Most Underrated Guitarists

[aesop]

If you are into acoustic guitar, I would reccomend Don Ross, the North American acoustic guitar champion. He plays lead, harmony, and percussion all at once on a 12-string! His album 'Passion Session' is simply unbeleivable if you are in the mood.

PS - It ain't slow...

PSS - Check out the song 'Klimbim'

[usfest]

Randy Hansen

I used to hear so much about the guy from other guitarists. But not so much main stream - for that I would say he was/is underated.

I don't consider people who have been on the cover of guitar mags and other "main stream" mags underrated - people like Nugent and Dave Murry for example. Maybe these days you don't hear much about them but these guys IMO, are not underrated. I mean I think Neil Schon is an amazing player - however when Journey got huge he got more than his share of media attention. But go back to a 16 year old Neil in Santana and early Journey...pre Escape era. But even during the band "arena rock pop metal" era his solos were melodious and tasteful. But would I list Neil as being under rated? No.

To me - I would say people like Chet Thompson who never really got up to the point that lesser players got to (The guys in Warrent for example). Chet was so brilliant and had WWIII gotten the Warner Bros deal it would have been the first time that Ted and Don had worked together since the CVH days. He released a few albums in Japan, auditioned for Ozzy (Jake got the gig), DLR (Becker got the gig) but in the long run never got the recognition he deserved. That is what I call underated.

Billy Ray Martin, who had a band called Red River, would just invoke the spirt of Hendrix (No Billy did not play a strat) and rip on the blues. Again - all the underground Hollywood buzz never translated to being signed to any major. Red Reiver had an album out in France I think - on New Rose was it? But the type of rocky blues just was not "commerical" enough - but the guy was just a smoking blues guitarist. Another for sure underated player.

A few others - Janet Robin (who is doing more solo acoustic these days - she toured with Lindsey Buckinham playing mainly acoustic guitar in his band), Robert Hecker (Huge Eddie fan, but being in Redd Kross he was never taken as serious as he should have been. And while on the topic of Redd Kross - Steve McDonald - just an awesome bass player. Gotten a bit more reconition of late with playing bass with Beck and Thelonious D) , Lori Von Linstruth (Just starting to 'come back' after moving to Sweden and taking years off) and Mike Campese (Just got a gig with Trans Siberian Orchestra so maybe he will start getting some notice)

[Heavydigger]

The Most Underrated Guitarist Is Robbin Crosby.

[BRANDON]

frank marino from mahogany rush.he fuckin kicks ass

[CROWBAR]

Robin Trower

[nosuchluck]

James Byrd.

[Soul Reaper]

Originally posted by FORD
Probably the most under-rated guitarist in the history of music. Even Eric Clapton reportedly has said so. When Clapton was asked how it felt to be the best guitarist on earth, he replied "I don't know. Ask Phil Keaggy"[/URL]

No, I'm sure they asked Hendrix not Clapton.

[nosuchluck]

Ray Gomez.

[Soul Reaper]

Mick Thompson of Slipknot. Everyone thinks of him as a down-tuned metaller but really he's one hell of a player. He's kinda under-rated because of his first two records with Slipknot (his solos got deleted by the producer, so no-one heard any of his shredding).

I'm not a big fan of Slipknot, though.

[nosuchluck]

he's a huge fan of Malmsteen, apparently. and he's a guitar teacher.

[Soul Reaper]

Originally posted by nosuchluck
he's a huge fan of Malmsteen, apparently. and he's a guitar teacher.

Yes he is, to both. There's been a few interviews with him recently in Total Guitar. He is seriously dedicated to the guitar. He says in one of his interviews how he got really pissed off when his students wanted to learn Blink 182 or Nirvana. He really hates those bands!

[nosuchluck]

haha.

another overlooked guitarist - John Sykes.

[Soul Reaper]

John Sykes rules! It's a shame he doesn't get the credit he deserves.

[DrMaddVibe]

Kim Thayil

Rick Nielsen

Dick Dale

Junior Brown

Billy Gibbons

Vernon Reid

Spacey T.

[Soul Reaper]

George Lynch is one of best players I've ever heard and he doesn't get the same credit as EVH or Yngwie.