He was named one of the greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, 64th in 2003 and 41st in 2012, but many consider him woefully underrated in that regard.. These are the top guitarists of all time, the greatest fretwork masters, the maestros of the six strings. See who's made the grade!
Here's the thing. Choosing the 100 greatest guitarists of all time turned out to be just too darned tough for Total Guitar 's fanatical team of guitar nerds. So, armed with a 'shortlist' of over 250 players, we asked our lovely readers to have the casting vote in an online poll on Guitar World. Here's how it works.. David Fricke picks the best and most influential guitarists in rock - from Jerry Garcia and Joan Jett to B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix.