So what is the best piece of guitar ever?

Not the fastest, not your favorite but the best! In your opinion ;)

It is hard to say, but I would say Machine Gun by Hendrix or perhaps Stevie Ray Vaughn’s cover of Hendrix’s Little Wing.

Heard of something really awesome by some obscure bands? Post it!

Wow. Only one? I like your Hendrix pick (I just bought Band of Gypsies about 2 weeks ago), so I will offer my own:
Jimi Hendrix' Voodoo Child

Well, I'd have to think too long about what the best is, but one that comes to mind is David Gilmour's (Pink Floyd) first solo in Comfortably Numb - short, but IMO very "tasty".

I would have to make it a tie between two pieces of classic rock guitar

1. Star Spangled Banner / All Along the Watchtower / Improvisation by Jimi Hendrix...available on several different "Live at Woodstock" recordings. This mostly improvised work simply showcases Jimi's brilliance with a guitar. In recent years his entire set has been released, but the hour plus of jam can be rather tedious...stick with the specific songs I mentioned, eliminate all other stimulus and you will see what I mean.

2. In Memory of Elizabeth Reed by Duanne Allman on the ABB's "Idlewild South" recording. Actually, this disc has some fantastic work in other songs, like Revival.

When you listen to both of these pieces of music, you will understand why Rolling Stone named them, respectively, the number 1 and 2 greatest guitarists of all time.

There has been some good recent work, but as far as energy, ingenuity and creativity...it all seems to be in the past.

If instrumentals are allowed then Jason Becker - Altitudes

If you want a guitar solo in an actual song, then probably Megadeth - Tornado of Souls

The solo of Stairway always strikes a chord with me. The fact that Jimmy Page is my god does not man this is prejudice.

The solo in Whole Lotta Love is better than Stairways though.

Strung Out-Too Close to See, it's amazing, how fast it and ahow technical, t's just fun to listen to. Seeing it live is amazing as well.

An amazing Bass solo is the beginning of Maxwell Murder by Rancid. It shows just how good Matt Freeman is.

Anything by Kenny G.

Please remember to give some props to Dickie Betts on In Memory of Elizabeth Reed! Duane and Dickie performed some amazing guitar work together.

If you want some more recent good slide work check out Derek Trucks and/or Warren Haines.

I'm a big Jerry Garcia fan myself...Tons of incredible guitar work...especially during the 1970s.

Well, I seem to be saying this alot but I don't really know a great deal about guitar solos or legendary guitarists but I will say that I'm a fan of Joe Satriani's even thoughI can't for the life of me recall any track names.

Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman doing "Angel of Death" LIVE! Guess the band :p

Good stuff so far. Duanne, Dickie, Jimi, Warren all wailed or still do. It's hard to choose just one solo. But since Jerry has been mentioned I have to chime in.

Got a Dead show, 9/20/1970. During Sugar Magnolia Jerry is on, hittin' that 'wah' at the end of Sugar Mag like it's nobodies business. It's sick. Although it's tough to pick the best solo ever, I'll say that the above mentioned is one of the best.

John Butler Trio live. Anything Johnny B plays live is always one of the songs with a 20 miunute guitar improvisation solo. Its the grouse.

There is a fair bit of Led Zep, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Cream (Eric Clapton) and AC|DC etc. that is good.

Mike Oldfield. Any solo by him is amazing.

i would have to say its from "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen

"Eruption" from Van Halen's first album has Eddie at his best!!!

"Cliff's of Dover" by Eric Johnson is a great instrumental guitar song.

Anything by Hendrix...

Bohemian Rhapsody is not a great I can play it myself.

Cliff's of Dover is pretty awesome to!

Name it Sorvo, only Angel of Death I know was recorded by Thin Lizzy with Snowy White to who is another one of my favorite guitarists.

Voodoo child
Machine gun
Purple Haze
Stairway to Heavan

Ozzy Osbourne - Mr. Crowley. Best guitar solo ever by the best guitarist ever. Randy Rhoads is God.

All great choices everyone.
If I have to chose only one, it would be Freebird by Lynyrd Skynyrd. It' kinda long and sometime a bit cheesy, but it still the greatest.

@Sarevok - Angel of Death is a song by Slayer.

I'm throwing my vote in for Kirk Hammet - especially his solo on "One"

Anything by Kenny G. :eek: Doesn't she play the oboe?

I'm shocked no one has mentioned Joe Satriani Surfing With The Alien is incredible.

Kirk Hammett here too after having seen him last night play his heart out - Welcome Home (Sanitarium). What a performance. The old man's got it in him still.

Hammett's amazing to^^ Strange no mention of Paul Gilberts stuff ;z

^

I am seeing Kirk Hammet play tomorrow night, and then again on Monday. He truly is a great player.

Tassadar, what did they play in their set at BDO?

I thought about mentioning Paul Gilbert, does that count?

Hammet is overrated especially after we had a Radio station name him the #1 guitarist of all.

They seemed to forget about Paige, Clapton, Beck, Hendrix, Moriello, and just about every other guitarist in the world.

May not be the most technical but I have always loved the duo in Hotel California. Joe Walsh rocks (at least when he is just stoned enough to be creative)

Shawn Lane (RIP :( ) on Heretics with Jonas Hellborg and John Sipe. Blindingly fast, tasteful, and phunky as hell

the solo from Johnny by System of a Down.... makes me titter every time i hear it.

I gotta go with Smoothbrain, Hotel California has some of the best guitar ever in it.

I'm throwing my vote in for Kirk Hammet - especially his solo on "One" That's my choice too. What a great song, and an even better solo. :rolling:

Bit off topic, but since Krik Hammett's been named a few times, did you know he learned to play from Joe Satriani?

Okay guys,
you've all named some pretty good solos- "Machine Gun" is up there with the top, "Angel of Death", as any self-respecting music fan should know, on the classic 1986 Slayer LP 'Reign in Blood' is pretty damn good, 'Cliffs of Dover' is definitely a successful piece of guitar masturbation, David Gilmour is certainly no loser...
but what about going beyong just moving your hands damn fast, what about the joyful recklessness off sloppiness, dissonance, and not knowing how to play your instrument- go look at Lou Reed's classic Velvet era 'I heard her call my name', pure grime, better than anything up there, or those brilliantly shaky, winding and unbearably catchy Steve Malkmus solos from Pavement when you physycally cant stop yourself from just singing along cause its infectious, or Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, creating strange beauty out of fractured freak-out out-of-tune twin guitar workouts- they kick every 80's guitar god with their two hand tapping out of existence-
remember friends and music lovers (though not as much as me I assure you), music is about what is played, not showing off what you can play.

Anything by rage against the machine, Tom Morello on the guitar is awesome :p

Frank Zappa has done some nice guitar work.
I have been listening to alot of Robert Johnson lately. Right now he is my favorite guitar player. But you probably meant rock and my vote has to go to Jimi. I wish I could have seen him play.
I have seen Allman Bros. three times and they are awesome.
Also saw Bad Brains once and remember a guitar solo that was pretty mean. That was a good show.

I can't get a one.
But it would have to be something from Joe Satriani. He's got songs, like The headless horseman or Day at the beach that are like songlong solos.

Morningstar - I think Kirk only had about 10 lessons with Joe, not long before Metallica recorded Kill 'em All, but I could be wrong..

Maxwell Murder by Rancid. It's actually bass, but it's still a guitar!

Bad Religion's album 'Suffer' has some great solos too.

I'd have to say One by Metallica

Best? No, but great.

Ernie Isley - The Isley Brothers - Who's that lady?

An acid jazz fan? Listen to Mr. Isley lay down his portion of the foundation of acid jazz guitar with this slab of funk. :cool:

If Hammett's god then what's Satrianni?
Satrianni is Hamett's teacher.....
Saw G-3 twice and I gotta say steve Vai is THE best Live guitarist on the planet... bar none, I've seen Eddie to Yngwie to Richie Blackmore to Viv Cambell, And Steve is on Another planet when it comes to playing live>

Yes, Hammett is good but nowhere near as good as Satch and Vai. It is Satriani with one N btw :wave:

Seen Vai live at the Astoria in London and it was awesome.

No way is Steve Vai the greatest guitarist. Everyone knows he lost a guitar battle with Ralph Macchio in 1986 :)

Crossroads (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0090888/)

Except the it was Steve Vai who actually played what Ralph was supposed to be playing, so your argument doesn't work, even if we ignore the fact that it was just a film (you probably knew, but just thought I'd point it out for those who don't)

I've also seen Steve Vai live (with Tony Macapline also playing... I could hardly beleive my ears when he introduced him), and he is absolutely amazing

[ February 16, 2004, 20:26: Message edited by: metal leper ]

Vai is the most talented guitarist alive at the moment and has been for a while. Wo0ps off topic shhsss

Vai is very good. But this is about the best guitar solo, not technical proficiency. I can't remember any of Vai, Satch, and especially not Yngwie's solos. They just don't stick. Randy Rhoads on the other hand solos incredibly and they are certainly memorable.

Anyway, greatest guitarist: Steve Vai, he was the best on the G3 tour; he must have 12 inch fingers or something.
Favourite guitarists: Randy Rhoads, John Petrucci, Alexi Laiho.
Best solo: Welcome Home (Sanitarium) by Kirk Hammett - it's just beautiful.

Page in Stairway to Heaven, Knoppfler in Sultans of Swing, Alexi Liaho in CoB-s Silent Night Bodom night, Iron Maidens Adrian/Daves in Hallowed be thy name... many more...

i'd say, if not the best, then the most original; the intro of poundcake by Eddie Van Halen.
Who would ever figure using a drill at a guitar and make music? :thumb:

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Ozzy Osbourne - Mr. Crowley. Best guitar solo ever by the best guitarist ever. Randy Rhoads is God.
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That is so treu I think his solo on Crazy Train takes second place :)

Ok I've only recently realized that rap is really a whole load of ****, after been exposed to some Linkin Park, Metallica and Dream Theater (I didn't regret my change of taste for a second) so I don't exactly know very much about music outside of rap, but I'd have to say that Dream Theaters album "six degrees of inner turbulance" has some of the best guitaring I have ever heard (which wouldent exactly be much but I'm still sure it's a good competitor at least)

The second one in Dark of the Sun by Arch Enemy.

Am I the only one who thinks (or has even heard of) Garry Moore?

Gary Moore is acknowledged as one of the finest musicians that the British Isles has ever produced. In a career that dates back to the 1960s, there are few musical genres that he has not turned his adroit musical hand to, and has graced the line-ups ever several notable rock bands, Thin Lizzy, Colosseum II and Skid Row to name but three.

And I agree Kirt Hammet is great, even for an old man :p

I've seen Gary Moore live, and despite a few problems with his gear he was amazing

Rage Against the Machine - Calm Like a Bomb

gives me shivers every time.

"All Along the Watchtower" - Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix was simply the man when it came to the guitar. This particular tune has such a haunting and lingering effect on me.

Tough one. I'm torn between Eddie Van Halen on respect the wind, and Dave Gilmour on time.

<Edit: I forgot Richie Blackmore on Child in time>

[ April 15, 2004, 20:51: Message edited by: takara ]

Wolf Hofmann's solo in Accept's "Metal Heart". The guitar solo in this song is Beethoven's "Fur Elise".