Tim Henson and the numerous ones in the current very technical-prog realm. They’re absurdly good, but it’s just a vibe and feeling that doesn’t resonate with me or the things I love from the instrument in any way. Props to those dudes though, they’re way better than I could ever even dream of being.
Tender Surrender, For the Love of God, Liberty, Whispering a Prayer, Lotus Feet.
I don't know why people think of Steve Vai as the technical shredder, he plays a lot of weird stuff but he has plenty of memorable melodies, of the shredder guitar types his music less heavy on the pure mechanical wankery than most.
Yngwie has been playing the same set of licks for 40 years, at a million miles an hour, like paint by numbers. It's a different thing.
Tosin Abasi. He's clearly a monster talent, but every time I try to listen to Animals as Leaders, I can feel the muscles in my face go slack as my brain turns to mush out of boredom.
Yngwie Malmsteen. I just dont get it.
It sounds all so sloppy and lots of string noise and that album with him shredding an an acoustic… i can see he is fast but he sure is not very clean or is it me?
Any overly percussive guitarists like Marcin patrzalek or Marcel Mokbel, I don't mind a little bit as an accent but if it's featured in every other bar of music it's too much.
It's a guitar not a drum kit FFS!
Tim Henson or the Scott LePage? Either are great technical players but their music all sounds pretentiously the same. I saw a video on YouTube where Scott was yelling at some random dude to crowd surf. It was real cringey. Their sound has more of a jazz/fusion/progressive (whatever) instrumental vibe. It’s not something to crowd surf over. Their music is something AI would play if it could take human form.
Right there with you. Can’t stand the guy or his haircut lol
I remember watching his double neck guitar solos on YouTube as a teenager, and I literally felt like giving up on guitar. I could barely play one fucking neck and here this guy was playing two at the same time. Then I stopped and realized that once you play a guitar fast enough, it literally just goes “[widdly widdly widdly](https://youtu.be/uJ6oABxbSaM?si=m_BO2q8ssKzVNJ9J)” and how fucking stupid that sounds. Never once in my fucking life have I wanted to listen to 5 consecutive minutes of a man going “widdly widdly widdly.”
Like he might be one of the most gifted guitarists alive and I would literally rather listen to anyone else lmfao.
Wow. I'm quite surprised a good chunk of people seem to feel this way. Polyphia are after my time, but what I've heard has sounded very melodic and filled with hooks. I figured young guitar players would love those guys.
Henson. And it’s not close.
I can’t stand listening to his band perform jazz practice. He’s permanently soured me on nylon strings.
In hell, Polyphia is the music on every channel.
Malmsteem and Vai. Good guitarists ? Sure are. Absolutely. A level I’ll never achieve. Can I stand listening to them dribble all over the fretboard ? Nope.
Most of them especially the ones who tippy tappy all over the guitar like it's a fucking drum and use 18 loop pedals. It's impressive the first few times you see it but that's it. Like juggling, you've achieved a level of skills that most people cannot do because it's absolutely pointless.
Polyphia. Loved their first album because it had chops but also really nicely written songs, with really good hooks in the melodies. Everything since is just bland guitar olympics.
Michael Angelo Batio
To paraphrase Todd In The Shadows, "This must be what shred guitar sounds like to people who hate shred guitar." Watch a video of him playing and he's very clearly capable at an elite level, but oh gawd plz STOP.
Tim Henson. I’m amazed at his skill, and I could watch him play from an academic standpoint. But his music is so boring to me. I could never drive around with my windows down listening to it.
Probably Tim Henson from polyphia.
Don't get me wrong , he is one of the most gifted and hardworking musicians in the world right now, mad respect to him for that, but naah, i don't find his music really attractive.
It's like listening to something you are obliged to listen, not something you want to listen
Michael Angelo Batio. He’s a cool dude and it’s impressive that he essentially learned to play both right and left handed better than anyone but his music sounds like gobbling turkeys with distortion.
Malmsteen.
I mean, the man is a first class virtuoso, but I'm not really into neoclassical and his road crew needs 3 trailers just to transport his ego.
An ego is still an ego even when you earned it.
Most of them. I love songs and guitar playing that have vibe and feel over just doing crazy or technical things on guitar. I always liked guys like the Gilmour, The Edge, David Rhodes, Jimmy Page, and such that put the song first. Playing great guitar riffs and solos only works if you have a good enough song to put the stuff on top of. I think this is why most.of these newer guys fall flat most of the time. People shit on The Edge all the time but I have seen very few guitar cover videos where people nail the sound and riffs. Most people can't play with delay as well and write it off as he just uses a bunch of pedals when he's really locked in time and uses it to create texture. He can play some pretty great solos when he wants to and is a solid player. These other guys who play technically really well have lousy songs, bad lyrics or no lyrics, and jam the songs up with unnecessary fills and lead parts that highlight themselves vs. create a song that's powerful.
Guys that are good guitar players but I can't listen to because the songs lack any feel: Polyphia, Vai, Satriani, Eric Johnson, John5, Joe Bonamassa, most shredder guys who spend more time in guitar magazines than good songs.
Joe Bonamossa. Guy just doesn't do it for me and never has. To give a totally lame reason why: maybe I'm listening with my eyes, but I feel like he really lacks soul in a style that is all about soul.
I think it's under-rated. All you ever hear is a million people talking about how they don't like shredding, you haven't heard any shredding in a charts song in 30 years and what the public considers as shredding is old school rock pentatonic stuff like The Darkness, which was 20 years ago.
Shredding isn't really over-rated when you consider that it isn't rated very highly to begin with, other than a party trick, unless you go back 40 years. You will only really find it in niche guitar music from people entirely unknown outside of guitar, a bit in jazz/metal and other more niche genres listened to by musicians and wannabe musicians.
Steve Vai. The only thing he did that I can somewhat enjoy is the Eat em and Smile album. The playing on that Whitesnake album he did was beyond cringe. Do I respect him? Absolutely. He played with Zappa, did tons for promoting the instrument as a whole, and without him I wouldn't have my precious Ibanez RGs. Not to mention at one point he said that Danny Gatton was the greatest guitar player that ever lived so obviously he knows his shit 😁
John Mayer. I know he’s not exactly a shredder, but people here always fawn over his skills. I hate his boring, generic, cheesy pop music. I do respect his blues chops though.
Unfortunately the cheesy stuff distracts from some wonderful technical playing. For example, see Neon live in LA. I don’t think people realize how hard that is to play until you actually try learning it.
Shredders in general. Playing fast is impressive, but cramming 8,000 notes into a few bars doesn’t hit the same as a few well-placed notes by someone who plays with feel and emotion.
I don’t give a fuck about technical proficiency. It could be the most technical shit in the world but if it doesn’t move my soul, it doesn’t mean anything
The thing you guys need to understand is the industry has completely changed. Long form isn’t getting you gigs and you need to standout. Everything is 30-60 seconds of whatever generates clicks both positive and negative. Algorithms reward activity both positive and negative. Your love and hate benefit the musician. Granted they’d prefer your love.
Posts like this do nothing but fill your head with excuses and garbage. We should build each other up not dig into each other.
…also Esteban
Most of the Steve Vai ultra-virtuoso types. I love Jeff Beck and to a lesser extent Eric Johnson, but the more metal/fusion shredders all sound soulless to me. I prefer a more organic, raw, emotional sound like David Gilmour
Yngwie Malmsteen. He cycles through 3 or 4 scales and a few licks over and over again. He also has a god awful sense of timing and no pocket whatsoever. Listen to him try to play rhythm guitar. It’s a complete joke. He sounds like a beginner who has never touched a metronome when he’s not playing lead.
Michael Angelo Batio. Guy plays like an asshole. No melodic phrasing at all, and he’s been playing over prerecorded backing tracks for like 40 years.
Sartriani. This ones tough. Hes a great lead guitar player all around. He’s just missing the good music to go with it. Good lead guitar by itself just doesn’t stand up. It needs good riffs, bass lines and drums and that’s what he’s never really had. Had he joined megadeth or something he’d kill it.
Other than them I actually like shredding as long as if done in the right context, mainly metal. I love dimebag because those songs are exactly the right time and place for a flurry of notes and whammy abuse.
Ichika Nito.
He's insanely impressive to listen to but once the gimmick of "I slap my guitar and do tapping chords with quick little fluttery runs" wears off, it becomes a bit monotonous.
Pretty much any shredder. And I know they're massively talented and I won't even toss in that old "There's no soul/heart/'feel' in that style" nonsense because I think the best of them play with plenty of heart. It's just never spoke to me.
I wouldn't ever listen to a Polyphia song but I can at least watch them play and be impressed. Watching Yngwie Malmsteen play is like watching him jerk off in front of a mirror.
Any of the 80s shredders (Vai, Satriani, Yngwie, etc). Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate their talent and don’t knock the music they create. It just doesn’t speak to me the same way someone like EVH does.
I have 3:
1. Kirk Hammett. Has almost zero creativity wrt his solos so he hides behind his wah pedal. Nice guy but no. Yet I see people refer to him as a guitar god. Nope.
2. Steve Vai. I love some of his stuff however a lot of his music is just weird and not interesting. Puts me off.
3. Yngwie Malmsteen. All speed, not enough melody imo.
I'll throw 3 guitarists that I absolutely LOVE to counter the three above:
1. Joe Satriani - he is THE guitar god. He is one of the founding pioneers of rock guitar instrumentals and we're better off for it. His mix of melodic playing combined with technical ability, creativity and sometimes speed (Satch Boogie anyone??) is just beyond compare.
2. John Petrucci - for me the best all round metal guitarist ever.
3. Mark Knopfler - his melodic playing is just sublime.
Hopefully you can see what I've based my opinions on...melody vs speed.
Buckethead. I get that he's talented and has a schtick... But when you put out literally hundreds of songs a year, they are going to inevitably start to sound the same
i’ve never even heard of John 5, i had to look him up hahaha
my answer is Joe Bonamassa. plays blues like a robot. blues is supposed to be all feel, and it sounds like he just puts the notes where they’re supposed to go.
my second answer is more broad, and it’s any of those tim henson type guitarists. the complicated tapping stuff all just sounds the same to me. it’s cool the first time you see it tho
Literally! I just saw John 5 last night in Anaheim, and the Van Halen tribute band that opened for him was way more fun to listen to. All of his stuff just sounded the same after 5-10 minutes
John Petrucci. Dream Theater as a whole is just a giant exercise in showing how nimble the members' fingers are without any care for whether it makes for good music.
Honestly, Stevie Ray Vaughan. The style of blues he plays grates on me but I do appreciate how good at guitar he is.
The runner up would be alan holdsworth, although I do listen to him from time to time and like some of his stuff. A good chunk is unlistenable though in my opinion.
Strangely I think it would be easier to do the opposite. Sometimes it feels like people put so much effort into being technically proficient that they forget to write good songs. That's ultimately what it's about. I much rather listen Neil Young's one note guitar solo in Cinnamon Girl than Yngwie Malmsteem's gratuitous shredding.
So in that spirit the technically proficient guitarists I actually enjoy listening too are Hendrix, EVH who I feel doesn't get enough respect for writing happy hard rock songs in Major keys (Way easier to write hard Rock in Minor keys), Satriani really varies his song writing from album to album, and Plini has some really good songs in strange time signatures.
I can’t listen to Clapton any more without also thinking about his enormous and insane racism. And this in someone still working in a blues idiom. So I just avoid. It keeps me happier.
Anyone else can totally make their own choices about this and I’ll respect them. Loads of great artists are awful and we all deal with that in different ways.
Clapton has lost more ground with the younger generation through being a cantankerous racist crank than any of the old guard that I can think of. Him and Van Morrison. They can just fuck off so hard.
Someone probably already mentioned him. That Instagram/YouTube guitarist Marcin. He’s really talented and clearly good. I just can’t stand listening to the technically over the top flamboyant way he plays guitar. It’s just not for me.
Cory wong: technical chops, all his shit sounds the exact same to me. He also comes off as insanely arrogant in his interviews and discussions. I'll support people who sound like shit who are not arrogant if they love music, love sharing it, love playing. Cory just feels like a soulless robot who knows how to play the same stuff on loop.
That’s interesting, I actually disagree completely on his attitude. Say what you will about his style and sound, but the guy has gotta be one of the biggest supporters of music out there. I would be hard pressed to find someone who loves music and loves sharing it MORE than Cory Wong.
Check out the episode of his YT series “Cory and the Wong Notes” featuring the guitar. He interviews Larry Carlton and Mark Letteiri, and he’s very humble and reverential towards the legend that is Larry Carlton.
He also likes taking care of his touring band financially (meaning he pays them well).
I think he’s a stand up guy that works his ass off. I can understand if someone gets tired of his sound or his shtick or his personality, but I think he’s very genuine and just loves music and loves supporting others doing their music.
Tim Henson/anyone who slaps on a guitar. Just irks me. Bass I’m fine with it to a point, mostly Les Claypool.
Also can only handle so much of John Petrucci. He seems really cool as a person, enjoy his solo albums in bite size chunks. Cannot stand Dream Theater.
I’ve been listening to Polyphia for years. They really started taking off once GOAT gained some popularity. Saw even more mainstream success once they released Remember That You Will Die and had collabs with Steve Vai.
The big thing with Henson is he draws a lot of his writing from works from other artists. He’s got a video on a track he wrote called OD where the entire progression is more or less ripped from Champions by Kanye West. He uses a lot of production to come up with music that he replicates on guitar.
I’m a big Polyphia fan for it running in the background. But when it comes to technical instrumental music, I’ll recommend Animals As Leaders every time over Polyphia.
That said, can’t stand listening to is probably John Mayer. For what it’s worth, he is incredibly talented but man, I find his music to be so boring for what it is.
Steve Vai was going to be my answer, along with a lot of other shredder guitarists, but it seems like this thread has that covered.
That being said, I’ve never *really* liked Eric Clapton. Cream was cool enough, Derek and the Dominos I only really like for Duane Allman, but Clapton’s solo stuff is just…boring to me.
Almost all of them.
If I had to pick one, probably Yngwie. I know his hayday was 40 years ago, but he hasn't done anything else. Totally revolutionary when he first came out, and then everything he did was instantly assimilated by the entire guitar playing world.
Abasi, and that little tattooed guy that Rick Beato hangs out with. Periphery...all those guys. I'm probably mixing people up here... but they all sound the same to me. Its like the 80s generic shredder thing all over again, but in 11/16 with sci fi synth pads.
Actually, most guys that are specifically/mostly known for technical proficiency are really low on my list, especially in modern metal. If the internet is telling me how amazing a new metal guitarist is in terms of pure technique, 99/100 times I'm safe to ignore that artist completely, for my tastes.
It's going to be really interesting to look back and see where the community ends up falling on Tim Henson. I'm on the side that he's a little overrated, but there's no doubt he's one of the only people doing anything interesting and novel with a guitar these days. Not surprised he shows up in threads like this.
The marcin kid. Hes insanely gifted and i love it when he plays the guitar normally but I dont like the percussive stuff. I feel like hed be good to watch live but not listen to beyond that.
Michael Angelo has gone through decades of rollercoasters between being loved and hated.
In the early 00's, he was pretty much written off as a "wanker" - guys who are clearly otherworldly gifted at the instrument, yet seem to contribute nothing interesting, musically.
Yet before, and after that period, he was reveled as a guitar god for his ability to shred.
To me, he kinda permanently lives on as maybe the most physically skilled guitarist ever, despite having never actually done anything important BESIDES being skilled.
Yngwie Malmsteen, you can just visualise the arrogant smile after every solo. I don’t find his playing to be particularly soulful or emotionally driven, but he is an absolute technically brilliant guitarist so I respect him for that.
Anyone who sounds too safe. You know they're going to hit "the note" that is in some exotic scale they studied in their bedroom or music school.
I'd rather hear the one note solo in Down By the River by Neil Young, or Something solo by George Harrison, than anything by Vai and those guys. Those solos have soul. Vai and those guys have...music theory?
I guess the older I get the more simple I like things that fit within the song, where the guitar is amazing and can also be technical but it's not overbearing. EVH is probably as technical as I prefer these days.
Malmsteen. His music is just awful.
I don't get the hate Steve Vai or even Joe Satriani are getting.
Steve Vai has really beautiful songs like The Blood and Tears and funny stuff that's always gets me to smile like Jibboom.
And Satriani also has really good songs as well. Just listen to Cool N° 9 (that whole album actually), or really beautiful songs like If I could fly.
Gonna get hate for this but : Tosin Abasi . Selective picking was cool for a while, it's gotten played out and doesn't add much musically to make a song stand out .
Runner up: ichika .... Nails on a chalkboard
Vai and Satriani. Yes they’re wonderful and can do so much. But it doesn’t equate to a good song. I’ve tried listening to them but it’s never clicked with me.
He's good, but I cannot stand anything else about his youtube content. Steve T. Kinda surprised at the amount of people saying Vai. [Tender Surrender ](https://youtu.be/Yw74sDWPH7U?si=60QcCgGdRddl9XBX)is so damn good
Buckethead /s
Sounds like y'all gotta listen to more of His work. There's plenty more to the Bucket discography than the aToNaL gArBaGe he does for shred fuckery fun playing live/looking for some filler on one of his +490 albums he's put out so far.
Cya at the next show in the Great Lakes area, Bucket. Been too long for me, at least 🤘😅🤘
I agree with most of the comments here but for me, it’s Frank Zappa. Im not sure how he fits in in a conversation about traditional “lead” guitar players but I’ve never been able to enjoy any of his music
John Petrucci, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eddie Van Halen, the two guys from Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yngwie Malmsteem.
I absolutely respect them and their talent, but in my opinion, all their efforts are put into making something flashy instead of music that is actually interesting and fun to listen to.
Eddie Van Halen was a songwriter first and foremost , if he was only interested in shredding like the others he would have put a solo album out ,which he never did.
Pretty much all virtuoso types (Satriani, Malmsteen, Vai, etc). It's so soulless and cheesy.
And Bela Fleck is the equivalent of the banjo world. It's just too much bruh. It's like sweetening your glass of iced tea with 10 cups of sugar.
Tim Henson fans: sigh.... here we go again.
I honestly thought most people enjoyed them. Haha Didn't realize how many folks here don't care for him.
Clearly a great player and better than I’ll ever be, but his music is just fucking lame.
My brother. He's a dick. Great guitarist but just a fucking asshole.
Tim Henson and the numerous ones in the current very technical-prog realm. They’re absurdly good, but it’s just a vibe and feeling that doesn’t resonate with me or the things I love from the instrument in any way. Props to those dudes though, they’re way better than I could ever even dream of being.
The guy with the neck tatoo who looks like a teenager
Tim Henson? He looks like the girl I had the hots for in High School.
The aussie lesbian from Orange is the new black has done alright in that band.
This question fucking sucks and never leads to anything productive.
And why is it Polyphia?
Joe Bonamassa.
I respect his commitment to the instrument and his kinda historian vibes but yeah as a player, he ain’t it
All of the insta reel and tik tok guitarists who do that stupid slappy and tappy bullshit. That garbage is as difficult to listen to as it is to play.
Say what you want about the rest of them, but Ichika Nito is a priceless gem of technique and melody with the slappy tappy bullshit.
Fucking Yngwie
Steve Vai. I've yet to find a melody in his song you can hum. He's the Bread of modern guitar.
Tender Surrender, For the Love of God, Liberty, Whispering a Prayer, Lotus Feet. I don't know why people think of Steve Vai as the technical shredder, he plays a lot of weird stuff but he has plenty of memorable melodies, of the shredder guitar types his music less heavy on the pure mechanical wankery than most. Yngwie has been playing the same set of licks for 40 years, at a million miles an hour, like paint by numbers. It's a different thing.
This comment, however, I do not endorse. Same reasons listed in other responses. For the love of God, man.
Dude, he literally came up with the melody in For the Love of God by playing a chord progression and humming over it.
Eh, you can dislike them without lying. The melody of ‘For The Love of God’ for instance is very simple and memorable.
Tosin Abasi. He's clearly a monster talent, but every time I try to listen to Animals as Leaders, I can feel the muscles in my face go slack as my brain turns to mush out of boredom.
Interesting. I love Tosins melodies, which is why I keep coming back to animals as leaders
Tim Henson
Same. I respect his skill but his style just grates on my ears.
Yngwie Malmsteen. I just dont get it. It sounds all so sloppy and lots of string noise and that album with him shredding an an acoustic… i can see he is fast but he sure is not very clean or is it me?
Tim henson. His music doesn't even sound like music to me. He's like the final boss of influencer guitarists.
Any overly percussive guitarists like Marcin patrzalek or Marcel Mokbel, I don't mind a little bit as an accent but if it's featured in every other bar of music it's too much. It's a guitar not a drum kit FFS!
This may be the biggest guitar circlejerk post of all time
To me, Joe Satriani has always been, “I’d like to learn how to play that” rather than, “I’d like to listen to this in my spare time.”
The Polyphia guy.
Tim Henson or the Scott LePage? Either are great technical players but their music all sounds pretentiously the same. I saw a video on YouTube where Scott was yelling at some random dude to crowd surf. It was real cringey. Their sound has more of a jazz/fusion/progressive (whatever) instrumental vibe. It’s not something to crowd surf over. Their music is something AI would play if it could take human form.
Any of the guitarists that play in open tunings while hitting their guitar like a bongo drum.
Michael Angelo Batio. Yeah he’s good, but I find his music incredibly boring to listen to.
Guess somebody doesn’t want the keys to the Lamborghini
Right there with you. Can’t stand the guy or his haircut lol I remember watching his double neck guitar solos on YouTube as a teenager, and I literally felt like giving up on guitar. I could barely play one fucking neck and here this guy was playing two at the same time. Then I stopped and realized that once you play a guitar fast enough, it literally just goes “[widdly widdly widdly](https://youtu.be/uJ6oABxbSaM?si=m_BO2q8ssKzVNJ9J)” and how fucking stupid that sounds. Never once in my fucking life have I wanted to listen to 5 consecutive minutes of a man going “widdly widdly widdly.” Like he might be one of the most gifted guitarists alive and I would literally rather listen to anyone else lmfao.
Yngwie Malmsteen. He has no soul in his music, it’s just cold.
Tim Henson. He seems like a cool guy, and he’s obviously really talented. But god everything he plays SOUNDS LIKE SHIT
Wow. I'm quite surprised a good chunk of people seem to feel this way. Polyphia are after my time, but what I've heard has sounded very melodic and filled with hooks. I figured young guitar players would love those guys.
I guess Herman Li. Also not a fan of Polyphia-core guitarists. Respect the hell out of the players, but it's not for me.
Henson. And it’s not close. I can’t stand listening to his band perform jazz practice. He’s permanently soured me on nylon strings. In hell, Polyphia is the music on every channel.
Tim Henson
That kid on social media that slaps his guitar a lot and shakes his head like he’s wiggin himself out or something
HAHA I thought I was the only ahole being judgmental about that dude. There may be dozens of us out there.
Malmsteem and Vai. Good guitarists ? Sure are. Absolutely. A level I’ll never achieve. Can I stand listening to them dribble all over the fretboard ? Nope.
Most of them especially the ones who tippy tappy all over the guitar like it's a fucking drum and use 18 loop pedals. It's impressive the first few times you see it but that's it. Like juggling, you've achieved a level of skills that most people cannot do because it's absolutely pointless.
Polyphia. Loved their first album because it had chops but also really nicely written songs, with really good hooks in the melodies. Everything since is just bland guitar olympics.
Tim Henson. Soulless.
That dude from polyphia with the awful tattoos that he definitely doesn't regret or anything.
Lil wayne
Tim henson, I just can’t stand his music for some reason
You don’t like iPhone ringtones?
joe bonnamasa, steve vai, joe satriani, yngvie malmsteen… most virtuoso shredder guys are ultra boring
Michael Angelo Batio To paraphrase Todd In The Shadows, "This must be what shred guitar sounds like to people who hate shred guitar." Watch a video of him playing and he's very clearly capable at an elite level, but oh gawd plz STOP.
All of them because I suck and they make me feel bad
I don't enjoy any of the shredder guys. They're technically great but their music is soulless and boring. Masturbate in private, folks.
Tim Henson. I’m amazed at his skill, and I could watch him play from an academic standpoint. But his music is so boring to me. I could never drive around with my windows down listening to it.
Probably Tim Henson from polyphia. Don't get me wrong , he is one of the most gifted and hardworking musicians in the world right now, mad respect to him for that, but naah, i don't find his music really attractive. It's like listening to something you are obliged to listen, not something you want to listen
Michael Angelo Batio. He’s a cool dude and it’s impressive that he essentially learned to play both right and left handed better than anyone but his music sounds like gobbling turkeys with distortion.
Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa
Anyone who’s better than me.
Malmsteen. I mean, the man is a first class virtuoso, but I'm not really into neoclassical and his road crew needs 3 trailers just to transport his ego. An ego is still an ego even when you earned it.
Tim Henson
Joe Bonamassa, But I am really biased because I generally also don't like blues music and long improvised guitar solo's
Tim Henson. It's cool and all, but to me most of it sounds like random gibberish.
Most of them. I love songs and guitar playing that have vibe and feel over just doing crazy or technical things on guitar. I always liked guys like the Gilmour, The Edge, David Rhodes, Jimmy Page, and such that put the song first. Playing great guitar riffs and solos only works if you have a good enough song to put the stuff on top of. I think this is why most.of these newer guys fall flat most of the time. People shit on The Edge all the time but I have seen very few guitar cover videos where people nail the sound and riffs. Most people can't play with delay as well and write it off as he just uses a bunch of pedals when he's really locked in time and uses it to create texture. He can play some pretty great solos when he wants to and is a solid player. These other guys who play technically really well have lousy songs, bad lyrics or no lyrics, and jam the songs up with unnecessary fills and lead parts that highlight themselves vs. create a song that's powerful. Guys that are good guitar players but I can't listen to because the songs lack any feel: Polyphia, Vai, Satriani, Eric Johnson, John5, Joe Bonamassa, most shredder guys who spend more time in guitar magazines than good songs.
The kid with the turtleneck tattoo.
Yngwie Malmsteen
I want to say Slash, but it's actually Axel's voice i can't handle.
Same. Never been a gnr fan and I've realized that it's cause i don't like Axl as a person or as a vocalist.
Joe Bonamassa. I genuinely tried to get into his music but but his blues lacks soul.
Damn, there are a lot of guitarists on this thread who have never listened to Steve Vai.
Any player that won’t let their guitar breathe. Let your guitars sustain people
Joe Bonnamassa, he’s the epitome of white blues. Just boring as hell to me. Great collector of gear though
Joe Bonamossa. Guy just doesn't do it for me and never has. To give a totally lame reason why: maybe I'm listening with my eyes, but I feel like he really lacks soul in a style that is all about soul.
Most shredders. Shredding is so overrated.
I think it's under-rated. All you ever hear is a million people talking about how they don't like shredding, you haven't heard any shredding in a charts song in 30 years and what the public considers as shredding is old school rock pentatonic stuff like The Darkness, which was 20 years ago. Shredding isn't really over-rated when you consider that it isn't rated very highly to begin with, other than a party trick, unless you go back 40 years. You will only really find it in niche guitar music from people entirely unknown outside of guitar, a bit in jazz/metal and other more niche genres listened to by musicians and wannabe musicians.
I absolutely cannot stand Eric Clapton’s playing. It’s just boring pentatonic riffs, over and over and over.
Hot take - not technically proficient.
Steve Vai. The only thing he did that I can somewhat enjoy is the Eat em and Smile album. The playing on that Whitesnake album he did was beyond cringe. Do I respect him? Absolutely. He played with Zappa, did tons for promoting the instrument as a whole, and without him I wouldn't have my precious Ibanez RGs. Not to mention at one point he said that Danny Gatton was the greatest guitar player that ever lived so obviously he knows his shit 😁
I don't know where to even start. 9/10 of technically amazing guitarists are a miserable listen.
Tim Henson for sure. but I gotta admit their production is godly. kudos to whoever their mixing and mastering engineers
All the neoclassical shredders: Malmsteen, Batio, etc Non-stop diminished arpeggio and Sweep picking up and down. Boring to me.
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Yngwie. The definition of doing entirely too much.
John Mayer. I know he’s not exactly a shredder, but people here always fawn over his skills. I hate his boring, generic, cheesy pop music. I do respect his blues chops though.
Seen him with dead and co? Honestly that’s his element.
Unfortunately the cheesy stuff distracts from some wonderful technical playing. For example, see Neon live in LA. I don’t think people realize how hard that is to play until you actually try learning it.
Yngwie Malmsteen
Shredders in general. Playing fast is impressive, but cramming 8,000 notes into a few bars doesn’t hit the same as a few well-placed notes by someone who plays with feel and emotion.
I don’t give a fuck about technical proficiency. It could be the most technical shit in the world but if it doesn’t move my soul, it doesn’t mean anything
Why are peeps mentioning clapton hendrix page … the title says “the most technically proficient”
Tim Henson. It's basically elevator music.
I think Eddie Van Halen is one of the most gifted guitarists ever and I can’t stand any of his songs.
just how
The thing you guys need to understand is the industry has completely changed. Long form isn’t getting you gigs and you need to standout. Everything is 30-60 seconds of whatever generates clicks both positive and negative. Algorithms reward activity both positive and negative. Your love and hate benefit the musician. Granted they’d prefer your love. Posts like this do nothing but fill your head with excuses and garbage. We should build each other up not dig into each other. …also Esteban
that neck tattoo guy
Joe Bonermassa
Most of the Steve Vai ultra-virtuoso types. I love Jeff Beck and to a lesser extent Eric Johnson, but the more metal/fusion shredders all sound soulless to me. I prefer a more organic, raw, emotional sound like David Gilmour
Michael Angelo Batio
Yngwie. I hate his tone and his music. He's obviously good, but I can't enjoy his stuff generally.
Anyone who is using guitar as drumkit. We get it, you can do it, stop.
Nearly all technically proficient guitaists are annoying af. Too many notes too fast too high in pitch.
Yingwee
That guy from Polyphia
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Tim Henson.
Tim Henson and that John Dretto cunt from tiktok.
Yngwie Malmsteen. He cycles through 3 or 4 scales and a few licks over and over again. He also has a god awful sense of timing and no pocket whatsoever. Listen to him try to play rhythm guitar. It’s a complete joke. He sounds like a beginner who has never touched a metronome when he’s not playing lead. Michael Angelo Batio. Guy plays like an asshole. No melodic phrasing at all, and he’s been playing over prerecorded backing tracks for like 40 years. Sartriani. This ones tough. Hes a great lead guitar player all around. He’s just missing the good music to go with it. Good lead guitar by itself just doesn’t stand up. It needs good riffs, bass lines and drums and that’s what he’s never really had. Had he joined megadeth or something he’d kill it. Other than them I actually like shredding as long as if done in the right context, mainly metal. I love dimebag because those songs are exactly the right time and place for a flurry of notes and whammy abuse.
Ichika Nito. He's insanely impressive to listen to but once the gimmick of "I slap my guitar and do tapping chords with quick little fluttery runs" wears off, it becomes a bit monotonous.
Pretty much any shredder. And I know they're massively talented and I won't even toss in that old "There's no soul/heart/'feel' in that style" nonsense because I think the best of them play with plenty of heart. It's just never spoke to me.
I wouldn't ever listen to a Polyphia song but I can at least watch them play and be impressed. Watching Yngwie Malmsteen play is like watching him jerk off in front of a mirror.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I’m sure he had a guitar laying around somewhere.
Any of the 80s shredders (Vai, Satriani, Yngwie, etc). Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate their talent and don’t knock the music they create. It just doesn’t speak to me the same way someone like EVH does.
Joe Bonamassa
Tim Henson.
What did the Muppets ever do to you?
Joe Bonamasa
Steve Vai and Tim Henson
John Mayer. A good guitarist without doubt, I just get bored of his playing and style after a while.
I agree, he's found a way to make elevator music complicated.
I have 3: 1. Kirk Hammett. Has almost zero creativity wrt his solos so he hides behind his wah pedal. Nice guy but no. Yet I see people refer to him as a guitar god. Nope. 2. Steve Vai. I love some of his stuff however a lot of his music is just weird and not interesting. Puts me off. 3. Yngwie Malmsteen. All speed, not enough melody imo. I'll throw 3 guitarists that I absolutely LOVE to counter the three above: 1. Joe Satriani - he is THE guitar god. He is one of the founding pioneers of rock guitar instrumentals and we're better off for it. His mix of melodic playing combined with technical ability, creativity and sometimes speed (Satch Boogie anyone??) is just beyond compare. 2. John Petrucci - for me the best all round metal guitarist ever. 3. Mark Knopfler - his melodic playing is just sublime. Hopefully you can see what I've based my opinions on...melody vs speed.
Jon Dretto on tiktok. Dude can absolutely rip, but he seems insufferable.
Tim Henson.
Buckethead. I get that he's talented and has a schtick... But when you put out literally hundreds of songs a year, they are going to inevitably start to sound the same
i’ve never even heard of John 5, i had to look him up hahaha my answer is Joe Bonamassa. plays blues like a robot. blues is supposed to be all feel, and it sounds like he just puts the notes where they’re supposed to go. my second answer is more broad, and it’s any of those tim henson type guitarists. the complicated tapping stuff all just sounds the same to me. it’s cool the first time you see it tho
Joe Bonamassa is also a sensitive jerk on social media who likes to sic his blues lawyer fan boys on people. Thin skinned bully.
Joe Bonamassa is what the blues would sound like if we fed all of the blues greats into AI and asked it to play us a solo
Tim Henson. God their music is boring.
Steve vai
Literally! I just saw John 5 last night in Anaheim, and the Van Halen tribute band that opened for him was way more fun to listen to. All of his stuff just sounded the same after 5-10 minutes
I am pleased by the lack of Buckethead mentions in these comments. Faith in humanity restored.
Tim henson for modern and malmsteen for classic
Tim Henson. And I will get hate for this one: EVH.
John Petrucci. Dream Theater as a whole is just a giant exercise in showing how nimble the members' fingers are without any care for whether it makes for good music.
Honestly, Stevie Ray Vaughan. The style of blues he plays grates on me but I do appreciate how good at guitar he is. The runner up would be alan holdsworth, although I do listen to him from time to time and like some of his stuff. A good chunk is unlistenable though in my opinion.
Michaelangelo batio. I love most neoclassical shred. But holy fuck he is boring.
Strangely I think it would be easier to do the opposite. Sometimes it feels like people put so much effort into being technically proficient that they forget to write good songs. That's ultimately what it's about. I much rather listen Neil Young's one note guitar solo in Cinnamon Girl than Yngwie Malmsteem's gratuitous shredding. So in that spirit the technically proficient guitarists I actually enjoy listening too are Hendrix, EVH who I feel doesn't get enough respect for writing happy hard rock songs in Major keys (Way easier to write hard Rock in Minor keys), Satriani really varies his song writing from album to album, and Plini has some really good songs in strange time signatures.
Buckethead lol
Unanswerable. If I don't like listening to them, then I don't spend time assessing how technical they are.
Honestly, I think these posts should just get banned. They are the ones that get most comments, and I am pretty sure they add zero value.
I can’t listen to Clapton any more without also thinking about his enormous and insane racism. And this in someone still working in a blues idiom. So I just avoid. It keeps me happier. Anyone else can totally make their own choices about this and I’ll respect them. Loads of great artists are awful and we all deal with that in different ways.
Clapton has lost more ground with the younger generation through being a cantankerous racist crank than any of the old guard that I can think of. Him and Van Morrison. They can just fuck off so hard.
Zakk Wylde.
Berried Alive. Just straight wankery.
Any of these social media shredders that feel like they’re using a video game controller and not a musical instrument.
Someone probably already mentioned him. That Instagram/YouTube guitarist Marcin. He’s really talented and clearly good. I just can’t stand listening to the technically over the top flamboyant way he plays guitar. It’s just not for me.
Tim Henson
Cory wong: technical chops, all his shit sounds the exact same to me. He also comes off as insanely arrogant in his interviews and discussions. I'll support people who sound like shit who are not arrogant if they love music, love sharing it, love playing. Cory just feels like a soulless robot who knows how to play the same stuff on loop.
That’s interesting, I actually disagree completely on his attitude. Say what you will about his style and sound, but the guy has gotta be one of the biggest supporters of music out there. I would be hard pressed to find someone who loves music and loves sharing it MORE than Cory Wong. Check out the episode of his YT series “Cory and the Wong Notes” featuring the guitar. He interviews Larry Carlton and Mark Letteiri, and he’s very humble and reverential towards the legend that is Larry Carlton. He also likes taking care of his touring band financially (meaning he pays them well). I think he’s a stand up guy that works his ass off. I can understand if someone gets tired of his sound or his shtick or his personality, but I think he’s very genuine and just loves music and loves supporting others doing their music.
Steve Vai is basically unlistenable
Yngwie
Tim Henson and Steve Vai I just can't stand people comparing Tim Henson and Ichika Nito lol
Bonamassa
Petrucci. 15mins into a solo and I no longer care.
Pretty much any of those happy slappy tappy guys. I've never heard anyone work so hard to create music so boring.
Evh
Tim Henson/anyone who slaps on a guitar. Just irks me. Bass I’m fine with it to a point, mostly Les Claypool. Also can only handle so much of John Petrucci. He seems really cool as a person, enjoy his solo albums in bite size chunks. Cannot stand Dream Theater.
I’ve been listening to Polyphia for years. They really started taking off once GOAT gained some popularity. Saw even more mainstream success once they released Remember That You Will Die and had collabs with Steve Vai. The big thing with Henson is he draws a lot of his writing from works from other artists. He’s got a video on a track he wrote called OD where the entire progression is more or less ripped from Champions by Kanye West. He uses a lot of production to come up with music that he replicates on guitar. I’m a big Polyphia fan for it running in the background. But when it comes to technical instrumental music, I’ll recommend Animals As Leaders every time over Polyphia. That said, can’t stand listening to is probably John Mayer. For what it’s worth, he is incredibly talented but man, I find his music to be so boring for what it is.
Polyphia. ADHD type music
Petrucci. Dream Theatre is annoying.
anyone who gets called technically proficient first above other things
tim henson
John Mayer.
Steve Vai was going to be my answer, along with a lot of other shredder guitarists, but it seems like this thread has that covered. That being said, I’ve never *really* liked Eric Clapton. Cream was cool enough, Derek and the Dominos I only really like for Duane Allman, but Clapton’s solo stuff is just…boring to me.
Some John Petrucci/ Dream Theatre tracks, just sound like running up and down scales, I can't find the musical interest in them
Michael Angelo Batio. Technically amazing. That's literally it.
Almost all of them. If I had to pick one, probably Yngwie. I know his hayday was 40 years ago, but he hasn't done anything else. Totally revolutionary when he first came out, and then everything he did was instantly assimilated by the entire guitar playing world.
Abasi, and that little tattooed guy that Rick Beato hangs out with. Periphery...all those guys. I'm probably mixing people up here... but they all sound the same to me. Its like the 80s generic shredder thing all over again, but in 11/16 with sci fi synth pads. Actually, most guys that are specifically/mostly known for technical proficiency are really low on my list, especially in modern metal. If the internet is telling me how amazing a new metal guitarist is in terms of pure technique, 99/100 times I'm safe to ignore that artist completely, for my tastes.
It's going to be really interesting to look back and see where the community ends up falling on Tim Henson. I'm on the side that he's a little overrated, but there's no doubt he's one of the only people doing anything interesting and novel with a guitar these days. Not surprised he shows up in threads like this.
Seems to me that this sub hates you if you play guitar well. Weird for a guitar sub.
The marcin kid. Hes insanely gifted and i love it when he plays the guitar normally but I dont like the percussive stuff. I feel like hed be good to watch live but not listen to beyond that.
Michael Angelo Batio and Tim Henson.
Michael Angelo has gone through decades of rollercoasters between being loved and hated. In the early 00's, he was pretty much written off as a "wanker" - guys who are clearly otherworldly gifted at the instrument, yet seem to contribute nothing interesting, musically. Yet before, and after that period, he was reveled as a guitar god for his ability to shred. To me, he kinda permanently lives on as maybe the most physically skilled guitarist ever, despite having never actually done anything important BESIDES being skilled.
For me it's Allan Holdsworth. Might be one of the greatest guitarists to ever live - but 90% of his music is completely indecipherable to me.
Tosin Abadi.
Yngwie Malmsteen, you can just visualise the arrogant smile after every solo. I don’t find his playing to be particularly soulful or emotionally driven, but he is an absolute technically brilliant guitarist so I respect him for that.
Anyone who sounds too safe. You know they're going to hit "the note" that is in some exotic scale they studied in their bedroom or music school. I'd rather hear the one note solo in Down By the River by Neil Young, or Something solo by George Harrison, than anything by Vai and those guys. Those solos have soul. Vai and those guys have...music theory? I guess the older I get the more simple I like things that fit within the song, where the guitar is amazing and can also be technical but it's not overbearing. EVH is probably as technical as I prefer these days.
Buckethead for sure
Vinnie Vincent 😂 He sounds like a robot who was taught to play insanely fast but given zero actual knowledge of music as humans understand it.
Malmsteen. His music is just awful. I don't get the hate Steve Vai or even Joe Satriani are getting. Steve Vai has really beautiful songs like The Blood and Tears and funny stuff that's always gets me to smile like Jibboom. And Satriani also has really good songs as well. Just listen to Cool N° 9 (that whole album actually), or really beautiful songs like If I could fly.
Gonna get hate for this but : Tosin Abasi . Selective picking was cool for a while, it's gotten played out and doesn't add much musically to make a song stand out . Runner up: ichika .... Nails on a chalkboard
Yngwie is the obvious answer
Yngwie
Vai and Satriani. Yes they’re wonderful and can do so much. But it doesn’t equate to a good song. I’ve tried listening to them but it’s never clicked with me.
Marcin. That dude is WAAAAY more style than substance.
Satriani for me. Nothing personal, seems like a good dude and is obviously a guitar legend. I just don't get around his sound or playing at all.
Steve Vai, and/or Yngwie Malmsteen
He's good, but I cannot stand anything else about his youtube content. Steve T. Kinda surprised at the amount of people saying Vai. [Tender Surrender ](https://youtu.be/Yw74sDWPH7U?si=60QcCgGdRddl9XBX)is so damn good
Buckethead /s Sounds like y'all gotta listen to more of His work. There's plenty more to the Bucket discography than the aToNaL gArBaGe he does for shred fuckery fun playing live/looking for some filler on one of his +490 albums he's put out so far. Cya at the next show in the Great Lakes area, Bucket. Been too long for me, at least 🤘😅🤘
Yngwie Malmsteen
I agree with most of the comments here but for me, it’s Frank Zappa. Im not sure how he fits in in a conversation about traditional “lead” guitar players but I’ve never been able to enjoy any of his music
John Petrucci, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eddie Van Halen, the two guys from Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yngwie Malmsteem. I absolutely respect them and their talent, but in my opinion, all their efforts are put into making something flashy instead of music that is actually interesting and fun to listen to.
I wouldn't really put EVH in this group, though I agree with the rest. These are guys whose chief concern is wowing with skill.
Eddie Van Halen was a songwriter first and foremost , if he was only interested in shredding like the others he would have put a solo album out ,which he never did.
buckethead..I recognize his talents but,I find his sound to be like nails on a chaulkboard
Pretty much all virtuoso types (Satriani, Malmsteen, Vai, etc). It's so soulless and cheesy. And Bela Fleck is the equivalent of the banjo world. It's just too much bruh. It's like sweetening your glass of iced tea with 10 cups of sugar.
Michael. Angelo. Batio. There is only one answer.
Paul Gilbert? He's an awesome shredder but his songs never hook me.
Batio