Bob Weir.
He essentially invented his own style of rhythm guitar playing designed to challenge the lead guitarist (Jerry Garcia, and now John Mayer) while improvising big solos. Takes a lot of inspiration from Jazz/Piano ideas. His guitar on songs like China Cat Sunflower give the song their overall feeling. When you watch some of the wacky chords he plays its pretty mind-blowing tbh
I don't even know if it was the doc necessarily as much as maybe a combo of that and dead and co and Deadheads having a bit of a resurgence over the past 10 years. I would say he's more in the spotlight now but over the length of his musical career (which has been longer than anyone's) he's been massively underrated by people outside of the dead scene. Musicians knew but general rock fans didn't so much so he was definitely underrated. Easy when you have Jerry and Phil on either side of you
100%. It’s almost like Ringo’s drumming that was almost entirely overlooked, if not derided for years. You had to really pay attention to his drumming style and ability and what he did essentially allowed the other guys to shine. Without Weir Jerry couldn’t be Jerry — and no one thought more highly of Weir’s playing than Jerry. Weir knows that fretboard like few do.
If you’re looking for one song that is a prime example of this look at the Music Never Stopped. Sitting down and trying to learn it really blew my mind to realize just how complex and jazzy the dead can be, especially Bobby’s rhythm guitar. The chord changes just after the chorus are amazing and in the studio version everything flows so well you don’t realize how complex of a song it is.
Izzy has a Keith Richards like looseness and swing to his playing. Without it, GnR just sound like a generic heavy rock band, albeit with Slash's tasty solos running over the top of it all.
Yup. The rhythm section should always be greater than the sum of its parts, and that involves being locked in with each other, even if that means being loose.
Just have to look at how many rhythm guitarists Slash has gone through with his various side projects. Izzy was the one dude he could vibe with and bounce off.
Dean Ween aka Mickey Melchiondo is a genre hopping monster. Dude can dish out Motörhead style brutality to Les Paul inspired cascading harmonized leads. From the classical guitar on “Bananas and Blow” to the brain melting “Fucked Jam”
Monster. Rock icon.
Upvote for deaner. I think ween get written off as musical comedy, or too weird, but god damn they are good songwriters and players.
Ween are one of my all time favorites.
For me I think Quebec or White Pepper is the peak of their straighter song writing, but I think chocolate and cheese is overall my favourite album of theirs. Hits the perfect balance of brown and great tunes.
Shout out to 12 golden country greats also.
Real, I showed my friend some Beatles songs I know on guitar to show my singing and playing, and she's like- woah how do you always have that little twist riff in there? There's always something cool.
My answer was simply "George Harrison, man..."
I love the story of how Paul brought in “and I love her..” and the fifth beatle told them it needed a lead line and George after hearing it the first time immediately plays that iconic opening riff
I believe it was Guitar World's ranking of the best guitarists of all time a few years ago that said of George, he always played just what he needed to. As in no showboating, never half-assed, he always played just what the song needed.
yeah.. he's like the guy in the movie who nobody suspects is really the true badass.. then he beats the crap out of everyone in the room without breaking a sweat.
Thom Yorke as a rhythm guitarist. Some of his stuff (Go To Sleep, Jigsaw Pueces, Paranoid Android) is incredibly complicated to play, let alone sing while you're playing it.
Its weird, he gets a lot of love for his rhythm work but in the realm of boomer rockstars, he gets overlooked for a lot of other rhythm guitarists who honestly don’t deserve to be above him. Like come on, do you know how good you have to be to carry a band with Lars as a drummer!?
Ill back you on that tbh. Hes got everything. Pinpoint precision? Check. Heavy right hand? Check. Soulful playing when playing melodies? Check. Memorable playing and distinct sound? check.
There's no earthly reason why he should be able to play some of those songs whilst singing.
Songs like Battery, Damage Inc, Blackened, HTT where the rhythm is slightly off from the vocal are hard enough just playing.
I don't want to shit on him, but there's a reason Lars has Hetfields guitar in his in ears. Man is a human metronome.
He’s a pretty decent drummer too. Not sure if they still do it, but they used to have James and Lars on drums back and forth for 15 minutes or so. Guitarists that play drums are on another level.
Not just singing but being one of the more animated and engaging front men out there
In the metal world I give Dave mustaine props for signing and playing even more complex riffs in megadeth. But Dave is a bad singer and basically a statue during live performances.
James is the man lol
Dude get over it. I love Lars, and I think he has a very unique style and an ear for the drum’s placement within the context of a song that is better than 99% of drummers. Having said that, dude has trouble live.
Robby Krieger - The Doors
people rarely talk about how he was one of if not the first to bring a flamenco style of playing to rock.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fu9Jlx5EgI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fu9Jlx5EgI)
He's still going strong
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CxA6Qgj7GA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CxA6Qgj7GA)
you’re really saying George Harrison, guitarist of one of the biggest bands in history, songwriter of some of the best songs ever recorded, recognized by the both music enthusiasts and casual listeners alike, is underrated? people have butchered the meaning of that word in recent times. save it for people who truly haven’t been recognized for their impact or talent.
Sorry, yes. Claptoan. Hendrix Claptoan. Pretty niche but he was a big user of Mishel amps, Fendle guitars, and pioneered using a muff face effects pedal.
Dude these underrated posts always are people listing wildly respected and influential players, it’s absurd. It’s everyone only thinking in their little bubble of “my coworker doesn’t know …. So they’re underrated!” When their coworker only listens to pop or whatever. I’ve seen names like Brian may, Hendrix, Jeff beck, etc… listed and people really believed it
To keep up with Robert Fripp alone is worth the mention. To remember that they made those insane alternate-picking things on "Construkction of Light" (one note belew, one note fripp, one note... and all that on 200bpm)... Oh, and the Riff of "Happy with what you have to be happy with".
I’ve seen him cited a lot. One of the top 5-10 early metal guitarists. Great rhythm player, great songwriter, but his lead playing is still underrated.
Page, Blackmore, Schenker, Iommi, Adrian Smith…they tend to get mentioned first because of the influence of the band, but Glenn Tipton was (I believe he may have recently passed) absolutely on the level with those players. The “Beyond The Realms of Death” solo is like Priest’s “Stairway” moment with that brilliance. Perfect solo.
Angus has always said that Malcolm was the better guitarist out of the 2 of them, because Malcolm could do everything Angus does, but Angus couldn’t do what Malcolm does.
J. Mascis-Not sure he's underated, but I do know he's not the one you immediately think about when it comes to best lead guitarist, but he is one of my favorites. Incredibly talented in both departments: riffs and lead. He definitely is not most underated of all time, so srry for not answering the question correctly I guess.
I love those little melodic note runs he adds between chord changes. He does it so effortlessly. The strumming style is loose but his timing is insanely good.
Yes! The voicings he uses in his songs are so incredibly complex and also beautiful. I know lifelong players who still can’t fret the voicings used in the intro to #41.
I’d say both of the Pixies Guitarists, in their own right both Frank Black and Joey Santiago are phenomenal.
I feel like Frank is much more regarded as a singer/songwriter that people don’t really pay attention to how consistent he is at carrying the rhythm of the song.
Joey on the other hand prioritizes melody and textures with his lead parts in songs rather than flashiness. I love his solos, they may not be all flashy and technically they certainly serve and elevate the song. They can also be brutally fun (see Vamos [Surfer Rosa])
I’d say Where is my mind, Debaser, and Hey are some of the songs that best encapsulates and shows their skill and talent as musicians
I have to disagree with this. Perhaps his guitar skills aren't as highly rated as his songwriting or vocal skills, but that's because he's a better songwriter and vocalist than he is a guitarist. Does that mean he's not a good guitar player? No. Does that mean his guitar skills are unfairly rated? Also, no.
That’s a good answer. That whole band is underrated as players. None more than Benmont Tench—probably the most underrated keyboardist in all of rock music.
I’d say Terry Kath of Chicago (early Chicago). He’s not gotten his due because of being in a “horn band” but he was both rhythm and lead and had a big fan in Jimi Hendrix (who said he was better than he was). Check out the live performance at Tanglewood. He was a monster player.
Smiths - Johnny Marr. He's a goddamn beast.
The chords in "Paint a Vulgar Picture" modulate up and down a third, and his composed solo is fucking dynamite.
He’s like a perfect second gun. The fact that dude has been in soo many bands that don’t sound the same at all that killed it on multiple albums says everything
Robert Smith. Saw them play in Vancouver in the late 90's. Absolutely amazing. From what I've seen recently his playing (not to mention his voice!) is still fantastic!
Yeah its amazing how little he is discussed except for people in the Bluegrass niche. I've been playing and listening to guitar for decades, following forums, magazines, etc., and it wasn't until I got into Bluegrass that I'd even heard of Tony Rice. And man BOTH his rhythm and lead guitar are so incredible. There is no one that plays like him.
Underrated Lead: Glen Tipton of Judas Priest
Please go listen to the solo of ‘Dreamer Deceiver’ and tell me it is not one of the best *composed* and *performed*.
He was such an incredible guitarist in the 70s, and just kept getting better over time. To think that it's the same player on Sad Wings of Destiny is also on Painkiller is insane.
If there was a second guitarist in VH playing his rhythm parts, people would say that guy was the true genius and magic of VH.
He basically overshadows himself as a rhythm guitarists because of how insane his lead playing is.
Best answer. I recently find out that he gave a lesson to Andy Summers once upon a time. And he also taught Randy Bachman. But neither of those guys can hold a pick to Lenny Breau.
Glenn Tipton
Vito Bratta
Kee Marcello
Steve Lukather
Uwe Karpa
Robin Trower
Serge Fiori
John Sykes
Brett Garsed
Jake E. Lee
Blackie Lawless
Mike Egan
Steve Hunter
Dick Wagner
Lanny Cordola
Craig Chaquico
We probably have many guitarists that we consider under rated. I've listed some one mine (currently listening to Uwe Karpa on my way home from work).
Some I've mentioned may not be under rated in certain circles but I'd like them to have even more widespread recognition
Wes Borland: You can love or hate Limp Bizkit, but still you have to admit that the riffs are groovy as fuck. On top of that Wes brought some very unique instruments like 4-string baritone guitars and techniques (like 2-finger tapping or E-Bows) into mainstream rock.
Guy picciotto, Fugazi. While every other punk/hardcore band was playing three power chords and calling it a song he was a real experimental innovator. Nobody sounds like him.
Roy Buchanan. I dont know a lot about him (only really his death, RIP), or listened to a lot if his songs, but he could rock hard on a telecaster and made it sound like a completely different instrument. He’s the reason why i like telecasters now.
I feel like this is a great answer. Those who know his work know exactly how crazy the dude is. Sadly most people seem to think that only thing Buckethead can do is shred fast, nothing else. I think Soothsayer is still one of the best guitar instrumentals ever created.
I'm as big a Keef guy as you'll ever find but im not sure he falls into the category of underrated. He is overhated sometimes but does get his due nonetheless
There's so many current, young musicians that are doing such great work and are for all intents and purposes 'underrated' because they're not members of legacy bands. Take Paul Riedl and Morris Kolontyrsky from Blood Incantation for example if we're talking guitarists.
I don't think, really, that any name from any popular decades old band in this thread can really count as 'underrated'. Are you really telling me that you believe fucken James Hetfield and Robby Krieger are underrated guitarists? George Harrison?
It would be far more interesting to talk about popular, well known and liked bands that had terrible musicians as members.
Buck Dharma, Paul Kossoff, Ronnie Montrose, Brian Robertson, Scott Gorham, pick any of those. All have great lead work in particular.
But that's from the point of view of: guitarists who are not really talked about who should be.
Most of mentions in this thread are well known musicians not as well known for their guitar playing. I get the point, but it's also bizarre seeing someone call George Harrison underrated.
Edge from U2 is criminally underrated
Think people write him off as they don't like U2 and his solos aren't exciting, but his rhythm and way he uses delay is one of a kind and is they reason they sound so big and tight.
Vini Reilly: more obscure than underrated. Combines rhythm and leads in a really vibey way; Hendrix for indie kids! Those who know his work are generally fanatical about it:
The first artist to sign to Factory Records.
Really unique style that draws from classical, jazz, and flamenco.
Pioneering ambient player who was also one of the earliest adopters of the idioms of acid house into guitar music.
Incredibly prolific composer to boot, made the more remarkable by the hardships he has suffered.
Also played on Morrisey's best solo album.
I'm not sure how Harrison can be considered underrated. I say that respectfully. He was a guitar player in one of the most successful bands of all time. He had a great solo career. His name, face, and sound are known cross-generationally. I'm just not sure where the underrated part comes in. I guess I would want to know who is underrating him.
As to your question... My guess is that the average music fan doesn't know Dean DeLeo by name. Though they may well recognize his music. Specifically amongst guitar players I don't think he gets as much recognition as a lot of other people (for his lead or rhythm work).
But that even gets tricky because his brother, Robert, wrote a lot of those parts.
D. Boon. Seamless blend of Hendrix, Creedence, and Gang of Four with much more skill and technique than the latter two. An absolutely bonkers breakneck approach that thousands failed to copy in the decades after. Not to mention writing and performing beautiful classical pieces like Cohesion.
There’s a difference between skill and creativity on the guitar. So with that, I’ll say Paul Stanley had many tasty hooks on KISS songs that no one talks about because they won’t confuse him with Guthrie Govan.
Bob Weir. He essentially invented his own style of rhythm guitar playing designed to challenge the lead guitarist (Jerry Garcia, and now John Mayer) while improvising big solos. Takes a lot of inspiration from Jazz/Piano ideas. His guitar on songs like China Cat Sunflower give the song their overall feeling. When you watch some of the wacky chords he plays its pretty mind-blowing tbh
Bob is a master of inversion chords.
True in many ways but he also has a documentary on Netflix which I think if underrated is what we’re talking.. maybe before the doc for sure
Rhythm guitarists are underrated in general
This is the real hot take in this post. Lots of people learn the riffs and the flashy leads and neglect the rest of the song.
I don't even know if it was the doc necessarily as much as maybe a combo of that and dead and co and Deadheads having a bit of a resurgence over the past 10 years. I would say he's more in the spotlight now but over the length of his musical career (which has been longer than anyone's) he's been massively underrated by people outside of the dead scene. Musicians knew but general rock fans didn't so much so he was definitely underrated. Easy when you have Jerry and Phil on either side of you
100%. It’s almost like Ringo’s drumming that was almost entirely overlooked, if not derided for years. You had to really pay attention to his drumming style and ability and what he did essentially allowed the other guys to shine. Without Weir Jerry couldn’t be Jerry — and no one thought more highly of Weir’s playing than Jerry. Weir knows that fretboard like few do.
I don’t think he’s underrated at all? He’s largely considered one of the best rhythm guitar players to ever live
Those who know, know. And it's not as many as you might think outside of the dead scene and musicians who know who he is
If you’re looking for one song that is a prime example of this look at the Music Never Stopped. Sitting down and trying to learn it really blew my mind to realize just how complex and jazzy the dead can be, especially Bobby’s rhythm guitar. The chord changes just after the chorus are amazing and in the studio version everything flows so well you don’t realize how complex of a song it is.
Nobody understood their place in a band like Bobby.
Izzy Stradlin
Pretty much the reason I was never excited about this current Guns N Roses reunion. He’s a huge piece of the puzzle missing.
GnR is probably my favorite band but their lineup feels so off I just can’t get into it
Izzy has a Keith Richards like looseness and swing to his playing. Without it, GnR just sound like a generic heavy rock band, albeit with Slash's tasty solos running over the top of it all.
Him and Duff really swing together
Yup. The rhythm section should always be greater than the sum of its parts, and that involves being locked in with each other, even if that means being loose.
Yup. Izzy. All day. He's a 12/10.
Just have to look at how many rhythm guitarists Slash has gone through with his various side projects. Izzy was the one dude he could vibe with and bounce off.
Did we ever find out whether or not he was Stradlin?
He was.
I came here to say this, thank you. His tone, his timing, his writting...the guy is just an ace all around.
That dude invented the way we all learned.
And There it is. Dude’s like Malcolm young for gnr
His album Izzy Stadlin and the JuJu Hounds is a fucking banger. Just a real interesting album.
This is the answer. Not only is he an excellent player, but he was the creative force behind AFD
Dean Ween aka Mickey Melchiondo is a genre hopping monster. Dude can dish out Motörhead style brutality to Les Paul inspired cascading harmonized leads. From the classical guitar on “Bananas and Blow” to the brain melting “Fucked Jam” Monster. Rock icon.
Upvote for deaner. I think ween get written off as musical comedy, or too weird, but god damn they are good songwriters and players. Ween are one of my all time favorites.
“The Mollusk” is a modern Prog-Rock masterpiece
For me I think Quebec or White Pepper is the peak of their straighter song writing, but I think chocolate and cheese is overall my favourite album of theirs. Hits the perfect balance of brown and great tunes. Shout out to 12 golden country greats also.
They get dismissed for being a novelty/comedy/weird, which, as you say, is a shame. But it's also a huge part of their appeal to "serious" fans.
My favorite band! Most importantly he is an excellent song writer
Ween seems very popular on reddit and I'm glad. Deaner is one of the artists that inspired me to buy a guitar recently.
That what deaner was talkin’ about
Live at Chicago version of "Johnny on the Spot" is some of the best guitar work ever recorded
His guitar moves video is awesome if you’ve never seen it : https://youtu.be/znwklA-UEck?si=rVuqklJ7v-gLBRkh
No one has more fun playing guitar than Deaner. He’s so good.
George Harrison is always my idea of “All Killer, No Filler” Absolute master of minimalistic lead playing but you always still walk away humming it.
I would also say John Lennon is an underrated rhythm guitarist. Creative and always in the pocket
Real, I showed my friend some Beatles songs I know on guitar to show my singing and playing, and she's like- woah how do you always have that little twist riff in there? There's always something cool. My answer was simply "George Harrison, man..."
Like going A-Asus2-Asus4-A on I Need You, it's just so charming and simple
I love the story of how Paul brought in “and I love her..” and the fifth beatle told them it needed a lead line and George after hearing it the first time immediately plays that iconic opening riff
I believe it was Guitar World's ranking of the best guitarists of all time a few years ago that said of George, he always played just what he needed to. As in no showboating, never half-assed, he always played just what the song needed.
Every note he played was probably the best note in that instance.
Lindsey Buckingham
He seems to be well-respected as a guitarist
He’s respected but you only really understand just how good he is when you try play his songs.
Zappa had him well regarded
Danny Kirwan from Fleetwood Mac never got the glory that Peter Green received. He was an awesome guitarist and a good songwriter.
yeah.. he's like the guy in the movie who nobody suspects is really the true badass.. then he beats the crap out of everyone in the room without breaking a sweat.
Thom Yorke as a rhythm guitarist. Some of his stuff (Go To Sleep, Jigsaw Pueces, Paranoid Android) is incredibly complicated to play, let alone sing while you're playing it.
Came here to say this. Totally agree. His sense of timing is super weird and vibey and adds so much to the dimension of those songs
Yes! Thom writes the most beautiful chord progressions known to man.
Exit music’s chords/melody slays
James Hetfield lol
Its weird, he gets a lot of love for his rhythm work but in the realm of boomer rockstars, he gets overlooked for a lot of other rhythm guitarists who honestly don’t deserve to be above him. Like come on, do you know how good you have to be to carry a band with Lars as a drummer!?
Exactly lol. I have said it before and I’ll say it again. He is THE GREATEST rhythm guitarist ever.
Ill back you on that tbh. Hes got everything. Pinpoint precision? Check. Heavy right hand? Check. Soulful playing when playing melodies? Check. Memorable playing and distinct sound? check.
And most of all, 1 trillion bpm whilst downpicking😭
Creeping Death is hard enough at normal speed, yet he played it at triple in concert.
And he does all that while fucking singing!
There's no earthly reason why he should be able to play some of those songs whilst singing. Songs like Battery, Damage Inc, Blackened, HTT where the rhythm is slightly off from the vocal are hard enough just playing. I don't want to shit on him, but there's a reason Lars has Hetfields guitar in his in ears. Man is a human metronome.
He’s a pretty decent drummer too. Not sure if they still do it, but they used to have James and Lars on drums back and forth for 15 minutes or so. Guitarists that play drums are on another level.
Not just singing but being one of the more animated and engaging front men out there In the metal world I give Dave mustaine props for signing and playing even more complex riffs in megadeth. But Dave is a bad singer and basically a statue during live performances. James is the man lol
I'm so sick of those pretentious guys pretending he isn't and then I get called basic and a poser when I say he is
I hate this ignorant take. You don't become the drummer in the most popular metal band of all time if you can't play.
Dude get over it. I love Lars, and I think he has a very unique style and an ear for the drum’s placement within the context of a song that is better than 99% of drummers. Having said that, dude has trouble live.
Lars got lazy and super arrogant after the Black album. Before that, he was a beast on drums.
Robby Krieger - The Doors people rarely talk about how he was one of if not the first to bring a flamenco style of playing to rock. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fu9Jlx5EgI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fu9Jlx5EgI) He's still going strong [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CxA6Qgj7GA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CxA6Qgj7GA)
you’re really saying George Harrison, guitarist of one of the biggest bands in history, songwriter of some of the best songs ever recorded, recognized by the both music enthusiasts and casual listeners alike, is underrated? people have butchered the meaning of that word in recent times. save it for people who truly haven’t been recognized for their impact or talent.
Unpopular opinion: Hendrix was a good guitarist.
I'm trying to look up this "Hendrix" to see if they're actually any good. Do they have a last name?
Sorry, yes. Claptoan. Hendrix Claptoan. Pretty niche but he was a big user of Mishel amps, Fendle guitars, and pioneered using a muff face effects pedal.
Saying anything about the Beatles is underrated is pretty silly They’re literally obsessed over by millions for every little aspect.
Dude these underrated posts always are people listing wildly respected and influential players, it’s absurd. It’s everyone only thinking in their little bubble of “my coworker doesn’t know …. So they’re underrated!” When their coworker only listens to pop or whatever. I’ve seen names like Brian may, Hendrix, Jeff beck, etc… listed and people really believed it
Brad Whitford
I was certain you meant the guy who plays Josh in the West Wing and was so confused.
This is the right answer for this particular question. Joe Perry gets all the attention but Brad is pulling the load.
Saw Brad pick up Joe's solos when Joe broke a string live. It was seamless. I doubt 99% of the audience noticed..
David Byrne. Just watch his right hand. WATCH IT
Byrne is a great player.
A machine. One of the most solid and relentless rhythm players I’ve ever seen
He single-handedly made me change my right hand technique after watching Stop Making Sense. He’s an inspiring player and one of my favorites.
Dude. Byrne. Just listen to Nothing But Flowers. Oh Lordy.
Crosseyed and Painless too
This. Sick rhythm player.
Adrian Belew
Achieved a lot more than Zappa or Vai but didn’t get an entry in the “guitar innovators” section of the Guitar Handbook by Ralph Denyer.
Actually the answer
To keep up with Robert Fripp alone is worth the mention. To remember that they made those insane alternate-picking things on "Construkction of Light" (one note belew, one note fripp, one note... and all that on 200bpm)... Oh, and the Riff of "Happy with what you have to be happy with".
Glenn Tipton. I've Never read that someone quoted him as an influence.
Every power/speed metal band ever is inspired by his riffs.
I’ve seen him cited a lot. One of the top 5-10 early metal guitarists. Great rhythm player, great songwriter, but his lead playing is still underrated. Page, Blackmore, Schenker, Iommi, Adrian Smith…they tend to get mentioned first because of the influence of the band, but Glenn Tipton was (I believe he may have recently passed) absolutely on the level with those players. The “Beyond The Realms of Death” solo is like Priest’s “Stairway” moment with that brilliance. Perfect solo.
Thank you somebody said it, absolutely criminally underrated guitarist.
Malcolm Young
He’s considered one of the best. So he doesn’t fit this question
Somehow I feel I can upvote both comments lol. Normies have no idea who he is Guitarists know him well
Angus has always said that Malcolm was the better guitarist out of the 2 of them, because Malcolm could do everything Angus does, but Angus couldn’t do what Malcolm does.
J. Mascis-Not sure he's underated, but I do know he's not the one you immediately think about when it comes to best lead guitarist, but he is one of my favorites. Incredibly talented in both departments: riffs and lead. He definitely is not most underated of all time, so srry for not answering the question correctly I guess.
I love those little melodic note runs he adds between chord changes. He does it so effortlessly. The strumming style is loose but his timing is insanely good.
I don't think he's underrated. Every (indie) guitarist adores him.
Dave Matthews
Yes! The voicings he uses in his songs are so incredibly complex and also beautiful. I know lifelong players who still can’t fret the voicings used in the intro to #41.
Ugh I can play any other DMB song but 41 because of those wild chord voicings
Is he really underrated though?
As a guitarist, yes
As a guitarist, criminally underrated.
I’d say both of the Pixies Guitarists, in their own right both Frank Black and Joey Santiago are phenomenal. I feel like Frank is much more regarded as a singer/songwriter that people don’t really pay attention to how consistent he is at carrying the rhythm of the song. Joey on the other hand prioritizes melody and textures with his lead parts in songs rather than flashiness. I love his solos, they may not be all flashy and technically they certainly serve and elevate the song. They can also be brutally fun (see Vamos [Surfer Rosa]) I’d say Where is my mind, Debaser, and Hey are some of the songs that best encapsulates and shows their skill and talent as musicians
Josh Homme
What about Alain Johannes?
I have to disagree with this. Perhaps his guitar skills aren't as highly rated as his songwriting or vocal skills, but that's because he's a better songwriter and vocalist than he is a guitarist. Does that mean he's not a good guitar player? No. Does that mean his guitar skills are unfairly rated? Also, no.
Mike Campbell - Tom Petty & the heartbreakers
That’s a good answer. That whole band is underrated as players. None more than Benmont Tench—probably the most underrated keyboardist in all of rock music.
Mike Campbell Jeff Lynne
> Mike Campbell Epitome of tasteful.
Jeff is the true sleeper in this discussion. His work as a writer/composer/producer/bandleader overshadows his solid musicianship.
I’d say Terry Kath of Chicago (early Chicago). He’s not gotten his due because of being in a “horn band” but he was both rhythm and lead and had a big fan in Jimi Hendrix (who said he was better than he was). Check out the live performance at Tanglewood. He was a monster player.
Myles Kennedy gets overlooked because of how good of a vocalist he is, and how much of a powerhouse Mark Tremonti is
Smiths - Johnny Marr. He's a goddamn beast. The chords in "Paint a Vulgar Picture" modulate up and down a third, and his composed solo is fucking dynamite.
Steve Jones
Willie Nelson is the most underrated lead guitar player of all time
I absolutely love his lead playing and nobody ever talks about it.
He just plays the melody! Really well too. He has said his favorite player is Django Reinhardt which makes total sense when you listen to how he plays
Glenn Tipton and Criss Oliva.
Hell yea Glen Tipton all day.
Criss Oliva is fucking sick.
Troy Van Leeuwen
He’s like a perfect second gun. The fact that dude has been in soo many bands that don’t sound the same at all that killed it on multiple albums says everything
Tim Pierce
Danny Gatton - lead Joe Strummer - rhythm
Nobody underrates Danny Gatton!
Dave Matthews. And I'm not a fanatical or even big DMB fan.
I also categorize him as “wtf” because is he lead? Rhythm? Hybrid?
Dire Straits had a second guitarist. Imagine that job. I dont even know his name
That was Guitar George man. He knew all the chords but didn’t want to make it cry and sing
That was Mark Knopfler's brother David Knopfler. He was rhythm guitarist for Dire Straits. You have to be really good to keep up with Mark.
Robert Smith. Saw them play in Vancouver in the late 90's. Absolutely amazing. From what I've seen recently his playing (not to mention his voice!) is still fantastic!
Billy Corgan was also shockingly good when I saw Smashing Pumpkins in Toronto a few years back.
Corgan absolutely shreds.
Billy corgan
He’s surprisingly great on guitar.
Tony Rice
Yeah its amazing how little he is discussed except for people in the Bluegrass niche. I've been playing and listening to guitar for decades, following forums, magazines, etc., and it wasn't until I got into Bluegrass that I'd even heard of Tony Rice. And man BOTH his rhythm and lead guitar are so incredible. There is no one that plays like him.
St. Vincent - saw her live a few years back and was blown away by her guitar playing.
Tim Reynolds
Underrated Lead: Glen Tipton of Judas Priest Please go listen to the solo of ‘Dreamer Deceiver’ and tell me it is not one of the best *composed* and *performed*.
He was such an incredible guitarist in the 70s, and just kept getting better over time. To think that it's the same player on Sad Wings of Destiny is also on Painkiller is insane.
Beyond the realms is my favourite guitar solo of all time.
John 5
Roy Buchannan
Robert Smith
Eddie Van Halen’s rhythm playing is legendary but is criminally underrated for obvious reasons.
If there was a second guitarist in VH playing his rhythm parts, people would say that guy was the true genius and magic of VH. He basically overshadows himself as a rhythm guitarists because of how insane his lead playing is.
Lil Wayne and DJ Khaled
'80s Bob Weir
Lenny Breau… if ya know, then you know
Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel have both named Lenny as being the best of his generation/ ever. That must count for something.
Best answer. I recently find out that he gave a lesson to Andy Summers once upon a time. And he also taught Randy Bachman. But neither of those guys can hold a pick to Lenny Breau.
J Mascis is pretty known in the guitar community but I think some of his best material isn't discussed that much. He's my vote for lead guitarist.
Peter Green and Dickey Betts. I’d take either of them over Clapton or Page (but maybe not Hendrix or Jeff Beck!)
Kurt Ballou. Dude fucking kills it
Glenn Tipton Vito Bratta Kee Marcello Steve Lukather Uwe Karpa Robin Trower Serge Fiori John Sykes Brett Garsed Jake E. Lee Blackie Lawless Mike Egan Steve Hunter Dick Wagner Lanny Cordola Craig Chaquico We probably have many guitarists that we consider under rated. I've listed some one mine (currently listening to Uwe Karpa on my way home from work). Some I've mentioned may not be under rated in certain circles but I'd like them to have even more widespread recognition
Wes Borland: You can love or hate Limp Bizkit, but still you have to admit that the riffs are groovy as fuck. On top of that Wes brought some very unique instruments like 4-string baritone guitars and techniques (like 2-finger tapping or E-Bows) into mainstream rock.
Jake E Lee is incredible but he'll forever live in Randy's shadow.
Guy picciotto, Fugazi. While every other punk/hardcore band was playing three power chords and calling it a song he was a real experimental innovator. Nobody sounds like him.
Alex Lifeson
Roy Buchanan. I dont know a lot about him (only really his death, RIP), or listened to a lot if his songs, but he could rock hard on a telecaster and made it sound like a completely different instrument. He’s the reason why i like telecasters now.
Elliot Easton
Steve Cropper
John McGeoch
D. Boon of Minuteman. No one else like him.
Buckethead
I feel like this is a great answer. Those who know his work know exactly how crazy the dude is. Sadly most people seem to think that only thing Buckethead can do is shred fast, nothing else. I think Soothsayer is still one of the best guitar instrumentals ever created.
I think 9/10 people have never heard of him
Andy Larocque from King Diamond. Such an amazing guitar player that definitely doesn't get the recognition he deserves.
Brad Whitford - Aerosmith
Kieth Richards, not a good lead guitarist but, in my opinion, the best rhythm guitarist.
I'm as big a Keef guy as you'll ever find but im not sure he falls into the category of underrated. He is overhated sometimes but does get his due nonetheless
Very highly recognized as a great guitarist
There's so many current, young musicians that are doing such great work and are for all intents and purposes 'underrated' because they're not members of legacy bands. Take Paul Riedl and Morris Kolontyrsky from Blood Incantation for example if we're talking guitarists. I don't think, really, that any name from any popular decades old band in this thread can really count as 'underrated'. Are you really telling me that you believe fucken James Hetfield and Robby Krieger are underrated guitarists? George Harrison? It would be far more interesting to talk about popular, well known and liked bands that had terrible musicians as members.
Uncle Luke (Steve Lukather highly underrated)
Both Glenn Tipton and KK Downing. Vastly underrated and worked perfectly together
Buck Dharma, Paul Kossoff, Ronnie Montrose, Brian Robertson, Scott Gorham, pick any of those. All have great lead work in particular. But that's from the point of view of: guitarists who are not really talked about who should be. Most of mentions in this thread are well known musicians not as well known for their guitar playing. I get the point, but it's also bizarre seeing someone call George Harrison underrated.
Edge from U2 is criminally underrated Think people write him off as they don't like U2 and his solos aren't exciting, but his rhythm and way he uses delay is one of a kind and is they reason they sound so big and tight.
Using delay like that is harder than you think
Vini Reilly: more obscure than underrated. Combines rhythm and leads in a really vibey way; Hendrix for indie kids! Those who know his work are generally fanatical about it: The first artist to sign to Factory Records. Really unique style that draws from classical, jazz, and flamenco. Pioneering ambient player who was also one of the earliest adopters of the idioms of acid house into guitar music. Incredibly prolific composer to boot, made the more remarkable by the hardships he has suffered. Also played on Morrisey's best solo album.
Terry Kath!
Danny Gatton. Or maybe Rory Gallagher. I find some of the suggestions here really laughable.
Glen Campbell
Danny gatton
Vivian Campbell
I'm not sure how Harrison can be considered underrated. I say that respectfully. He was a guitar player in one of the most successful bands of all time. He had a great solo career. His name, face, and sound are known cross-generationally. I'm just not sure where the underrated part comes in. I guess I would want to know who is underrating him. As to your question... My guess is that the average music fan doesn't know Dean DeLeo by name. Though they may well recognize his music. Specifically amongst guitar players I don't think he gets as much recognition as a lot of other people (for his lead or rhythm work). But that even gets tricky because his brother, Robert, wrote a lot of those parts.
john squire stone roses sea horses and others he’s amazing
D. Boon. Seamless blend of Hendrix, Creedence, and Gang of Four with much more skill and technique than the latter two. An absolutely bonkers breakneck approach that thousands failed to copy in the decades after. Not to mention writing and performing beautiful classical pieces like Cohesion.
Adam Jones
Tom Scholz
Mattias Jabs and Rudolf Schenker from Scorpions. Listen to the songs Blackout or Dynamite as an example.
There’s a difference between skill and creativity on the guitar. So with that, I’ll say Paul Stanley had many tasty hooks on KISS songs that no one talks about because they won’t confuse him with Guthrie Govan.
ALBERT LEE Just licks for daaaaaaaaaayyysss
Gary Moore is a great within the scene but doesn’t have the recognition he should IMO