Some of my favourite guitar players are not really known primarily for their guitar playing. Neil Young, or Frank Zappa e.g
Current Lash Up:
TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.
Well, here is what I'm getting at: much as absolutely adore Hendrix and think that his first three studio albums contain what probably is the most perfect electric guitar ever recorded, listening to some of his other stuff... well, I don't know how to put it, but it tends to get tedious.
For example, last night I was listening to the double LP "Hendrix in the West". Well, nice as it is, it contains too many of horrendous bum notes. Hendrix was often totally out of it, and tended to play a lot of garbage. Also, when he loses his muse and starts playing gibberish, the only way he tries to recover is to switch to making meaningless shitty noise. That's not very encouraging, considering he is the ultimate god in the guitar pantheon.
Meanwhile, in many decades that I've been following Santana's playing, he never managed to screw up his live playing. Yes, as he was getting older, the initial fire and fury started to subside (which is to be expected), but I have never ever heard Santana play a bum note. He is at worst just playing correctly, never thrashing the guitar the way Hendrix did way too many times.
And as the final argument, I quote Prince (another phenomenal guitarist) who said that yes, Hendrix may be the best, but Santana's guitar playing is prettier
Don't you just hate it when you cannot detect where the post ends and a signature line begins?
Alex.
No one has mentioned Alvin Lee
Analogue
401 / PU7 / AT33ev
Longdog Audio Quartz turntable PSU
Longdog Audio MCJ1 - Prototype Phonostage
Digital
Innuos Zen Mini Mk 3
Topping D50s
Caiman Seg & Dorado
Cambridge CXC
Amps
Tron Seven Linestage
Bel Canto Set 40 or Nick Gorham built 300B Set Monoblocks
Speakers
Tannoy GRF Memory.
Tannoy ST100.
TAD CD / DAC / Pre, Technics 1210, MCRU PSU, Mike New Bearing & Platter, Stillpoints LP1 weight, Speedy Steve Ebony armboard, Fidelity Research FR64FX arm, Ortofon SPU. Aurorasound VIDA Phono Pre Amp, TAD Power Amp, TAD E1 speakers. Coherent RTZ 3 Grounding box, Coherent grounding cables, Creaktiv racks. Coherent Mains Cables. SR Blue Fuse. Interconnects : Coherent and Yannis 223.5 Connect Litz. Coherent speaker cable. Audio Magic Transcendence Conditioner. Coherent mains socket. Mains Filters : , PS Audio Harvesters, Russ Andrews Purifiers, Tacima, Vertex. Black Ravioli and RDC supports. Electric Beach S1NX platforms for TAD CD and Technics. Ferrite chokes everywhere except the above. Ears, brain
Mike
Very hard to choose the "best" Mike I agree with you on that.
There are also the Acoustic boys too the likes of Davy Graham, Micheal Hedges, Andy Mckee, its an endless list really, and I enjoy them all, and as a curve ball how about Kaki King to give the ladeeez a shout too
Analogue
401 / PU7 / AT33ev
Longdog Audio Quartz turntable PSU
Longdog Audio MCJ1 - Prototype Phonostage
Digital
Innuos Zen Mini Mk 3
Topping D50s
Caiman Seg & Dorado
Cambridge CXC
Amps
Tron Seven Linestage
Bel Canto Set 40 or Nick Gorham built 300B Set Monoblocks
Speakers
Tannoy GRF Memory.
Tannoy ST100.
Music is a such a subjective thing, trying to find "the best" (even "your" best for that matter) is a bit like trying to nail a blancmange to the wall.
A mainly digital setup with a musical amplifier and endearing 1970's speakers. A CD player that hardly ever gets used and a turntable that is good enough to remind my how enjoyable my old vinyl is. Some cables and things.