Nominate your candidate for most OVERRATED GUITARIST IN ROCK!

[Rick N. Backer]

In a new interview with Esquire, Eddie Van Halen opens up about the band's new album, A Different Kind of Truth, and reminisces about his long and storied career.

 

One of the cooler stories from the piece features Ed remembering his first encounter with Ted Nugent back in 1978.

 

"Ted was cool enough to give the band a sound check," he said. "He's standing off to the side and he's listening to me, and he comes up and says, 'Hey, you little shit! Where's your little magic black box?' I'm going, Who the f**k is that? And it was Ted. Hey Ted, it's nice to meet you, thanks for the sound check. And he's going, 'Let me play your guitar!' I go, 'Okay, here you go.' He starts playing my guitar and it sounds like Ted.

 

"He yells, 'You just removed your little black box, didn't you? Where is it? What did you do?' I go, 'I didn't do anything!' So I play, and it sounds like me. He says, 'Here, play my guitar!' I play his big old guitar and it sounds just like me. He's going, 'You little shit!' What I'm trying to say is I am the best at doing me. Nobody else can do me better than me."

 

 

I've heard that story before. It proves the point about Eddie's greatness. People simply couldn't believe he could do the things he did.

[CygnusGal]

Malmsteen simply doesn't get that you don't have to show everything you have in every song.

When ever I have heard Malmsteen, I just hear notes. I don't hear music. :(

Too many notes!

Ya way too many! I just listened to the "dream on" video in this thread and the way he starts shredding right at the beginning during that intro.. Does he even hear the song?? Lol

 

Reminds me of this..

 

http://youtu.be/QHZ48AE3TOI

He sounds like he's in Spinal Tap.

 

And seriously, Rick? Blackmore? Ritchie Blackmore?

[Rick N. Backer]

Malmsteen simply doesn't get that you don't have to show everything you have in every song.

When ever I have heard Malmsteen, I just hear notes. I don't hear music. :(

Too many notes!

Ya way too many! I just listened to the "dream on" video in this thread and the way he starts shredding right at the beginning during that intro.. Does he even hear the song?? Lol

 

Reminds me of this..

 

http://youtu.be/QHZ48AE3TOI

He sounds like he's in Spinal Tap.

 

And seriously, Rick? Blackmore? Ritchie Blackmore?

 

I hate to say it CG, but I think he's overrated. Like I said, I love his work, I just don't think his playing justifies him being considered in the same sphere as a Hendrix or Page or Van Halen.

[treeduck]

Malmsteen simply doesn't get that you don't have to show everything you have in every song.

When ever I have heard Malmsteen, I just hear notes. I don't hear music. :(

Too many notes!

Ya way too many! I just listened to the "dream on" video in this thread and the way he starts shredding right at the beginning during that intro.. Does he even hear the song?? Lol

 

Reminds me of this..

 

http://youtu.be/QHZ48AE3TOI

He sounds like he's in Spinal Tap.

 

And seriously, Rick? Blackmore? Ritchie Blackmore?

 

I hate to say it CG, but I think he's overrated. Like I said, I love his work, I just don't think his playing justifies him being considered in the same sphere as a Hendrix or Page or Van Halen.

 

I wouldn't say Blackmore is overrated at all, especially these days.

[CygnusGal]

Malmsteen simply doesn't get that you don't have to show everything you have in every song.

When ever I have heard Malmsteen, I just hear notes. I don't hear music. :(

Too many notes!

Ya way too many! I just listened to the "dream on" video in this thread and the way he starts shredding right at the beginning during that intro.. Does he even hear the song?? Lol

 

Reminds me of this..

 

http://youtu.be/QHZ48AE3TOI

He sounds like he's in Spinal Tap.

 

And seriously, Rick? Blackmore? Ritchie Blackmore?

 

I hate to say it CG, but I think he's overrated. Like I said, I love his work, I just don't think his playing justifies him being considered in the same sphere as a Hendrix or Page or Van Halen.

I do think Ritchie is in the same league. His body of work is extraordinary. There are better technicians, but Ritchie to me is the greatest and on par with Hendrix, Page and Van Halen. Each of them were revolutionary in their approach to the guitar.

 

But, at least we have Yngwie in common (and Hendrix, Page and VH).

 

"How can less be more?"

.

.

.

:rfl:

 

:cheers:

[driventotheedge]

So in this thread we have had nominated Blackmore, Rhoads, Page, Clapton, Stevie Ray and even Jimi Hendrix. Fukk, what a waste of my time reading this has been. Edited May 17, 2013 by driventotheedge

[treeduck]

So in this thread we have had nominated Blackmore, Rhoads, Page, Clapton, Stevie Ray and even Jimi Hendrix. Fukk, what a waste of my time reading this has been.

 

I think that was the idea with some people to nominate people that would render the whole thing a farce!

 

What they don't realise is this thread was a farce as soon as I started it! :nya nya: :guitar: :hi:

[Steevo]

So in this thread we have had nominated Blackmore, Rhoads, Page, Clapton, Stevie Ray and even Jimi Hendrix. Fukk, what a waste of my time reading this has been.

 

Beck escaped! :guitar:

[bathory]

can we have an underrated guitarists thread?

[Rick N. Backer]

So in this thread we have had nominated Blackmore, Rhoads, Page, Clapton, Stevie Ray and even Jimi Hendrix. Fukk, what a waste of my time reading this has been.

 

Who would you expect to see in a an "overrated" guitarists thread? Malcolm Young? John Lennon? Jack White? Don't they need to have had praise heaped upon them for their playing ability for someone to think that they goet more than they deserve?

[the masked drummer]

As Guitarist I am assuming composition is part of their score. With that being said here's my list of players that don't suck im my opinion but are overrated:

 

1) Clapton

2) Motor City Madman (Nugent)

3) Jack "Insert Ex-Wife's last name here" (White Stripes Guitarist from SW Detroit)

4) Ritchie Blackwhore

 

With honorable mention to fact the Ritchie wrote the most recognizable riff in guitar rock history.

And SPECIAL Honorable mention to Jimmy Page. His execution on some live clips I've seen is weaker than most teenage youtube covers, but the cat wrote the best and most influential guitar riffs, that whether you recognize it or not, have gone on to influence and motivate guitarists and bands for the last 40 years. (like Rush, Kiss, Aerosmith, to name just a few)

85% of modern music has a jimmy page influence hidden in it somewhere, if you could dig down to its core and study the family tree from where it was derived imho....

[Presto-digitation]

I base "overrated" based on players I see show up time and time again on the "greatest guitarists ever" polls done usually by guitar magazines.

 

As i said earlier, based purely on ability versus where they often show up in polls, I'd have to say someone like a BB King or Chuck Berry are overrated...even though they have a different era weighing on them. Clearly they're not the proficient players that the people they influenced became. (Anyone who says King is a more talented PLAYER than Clapton, say, has got a hole in their head and a tin ear). But at the same time I realizing I'm maligning the grandfathers too. The instrument hadn't been fully explored and they were paving NEW ground FOR THAT TIME. But in hindsight there isn't anything that King or Berry can play that 10,000 young blues players haven't mastered in their first year seriously learning the instrument.

 

It's a ticky tacky question with ticky tacky answers. And like any poll, we're all bound to disagree more often than not...and our specific tastes guide our answers. And our tastes don't always agree either. These things always resort in a lot of finger pointing (or saying people have tin ears for not agreeing....;) )

Edited May 17, 2013 by Presto-digitation

[JohnnyBlaze]

duck, we're 9 pages in with plenty of nominations. Why don't you get the Most Overrated Guitarist poll up already you lazy slag?! Edited May 17, 2013 by JohnnyBlaze

[GeddyRulz]

After only reading the first page, I see a lot I agree with. Nugent, Joe Perry, Santana... all over-rated. (I also agree that the likes of Cobain and Garcia aren't great guitarists, but I wouldn't call them "over-rated" because - generally speaking - people don't rate them highly to begin with!)

 

My pick is Angus Young. Not only is he NOT a guitar god, he actually SUCKS. There are probably amateurs in your hometown, kids who've only been playing for a couple years, who can play better.

[the masked drummer]

After only reading the first page, I see a lot I agree with. Nugent, Joe Perry, Santana... all over-rated. (I also agree that the likes of Cobain and Garcia aren't great guitarists, but I wouldn't call them "over-rated" because - generally speaking - people don't rate them highly to begin with!)

 

My pick is Angus Young. Not only is he NOT a guitar god, he actually SUCKS. There are probably amateurs in your hometown, kids who've only been playing for a couple years, who can play better.

 

I want to live in THAT neighborhood!! OK. I saw Angus run across the stage in 1983 playing the fastest riffs imaginable without any finger tapping at the same time. I'm talking running a 50 yard dash at 20 mph without missing a note. I've NEVER seen a guitarist do that before and it definitely took years of practice to pull it off.

Please share with us a video of a kid playing for two years that can do that. I want to start a band with him.

[Enemy Within 77]

After only reading the first page, I see a lot I agree with. Nugent, Joe Perry, Santana... all over-rated. (I also agree that the likes of Cobain and Garcia aren't great guitarists, but I wouldn't call them "over-rated" because - generally speaking - people don't rate them highly to begin with!)

 

My pick is Angus Young. Not only is he NOT a guitar god, he actually SUCKS. There are probably amateurs in your hometown, kids who've only been playing for a couple years, who can play better.

This is utter bullshit! You try and do what Angus does and we'll see who sucks.

[Tombstone Mountain]

Where's Nigel Tufnel on this list? He deserves nothing less.

[GeddyRulz]

Another over-rated guitarist: Yngwie Malmsteen. Fast? Absolutely. But there are hundreds of other guitarists, maybe thousands, who are capable of playing JUST AS FAST, if they were only playing a bunch of scales and arpeggios.

[treeduck]

duck, we're 9 pages in with plenty of nominations. Why don't you get the Most Overrated Guitarist poll up already you lazy slag?!

 

That seems like a lot of work to me right now JB! :zzz:

[TheAccountant]

When I first saw this thread the first 2 names that came to mind were (1) Nugent and (2) Joe Perry. Interesting that they were also the first 2 folks nominated. Then I thought of Cobain but figured "Not really because he is not really a guitarist". Same sort of logic that has been popping up here. Malmstein overrated? The guy is awesome.

 

My nominations go to Nugent and Perry.

[nappy2112]

Nugent....except the Great White Buffalo I love that one.

[Steevo]

Then I thought of Cobain but figured "Not really because he is not really a guitarist".

 

He's about as anti-guitar as you get!

[Union 5-3992]

Rolling Stone labeled Cobain among the top 20 best guitarists of all time.....

 

 

Has Zakk Wylde been nominated yet?

[Steevo]

Rolling Stone labeled Cobain among the top 20 best guitarists of all time.....

 

Oh right, that changes everything then, he must be a guitarist.

[Ancient Ways]

After only reading the first page, I see a lot I agree with. Nugent, Joe Perry, Santana... all over-rated. (I also agree that the likes of Cobain and Garcia aren't great guitarists, but I wouldn't call them "over-rated" because - generally speaking - people don't rate them highly to begin with!)

 

My pick is Angus Young. Not only is he NOT a guitar god, he actually SUCKS. There are probably amateurs in your hometown, kids who've only been playing for a couple years, who can play better.

This is utter bullshit! You try and do what Angus does and we'll see who sucks.

 

Angus is probably underrated if anything. Innovative but firmly rooted in blues without sounding like the typical blues player. Great vibrato and seems to bend every other note just a little to make it pretty hard to nail his stuff down.