Which Guitar Players Influenced You the Most?

[darkbluemurder]

Title says it all.

The guitarists that influenced me most are (in no particular order)

- as early influences: Eric Clapton, Michael Schenker, Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, Dickey Betts, Duane Allman (for slide playing)

Of course there are many more I really like but these were the ones that made me want to play the guitar.

Cheer Stephan

[Attica!]

For me it was Yngwie Malmsteen. I like other guitarists now, who are a bigger influences to me this day. But with Yngwie, it was my transition from playing powerchords to actually soloing. learning his stuff as a beginner really gave me a workout, and gave the chops/technique to advance really fast. I probably advanced faster in that 1 year, as i have the last 5 years.

[Twinfan]

Slash - for the image and persona
Angus and Malcolm Young - for the tone and groove
Billy Gibbons - for both of the above  8)

[Philly Q]

Of course there are many more I really like but these were the ones that made me want to play the guitar.

On the same basis:

Ritchie Blackmore, Robin Trower, Michael Schenker, Leslie West, Rick Derringer, Roy Buchanan, Jimi Hendrix, Ronnie Montrose, Alex Lifeson, Rick Medlocke (usually forget to mention him!), Randy California (and him!), Carlos Santana.

Loads more too, of course, but I think those were the "first wave" of guitar heroes for me.  Most of them are still my favourites today.

Never learned to play like any of them, though....

[Dmoney]

Kurt Cobain early early early on.
Devon Williams of Osker
AJ Novello of Leeway
Paris Mayhew of Cro Mags
Dr Know of Bad Brains
Mike Dijan of Crown of Thornz

[FELINEGUITARS]

Different guitarists for different reasons

For their sense of melody:
MichaeL Schenker
George Lynch
Gary Moore
Brian May
Mark Kendall
John Norum
Wolf Hoffman

For making me rock:
Paul Stanley & Ace Frehley
Rudolph Schenker & Matthias Jabs
Vinnie Vincent (for the riffs and songwriting rather than soloing)
Steve Clark and Pete Willis (Def Leppard's High n Dry is a masterpiece)
Bernie Marsden and Mickey Moody
Mick Mars (because he made simple work so well)

[keith]

Paul Kossoff
But I also like Billy Gibbons, Michael Schenker

[dave_mc]

most of those 80s guys :lol:

[Attica!]

Come to think of it, Jake E. Lee was a huge inspiration. That guy had loads of talent. May people regard Randy Rhoads as Ozzy's greatest guitar player, and he was a great player, but Jake E. Lee just had something special. His note choices and riffs were just spectacular

[Tellboy]

Jeff Beck (pre Strat)
Clapton (pre D & Dominoes)
Peter Green (pre acid trip)
Ritchie Blackmore (pre pixie hat & tights)
Paul Kossoff (pre 19th March 1976)

[Frank]

Ritchie Blackmore - I'd be about 12 or 13, my older brother had a Purple compilation album and the second I heard Smoke on the water I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

Eric Clapton - never listen to him now but I did love some of his stuff.

Richard Thompson - because he's utterly stunning.

Jeff Beck - haters gonna hate. I love his tone, phrasing, every note the man plays is magical.

[richard]

Johnny Winter, Rory G, Frank Zappa and ...... Marc Bolan - I loved some of his simple phrases. Guitar playing has changed enormously since I started playing in 1974 and I understand why EVH, YJM, Paul Gilbert etc are so popular and influential. But I still like to hear players who's roots are in blues more than those with classical influences.

I took classical piano lessons for many years and ended up hating it so when I hear YJM (for example) I hear all those scales that I spent years playing over and over again. I got a copy of J Winter's Captured Live a couple of weeks ago after not hearing it for many years and it is still mindblowingly good. Not least because it bears no resemblance to classical music.

[Brow]

I originally started playing guitar when I was 8 but quit soon after and picked it up again when I was about 13 or 14.

The 1st players that got me playing again were Ace Frehley, Slash and Brian May and those 3 are still in my top 5 list to this day along with Randy Rhoads and Gary Moore.

I like alot of players for different reasons but those 5 are my favourites.

[Frank]

There's more ...

Mark Knopfler - Dire Straits may not have been very street cred but some of his solos are sublime.

Andy Summers - for inspiring me to switch off the bloody distortion and play properly

Mike Oldfield - bit of an odd choice but as a kid I loved Tubular Bells and his guitar playing is seriously underrated

oh, and that Gilmour bloke as well I suppose

[Attica!]

I've just thought of something this exact minute. I have to say, my actual biggest influence, and the greatest respect goes out to Jason Becker. His story is such a story that gives you inspiration to succeed. He's absolutely a genious and such a guy which all guitar players should respect!