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 3.
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, two of the biggest names in blues collide as the late Stevie Ray Vaughan takes on Eric Clapton. Which of these two greats will earn a spot in Round 4? Vote now!
Readers Poll: The Greatest Guitarist of All Time — Vaughan Vs. ClaptonWednesday's matchup saw Brian May (72.94%) defeat George Harrison (27.06%). View the full bracket.
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Take a Dip in the "Sour Milk Sea," a 1968 Track Featuring Three Beatles and Eric Clapton (5/10/2013) British musician Jackie Lomax was born on this date (May 10) in 1944. I'd like to celebrate this seemingly arbitrary milestone by discussing the most famous thing Lomax, a former member of a Liverpool band called the Undertakers, has ever been i... |
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Eric Clapton - Six-String Stories in pictures (4/22/2013) Read more about Eric Clapton - Six-String Stories in pictures at MusicRadar.com Nearly 300 pieces from |
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Book excerpts: Eric Clapton - Six-String Stories in pictures (4/22/2013) Read more about Book excerpts: Eric Clapton - Six-String Stories in pictures at MusicRadar.com |
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Video: Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Jimmie Vaughan and Robert Cray Perform "Every Day I Have the Blues" (4/15/2013) Eric Clapton's fourth Crossroads Guitar Festival took place this past Friday and Saturday night at New York City's Madison Square Garden. Besides Clapton, this year's lineup included Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Jimmie Vaughan, the Allman Br... |
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Eric Clapton's Fourth Crossroads Guitar Festival Kicks Off Tonight in New York City (4/12/2013) Eric Clapton's fourth Crossroads Guitar Festival kicks off tonight at New York City's Madison Square Garden. Besides Clapton, this year's lineup includes Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Jimmie Vaughan, the Allman Brothers Band, Gary Clark Jr.,... |
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Gayageum-Style Video: Girl Covers Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan on Traditional Korean Instrument (3/28/2013) Check out these videos of a young woman — Luna Lee — performing iconic tracks by Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan on the gayageum, a traditional Korean zither-like instrument. The gayageum has 12 strings, although some variants have been mad... |
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March 13, 1965: Eric Clapton Quits The Yardbirds (3/13/2013) Forty-eight years ago today, guitarist Eric Clapton quit The Yardbirds. It's one of the best things that ever happened, period. Clapton, a self-declared blues purist, thought the band — which included singer Keith Relf, guitarist Chris Dreja, b... |
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Interview: Guitarist Peter Beckett Discusses New Player Album and Touring with Eric Clapton (3/8/2013) From his days growing up in Liverpool — where he watched the Beatles perform — to opening for Eric Clapton with his band, Player, guitarist Peter Beckett has been privy to a part of music history. Player struck gold in 1978 with the chart-toppi... |
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Listen: Eric Clapton Covers Gary Moore's "Still Got the Blues' (3/8/2013) Several video/audio samples from Eric Clapton's new album, Old Sock, are now available on YouTube, including this one — his cover of Gary Moore's "Still Got the Blues." Eric Clapton is streaming the entire album online at at this location. Old S... |
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Listen: Eric Clapton's new album, Old Sock, streaming in full (3/7/2013) Read more about Listen: Eric Clapton's new album, Old Sock, streaming in full at MusicRadar.com Ahead of his Spring tour, which culminates in mid-April at New York City's Madison Square Garden with the two-night Crossroads Guitar festival, Eric ... |
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Listen: New Eric Clapton Album, 'Old Sock,' Streaming Online (3/7/2013) Eric Clapton is streaming his new album, Old Sock at wsj.com — as in The Wall Street Journal. You can check out the entire thing, including "All of Me," his duet with Paul McCartney, at this location. Old Sock will be released March 12 on Clapto... |
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Blues Power: An In-Depth Guide to the Amps and Effect Pedals in Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Arsenal (3/4/2013) Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar tone was as dry as a San Antonio summer and as sparkling clean as a Dallas debutante, the product of the natural sound of amps with ample clean headroom. However, Vaughan occasionally used pedals to augment his sound... |
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Win A Fender Eric Clapton ‘Blackie’ Stratocaster (2/13/2013) This must be Eric Clapton guitar giveaway week here at GearPipe! This contest isn’t quite as spectacular as the last one, but I doubt any of you will complain. This Clapton guitar giveaway is |
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In Pictures: Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Collection (2/5/2013) Read more about In Pictures: Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Collection at MusicRadar.com |
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The Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Collection in pictures (2/5/2013) Read more about The Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Collection in pictures at MusicRadar.com |
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