The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

These names probably won't mean much to those of you who's idea of great rhythm guitar is a Les Paul or SG grinding away "power V chords" through a Marshall. :lmao:

40's: Freddie Greene who played with Count Basie was one of the greatest rhythm players of all time.

50's: Bo Diddley sure was great. There are others. I loved the rhythm guitar on some of the Everly Brothers things like Wake Up Little Suzie and Bird Dog and When Will I Be Loved. I think that was Chet Atkins. But I'm going to give the 50's award to CHUCK BERRY!

60's: I'm going to say three. John Lennon for sure! Robert White - the great guitarist who played with the Motown Band and played the riff on My Girl. Jimmy Nolin - the great guitarist who invented funk guitar and played with James Brown.

70's: Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner - the guy who played and sang with the Ohio Players. And Al McCay of Earth, Wind and Fire.
 
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Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

Gingrel said:
Apparently Malcolm did some lead solo stuff, i'd be very interested to hear it...
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Yeah,Angus once said Malcom could play rings around him,but he gave it up because practicing interfered with his drinking. :lmao:

Cheers,PJ
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

I would say Chuck berry and Roy Clark would be two good ones to listen to .
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

curtis mayfield
robert white
eddie willis
joe messina
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

Kerry King. Yes his leads are annoying as all hell, but his rhythms just smoke! Also, EVH's rhythms are sometimes more impressive to me than his leads, which is saying something. Kieth Richards is incredibly underrated, as is Malcolm Young, who IMO forms the sound of AC/DC more than even his brother. Tony Iommi of course. Also Ron Jarzombek because I'm in love with his playing.
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

jeremy said:
curtis mayfield
robert white
eddie willis
joe messina
Click to expand...

Good call Jeremy. Now we have given credit to all of the great Motown guitarists - except one: Wah Wah Watkins. Let's include him too.

And Curtis is such a good call, only by naming him we have to include those he influenced so profoundly: Jimi Hendrix and his protege, Stevie Ray Vaughn.
 
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Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

oilpit said:
Ehm, you DO know that both of them play nothing but open chords, right?...
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Open chords can be both rhythm and lead, therefore I´m not sure what you´re getting at. Please elaborate.

The fact of the matter is that on album 95% of all rhythm work is done by Malcolm Young, and live it´s still about 80%. Attributing that to Angus is like saying that Lars Ulrich does the lead guitar work for Metallica, as he´s also usually somewhere in the same studio at the time ;)
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

Elfunkenstein said:
Kieth Richards is incredibly underrated, as is Malcolm Young, who IMO forms the sound of AC/DC more than even his brother.
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Yeah, but people go to concerts to see Angus, not Malcolm. I listen to AC/DC only because of Angus. Without him the band falls apart. You can get other guys to play rhythm. There's only one Angus.

Maybe my disappointment with Keith (and Townsend) is that they weren't up to being lead guitarists, although they tried. In all fairness, I should look at their rhythm work without that influencing it.
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

blueman335 said:
Maybe my disappointment with Keith (and Townsend) is that they weren't up to being lead guitarists, although they tried. In all fairness, I should look at their rhythm work without that influencing it.
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Yep.

Especially considering that what makes a song is the rhythm playing. Not the solo.

Some people think I'm a pretty hot lead guitarist - but I've always known that I'd trade every one of my lead chops for the ability to lay down a groove like some of the black guitarists I grew up seeing around Detroit and who most of us will never know the names of. Such a gift - and a gift that I lack.
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

+1!

playing leads is nice and lots of fun. my strongest asset as a musician is that i will make the band sound better than if i wasnt there. its all about rhythm and supporting the focus of the music. could be a vocalist, could be a soloist but you support and accentuate what they are doing. the better you are at it, the less obvious it is.
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

Love the lists so far...

I'd add Alex Lifeson for the 70's and early 80's.

IMHO, Van Halen is a MUCH better rhythm player than lead, but he gets his notoriety from the lead work and the gimmick licks.

How about my man Billy Gibbons? I'll also throw out Mr. Sholtz.
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

jeremy said:
+1!

playing leads is nice and lots of fun. my strongest asset as a musician is that i will make the band sound better than if i wasnt there. its all about rhythm and supporting the focus of the music. could be a vocalist, could be a soloist but you support and accentuate what they are doing. the better you are at it, the less obvious it is.
Click to expand...

Maybe I have a short attention span, but I like a lot going on in a song, where I can listen to it over and over & hear new things. Which means all the instruments are doing a variety of things, rhythm guitar included. You may not notice half of it at first, but when you focus on one instrument, you hear really neat stuff you missed. The closer you listen, the more detail there is. Good musicians & producers can blend it all together nicely. To some people, maybe this is 'too busy' for them.

There are those of us that prefer the individual parts be basic and simple, and those that like them varied & complex. All a matter of taste. No right or wrong.
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

50s : Muddy Waters
60s : Jeff Beck
70s : Keef Richards / Malcolm Young
80s : Keef Richards / Malcolm Young / Izzy Stradlin
90s : Keef Richards / Malcolm Young / Gilby Clarke
00s : ermmmmmm . . .
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

I would suggest the guys from pearl jam... Jerry from AIC and.... Joe Bonamassa... and the guys from black crows... Mark Tremonti too, don't care what you think of Scott
 
Re: The Best Rhythm Guitarists?

rich robinson from the crowes is a great rhythm player, the other guys tend to be better lead players but i love me some audley freed and marc ford
 
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