Most skilled guitar shredder?

[hungrych]

So who do you think is the most skilled shredder out there? I'd say it's a toss up between Jason Becker, Michael Angelo Batio, and Ron Thal.

On a side note, has anybody noticed that the faster they get the more it sounds like crap?

[Grand Enigma]

Hmm Marty Friedman, Joe Satriani and Stuart Hamm are pretty sweet too.

Can't forget Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai

[hungrych]

Hmm Marty Friedman, Joe Satriani and Stuart Hamm are pretty sweet too.

Can't forget Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai

I dunno, I think the three guys I mentioned are on a different level really. But the differences is that the guys you mentioned actually sound kind of like music...

If you haven't watched the video on youtube of Paul Gilbert and Marty Friedman on this wierd japanese tv show you have to, it's totally hilarious.

[Grand Enigma]

I dunno, I think the three guys I mentioned are on a different level really. But the differences is that the guys you mentioned actually sound kind of like music...

If you haven't watched the video on youtube of Paul Gilbert and Marty Friedman on this wierd japanese tv show you have to, it's totally hilarious.

Link?

[hungrych]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peQiudKTyiE&search=paul%20gilbert

And here's Batio going crazy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EL96KodJg0&search=michael%20batio

[tiberian]

john 5, jesper stromblad.

[Dusty Chalk]

On a side note, has anybody noticed that the faster they get the more it sounds like crap?

I disagree with this sentiment entirely. There is fast, and there is slow. On a completely different scale, there is good and there is crap. Sometimes they're both good and fast (Steve Howe comes to mind; Jimi); sometimes they're fast and crap (Malmsteen comes to mind -- he's good, but I would want to write out his solos for him).

Satch is a whole nuther level -- he is far and away the most lyrical of the current crop of shredders. Listen to Surfing with the Alien -- simply sublime.

Al Di Meola -- he started out as jazz/fusion, but then started getting faster for faster's sake (even he admits this, though I never minded it coming from him), then went through a period of deliberately avoiding speed and pursuing beauty (mid 80's), and lately has been melding the best of both worlds (World Sinfonia to the present). I think he's another one who has successfully maxed himself out on both scales (pardon the pun).

One of my personal favourite guitarists -- Buckethead -- isn't exactly famous for being emotive, but if you listen to Population Override, you know he can be. What I like about him is that he's versatile -- he can do anything from dark ambiences (the Death Cube K albums), to total shred (Bucketheadland 2) to just plain jam band goodness (Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains).

And sometimes they can be slow and good -- I don't like him, but I know a lot of people like The Edge from U2.

And people can be slow and crap -- listen to most every garage band ever.

So, to reiterate: five of my favourites are: Fripp (I know, I haven't mentioned him yet, but he is one of my favourites), Howe, Buckethead, Al Di, and Satch. Vai is good, too, but I don't rank him up there with Satch.

[steel102]

gotta be michael angelo IMO, because a lot of his stuff still sounds very melodic and enjoyable, not just an incomprehensible flurry of notes

[hungrych]

I disagree with this sentiment entirely. There is fast, and there is slow. On a completely different scale, there is good and there is crap. Sometimes they're both good and fast (Steve Howe comes to mind; Jimi); sometimes they're fast and crap (Malmsteen comes to mind -- he's good, but I would want to write out his solos for him).

Satch is a whole nuther level -- he is far and away the most lyrical of the current crop of shredders. Listen to Surfing with the Alien -- simply sublime.

Al Di Meola -- he started out as jazz/fusion, but then started getting faster for faster's sake (even he admits this, though I never minded it coming from him), then went through a period of deliberately avoiding speed and pursuing beauty (mid 80's), and lately has been melding the best of both worlds (World Sinfonia to the present). I think he's another one who has successfully maxed himself out on both scales (pardon the pun).

One of my personal favourite guitarists -- Buckethead -- isn't exactly famous for being emotive, but if you listen to Population Override, you know he can be. What I like about him is that he's versatile -- he can do anything from dark ambiences (the Death Cube K albums), to total shred (Bucketheadland 2) to just plain jam band goodness (Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains).

And sometimes they can be slow and good -- I don't like him, but I know a lot of people like The Edge from U2.

And people can be slow and crap -- listen to most every garage band ever.

So, to reiterate: five of my favourites are: Fripp (I know, I haven't mentioned him yet, but he is one of my favourites), Howe, Buckethead, Al Di, and Satch. Vai is good, too, but I don't rank him up there with Satch.

I have both the Satch and Buckethead albums you mentioned (Buckethead is one of my favorite guitarists), but these guys who are even faster seem to just play Pagini's 5th Caprice with 128th notes, which I find boring, unlike Satch who makes cool spacey songs, and Buckethead who I would hardly even classify as a shredder, even if he can shred.

[Dusty Chalk]

Have you heard "Requiem" by King Crimson? I doubt that anyone has ever played faster than that. And yet, so emotive. I have felt like that -- so frustrated, so angry and sad, with life -- and yet with the best of discipline, I doubt I could convey that feeling the way he did.

I suspect Buckethead and Satch can both play faster than they play most of the time, but don't, because it's not musically important to do so.

I stand by my statement -- the ability to play faster can be good, and make one a better player. I have heard crap played at all speeds. I completely disagree that there is a generalization that can be drawn as to speed and crapness. Think about it -- that means the reverse is true, too -- that the slower one plays, the better it is. I admit, there are guitarists could justify this statement (some of Gilmour's best single notes in a solo are the slowest ones), but for every one of those, I can throw 10 at you that suck.

[hungrych]

Have you heard "Requiem" by King Crimson? I doubt that anyone has ever played faster than that. And yet, so emotive. I have felt like that -- so frustrated, so angry and sad, with life -- and yet with the best of discipline, I doubt I could convey that feeling the way he did.

I suspect Buckethead and Satch can both play faster than they play most of the time, but don't, because it's not musically important to do so.

I stand by my statement -- the ability to play faster can be good, and make one a better player. I have heard crap played at all speeds. I completely disagree that there is a generalization that can be drawn as to speed and crapness. Think about it -- that means the reverse is true, too -- that the slower one plays, the better it is. I admit, there are guitarists could justify this statement (some of Gilmour's best single notes in a solo are the slowest ones), but for every one of those, I can throw 10 at you that suck.

I totally agree, I'm just noticing that the general trend (imo) seems to be that the faster they get the worse and less musical it sounds. I also agree that Buckethead, Satch, et al can play faster than they play most of the time but don't, and that's what seperates them from mindless shredders with amazing talent and skill but no musicality.

[aerius]

I was at the G3 '03 concert in Toronto and saw Satch, Vai, and Malmsteen cut loose and go nuts on their guitars. Malmsteen, when he doesn't get carried away, is actually surprisingly musical and enjoyable. Unfortunately he got pretty carried away doing speedruns in the last half of his set. Steve Vai was to me the most enjoyable performer that night, I like Satch's albums better but Vai had a great mix of songs & playing styles at the concert. He had a huge range of styles, moods, scales, and speeds, and he put it all together in a real musical and enjoyable way. Satch probably would've been just as good as Vai that night if he didn't keep dragging out the endings of every single song.

Overall, Malmteen takes it for pure speed, Vai for out of this world effects, and Satch for melodic music.

Oh yeah, videos.

Steve Vai - http://youtube.com/watch?v=cNIANq0bXms

Joe Satriani - YouTube - Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien

[Dusty Chalk]

Vai definitely has a wonderful stage presence -- I've seen him live several times.

[fante7]

Friday Night in San Francisco - Paco de Lucia, Al DiMeola, John McLaughlin

None of the guitarists mentioned can touch these guys.

[boodi]

steve vai ( a modern hendrix? imo)

I love his ways of music