The best guitarists of our time
Today, more than ever, you can hear many of the old guard saying that “there is no good music today.” For rock folk, this is synonymous with the assumption that there are no great guitarists today.
In fact, there’s a whole new renaissance of guitar going on, with some players leading a new, radically different approach to guitar sounds and techniques.
Today we’re going to give you our selection of the best live and artistically powerful guitarists of our time. Let’s jump right in!
Tosin Abasi
The Animals as Leaders’ axeman has undoubtedly cemented his place among modern guitar giants.
He set out to reinvent the guitar technique and he succeeded! His addition of tapping, sweeping, “thumping” and finger picking has definitely left its mark on the modern guitar style.
He is also well known for some of the highest shredding abilities. If you add to that his use of eight-string guitars, you can’t even begin to imagine the kaleidoscopic virtuosity of his playing style.
If you want to hear an incredibly unique guitar hero of our time, you must check out Mr. Abasi’s work!
Misha Mansour
Mr. Mansour has become such a prominent figure in the world of modern shred guitar that it’s hard to believe he’s only been on the scene for about ten years!
One of the most impressive achievements of this impeccable master is the number of other musicians he has influenced over the years. Namely, his distinctive sound helped define the modern sound of progressive metal. But even more importantly, the guy helped create a whole new musical genre!
As many of you know, Misha is one of the main sources of influence on djent. His technical, thrashy and surgically precise shred style helped define one of the most important metal genres of the last decade.
Finally, one of the coolest things about him is his competence in various fields. He’s a great songwriter, producer, and programmer, as well as a true hardware enthusiast.
Joe Satriani
What hasn’t been said about Joe Satriani? His impressive career has shaped the language of 80s guitar playing. Over the years, he continued to release great albums.
The best part is that he didn’t rest on his laurels! All of his work to date has pushed the boundaries of the world of guitar playing.
In addition to all this, during the 80s he was a guitar teacher for some of the best guitarists of that era! Kirk Hammett, Marty Friedman, and Alex Skolnick (just to name a few) learned their tricks from Mr. Satriani.
The most impressive thing about Joe is his continuous search for innovative guitar expression, which has been going on since the 80s, without any dip in quality! He is a true legend and one of the greatest of all time!
Jared James Nichols
Although JJN isn’t as innovative as some of the other guys on this list, he’s just as impressive! The fact that the guy managed to take classic blues and rock and do something refreshing with it is simply beyond comprehension!
The best part is that he didn’t add anything really new and innovative, he just took what was already there and played it with such taste and authenticity. It really brings a whole new level of appreciation to these legendary genres!
What is unique about him is his technique of playing without picking. Even better, his intensity of playing doesn’t suffer from this, but somehow he manages to reach a whole new level!