I think it's about time the good guitar players out there get their recognition. By making a thread listing the unknown gods, hopefully people will be educated about them and their record sales will increase.
I'll start it off.
Roy Buchanan
This motherfucker could outplay almost ANYONE (except, maybe, Danny Gatton). Armed with only a telecaster, he would take simple blues songs like "Green Onions", and blast it into the stratosphere. He would literally shred on every song, taking his solos from single note runs to chorded attacks and squeals of feedback. I recommend everyone pick up his first album. If you don't hear more passion in the first bars of "The Messiah will Return" than in any Jimmy Page solo, you need to have your ears checked.
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As for my contribution I'd have to say the most unknown and unappreciated guitarist would have to be Bill Connors, he was the first electric guitarist to join Chick Corea's Jazz Fusion tour de force Return to Forever, however he only made one album with the group, their brilliant Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy in 1973. In 1974 he also provided the lead guitar on Stanley Clarke's self titled debut album, before fading away into the mist. His style is described as a mixture of John Coltrane and Eric Clapton, which makes for a very iinteresting combination as his solos contain the theory and intricacy of a jazz guitar solo, but with the overdrive and wide vibrato of a Cream solo. Here's a video that I think showcases his Clapton infused jazz guitar style that you will thoroughly enjoy listening to!
Not unknown, but less popular than I would expect. This guy blew me the fuck away at the Truro blues festival I went to in 2007.
Buckethead is my favorite. always will be.
Artak is legend as well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxvm2y8etxo
Nice! He's wearing a Turisas T-shirt also! I saw them live a few months back
Also,
No shit, that's cool