I have heard Stevie Vai, and no, he is not as clean as kirk hammett is.

I have a personal favorite... although Hendrix is prolly the most talented one i can think of...Stevie Ray Vaughan... he died like almost at the beginning of his career in a heli crash but he was definitely amazing... his album Texas Flood is a must... In my personal opinion... Eddy Van Halen is a much better composer than he is a guitarist, creating very catchy riffs with a child's simplicity... any1 here remember "beat it" by michael jackson ? that melody took the world by swarm... that was him... and you'd be amazed at how easy that is to play on the guitar

ok, Metallica boyMetallica has sucked the monkey nuts since The Black AlbumI'm still saying Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimi Hendrix, Tom Morello, BB King

Yeah Metallica has sucked since then. But their previous work was good.

No need to insult me by calling me Metallica Boy. Let's just stick to the discussion at hand.Yeah, Metalica sucks now, I only listen to their stuff before the black album. Regardless, that doesn't mean he isn't the best guitarist. Listening to his stuff and comparing it to others is a pretty simple task I used for formualting my opinion.

he's good if we're talking metal/rocknot if we're talking all around guitarist

Metallica's last good album was the Black Album. Their new stuff isn't that great at all. It sounds like they are trying to recreate their original sounds.

one band... one nameBlack Sabbath, Tony Iommi

Billy Talent is a punk band.

People form punk bands because they suck at playing real music, as well playing instruments. Therefore it is an impossiblity for someone from a punk band to be labeled "best" at anything; aside from being best worst guitar player.

exactly

all punk bands now seem to be just me-toos who are trying to cash in on the 15 minute success of other punk bands

You guys know nothing of punk music. None of the "punk bands you mentioned are punk, they are all POSERS. Before you talk about punk go watch "SLC Punk" alright? that movie will do a much better job explaining the concept than i can. I know real punk music, but it's almost dead. I'm talking Dead Kennedys, State Raised, the Casuaties, groups like that (that i doubt you've ever heard of). I completly agree that all the bands you named under "punk" suck raw eggs and suck at the EMO crap they spit out that little emo boys eat up and then go cry about in a corner. I loves my urban dictionary, they always help me out.

Jimmy hendrix is top for all round greatness,

Eric clapton is the BEST blues guitarist ever without a doubt.

I totally agree shotty, right on, rock on....yar

All punk bands suck.But does that mean you can't like them? Of course not. I like the Clash, a little Ramones, Dead Kennedy's, The Stooges (one of the 1st punk bands, and the best), and various others.

they don't suck, they are good at their music, it's just not very musically oriented, the meaning behind the song is what's important.

Ha.Okay, they're good at the music they play. But the genre of music they play ISN'T GOOD, so it doesn't even matter. There are no awe-inspiring messages behind punk music. Seriously, it's not good.

Now that is subjective. Though i do not personally enjoy hearing "fight the system" yelled a lot, there are a number of people i personally know who take it to heart. My friends brother has a gang of guys and they bought an AK-47 so that if some sort of virus gets out and they quarentine the city they can shoot their way out. I don't like him, he pulled a switchblade on me.

No, it's an opinion. But opinions need to be based on facts in certain situations; such as this. The fact is that punk music has little to no musical skill, and little to no thought-provoking lyrics.Like I said though, I do enjoy some punk bands, but it has nothing to do with skill, just how it appeals to the ear.About lyrics; I don't care if some people take lyrics to heart like those people you mentioned, clearly they have problems. I could write something right now and someone, somewhere will worship it. That, in no way, shape, or form makes what I write good.

Wheather or not it takes skill is also subjective. I've heard punk songs that have had guitar parts that wowed me. Though i agree with the lyrics part, but that's not whats being argued in this thread. To the real punks, punks music appeals to the ear.

Skill is not subjective. A person either has skill, or he doesn't.

the subjective factor is the skill, you can't say that because you don't like teh music that they don't have skill.

*sigh* Hendrix foos

true dat

I would have ot say....(and going by what I listen to)1:Hendrix2:Hammett3:Kerry King4:Jeff Hanneman(This band "Slayer" #3 and 4 on my list is very good. They laid the tracks for punk metal. They are they best hands down in this area. With there super fast playing and the deap dark mind to get the lyrics of Tom Araya. And most bands suck playing live not them they play even harder and ferce. I got all kinds of bloody at that concert. Im not so much for metallica anymore with there new crap. It just stinks to all hell. Pitty anyone who likes it. I hope I don't get like that when im old. Example. Look at Slayer. They are almost in there 40's and there last album was still heavy as all heck. I have no more respect for Metallica they are coming to my town in a few months not even going to go see them not worth my money. Probley have guys tryen to hit on me the way there music is anymore.)4:Santana5:B.B. King

Metallica is still good, as long as they don't play the new stuff at concerts. I think people want to hear some of the good OLD stuff.

Exactly why im not going I don't want to hear any of there new stuff. I know they will play it. Im an old school metallica rocker by far.

Id have to say Randy Rhodes but hes dead now does that count?

BigBud? I am Your Father!!!!!!!i can Jam !!! heyThe Best guitarist bro is a Guy in My Pops Band! and there is No Doubt about it in my Mind! Your F'n Truely!,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,LP!