Who's your favourite, lesser-known, player.

[wassholm]

One of my favorite guitar players is Ani DiFranco. I only found crappy videos of her playing though... I get the feeling that most people just think of her as a singer/song writer, but I think she's a brilliant player as well.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb1-W2EUZVc[/youtube]

As far as bass players, I really like John Humphrey. He plays in Scot Henderson Trio, but I think he still qualifies as lesser known.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzTXzrzPSwo[/youtube]

 

[m4rk0]

Adrian Belew, Marc Ribot, Nels Cline. Not all that unknown to guitarists, but the man on the street has never heard of them. @ work so no Youtubing.

I always wondered if Roine Stolt is a huge celebrity in your country..
I went through a flower kings phase 4 years ago, and am very fond of Transatlantic at the moment..
anyway, I like him... he is kind of a smoother version of Steve Howe

 

[tangent]

Bill Frisell.. not incredibly obscure but an amazing player, not an over-the-top shredder but his expressiveness is extraordinary.. He can play the simplest of melodies in a way that makes them sound unique and alive, kind of reminds me of SRV in that way, you can hear a million people cover SRV songs and hit all the right notes but Stevie himself had that something special that took it to a different level.

Ulf Wakenius would be my second choice, he probably better fits the bill of 'lesser-known'

 

[bagman67]

Bill Frisell.. not incredibly obscure but an amazing player, not an over-the-top shredder but his expressiveness is extraordinary.. He can play the simplest of melodies in a way that makes them sound unique and alive, kind of reminds me of SRV in that way, you can hear a million people cover SRV songs and hit all the right notes but Stevie himself had that something special that took it to a different level.

Ulf Wakenius would be my second choice, he probably better fits the bill of 'lesser-known'

+1 apiece on Frisell and Wakenius.  UW's work with the Ray Brown Trio is stellar.  And Frisell's solos on his covers of standards and pop songs always sound to me like he's keeping the lyrics in mind as he plays.

 

[kboman]

Adrian Belew: this is pretty representative of him nowadays. MUCH smaller rig now though since he went AxeFx.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HArudGtPr3s[/youtube]

Marc Ribot: I don't think a guitar has ever sounded, or been played, better than in this song. It continually blows my mind.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQlo5HxbRxk[/youtube]

Nels Cline. Wow. I don't know much about him, but I know this:

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPAbjNT7nQY[/youtube]

Also, the Tallest Man On Earth. Another guitar tone that is utter perfection.

http://vimeo.com/15356891

Roine Stolt is pretty unknown outside of the more niche taste music listeners. I don't think I've ever knowingly heard him play.

 

[B3Guy]

my favorite right now is anyone who isn't John Mayer.

 

[Cletus]

Jimi Hendrix would have to be my favourite, he was a real innovator who took guitar playing to another level. He usually played a fender strat, he was left handed but played a right handed guitar stringed the other way. He died in 1970, he started touring in the early sixties but really only came to prominence in 1966-7.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bng3agUOYiI[/youtube]

hahahaha, at least you had the good grace to do it with a straight face (so to speak)!

 

[m4rk0]

Roine Stolt is pretty unknown outside of the more niche taste music listeners. I don't think I've ever knowingly heard him play.

interesting... wikipedia makes it sound like he is world famous in Sweden....

Roine Stolt (born on September 5, 1956 in Uppsala) is a Swedish guitarist, vocalist and composer. A major figure in Sweden's rock history, guitarist/singer/composer Roine Stolt led two of his country's most successful progressive rock bands: Kaipa in the 1970s and The Flower Kings in the 1990s onward. His distinctive guitar style combined David Gilmour's debonair mid-tempo, Steve Howe's sharp edges, and Frank Zappa's virtuosity.

 

[GearBoxTy]

I first saw Josh Zee perform with Protein opening for King's X in Columbus, OH back in 1999.  We thought they were a local band but didn't recognize this guitar player who could blaze!  My buddy talked to Josh after their set and found out Protein was a band on a Sony label and they were touring with King's X!  We both both their album "Songs About Cowgirls" that night.

Songs About Cowgirls is available on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Songs-About-Cowgirls-Protein/dp/B00000JKPI/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1294887761&sr=1-1

Anyway, he's in Austin, TX now playing in a band called The Mother Truckers.  Here is an example of him with The Mother Truckers:
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KdKQyHWXi0[/youtube]

Here is another one of him in something called "Guitar Wars":
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqFewcNOzFs[/youtube]

I think he's amazing.  He was using a Mexican Fender Stratocaster with a replacement pickup in the bridge when I saw him back in 1999.  It looks like the same guitar in those "Guitar Wars" videos from 2004.

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

Here is the tosin abasi guy I mentioned earlier:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-lv9ltZ2cw&feature=related

 

[ptirman]

Here is the tosin abasi guy I mentioned earlier:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-lv9ltZ2cw&feature=related

That guy is very proficient/amazing. It's a butt ugly guitar though. Ah well, the things that detract.

 

[tfarny]

This is a great question - but who was it that answered "Jimi Hendrix"?

I'd vote for Dave Rawlings - not world famous and not even a "guitar hero" of any sort. Plays to complement the song.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7knB3VtAqY[/youtube]

This second one is not exactly a shred video but somebody might like it.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Anyway, he's in Austin, TX now playing in a band called The Mother Truckers.  Here is an example of him with The Mother Truckers:
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KdKQyHWXi0[/youtube]

That looks like one of those 1983 Strats that had a master tone knob (no second tone knob), output jack mounted on PG and not the usual Strat top mount jack.

 

[AutoBat]

I'd probably have to go with Victor Wooten.
If I didn't have a buddy that was really into Bass I wouldn't've ever heard of him.
No one else I know outside of bassists seem to know him, yet everyone that does play is aware that he is a golden god.
So he's lesser known to most guitarists, me thinks.  I submit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR6t47pV8Qc

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

I'd probably have to go with Victor Wooten.
If I didn't have a buddy that was really into Bass I wouldn't've ever heard of him.
No one else I know outside of bassists seem to know him, yet everyone that does play is aware that he is a golden god.
So he's lesser known to most guitarists, me thinks.  I submit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR6t47pV8Qc

I know that guy, a friend of mine played his song 'Power' for a major performance piece at school last year. Very, very funky.

 

[Firebird211]

That's funny Cletus, I was thinking about the same topic.  I was thinking J Mascis, I always liked his playing style, but not his voice so much at times.  Despite a lack of popularity he is a very accomplished guitarist.  One of the greats in my book.
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUgoU3J-nHo[/youtube]

He sure knows how to use his looper.
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng2TYspkfYc[/youtube]

 

[bagman67]

The aforementioned David Fiuczynski with the Torsos:
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJq0G8qQvCY&NR=1[/youtube]

 

[erogenousjones17]

This may be redundant, as I can't view or post Youtube videos from work to check, but I'd have to go with kboman's pick and say Mark Ribot. Some of his work with Tom Waits is really fantastic. Love the riff and solo from "Hoist That Rag."