Welcome to our first-ever Greatest Guitarist poll, where 128 guitarists go head to head, round by round, in a bracketed format, all to crown your choice for the Greatest Guitarist of All Time.
We filled 124 of 128 slots with the names of a host of incredible guitarists (dead and living) — players chosen for their technical ability as well as their importance and creativity, not to mention how influential they've been. We asked you to vote in the final four names, which you did. Now the 128 slots are filled, and we're already well into Round 2.
You might come across one or two interesting style matchups in this poll, which may lead some of you to wonder, "How do you compare a shred guitarist to a blues guitarist?" Aside from how good a player is at his or her given style, here are some things to take into consideration:
• Influence: Who inspired more kids to beg their parents for a guitar for Christmas? Who inspired a wave of copycats?
• Chops/Versatility: Is the guitarist in question a one-trick pony or a master of many styles?
• Body of Work: Who had the more consistent career? Who has played on more classic albums?
• Creativity: Who pioneered new techniques? Who sounds the most radically different from what came before them?
You can check out full results via our regularly updated bracket here.
Today, Joe Satriani and Steve Lukather go head-to-head to determine who will move on to the next round to face Paul Gilbert. Which of these guitar heavyweights will make it to Round 3? Vote now!
Readers Poll: The Greatest Guitarist of All Time — Satriani Vs. LukatherWednesday's matchup saw James Hetfield (77.57%) defeat Mark Morton (22.43%). View the full bracket.
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Exclusive Video: Joe Satriani Discusses His New Album, 'Unstoppable Momentum' (5/6/2013) Today, GuitarWorld.com presents the exclusive premiere of the official electronic press kit video for Joe Satriani's new album, Unstoppable Momentum, which will be released Tuesday, May 7, through Epic Records. In this video, which was filmed at... |
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Joe Satriani announces US tour dates for 2013 (4/26/2013) Read more about Joe Satriani announces US tour dates for 2013 at MusicRadar.com With his brand-new album, Unstoppable Momentum, due out in a week (7 May), master guitarist Joe Satriani has just announced the dates for his US tour, which starts 2... |
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Joe Satriani Announces 13-Date US Tour (4/26/2013) Joe Satriani — whose new album, Unstoppable Momentum, will be released May 7 by Epic — has announced a US tour. It is set to launch August 29 in San Diego before hitting Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Denver, Texas, New York, Bost... |
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Dear Guitar Hero: Joe Satriani Talks Dive Bombs, Amps, Shiny Guitars and More (4/26/2013) He was voted No. 5 in our 2012 "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time Poll," his new album, Unstoppable Momentum, will be out in May, and he's just announced a US tour. But what Guitar World readers really want to know is ... How do you pull off t... |
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Joe Satriani Premieres Music Video for “A Door Into Summer” (4/19/2013) Joe Satriani has released the music video for “A Door Into Summer,” a track off his upcoming album, Unstoppable Momentum, which will be released May 7 through Epic Records. "The song celebrates the coming of summer and the promise of adventure, ... |
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Joe Satriani talks new album, Unstoppable Momentum, track-by-track (4/17/2013) Read more about Joe Satriani talks new album, Unstoppable Momentum, track-by-track at MusicRadar.com |
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Joe Satriani talks about band chemistry on his upcoming album, Unstoppable Momentum (3/21/2013) Read more about Joe Satriani talks about band chemistry on his upcoming album, Unstoppable Momentum at MusicRadar.com "It cast some sort of spell over me," Joe Satriani says about his forthcoming album, Unstoppable Momentum, due out 7 May. "It t... |
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Joe Satriani reveals album artwork, tracklisting for Unstoppable Momentum (3/19/2013) Read more about Joe Satriani reveals album artwork, tracklisting for Unstoppable Momentum at MusicRadar.com Joe Satriani calls the songs on his new album, Unstoppable Momentum, as all "heading in different directions and touching on a variety of... |
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Joe Satriani Releases Details, Artwork for New Album, 'Unstoppable Momentum' (3/19/2013) Joe Satriani has conformed the release of his 14th studio album, Unstoppable Momentum, on May 7 through Epic Records. The album was recorded at Skywalker Sound in the Bay Area and produced by Satriani and Mike Fraser (AC/DC). It features Vinni... |
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Joe Satriani announces new studio album, Unstoppable Momentum (2/21/2013) Read more about Joe Satriani announces new studio album, Unstoppable Momentum at MusicRadar.com You could say that Joe Satriani is the hardest-working guitarist in the business and not be wrong. The axe superstar, who last year toured South Amer... |
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NAMM 2013 Video: Ibanez JS2410 Joe Satriani Signature Model Guitar (1/31/2013) Here's a Guitar World video from the 2013 Winter NAMM Show, which took place January 24 to 27 in Anaheim, California. During the gear- and rain-filled weekend, we paid a visit to the gang at the Ibanez booth to check out some new guitars. This v... |
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Playing Tips: Joe Satriani on Improving Your Legato Technique (12/19/2012) In this bite-sized lesson, Joe Satriani provides some useful exercises for improving your legato technique. From Satch: "Here’s a great exercise that’s cool because it’s a repeated symmetrical pattern that has nothing to do with any specific ke... |
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Win An Ibanez Satriani Silver Surfer Guitar Signed By Joe Satriani (12/5/2012) For the Joe Satriani fans out there, this is a MUST ENTER guitar giveaway. Twenty years after the release of Satch’s Surfing with the Alien album, Ibanez is commemorating the music with the release of a limited edition Silver Surfer electric gui... |
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Joe Satriani announces UK tour and new album (10/29/2012) Joe Satriani has announced a UK tour for 2013, alongside a new album and a career retrospective box set. His first full tour of the UK since 2010's Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards tour, Satriani will have UK blues guitarist Matt Schofield in su... |
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Poll: The Greatest Guitarist of All Time, Round 5 — Eddie Van Halen Vs. Joe Satriani (9/26/2012) Welcome to the Elite 8 portion of our first-ever Greatest Guitarist poll! It all started a few months back, when 128 132 guitarists went head to head, round by round, in a bracketed format. We filled all but four of the slots with the names of i... |
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Poll: The Greatest Guitarist of All Time, Round 4 — Steve Vai Vs. Joe Satriani (9/12/2012) Welcome to the Sweet 16 portion of our first-ever Greatest Guitarist poll! It all started a few months back, when 128 132 guitarists went head to head, round by round, in a bracketed format. We filled all but four of the slots with the names of ... |
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