I was recently watching a movie on youtube of john frusicante, john mayer, and dereck trucks and these 3 are being called modern day guitar gods. what do u think about that. they are great. dont u think putting them in the likes with clapton, page, srv, hendrix and evh who are really gods of the instrument is a resonible statement?
(those are just some names i thought of off the top of my head that i think are all time greats.)
LpStandard23
I think Larry Carlton, Drew Zingg, Vince Gill and Albert Lee are the guitar gods. Who are the rest of those guys you mentioned?
Vince Gill doesn't get nearly the guitar cred he deserves, because he's mostly known as a prettyboy country pop singer. But that fella can play.
He wasn't even on my radar until I did an interview with him for a state fair performance in Arkansas, years ago. His press materials mentioned that Mark Knopfler was a big fan, and had even asked Gill to tour with him, in his band.
A pretty down-to-earth guy, too, apparently. I dialed the phone number I was given, expecting to speak to his publicist or manager or assistant or somebody. I heard "Hello?" "Um...I'm following up on a phone interview with Vince Gill." "This is him."
Turns out it was his home number! Who does that?!
Anyway, I recently watched his performance on the 2004 Crossroads Guitar Festival DVD, and he tore it up.
John Mayer did great at that show, too. Another prettyboy singer who can really play guitar. But like I said in another thread, his guitar faces are really hard to watch.
The 3 modern day guitar gods you refer to are what Rolling Stone labels as guitar gods.
While I like all three to some degree (Derek Trucks the most), they don't compare to these guitar gods: Metheny, Scofield, and Frisell.
Or these: McLaughlin, Holdsworth, and Fripp
Or...
"...pray do not imagine that those who make the noise are the only inhabitants of the field;
that, of course, they are many in number; or that, after all, they are other than the little,
shriveled, meagre, hopping, though loud and troublesome, insects of the hour."
-Edmund Burke
You like-a da fusion.
I think all three are all great players. I think calling them "modern day" guitar gods acknowledges that they are still in a different category from Clapton, SRV and the other legends. However, I like to see them get credit for being some of the best of the newer generation of guitarists.
A quick note on Derek Trucks. I think the story of how he got started is pretty darn cool. I have seen some of those old picks of him gigging when he wasn't even a teenager yet. I read somewhere, he had to stand on a suitcase, so the crowd could see him. Pretty cool I'd say.
John Mayer is a great blues guitarist, but putting him in the same lineup as SRV and Jimi seems like blasphemy to me.
To add, Tom Morello is a pretty crazy modern day guitarist, his solos are kick ass, especially when he kicks on the whammy. He does some pretty creative things with his instrument.
Also, I've just been getting into some Kenny Wayne Shepperd blues stuff, as in his "10 Days Out" DVD (well, the videos from it on YouTube) and it seems like he's got some pretty nasty chops under his belt, not to mention some of the guys he jams with on it are remarkable blues musicians.
"...And so castles made of sand...slip into the sea...eventually."
I just wonder who's the next really cool guitarist to come along to make kids wanna play guitar like Page, Clapton, Slash, Malmsteen, Gilbert, Becker, Vai, Satriani, Johnson...
Seems like these days, the younger kids are turning to older heroes for influence. I've not heard any kid say he wants to learn to play like that Linkin Park fella. Though I do know that Wes Borland (ex-Limp Bizkit) did have quite a following back then, and Mark Tremonti does have some chops.
But the last guitar hero of my time was John Petrucci. No one else has come along playing like him who's younger...
Well, not a god yet, but someday could be...Lincoln Brewster, as noted by Clapton is a smoking six stringer.
SRV was the Stratomaster!!!
Buddy Whittington, Brent Mason...and Buckethead
Last edited by Mr. Z; 07-03-2007 at 09:47 PM.
Brad Paisly isn't too bad when he lets loose either..
SRV was the Stratomaster!!!
I catch a lot of flak when I say I think John Mayer is one of the better players to come out in a while to others. Compare him to Hendrix and Clapton etc? why not? the guy is still very young and earning his way. But just look at the attention he get from the the big guys like Clapton and King. That's enough to confirm my own ears that he probably going to be mentioned with the best time goes on. Not to mention it seems like he is skipping the whole chemical issues a lot of those guys dealt with.
Damn right. He's a country Telecaster monster.Brad Paisly isn't too bad when he lets loose either..
I think Derek Trucks would be one of the most terrifying people to share a stage with, honestly. His style and technique is just something that is hard to match when he really gets into his groove.
I would have no qualms putting Trucks in the same league as the aforementioned guitarists. Can't wait to see him at Crossroads 2007 in a few weeks, I think he will really blow a lot of people away.
I'm not a big fan of Mayer or Frusciante, though. Not in the sense that I would pay specifically to see them play or listen to their music for fun, anyways. They're fine guitarists, though, don't get me wrong.
Gotta mention Joe Bonamassa
50th AmSe. Strat
'54 ThinSkin Strat
Mesa Nomad 45 1-12 Combo
Mesa Lonestar Special 2-12 Combo
I do think that they (Frusicante, Mayer, and Trucks) do qualify as modern day guitar gods. In as much as they, like those that came before them have managed to take things played by their musical influences and make them sound fresh and new.
I just wish Mayer would put out a couple of blues albums, these chick songs don't quite express the guitar god image.
SRV was the Stratomaster!!!
SLASH
Imanidiot.
In all seriousness if you're interested in guitar gods you really need to listen to Ron Thall.
Bumblefoot
VM
If aliens listened to our current top 40, they'd think that the entire planet was populated by sexually ambivalent robots with ethnic insecurity.
There is no originality or anything groundbreaking with the new so called guitar gods. Especially Mayer, Kenny Wayne Sheppard,and the speed metal guys that are nothing but scales played at exhausting speed. Zack Wild reminds me of a pro wrestler who plays guitar. No offense but I think originality should be a pre-requisite for being a god. I guess if that's what you grew up with, that's all you know.
Originally Posted by stratcat55
Spoken like a true geezer.
Taste is subjective and I'd bet that many fans of the 'unoriginal' new 'guitar gods' would vehemently disagree with your position.
FWIW, neither Clapton nor SRV did anything groundbreaking and are lauded as heroes for aping others. Same with Trower.
Tone is in the fingers, eh? Let's hear your Vox, Marshall and Fender fingerings then...
I have to agree with stratcat55, especially on the zack wylde part! All the newer shred or blues guys are cookie cuttin' and don't really have a unique style/sound like the old guys.
I teach six days a week and hear the new guys a lot and have to learn/teach their licks to students. The reason I think they all sound the same is they grew up watching the videos and magazines learning how to shred and they all learned the same type of stuff. Still some great playing, but very similar sounds from one to the next.
Old guys learned by locking themself away and creating their own thing from a blank canvas because there was nothing to follow like Hendrix or VH, Malmsteen, SRV, or EJ or..... I mean they had influences too, but they didn't from tab on the net or youtube.
I agree 100% with you on that one, ericstrat.
"...And so castles made of sand...slip into the sea...eventually."
I have to disagree to an extent. What's the difference between, say.. using youtube or playing an artist's record over and over? True, there's much more 'musical inbreeding' now since there's more recorded music and thus more 'feet to step on' but...I don't think that the players of old would do any better today in today's environment than the players of today are doing.
SRV = Albert King
EC = Freddie King
Tone is in the fingers, eh? Let's hear your Vox, Marshall and Fender fingerings then...
If we use originality as the standard for guitar god-hood then we would have to scratch almost every one off of the list. For the most part the music that you, I, we, grew up listening to is every bit as derivative as the "crap" that kids are listing to today.
Also, IMHO you cant really compare a kid like John Mayer (born right around the time that Slowhand was released) to some one like Eric Clapton. You compare Clapton to his contemporaries, people like Hendrix, Townshend, Santana, or even young Clapton. I think that compared to their contemporaries Frusicante, Trucks, and even Mayer are a cut above.
because of the lessons on video and players watching with their eyes instead of learning by ear. Almost all the kids today learn by tab, instead of having the patience to sit there and rewind over and over. Youtube has all kinds of lessons on it from so many artists, which is good and bad. Yes it's good for learning but because it's all spelled out, but then there are so many cookie cutters.
By only learning by ear and not having the ability to slow down digitally and watch something being played, a lot of times you come up with your own way of executing those licks. That's how it was done back in the day and everybody had more of a unique style because they had to feel their way around in the dark so to speak.
SRV used Albert King as an influence. SRV took a lot of it in a rock direction too. Definite difference from copying.
I don't buy it. I don't think that ALL the kids today use only tab and can only play what's been downloaded. That's a cop-out for those looking to perpetuate the 'my generation was better/more talented/luckier' myth that is prevalent amongst the...uh.....more 'experienced' population of players.
Tone is in the fingers, eh? Let's hear your Vox, Marshall and Fender fingerings then...
I say whatever helps you learn the better. It sounds like the theory is that it is cheating to use tab or dvd to work on your guitar skills. Was it cheating that Stevie Ray had a brother who was one of the best guitar players in Texas? Hmmm, that sounds like a significant advantage. Of course, his talent and love for the music was what made him great if you ask me, as apposed to his sources of knowledge.
I agree 100 percent. hes amazing. just listen to his new album. and vince gill is also great. i saw him at the new england dodge center a while back. he can rip. but i never said that these guys were the guitar gods. i just said do u guys think they are. i dont think they are. this refering to frusiante, mayer, and trucks.
LpStandard23
alot of times u can see srv playing octaves just like the way wes montgomery did. so i believe that there is some jazz influence. ex his version of little wing. they are in there. listen closely.
LpStandard23
Geezer here. I never said SRV was groundbreaking or original. Neither was Trower. Talented, but not original. Clapton was original as was Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Frank Zappa, Santana, The Mahavishnu Orchestra etc. Clapton played the blues as did Hendrix, but they took it to a whole new sonic level. They were making sounds that were never heard before. Their sound was original. They created the sounds and signature tones that are copied today. In a way I'm glad the younger guy's are influenced by the older guys. My old man didn't like my music either but I appreciated his. Don't get me wrong, I like tons of new stuff, but there is a lot more in my mind to being a guitar god. By the way, Clapton never liked the expression.Spoken like a true geezer.
Taste is subjective and I'd bet that many fans of the 'unoriginal' new 'guitar gods' would vehemently disagree with your position.
FWIW, neither Clapton nor SRV did anything groundbreaking and are lauded as heroes for aping others. Same with Trower.
if u want originallity lets not even put frusiante, mayer and trucks in the same league as the greats of the 60s and 70s. if u want originallity, u should check out stanley jordan or pat metheny. these guys are never put into the league with these guys but have more originallity and mite play better. they are just jazz guitarists and dont get enough cred.
LpStandard23
pretty much all of these guys are jazz guitarists and are almost never mentioned. good pics.The 3 modern day guitar gods you refer to are what Rolling Stone labels as guitar gods.
While I like all three to some degree (Derek Trucks the most), they don't compare to these guitar gods: Metheny, Scofield, and Frisell.
Or these: McLaughlin, Holdsworth, and Fripp
Or...
LpStandard23
but really only frusiante is fresh and new. mayer and trucks are just taking over were srv, hendrix , and duane allman left off. they arent being fresh.
LpStandard23
People really forget how innovative Stanley Jordan was and still is. I remember when his first tv appearance. I was complety floored. As far as Frusiante, Mayer, and Trucks go, carrying a torch does not make you a guitar god. I think it was Elvis Costello who said we're all Magpies and thieves.
I'm not that familiar wiht SRV nor Trower, but for EC, this is what I thought too. Until I heard the full Crossroads 4CD compilation for Clapton, showing his early Yardbird days to today. Listening to the compilation from beginning to end has an interesting effect. It's cool to see how EC as a musician grew and matured throgh his career. Even in the early days, his playing was really quite ahead of its time. John Mayall, Cream, Blind Faith, Delaney & Bonnie, wow. Back then, there wasn't anything else like that to be found for miles...
You must understand that back then, there was no MTV, no Internet, nothing. Not even records were that easily available, and to see an artist live, it had to be at a concert, which didn't happen everywhere or anytime. Especially not in this part of the world.
Yes, EC did nothing "new". But for what he did, bringing the Blues to areas like Europe, that's something quite amazing, especially when that part of the world was still stuck to the Beatles, Elvis and Cliff Richard. And according to Buddy Guy at a recent concert here, he mentioned that back then, no one in the US took the blues seriously until people like EC and Hendrix made people sit up and listen. Look at who he influenced: Eddie Van Halen, Brian May etc etc...
And even then, when I listened to clips like "The Sky Is Crying", "White Room", "Sunshine Of Your Love", and his playing, it's like nothing I've ever heard in any other mainstream records during that time.
That was (to quote Tenacious D: The Pick Of Destiny): Life changing music man!!!!!
Will there be any other new guitarist in this day and age that would equal the influence EC, SRV, EVH, Vai, Satch, Page, JBeck etc etc had on the world of musicians? I don't know. I seriously hope so... We're talking about Global influence here. Especially without the fancy networks available today.
My wife once asked me: Who's the one well respected musician that everyone and anyone knows? My answer was "Eric Clapton". And my wife's response? "True... Even I know who he is..." And she's really not a music fan.
I'm truely proud to have seen him once live, shaken his hand and to live in the same time era as he does. One day I'll tell my kids about watching this man on stage who totally chain smoked his way thru the concert, and laid the entire stadium to waste with his music...
How about Al DiMeola?
Heheh. I'm flattered that you think I'm that young. I'll take it.
Tone is in the fingers, eh? Let's hear your Vox, Marshall and Fender fingerings then...
Umm I didn't say ALL kids today, for one. Nothing about luck either. I'm teaching tons of kids every week and have for years and years, and believe me, overall it ain't like it used to be. In the magazines or what I see right in front of me day to day. I'm talking about the rock/metal guys mostly. There's not much new and no one has done anything great in years. It's all copy cat- sweep this and tap that or tuned down BS.
Now someone like Frusciante is more from my era. I think he does a lot of unique stuff. He uses his influences and takes it in a new way. Like SRV or a lot of the really greats did. And when someone really has a sound, even their mom can pick 'em out on the radio from a few notes.
Well I must admit that I haven't taught in years but I found your obvious bias toward players with styles from your 'era' a bit telling ("It's all copy cat- sweep this and tap that or tuned down BS"). I also believe that it's 'better' now than it was in, say, the late 90's or the mid-70's when everyone was copying Clapton and Page. Surely you haven't forgotten the days when you could go into most music stores only to be bombarded with a thousand crappy versions of 'Stairway' or 'Ramblin' Man'?
I dig Frusciante as well but I don't think that he's any more of a 'unique' player than is Buckethead, frankly. That's an example of your own personal preference as a listener.
I also think that whatever helps a player internalize theory is a good thing whether it be tab, youtube or note for note DVD's; you're penalizing kids for having better tools at their disposal than we did? Again, that smacks of generational bias. You're not giving enough credit to the young'uns of today---they'll come around and they're gonna be better than we are once they outgrow the aping phase (which we ALL went through).
Tone is in the fingers, eh? Let's hear your Vox, Marshall and Fender fingerings then...
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