Great Prog Rock Guitarists

[jay hay-char]

Who's missing from this picture, in your opinion?

Not sure I'd include Greg Lake, who is really just a bass player who occasionally picks up an acoustic, but I'm struggling to think of anybody to add.

Fred Frith of Henry Cow would be the only one I'd add but he's (a) very obscure and (b) arguably avant-garde rather than prog. The likes of Jimmy Page are Heavy Metal, not Prog, so they don't qualify.

Discuss; particularly if you're an old fart who grew up in the 70's .

 

[noblehead]

Some of them wouldn't be on my list, I'd include Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halan, Steve Vai, Richie Blackmore, Mark Knopler, Brian May and Slash to name a few.

 

[jay hay-char]

All fine guitarists, but I'm not sure I'd regard any of them (with the possible exception of Brian May) as playing Prog Rock.

But that's probably a separate discussion

 

[chris lowe]

I'd better not say on what I think about Dave Gilmour! Not a fan

 

[chris lowe]

Robert Fripp is already in there. Love 21st Century Schitzoid man

 

[jay hay-char]

I went to school near Wimborne for some years and you would occasionally see Fripp wandering around the town (he was born and lived there, for many years). I once saw him eating what I took to be an apple but when I got closer it looked more like an onion. I never got close enough for a definitive ruling

Mad as a box of frogs, but a great musician

 

[julifriend]

They mostly seem to be from the '70s classic prog period. The '80s had a few good ones, ie Francis Dunnery from It Bites. There are many great recent prog guitarists of which Roine Stolte may well be one of the best along with the guy from Opeth, Mikael Akerfeldt.

That said, the best prog music was made by the keyboard players in the bands. I much prefer a great Moog solo to one played on guitar.

 

[Skydog76]

James Litherland, Pye Hastings, Kerry Livgren, John Weinzierl, Claude Engel, John Lees, Frank Bornemann, Graeme Taylor, Tony Duhig, Ced Curtis, Vladimir Nikamo, to name several