Happy 70th birthday, Alex!

[laughedatbytime]

Happy 70th to one of the greatest and perhaps most underrated guitarist(s) of all time!

[JARG]

1 hour ago, laughedatbytime said:

Happy 70th to one of the greatest and perhaps most underrated guitarist(s) of all time!

 

He's my favorite guitarist and has been for decades. He's certainly not the most technical player out there, nor is he the most emotive, but for me he sits in the sweet spot between feel and technique.

Edited August 27, 2023 by JARG

[BastillePark]

Interestingly enough it's also the borntday of Mike Smith (Bubbles) and Cory Bowles (Cory) from the Trailer Park Boys. So much Canadian birthday fun.

[Chicken hawk]

Happy Birthday Alex !  

[Rhyta]

Happy Birthday Alex...funny guy and great guitarist. 

Here's a great compilation of funny bits (some Trailer Park boys in it too)

 

 

[Leanne]

Happy Birthday!

[New_World_Man]

Happy Birthday Alex! 

 

 

[Principled Man]

Did Alex and Geddy ever consider asking us for permission to get old?    

[Weatherman]

10 hours ago, JARG said:

 

He's my favorite guitarist and has been for decades. He's certainly not the most technical player out there, nor is he the most emotive, but for me he sits in the sweet spot between feel and technique.

I'd give him a 9 of 10 on both technique and emotiveness.

His playing is very unpredictable, mostly in the good way. I learned guitar by copying his parts and am still kind of amazed by them.

[JARG]

13 minutes ago, Weatherman said:

I'd give him a 9 of 10 on both technique and emotiveness.

 

Who would you put at 10 for those categories?

[Lurkst]

Happy belated birthday Alex (unless you're celebrating in Alaska).

 

[librarian]

Happy Birthday!

[Motorshooter]

Happy Birthday Big Al!!!!!!! 

[Alex’s Amazing Arpeggios]

Hope Lerxst had a great day ! 
 

[Weatherman]

On 8/27/2023 at 10:21 PM, JARG said:

Who would you put at 10 for those categories?

Technicality: Steve Vai 

Emotiveness: Eddie VH

 

Alex has several amazing moments where his technicality touches Vai's and his emotiveness touches Eddie's.

But most of the time his playing rests just one shade below. 

This isn't a criticism. Vai's playing is so technical that it's hard to listen to. I overall prefer Alex to both of them.

Edited August 31, 2023 by Weatherman
n/a

[JARG]

On 8/30/2023 at 5:16 PM, Weatherman said:

Technicality: Steve Vai 

Emotiveness: Eddie VH

 

Alex has several amazing moments where his technicality touches Vai's and his emotiveness touches Eddie's.

But most of the time his playing rests just one shade below. 

This isn't a criticism. Vai's playing is so technical that it's hard to listen to. I overall prefer Alex to both of them.

 

 

In recognition that all this is very subjective, I don't have an issue with putting Vai at a 10 for technique (Paul Gilbert ranks right up there as well). I don't agree that Eddie is at a 10 for emotiveness. SRV would get my vote for that rating/category. Gilmour, too, for that matter.

 

I'd put Alex at about a 3 for technique and a 7 for feel. EVH would get a 7 for technique and a 6 for feel.

[Lurkst]

1 hour ago, JARG said:

 

 

In recognition that all this is very subjective, I don't have an issue with putting Vai at a 10 for technique (Paul Gilbert ranks right up there as well). I don't agree that Eddie is at a 10 for emotiveness. SRV would get my vote for that rating/category. Gilmour, too, for that matter.

 

I'd put Alex at about a 3 for technique and a 7 for feel. EVH would get a 7 for technique and a 6 for feel.

 

Interesting critique. Where would you rank some of the greats: Harrison, Clapton, Beck, Page, Hendrix, for example...

 

 

Edited September 2, 2023 by Lurkst

[JARG]

23 minutes ago, Lurkst said:

 

Interesting critique. Where would you rank some of the greats: Harrison, Clapton, Beck, Page, Hendrix, for example...

 

 

 

Harrison: 1T, 2F

Clapton: 2T, 8F

Beck: 4T, 6F

Page: 2T, 6F (if we're talking his acoustic work, he'd get a 4T...he's a better acoustic guitarist than electric, imo).

Hendrix: 3T, 7F

 

 

 

[lifeson90]

Not underrated to me, together with brian may the greatest most imaginative and coolest guitarists of all time

[Bahamas]

And a nice birthday topic becomes a rating of guitarists. Thank you laughedatbytime for starting it!

Oh well, Happy Birthday Mister Alex if you are still watching this tailspin of forum opinions. " We are only human...it's not ours to understand"...

 

         

[Alex’s Amazing Arpeggios]

On 9/3/2023 at 1:14 AM, JARG said:

 

Harrison: 1T, 2F

Clapton: 2T, 8F

Beck: 4T, 6F

Page: 2T, 6F (if we're talking his acoustic work, he'd get a 4T...he's a better acoustic guitarist than electric, imo).

Hendrix: 3T, 7F

 

 

 

 Crikey Jarg your marks out of 10 are a little bit harsh 🙃🤣😉

🤔 Who are your Top 3 guitarist for 

technic ? ..  Top 3 for feel ? 
Top 3 overall for combined feel And Technic ?

.. and regardless of feel and technic who are your top 5 Fav guitarists please ?

( I’ve already noted that you have Lerxst 

as your No.1 Fav 👍😎) 

 

[JARG]

On 9/4/2023 at 1:20 PM, Alex’s Amazing Arpeggios said:

 Crikey Jarg your marks out of 10 are a little bit harsh 🙃🤣😉

🤔 Who are your Top 3 guitarist for 

technic ? ..  Top 3 for feel ? 
Top 3 overall for combined feel And Technic ?

.. and regardless of feel and technic who are your top 5 Fav guitarists please ?

( I’ve already noted that you have Lerxst 

as your No.1 Fav 👍😎) 

 

 

My top 5 faves are:

Lifeson

Gilmour

Van Halen

Gibbons

SRV

 

I don't know that I can do the kind of ranking you're asking for, but for three 10s in technique, I'd go with Vai, Gilbert, and Petrucci. Which one is better than the other is too hard for me to work out. For three 10s in feel, I'd go with Gilmour, SRV, and Chris Duarte.

 

Three who are in the sweet spot would be Lifeson, Eric Johnson, and Elliot Easton.

Edited September 5, 2023 by JARG