Best Acoustic Guitarist In The World 2012 Poll

[guitarfishbay]

'Best in world' lists get people to pick up magazines, lots of people are attracted to reading quantifiable lists due to personality types etc. They're a publishers at the end of the day and want to make money from people reading what they write.

Most musicians know the subjective nature of the field, but remember other areas have 'best' lists formalised more so than just a list in a magazine. Think of Ballon d'Or in football. It is all subjective but people still like categorise, and to rank and rate, and also to acknowledge high achievers.

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I voted for Tommy Emmanuel. I saw him live and I felt it was one of the best musical performances I'd heard or seen in my life. It was truly inspiring, he is a fantastic musician and a good showman and host too.

The poll is silly but I think a lot of people would enjoy his music if they hadn't heard it before.

[robpower]

Morning folks,

I completely appreciate that music isn't a competition, and that it's difficult to quantify 'the best' of anything.

As we're running acoustic week next week, I felt it was a good opportunity to gauge who our readers felt were the top acoustic players around.

There were a limited number of names on the poll for a couple of reasons, but mainly because I was hoping that if you voted, you'd use the 'other' box to give your favourite player a vote.

Ultimately, the poll is a bit of fun through which, hopefully, I'll be able to tailor future acoustic content on the site to make sure that we're covering the musicians you'd like to read about.

Thanks,

Rob

[RocknRollDave]

For what it's worth, my two all-time favourite acoustic performances are John Mayer's Neon on the Where the Light Is DVD and Lindsey Buckingham's one-man version of Big Love from Fleetwood Mac's The Dance DVD.

Neither are espeially known for their acoustic playing, mind.

I also really like three acoustic lead solos - Slash in One In A Million (the less said about Axl's lyric, however, the better), Phil Campbell on an acoustic version of Motorhead's I Ain't No Nice Guy they did on a DVD and the acoustic part of the solo in Stone Roses' Tears from The Second Coming. None of whom would be praised for their acoustic work normally.

[Not_the_DJ]

Lindsey Buckingham's one-man version of Big Love from Fleetwood Mac's The Dance DVD.

/\ That is pretty epic

Personally I think I might vote for Ani DiFranco. I just love her playing on the earlier albums.

[Midnightminstrel]

For me it has to be Gordon Giltrap, he just picks up a guitar and it just sings! And he has written a lot of wonderful stuff , he's very prolific. Fear of the Dark is an amazing album.

[BigLicks67]

Pierre Bensusan for me. Colin Reid is also a very good player.
I'm not so keen on these neck tappers, although Michael Hedges was awesome.
For singer songwriters I'd have Nick Drake. & Jeff Tweedy plays a lot of great acoustic based songs in Wilco.

[Not_the_DJ]

Colin Reid is also a very good player.

Spot on.

Saw him live around the time of Tilt when Mike Harding was playing his version of "Music for a Found Harmonium" quite a lot.

We actually used a track off that album at our wedding. I must dig it out and give it a spin, haven't listened to it for a few years.

[BigLicks67]

Spot on.

Saw him live around the time of Tilt when Mike Harding was playing his version of "Music for a Found Harmonium" quite a lot.

We actually used a track off that album at our wedding. I must dig it out and give it a spin, haven't listened to it for a few years.

I saw Colin a few years back at a Yamaha guitars thing set up by Sounds Great in South Manchester. I bought his first cd after the show and think it is a quality record with some great guitar playing on it.

[MRLEON83]

voted for jon gomm

[BradGuitar]

Shouldn't the best acoustic guitarist in the world be for artists who play acoustic exclusively or as near as?

Y'know can Bonamassa for example, while an awesome player, be classed as an acoustic guitarist? Just because he does a 20 min acoustic set at a gig (best bit of the gig actually!) or has the odd acoustic tune or album at best? Ditto John Mayer. When you think of either of those two, does an acoustic guitar spring to mind first? Not for me! Les Pauls and Eric Johnson for JB and JM's ridiculous love life

Tommy Emmanuel, Piere Bensusan etc an bam, acoustic guitar straight away. Maybe it's just me haha

Is it about chops and technique, or writing and creativity? Is Andy Mckee more deserving than Michael Hedges? Is Michael Hedges more deserving than Neil Young? We all know what opinions are like....

Then again, we can get so het up over these 'best of' polls. They are just a bit of fun.

So this poll is flawed from the off as it's an absolute CRIME that Alex De Grassi has been overlooked!!!!!!