Love all those guys. The Stones are probably my favorite band. And Cream definitely in my top 10. But out of all those guys the only one you can look at and say wow he definitely changed the way people play (much like Eddie Van Halen) is Jeff Beck. Beck is Probably the fourth face I’d put on the mt Rushmore along with Hendrix, Vaughn, and Van Halen.I think folks are substituting technical dexterity fir best guitarist. (Though Beck could do things in his sleep that EVH couple never do). But technical dexterity isn’t the be all and end all of playing. If you want to talk about changing the way the instrument is played, Chick Berry is the greatest guitarist of all times, followed by early distortion pioneer Ray Davies.
P.S. Best concert I ever saw was a Double Bill Jeff Beck & Stevie Ray Vaughn. ‘89 in Houston at a relatively small venue. Me and my buddy had 6th row center seats. At the time I was already a huge Stevie Ray fan but that’s where I Really learned about Jeff Beck.
And you have to look past personal taste Winn D. I can make a case that Glenn Danzig (in his prime) is a better singer than Freddie Mercury, but that’s just because I like Danzig more than I like Queen. But when it comes down to analytical thinking I know Freddie is the better singer. Originally Posted by Hank3fan
I think all,of those I listed are far more talented, more musical, and especially versatile that EVH.