The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

kramer.geetar said:
80's: EVH! I mean come on, how many cool riffs can one man have in 1 decade? MEAN STREET!!!
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+1. In an era where a lot of rhythm guitar consisted of straight eighth note power chord chugging, Van Halen used melody, a variety of voicings, and more interesting rhythms to craft his rhythm parts. Understandably, that comes from his playing piano. A lot of his rhythm guitar parts could easily translate to piano parts. The guy knows how to come up with exciting and interesting riffs!
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

50s: John Lee Hooker, Muddy Wates.
60s: Hendrix, Townsend, Keith Richards, Steve Cropper.
70s: Townsend, Page, Malcolm Young.
80s: EVH.
90s: The Edge.
00s: Malcolm Young...

I really like funk players but can't remember too many names... listen to anything by James Brown, Average White Band and Parliament.
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

50's: Willie Johnson, Luther Tucker, Eddie Taylor, Mickey Baker, Freddie Green, Buddy Holly, Jimmy Rogers

60's: Steve Cropper, Jimmy Nolan, Hubert Sumlin, Cornell Dupree, Al Casey, Grady Martin
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

60's: Jimi Hendrix, George Harrison.

70's: Jimmy Page by far, also Michael Schenker, Ritchie Blackmore could play a mean rhythm guitar too, he just didn't do it too often.

80's: James Hetfield, EVH.

90's: Ty Tabor, The Edge, Dean DeLeo.

00's: No idea.

It's actually closer to my favorites rather than objectively the best rhythm player from each era, but I love their approaches to the instrument.
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

ES350 said:
50's: Willie Johnson, Luther Tucker, Eddie Taylor, Mickey Baker, Freddie Green, Buddy Holly, Jimmy Rogers

60's: Steve Cropper, Jimmy Nolan, Hubert Sumlin, Cornell Dupree, Al Casey, Grady Martin
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I've heard of maybe three of these guys. Guess it's time once again to bolster the record collection.

- Keith
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

wahwah said:
most of the artists I work for are established singers with their own career history and repertoire, and the audience has come along to hear them, and not my guitar embellishments. The audience want to hear the song, as they know it. Since they are not guitar-centric, they really mainly want to hear the singer. So I keep my rhythms solid and steady, and supportive of the vocal. It's a professional discipline.
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Agreed. As far as being hired to back up a singer, yeah, you're in the background. Too flashy & you're out. You're an employee, not the boss. My comments were from the perspective of a band where all members are of equal standing, and everyone's free to play what they want so along as the song still works. Their judgement is trusted.

In the context of 'best rhythm guitarists' of the OP, these guys we've mentioned are in their own bands, so they decide what they play. If they're repetitive song after song, it's their choice. The rhythm players that stand out to me are the ones that take a different approach from the crowd, & go beyond 'solid and steady.' Yes, that takes talent & discipline, but I think that it takes more talent to add variety & flair. If the band's a democracy, it's not asking too much. You've got other guys doing solos. Why not let the rhythm player have some fun too? It can be creative in its own way.
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

It's hard to beat Malcolm Young. Steady, Rockin', clean and full of energy.
If we talk metal, there are very common names. Stradlin, Scott Ian, Mustaine, Hetfield, JEFF WATERS (which is in my book one of the best pickers ever), Morton.
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

WOW! 50 posted and nobody mentioned Curtis Mayfield or Bob Weir !
FYI all those pretty arpeggioed Chord voicing that Jimi used (i.e.) Little wing, Casltes made of sand, etc. Straight out of the Curtis Mayfield playbook.:cool2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25mnS2Muw-Q
 
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Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

I was going to mention Jimi Hendrix, but when one says RHYTHM guitarists... I think of people who play jazz and can play all those abstract chords.
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

Paul Simon, John Fogerty (his brother, too), the guys from The Funk Brothers just to add some more names to the long list.
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

daemon barbeque said:
It's hard to beat Malcolm Young. Steady, Rockin', clean and full of energy.
If we talk metal, there are very common names. Stradlin, Scott Ian, Mustaine, Hetfield, JEFF WATERS (which is in my book one of the best pickers ever), Morton.
Click to expand...

Ah I feel bad for forgetting about Jeff Waters.
Great guitarist:headbang:
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

50's: Chuck Berry? Elvis' guitarist?
60's: George Harrison? Keith 'fvckin' Richards?
70's: Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi and Malcolm Young?
80's to 00's: Dave Mustaine, with EVH a close 2nd.
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

50's: Elvis Presley!! Seriously, some of the acoustic rhythm playing on his early stuff is great!
60's: Hendrix, Townshend
70's: Malcolm Young, Nile Rodgers
80's: EVH
90's: Nuno Bettencourt
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

Zerberus said:
Ehm, you DO know that Malcolm does most of the rhythm work, right?
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Ehm, you DO know that both of them play nothing but open chords, right?


As for my answer

50's: Joe Pass
60's: Keef and Pete Townsend
70's: Townsend again
80's: EVH, Hetfeild, Izzy
90's: Graham Coxon
00's: Who cares...
 
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