Which 80s finger slinger wrote the most unique solos?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Matt300ZXT
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Just 80s hair guys? I guess for me that'd Reb Beach on the first Winger, Huff on the Giant album.
But early 80s Uli Roth in Beyond The Astral Skies
 
I gotta feeling this is going to make one member angry here but Frank Hannon of Tesla ?
 
I think there were quite a few.
George Lynch
Steve Vai
Eric Johnson
Akira Takasaki
Vito Bratta
Reb Beach
Zakk Wylde
Warren DeMartini
Joe Satriani
Marty Friedman
Jason Becker
Paul Gilbert
The list is pretty damn long.
 
Eddie, of course. It became "stock" because everyone copied him, but the quantum leap that was VH1 compared to what was around at the time cannot be overstated.
 
Unless I missed it I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Nuno yet, dude had some great stuff on the early extreme albums.
 
None of the people mentioned are unique enough to even named except Alan Holdworth or Chris Poland. They play to their own far outside the box in left field. Chris mangled his hand, thank God he kept playing and delivered us some unorthodox playing that was his own and Alan, who can explain what he did but it is unique without equal.

Afa Marty goes he exaggerates to the extreme but stays within the lines unlike Chris or Alan.
 
I know someone earlier mentioned Uli, but what's the consensus on Matthias Jabs?
 
None of the people mentioned are unique enough to even named except Alan Holdworth or Chris Poland.
While I don't disagree on Holdsworth and Poland, I'm calling bullshit on your sweeping statement.
Plenty of guys that were mentioned here could play a few notes and you could easily identify them purely based on phrasing.
If a guy like Akira Takasaki is not unique enough, name one guy that played like that and got identified as such?
Even Slash, whose switching between Dorian and Phrygian scales is immediately recognizable...
The fact that you could nowadays come up a Dokken-style riff tells me that Lynch put his signature on it...so yeah he's unique enough.
 
Marty friedman, even though his best output was in the 90's. Also, Chris Poland... You ever try to play his solos with same feel? It's practically impossible, not even Friedman could do it. Also notable mention, Vai.
 
Eddie, of course. It became "stock" because everyone copied him, but the quantum leap that was VH1 compared to what was around at the time cannot be overstated.
Ed is not 80's though. He debuted in '78.

Now, little doubt his influence was massive as most every player "borrowed" something from him but still alot of unique players like Sykes and Campbell that came from the G Moore tree.

That's what I love about those early 80's players like Lynch and DeMartini, there's a few things here or there from Ed but not outright mimicry as some would do. I mean I actually prefer Vito to Ed but let's be real - Vito took from Ed heavily and made it his own thing but no Ed, no Vito.
 
Ed is not 80's though. He debuted in '78.

Now, little doubt his influence was massive as most every player "borrowed" something from him but still alot of unique players like Sykes and Campbell that came from the G Moore tree.

That's what I love about those early 80's players like Lynch and DeMartini, there's a few things here or there from Ed but not outright mimicry as some would do. I mean I actually prefer Vito to Ed but let's be real - Vito took from Ed heavily and made it his own thing but no Ed, no Vito.

Your point here is extremely well taken. I often take the same opinion. That said, imo, Fair Warning and 1984 were just on another level. One doesn't have to like EVH to see how shit like this influenced guitarists. By the time 1984 came out, and guitarists were trying to cop his earlier stuff, Ed was rushing in a whole new era and tone. Not to mention the guitar work on Diver Down.

But generally, I agree. When I think of hair metal bands of the 80's I do not really think of Van Halen.




 
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