The Best (Relatively Unknown) Guitar Player

I like Leslie West. But I don't know if he's unknown or as underrated as some mentioned here. His Les Paul Junior has some great tone, and West has a tremendous vibrato skill.
 
Leslie West and Robin Trower..what???... They are both extremely famous who's guitar prowess is widely recognized.

If we were playing the obscure baseball player game it would be like you just mentioned George Brett and Robin Yount.
 
Of course there is Michael Karoli from Can, Harvey Mandel who was in Canned Heat for a while, although best represented from his early solo work and to get really obscure, Georg Waldenius who was in the band Made In Sweden, then Solar Plexus and left after one album to join Blood, Sweat and Tears for a brief stint.
 
Trower said:
Most I meet or know have never heard of Robin Trower, which is very sad.
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Amazing, I would have at least thought someone would have been familiar with him from his work from Procol Harum. Wasn't a song from "Bridge Of Sighs" in a beer commercial back in the 90's?
 
my 2 fav are dead, but believe me they count

1-Dimebag Darrell (Pantera)1966-2004
2-Christopher Michael Oliva (Savatage) 1963-1993
 
Robert Randolf and Junior Brown are not "relatively" unknown -- check out their Austin City Limits shows. Junior is to be seen live -- this amazing sound coming from a guy who looks like Ernest Tub after a bender.

With all the talk of Danny Gatton:

http://www.dannygatton.com/main.html

Gotta respect a guy who played in his band called Danny & The Fat Boys <G> Too bad he couldn't get past his demons, because he sure paid some dues.

Some people may not know he was a fabulous street rod builder/fabricator and would do metalwork with minimal regard for injuring his valuable hands. An original.
 
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I know some of you guys know who Luther Allison is/was. He was pretty much ignored until late in his life. A great performer.

cubdog
 
Gatton on top of the list,
also;
Walter Trout,
Sonny Landreth,

I'm going with the OP's original post. Ask anybody if you've heard of these players and you'll get that blank stare. It's hard to draw the line.

Of course many guitarists have heard of theese guys, but popular? I don't think so.

Just two I could recall off the top of my head.
 
"Best" guitar player is a tough one! I tend to gravitate toward players who lack technical skill but possess great feeling/passion/innate love of what they are doing on stage. I guess that is why I have to give a vote for Jonathan Richman. Pure emotion comes out of that Silvertone (or whatever he bought at Goodwill prior to the concert).
 
highfigh said:
I was wondering what happened to Patty Larkin. She's from MKE and I haven't heard anything about her in years.
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MKE? Was ist das? She's attended Berklee college of music in Boston, lives on the Cape, and is quite popular around here. We get to see her live in small venues about once a year; she's a terrific performer.

cubdog said:
I know some of you guys know who Luther Allison is/was. He was pretty much ignored until late in his life. A great performer.

cubdog
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I have identically one recording of him; a phenomenal version of the Stones' You Can't Always Get What you Want from an R&B Stones tribute album called Paint it Blue.
 
I have to go with Charlie (John) Whitney from Family and then Streetwalker---he was underappreciated for his playing and song writing.

Side note: A number of the folks mentioned in this thread have been profiled in the Tonequest Report if you want to read more about them.
 
Chris Whitley (1960-2005): Extraordinary slide guitarist, singer & songwriter.

Ollie Halsall (1949-1992): Southpaw genius of Patto, Timebox & The Rutles.

Bob Brozman: Bob is fortunately still with us and remains a slide master.

Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya: Lap guitar wizard from India.

Jerry Douglas: No longer obscure, still the best damned dobro bluegrass player.
 
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