I tried to find those guys on eMusic.com and not much came up.

Although plenty came up for Bumblefoot! I can't common on his guitar-playing because his singing turned me off of listening to the much of each song ? *duck and cover*

I DID, however, find a very nice chilled Jazz Guitar album. Check it out:
http://www.emusic.com/album/Various-Artists-The-Very-Best-Of-Smooth-Jazz-Guitar-MP3-Download/10924273.html

You get something like 20 free downloads on eMusic, so you can check it out for free if you don't have an account there yet.

Another guitarist or 2 I like include:

Victor Olsson -- Look for his song, "Rage of the Parrot". His unsigned, so you'll have to Google for him.
Tommy Merry -- Look for "Above and Beyond" & "F.O.G". I bought his CD off of his site (www.tommymerry.com, I think) and it's quite good.

I'll have to check out all these names you mention. I have to admit a gap in my education here ?

My favs are:
Eric Clapton (Got to be)
Dave Gilmour (His phrasing is supperior to anything else)
Yngwie Malmsteen (He seem to have limited following in SA, but I rate his concerto as one of the best gauitar albums in the last few decades)

There are many I love, but these are the guys I vote for the top job as guitar gods.

Im not a big fan of old yngwie, sure he is THE neoclasical guitar dude, but all his music sounds exactly the same too me.

True guitar gods of today include :

Matthew Bellamy ( The muse )
Tom Morello (RATM & Audioslave) )
John Petrucci ( Dream Theatre )

There are ALLOT more.

Seeing as I'm bored, and having a break from practise, I'll put up my favourite guitarists, in no order:

Joe Satriani
Steve Vai
Eric Johnson
John Petrucci
Paul GIlbert
Brian May
Gary Moore
Ritchie Sambora (Yes, his solo's SUIT Bon Jovi)
Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard)
Phil Collin (Def Leppard)
Mick Mars
Tony Macalpine

I also wanna put up some of my pet hates when it comes to cliche choices of 'legends'

Jimi Hendrix
Eric Clapton
Carlos Santana
B B King
and so on and so forth ?

Francis Viviers wrote: True guitar gods of today include :
Tom Morello (RATM & Audioslave) )

Ooh. Yes. I like... I've been listening to the latest Audioslave a lot lately.

Satriani wrote: I also wanna put up some of my pet hates when it comes to cliche choices of 'legends'

Jimi Hendrix
Eric Clapton
Carlos Santana
B B King

Fair enough. I often get into trouble for saying Clapton and Santana as having no special ability. Many confuse popularity with technical skill (just look at any "top" 100 solo list and you'll see a lot of entries that prove that).

Hendrix - hmm., we could come to blows over that ;D . The thing you have to understand about Hendrix is context - sure, by modern standards he's nothing technically special, but you have to understand what a colossal paradigm shift he was for guitar in the late 60's. He often went overboard and was often way too stoned to give his best performance (although his audience was usually just as bad, so appreciated it), but otherwise no-one before or since has had as large an impact on guitar playing.

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
Hendrix - hmm., we could come to blows over that ;D . The thing you have to understand about Hendrix is context - sure, by modern standards he's nothing technically special, but you have to understand what a colossal paradigm shift he was for guitar in the late 60's. He often went overboard and was often way too stoned to give his best performance (although his audience was usually just as bad, so appreciated it), but otherwise no-one before or since has had as large an impact on guitar playing.

I Totally agree with you on this one Alan. A lot of people think Hendrix is overated, But I think he was a (kinda like a trendsetter) for the way peolpe play even today.

SOme players that no one seem to mention here is
Jimmy Page - Led Zeppelin
Joe Perry - Aerosmith
Keith Richards - Rolling Stones

The guitarist from the band "GIANT" .... really good choice of notes

Tommy Emaneul , as Alan pointed out, really good melodies and insane fingerpicking

This is a serious old Aussie toppie that cooks on any Takamine

well screw it here is my list...

John Petrucci
Bumblefoot
Guthrie Govan
Neil Zaza
Mattias "IA" Eklundh
Yngwie Malmsteen
Steve Vai
Rusty Cooley
Nuno Bettencourt
John 5
Greg Howe
Dave Martone
Steve Lukather
Al Di Meola
Zakk Wylde
Jason Becker
Al Pitrelli
Paul Gilbert
Francesco Fareri
Frank Gambale
Goncalo Pereira
Buckethead
Mario Parga
Robert Marcello
Christophe Godin
Bill Peck
Andy Timmons
Jeniffer Batten
Michael Romeo
Shawn Lane
Vinnie Moore
Tony McAlpine
Synyster Gates
Steve Morse
Richie Kotzen
Michael Hedges
Robert Fripp
Pat Metheny
George Benson
Lee Ritenour
Rafael Serrallet
Paco De Lucia
Allan Holdsworth
John McLaughlin
Kaki King
Preston Reed
Erik Mongrain
Don Ross
Kiko Loureiro
Theodore Ziras
Al Estrada
Stanley Jordan
Daniele Gottardo
Chris Impelliterri

Just a really long bunch of names but hey I like something about all of them. ?

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Guthrie Govan - Amazing. Check out Erotic Cakes (if you haven't already).

+1000

I've never listened to a non-metal album more than I have this one.
I think I might actually have listened to this more than some metal albums lol

+1 On Pat Metheny too, went to see him live and have his DVD, pretty sweet!

Dann Huff guitarist for Giant, brilliant player

Also
Brent Mason
Thomas Blug
Carl Verheyen - Almost better than Eric Johnson, but sucks at vocals just like Eric
Phil Keaggy
Gabrielle the other half of Rodrigo, boy is her flamenco thing good
Manuel Barrueco did an Album with Morse, Summers and di Meola, brilliant Nylon sound
Rory Galagher awesome Irish guitarist
Neil Schon (ex Journey)
Pierre Bensusan good frenchy, DADGAD tuning I think
Uli Roth - scorpions guitarist on some seventies albums "Virgin Killer"
Martin Barre -Jethro Tull

the list goes on.......

sepheritoh wrote: I'll have to check out all these names you mention. I have to admit a gap in my education here ?

My favs are:
Eric Clapton (Got to be)
Dave Gilmour (His phrasing is supperior to anything else)
Yngwie Malmsteen (He seem to have limited following in SA, but I rate his concerto as one of the best gauitar albums in the last few decades)

There are many I love, but these are the guys I vote for the top job as guitar gods.

Clapton is one of the main reasons I fell in love with music. But I'm thinking of things he cut back in the 60s.

These days he sounds like he's never heard rock 'n roll. Still a more than handy player, but seems to have no inspiration and I don't find him inspiring.

Plus his marketing has been good. Thinking back to that 60s blues boom in the UK I don't even think he was the best player to come out of that scene. I preferred Peter Green - a marvellous player. Green went off the tracks though - mental problems probably made worse by large amounts of chemicals.

Green founded the original Fleetwood Mac. They sounded nothing like today's Mac.

These days he sounds like he's never heard rock 'n roll. Still a more than handy player, but seems to have no inspiration and I don't find him inspiring.

A matter of personal taste. I loved the Clapton of Cream/Blind Faith era. I thought his playing had died and gone to hell in 30 years until about 2000. I love what his doing this century, Reptile Tour, Crossroads concerts. The man seems to have found his soul again and he's comfortable with it.