Best professional guitarists

[Jerome]

Are you guys all old hippys or what??? These players are all from the old old days. Stuff that we played in high school and then in bar bands for 20 years. Now let me clarify....I played them because they were not hard to play and I believe many others did the same or these guys wouldn't have been covered so much. SteveO'S Jazz picks aside. Al DiMiola had some hard ass chops to duplicate and the others as well. Today, there are guys out there that rip these older players apart in technical abilities and just all around musicianship. Steve Vai has got to be one of the best guitarists walking the earth today. Not only is he a brilliant guitar player, the guy composes symphonies with world famous composers (like his old band leader Zappa). Have you guys ever heard of Andy Timmons? That kid eats his guitar and spits it out and it still sounds like heaven on earth. John Mayer....c'mon...that kid can friggin play! Even guys like Joe Satriani (Mr. Pentatonic, 1,4,5 soloist) does what guys like Clapton and young were doing only a bazillion times faster and more proficiently. Sorry guys.....that old school minor pentatonic stuff is gone gone gone.....those guys are like the gunfighters at the turn of the century. They'll be remembered fondly but the new and improved guitar slingers have moved in.

To answer your first question - yes I am an old hippie. (Not hippy by the way)Secondly, while most of the guitarists you mention are undeniably talented, good guitar music does not neccessarily mean playing 10 0000 notes a second. Technical proficiency does not automatically equal a pleasant or emotive listening experience. I would rather listen to a simple emotive piece than a frantic flashy one.Finally, where do you think all these guys got their inspiration from? (maybe that 'old' bandleader Zappa had somehting to do with it ???)PS - you too will be old one day. Those metal studs and leathers are going to look pretty lame at 70 whereas my white hippie beard will look rather distinguished. I hope you see the funny side of this - many can't.Praise the Lord and pass the joint.................