Prince was a hell of a guitar player.

That's a bold statement, and not one that I'd agree with.

But he was an incredible multi-talented musician and performer.

I feel that he was underappreciated in his lifetime, at least his last 20 years. Which is an amazing thing, given his superstardom.
 
I love how this was a remarkable and unexpected discovery when he played While My Guitar Weeps guitar solo at the Rock N Rock Hall of Fame. It was a bunch of middle class white rock fans that tuned out the black kid from Minneapolis that had always torn it up on his early albums and every live show he ever played. Some folks get insanely enthusiastic when they come late to a party. :thu:
 
I'll cast a big hell no he's not the best guitarist since Hendrix. He's in the top 100 of playing licks that others came up with and he could put on one hell of a show. Mind blowing shows and a hell of a talent when it comes to playing more than one instrument. I watched 20 minutes of both videos you're gonna have to point out something innovative and fresh that changed the world of guitar playing because I didn't find it. Hendrix influenced how the world plays guitar. EVH influenced how the world plays guitar. Vai, SRV, Duane Allman, Shawn Lane, Dime, Wylde, Dave Peverett, Buddy Guy, B. B. King, Freddie King, Albert King, Ace Frehley, Ted Nugent, Satch, Jerry Cantrel, Charlie Star, Paul Jackson, Chuck Berry, Doc Watson, Gary Clarke, Jr., George Thorogood, J. J. Cale, Jeff, Beck, John Lee Hooker, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Lowell George, James Hetfield, Lemmy, Muddy Waters, Neil Young, Henry Paul, Hughie Thomasson, Peter Frampton, Keith Richards, Rory Gallagher, Son Seals, Steve Earle, Billy Gibbons, I can say influence my playing. I've never watched Prince and said damn, wonder how he's doing that with a guitar because I had already heard it somewhere else.
 
No disrespect at all, I used to think Prince was an otherworldly guitarist. Myself, I'm a hack, but when @Kerouac gave me "When Doves Cry" for the White Elephant Recordingfest a few years ago I thought I was totally screwed. It didn't take me long though before I demystified his technique and approach... which, as it turned out, wasn't all that different from my own, albeit much flashier. I dare say that I aped the Buhgeezis out of the guitar parts in that song. If I can play it, it ain't so incredible.

He's essentially a combo of Gilmour and Schon but at double speed. Three finger, melodic riffs crammed together. It works, it sounds amazing, but it's far more style than substance.

Sent from Crab Nebulae via reverse engineered alien technology
 
micwalt said:
Excellent player. Not even remotely the best. Who cares? He was a phenomenal talent.
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Yeah, he decided years ago that instruments are to serve the music and spent a lot time NOT featuring guitar with any level of prominence on his songs/recordings. When he felt a song needed it, he add great stuff. When it didn't, why try to force it. Definitely an incredible talent.
 
I think his rhythm playing is nonpareil. Way, way better than anything up to that time. Sure, it is not difficult to play. Copying licks is much easier than creating them
 
OGG said:
... If I can play it, it ain't so incredible...
...it sounds amazing...
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I have trouble finding the compatibility of these statements. It's a common sentiment I have heard from a lot of guitarists. I guess it points to our "achievement guitar" tendencies. But if it sounds amazing, WTF else matters?
 
Hubert Stumblin said:
Here's something we should all keep in mind when somebody says "So-and-so was a hell of a guitarist." There's no such thing as the "best" guitarist. He was a motherfucker of a guitar player. That's all that matters.
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"He was a motherfucker of a guitar player. That's all that matters."

Quoted for truth.
 
he plays beautifully is a better way to put it. Technically he's nowhere near the best, but I think many of the best technical players don't play beautifully. Having said that Frampton Live still has one of my favorite guitar solos ever.
 
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