The best ROCK guitarist of the modern era.

[sapphireskiss]

Guthrie Govan

 

[Tone Zone]

Guthrie Govan

THIS.

 

[ghosty999]

He does this thing

 

[Dave L]

I think we´d need to define the modern era first, a lot of dudes would probably not call Satch and Aldrich modern since they´ve both been around for thirty years or so. But I can sort of feel that anything post-Van Halen-1978 is modern era. What do you guys think?

As for Satch, for some reason I´ve never really been a fan. Obviously and objectively a monster player that should be up there in any discussion, but I think it´s his writing that doesn´t rub me the right way.

 

[Oblivion DC]

I think we´d need to define the modern era first, a lot of dudes would probably not call Satch and Aldrich modern since they´ve both been around for thirty years or so. But I can sort of feel that anything post-Van Halen-1978 is modern era. What do you guys think?

As for Satch, for some reason I´ve never really been a fan. Obviously and objectively a monster player that should be up there in any discussion, but I think it´s his writing that doesn´t rub me the right way.

Big +1 to everything you said.

Modern for me would indicate the last 10 years or so. Satch has been around for 30+ years and hasn't had a really noteworthy release in a long time. Even at the height of his popularity I may have liked 3 or 4 of his songs. I'm sure I'm not gonna get any likes on this but in my mind, for best modern players, I nominate Buz McGrath and Ken Susi.

 

[Beyond Black]

I'm gonna say that my old friend Joel Hoekstra is one of the hottest players around today. Listen to his solo albums, "Undefined," "The Moon is Falling," and "13 Acoustic Songs." There is no style that he can't play and completely dominate. The guy is a fucking MONSTER.

 

[Just Mike]

Is Petrucci too old?

 

[Beyond Black]

I'm gonna say that my old friend Joel Hoekstra is one of the hottest players around today. Listen to his solo albums, "Undefined," "The Moon is Falling," and "13 Acoustic Songs." There is no style that he can't play and completely dominate. The guy is a fucking MONSTER.

Thanks for the tip. Gonna go check this out right now.

You're welcome, and enjoy. He's extremely versatile and tasteful. You're an open minded dude, you'll love it.

 

[Starman22]

I thought Bonamassa's peeps had him placed into the #1 slot?

 

[XSSIVE]

What I take away from that video, Satch can wear the hell out of a silver jacket lol, Summer Song still has one of the coolest series of bends ever performed on a guitar (you know the section I mean just by me saying it), I need a sustainer in one of my guitars and Satch is a MONSTER!

 

[mudf00t]

Satch is a great guitar player... not sure I would call him "modern era" or even the greatest. Unless you have had your head in the ground, there are some crazy good guitar players that make Satch look like a dinosaur.

 

[scriptphase]

Hardly modern (only three years younger than EVH), but there's still not a better guitar player on earth than Michael Landau. Everything he plays is perfect.

If we're talking shredders, I'll throw some different names out.

 

[marshallmel]

Pablo Gilbert

 

[sytharnia1560]

randy rhoads

 

[bog70]

I gotta go with Mike Landau.

 

[the rossness]

Guthrie

 

[moltenmetalburn]

Abasi.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

There's a lot of technically gifted players out there, especially since the internet put learning stuff into warp drive.
I'll go ahead and cross off Doug Aldrich types because they are essentially copying someone else's creations (and putting a great flair of their own into it). Abasi is amazing but too much mathematical perfection. Joe Satch writes his own tunes and they are memorable. You have to have that and lead acrobatics. I really like Jeff Loomis a lot too ...though I wouldn't say Satch and Loomis have the world's best tone. Petrucci may have been it for me but I find DT unlistenable anymore because of the vocalist. I'm still open for candidates...

 

[Tone Monster]

Easy. Hetfield.

 

[nevusofota]

Nuno.


Nick Johnston is pretty new on the scene and is killing it.

I agree that Satch is hard to beat along with Vai and Gilbert. All in the same league IMO.