Welcome to our first-ever Greatest Guitarist poll, where 128 132 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 all but four of the 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, selecting Nuno Bettencourt, Chet Atkins, Malcolm Young and Jake E. Lee to take the last four slots. Now all of the slots are filled, and we're finally into the Sweet 16, which is being brought to you by Sweetwater Sound.
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.
With only six spots remaining in the Elite 8, two late legends face off today as Stevie Ray Vaughan squares off against Duane Allman. Which of these all-time greats will move on? Vote now!
Readers Poll: The Greatest Guitarist of All Time — Vaughan Vs. Allman
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Video: Jeff Beck and Stevie Ray Vaughan Perform "Jeff's Boogie" in 1984 (5/10/2013) For this week's Friday Flashback video, we head to Honolulu, Hawaii. That's where — sometime in 1984 — Jeff Beck joined Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble on stage to play an impressive mini-set that included "Jeff's Boogie," a 1966 instrumen... |
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My Night Playing Duane Allman’s Guitar (4/15/2013) I had the thrill of my musical life last year when I got to play Duane Allman’s 1957 Goldtop Les Paul on a Macon, Georgia, stage. I grew up listening to Lonnie Mack playing in bars around my Ohio hometown and have been greatly influenced by Eri... |
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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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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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Video: Watch the Unboxing of 'Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective' Box Set (2/28/2013) The new video below offers Duane Allman fans a sneak peak at the new seven-disc Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective Box Set. The set, which will be released March 5 on Rounder Records, includes rare recordings by Allman's early bands, includi... |
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Excerpt: 30 Years After 'Texas Flood,' We Celebrate the Phenomenal Rise of Stevie Ray Vaughan (2/1/2013) This feature is an excerpt from the March 2013 issue of Guitar World magazine. To read more about the new issue, visit the Guitar World Online Store. Life Without You: Thirty years ago, Stevie Ray Vaughan took the world by storm with Texas Flood... |
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Seven-Disc Duane Allman Box Set, 'Skydog,' Expected in March (1/28/2013) On March 5, Rounder Records will release Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective, a deluxe, seven-disc box set. The set, which will sell for $139.98, contains Allman's best-known and most commercially successful recordings with the Allman Brother... |
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Exclusive: Stevie Ray Vaughan Live at Ripley’s Music Hall, Philadelphia, 1983, from 30th-Anniversary Edition of 'Texas Flood' (1/28/2013) Today, GuitarWorld.com brings you the exclusive stream of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble performing live at Ripley’s Music Hall, Philadelphia, on October 20, 1983. The previously unreleased live set will officially be available tomorrow, ... |
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Deluxe Edition of Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'Texas Flood' Due in January (11/27/2012) On January 29, Sony Legacy will release a deluxe, 30th-anniversary edition of Texas Flood, the debut album by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. One of the main selling points of the new, two-CD edition is the bonus disc, which features an O... |
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In Deep: Stevie Ray Vaughan's Playing on "Couldn't Stand the Weather" (11/19/2012) Stevie Ray Vaughan’s distinctive playing style is earmarked by equal parts pure power, intensity of focus, razor-sharp precision and deeply emotional conviction. And then there’s his tone—probably the best Stratocaster-derived sound ever evoked ... |
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Poll: The Greatest Guitarist of All Time, Round 5 — Jimi Hendrix Vs. Stevie Ray Vaughan (9/24/2012) 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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'Skydog: The Duane Allman Story' is Newly Revised and Expanded (9/17/2012) Now in paperback, Randy Poe's Skydog: The Duane Allman Story (Backbeat Books) is revised and expanded, with a new afterword by the author, plus a foreword by Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. It's the definitive biography of Duane Allman, one of the most... |
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Poll: The Greatest Guitarist of All Time, Round 3 — Duane Allman Vs. Dickey Betts (8/16/2012) 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 ... |
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Poll: The Greatest Guitarist of All Time, Round 3 — Stevie Ray Vaughan Vs. Eric Clapton (8/9/2012) 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 ... |
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Break Down Duane Allman's Style and Technique, Step by Step (8/8/2012) The lesson book Duane Allman: A Step-by-Step Breakdown of His Guitar Styles and Techniques lets you explore the songs and solos of Southern rock guitar legend Duane Allman. It is available now at the Guitar World Online Store for $22.95. |
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