #10
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Agree with most of the above, but there's a sad lack of acoustic greats here
Try Martin Simpson, Martin Taylor, or Gordon Giltrap for unfettered brilliance
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Old 29-01-2008, 1:05 PM   #11
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Hendrix is noise.
See Steve Rothery for some really enjoyable riffs.
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Old 31-01-2008, 12:08 AM   #12
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

raise you joe bonamasa,the real deal
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Old 31-01-2008, 1:07 PM   #13
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Quote:
Originally Posted by mylostmarbles View Post
Hendrix is noise.
See Steve Rothery for some really enjoyable riffs.
Heathen! May ye be cast out as a heretic for such blasphemy!
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Old 31-01-2008, 10:39 PM   #14
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Ah but such a sublime noise it is..............
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Old 01-02-2008, 10:13 AM   #15
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Quote:
Originally Posted by kherm View Post
And I'll take the winnnings with Michael Schenker while you two skulk off home .

Vai and Satriani sure are technically good, but Schenker has a connection with his guitar which Vai and Satriani can't even begin to contemplate dreaming of having and he plays with a feeling that I have never heard from anyone else [apart from Hendrix possibly].

Thread closed .
While I'm not a big Schenker fan I completely get what your saying. Someone like Slash aint in the same class technically as Vai and Satriani but I would much rather listen to him or Hendrix, Page, Lifeson, Moore, Gilmour, Bettencourt, Page, McReady, May etc play.

Vai and Satriani are far to souless IMO
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Old 01-02-2008, 7:29 PM   #16
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Angus Young for the sheer feeling in every note. EVH for pushing rock guitar to the next level after Jimi.

If pushed, ultimately I would go for Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Last edited by pwood; 01-02-2008 at 7:41 PM.
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Old 02-02-2008, 12:47 PM   #17
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Quote:
Originally Posted by overkill View Post
Heathen! May ye be cast out as a heretic for such blasphemy!
lmao...I resemble that remark!
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Old 06-02-2008, 8:19 PM   #18
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Quote:
Originally Posted by fluffrick View Post
I'll see your Steve Vai and raise you Joe Satriani...
I'm with you - I personally prefer Satch's stuff over Vai's.... Tracks like "Flying In a Blue Dream", "The Forgotten (Pt2)", "Back To Shalla Bal" and "Time Machine" are just stunning STUNNING bits of musical genious!

But I think it's just Satriani's style I prefer really, tho to say who is technically better - thats a hard one!

Being a drummer, it's a tad odd for me to praise guitarists lol, but there are a few that I adore, and interestingly, not your typical "guitar-god" players like Malmsteen, Satc, Vai, etc - for me it's "band" guitarists like Slash, Petrucci, Moore, etc that get me. Slash is probably my fave guitarist of all time, Petrucci is just genious!

I also like the non-twidly solo guys, but ones that can belt out brutal and fast fingered rhythm stuff, specially the likes of the guys in Lamb Of God - their single finger rhythm stuff is just superb! Few guitarists can pick that quickly and that CLEANLY lower down the octaves! Likewise, King and Hanneman from Slayer, and of course, the LEGENDARY (and sorely missed) Dimebag Darrell Abbott (Pantera, Damage Plan)
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Old 06-02-2008, 8:39 PM   #19
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

No to answer the original question - he plays with no feel - OK he is technically good - but even in that department he is not as good as Steve Morse. The best guitarists - two are dead - Paul Kossoff (if you want to know how to play with feel listen to this guy's music) and Tommy Bolin. The other is the master Ritchie Blackmore - he plays melodic solos and is excellent at improvisation - playing live he can be dreadful (rarely) but when he is on form no-one can touch him.
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Old 10-02-2008, 9:00 PM   #20
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Based on the evidence here, I'd say none of them are much cop
http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008...arod.html#more
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Old 10-02-2008, 9:30 PM   #21
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Quote:
Originally Posted by huwg View Post
Based on the evidence here, I'd say none of them are much cop
http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008...arod.html#more
Bloody hilarious!

As for the greatest, my vote goes to Vim Fuego.
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Old 11-02-2008, 1:21 AM   #22
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

I put Jeff Beck and Hendrix on a same level .(insert flame flame flame here) BUT a very different style.
Jeff has contiuned to be fresh and inovative through out his career.
Via and the great Sats are very different too.
Sats plays with much more melody.
Steve Morse is sublime
Bonamassa is fantastic but not very origanal.
Larry Carlton has real class.
Ive given up with whos the best thingie now.
Listening to Robert Randolph at the mo.


Long live the Guitar
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Old 11-02-2008, 2:30 AM   #23
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

In all seriousness - Jeff Beck and Dave Gilmour for me. Touch, feel, innovation and musicality.

In my yoof, I quite like liked Vai in his Dave Lee Roth days ( I was about 15!) Started going off him when he appeared with Whitesnake - Slip of the Toungue. Terrible album, terrible band (at least that incarnation!). Always felt that Satch was "better", but now I have no real interest in fret masturbation.
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Old 11-02-2008, 10:14 AM   #24
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Vai & Satriani are both good but I think John5 is technically every bit as good. My favourite guitarist though has to be Slash.

I tend to find instrumental guitar albums to be very repetitive and hard going for listening pleasure.
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Old 11-02-2008, 10:50 AM   #25
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

I've no doubt Vai & Satriani are both excellent players, but I'm afraid to say that I don't find either of them very exciting to listen to ... runs for cover !
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Old 17-02-2008, 12:28 AM   #26
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

I'm no expert on the subject, but apart from those already mentioned (who all bow at the feet of Hendrix ) I've always liked Kirk Hammett. (think that's how you spell it)

And Justice for All is still one of my favourite albums.
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Old 20-02-2008, 7:01 PM   #27
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

John McLaughlin anyone? When Hendrix died, McLaughlin picked up where he left off. Check out his stuff with Mahavishnu Orchestra and then start digging his solo material. Sublime.

I caught Vai on the Zappa Plays Zappa tour a couple of years ago. In the second half he soloed on a tune that, to my shame, I don't recall which tune it was now (it may have been Hot Plate Heaven but I'm not even sure they played that - it was Manchester Appolo if anyone was there and can help my ailing memory) but when he played it was as though an alien had come to visit us. I've since listened to some of the stuff he did with Zappa and my opinion of him has completely changed (I only ever used to know him from the stuff he did with Whitesnake and that limited my view of him, really). Remarkable player.


I've never been happy with the term "best" when applied to musicians though - I mean, this isn't the Olympics. You like what you like and that's all there is to it
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Old 21-02-2008, 11:53 AM   #28
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Quote:
Originally Posted by kherm View Post
And I'll take the winnnings with Michael Schenker while you two skulk off home .

Vai and Satriani sure are technically good, but Schenker has a connection with his guitar which Vai and Satriani can't even begin to contemplate dreaming of having and he plays with a feeling that I have never heard from anyone else [apart from Hendrix possibly].

Thread closed .
Just a real shame he's never sober these days.. I saw him last year and he was a joke!
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Old 21-02-2008, 12:33 PM   #29
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Quote:
Originally Posted by fluffrick View Post
I'll see your Steve Vai and raise you Joe Satriani...
I'll see your Steve Vai & Satch, and Raise you Tommy Emmanuel. Just incredible.

Seriously tho, all great players in their own right....you can put Paul Gilbert and John Petrucci in there also..BUT....

...if one guy deserves this crown more than ANYONE.....then its Jason Becker. Simply amazing.

God Bless you JB.

walshy
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Old 21-02-2008, 12:36 PM   #30
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Re: is steve vai the greatest guitar player in the world?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dony View Post
I'm no expert on the subject, but apart from those already mentioned (who all bow at the feet of Hendrix ) I've always liked Kirk Hammett. (think that's how you spell it)

And Justice for All is still one of my favourite albums.
Kirk Hammett....lol I just fell off my chair laughing!!

Ok, there have been some great great 'Tallica albums....Puppets being the best without a doubt, and yes, his guitar work is acceptable. But his stuff is very easy to play. He is in a different league to those I mention above. And I mean quite a few below!! My old guitar teacher used to call him Kermit LOL

walshy
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