Greatest American Guitarist: Leslie West vs Jimi Hendrix

[BigPoppaNthePleasure]

First and foremost you can not and i repeat can not put Voodoo Chile up against anyone cause they all will lose. It's the single most rockingest riff ever written period. I repeat PERIOD.

[winterguitarkingyea]

Johnny Winter is better than Hendrix , always was, he played on a song with Jimi playing lead Slide Guitar ...

Johnny's been a star for over 50 years nnow while all many of the others are long gone ...

BB.King and Muddy Waters (king of the blues) said Johnny Winter is the fastest cleanest White boy on the plant ...

[3117ss]

ah yes...the GREAT FATSBY.... power BB KING!!!!

[jrsjrs9]

i'm sorry jimi...I almost defected to edward, but you'll always be my first

[puddelisa]

Jimi no. 1. No doubt about it.

Thats it. I do like Leslie an Robin, but..

[eddyb6666]

hendrix no.1 , robin trower no.2 , tony iommi no.3 , stevie ray vaughan no.4 jimmy page no.5

[jn89015]

something like this has been tried before, I think in Guitar Player Magazine 20 or so years ago, and Hendrix wins it all. Look, almost 45 years ago there was a magic that Jimi's record company commercialize, sold many albums, but didn't understand, couldn't even glimpse the timeless majesty of what he was about. I'm on slippery subjective territory here, but, for me, it's the magic, the joy, the sweetness, the cojones, the creativity, the funk and the fuck of not just his solos but of his music.

[capetown99]

Hendrix smokes everyone in my book. Look out for "Hendrix In The West" cd coming out Sept 13th. Red House from San Diego 1969 included.

Other great American guitarists -Allen Collins, SRV and Buddy Guy.

[esf428]

Lesley West is a fine guitarist but Hendrix was so creative, experimental, innovative that no one of that era equals him in my opinion. Although, John McLaughlin with Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra was damn close. Another endlessly creative, innovative virtuoso pushing the boundaries like Hendrix.

[saw4fire]

There's a Leslie West interview on youtube where he talks about meeting Jimi Hendrix. He was clearly in awe of Jimi. They are two of my favorite guitarists, but to say one is better is a bit much. Leslie West has his own tone, one that many other guitarists envy. Hendrix' creativity was legendary.

[occams99]

It's almost become cliche but Hendrix was unbeatable. People can imitate him but they can never replicate his fluidity. His twisted phrasing and unique distorted version of the blues (Manic Depression, Hear my Train a Comin') was practically guitar theology and I have yet to hear anyone do it like that. Even his use of volume bordered on black magic. His music was also absolutely timeless- how many of those old bands could issue the same recordings today without touching them and still be valid?

[heehaa99]

You cannot compare guitarists...It is all a matter of style.. Bombastic or sublime.....They are all brothers and sisters.....You picked a very flamboyant JImi song and a very "normal" song of Mountain...You stacked the deck on this one.....And is it not interesting that you are only considering MALE guitarists ......Joni MItchell is one of the greats and this shows the bias to flamboyant guitar playing.Leo Kottke is one of the greats also.....it is all a matter of taste and moods....

[esf428]

@heehaa99 -I think you can compare and contrast players of similiar style but all to often people will proclaim somebody "the greatest guitarist period" which is absurd. You cannot compare Hendrix, lets say, to Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt, Andres Segovia, John Williams, Pat Metheny, Tony Rice, Paco De Lucia...etc... Their genres and styles are just too different.

[strings191]

Hendrix is better , ask leslie.

[hesmon]

Leslie is great but to me Jimi is the best artist ever. Just think of what he created in four years time. His playing was brilliant and he backed it up with great songs as well. I mean 1983, Red House, Voodoo child, Bold as love, purple haze, and the list goes on. What about Machine gun. It easy to prefer other players. You really have to studie Jimi's music and you will discover something new every time you listen to it. The best ever!

[naturelover1957]

Hendrix has been dead over 40 years now.Nobody could touch him then and no one has since.Why do you think everyone else compares other guitarist to him.He was light years ahead of anybody.

[Torvasal]

Leslie was just to powerfull!

[microdon2]

Why do we have to compare?? They're different and BOTH GREAT!!

Though Hendrix IS the BEST....

[microdon2]

Why do we have to compare?? They're different and BOTH GREAT!!

[5H4V3D89]

Trying to be "better" then Hendrix is like trying to beat Lance Armstrong in a bike race. Even if you win one, your still not Lance Armstrong.

[thirdhoorah]

i love leslie west and mountain...but come on hendrix is god. lets stop this stuff and just enjoy the music.

[hesmon]

@thirdhoorah Jimi totally ownsBuddy Guy

[squidlycarmichael]

Saw 'em both twice. Jimi is the master, but Leslie was an amazing guitarist as well. Not as "adventurous", but still a solid craftsman.

[ifutureman]

This is not even worth discussing! Jimi, hands down. Leslie had tone, a bit of phrasing, and not much else. Jimi revolutionized the act and sound of playing the electric guitar. I love Mountain, but get real... hell, I'd take Duane Allman or Joe Walsh over Leslie West.

[cooltooth112]

@ifutureman Your tone is everything....

[VergaDeFuego]

hahaha what a fucking stupid comparation is like beer vs kool-aid

[RastafariPoet]

Jimi.. You should hear his Spanish Scale work.

[nezpercenathan]

Are we talking only about electric guitarists, here? If not, then what about Christopher Parkening, Andres Segovia, The Romeros? Classical requires an extraordinary level of skill, not generally encountered in other types of playing.

[occams99]

@nezpercenathan

If you like those guys check out "Friday Night in San Francisco". It was a live acoustic performance from the Warfield in 1980 featuring Paco Delucia, John McLaughlin, and Al Dimeola. It is a ferocious masterpiece of acoustic guitar at its best. It was also, in my opinion, the most even matchup of virtuosos I've ever heard. Get the album if you can. Each guitarist is assigned a channel with one on the left, center, and right channels. If it is out of print, e-mail my channel.

[Cgolfsoccerguy]

Hendrix

[gibsonguitar1988]

Hendrix.

[Wuddymaters13]

Best guitarist ever? The best guitarist ever probably never played a gig and is locked up in his room somewhere. Hendrix probably isn't the best. Buddy Guy is probably his equal as well as a number of others. But the one thing about Hendrix is that the first time you hear him, it is jaw dropping. I heard him for the first time as kid in the mid 70's and it was terrifying. That sounded like no guitar I had ever heard. He made more people play guitar and quit guitar than anyone period.

[squidlycarmichael]

@Wuddymaters13 Truer words were never spoken!

[zozowtmomo]

Hendrix went to Buddy Guy shows with a portable tape recorder to get down his licks.

[MrTexmojo]

both are great in thier own way

[69erthx1138]

I just can't decide what tastes better, chocolate or vanilla ice cream. This is a subjective matter, based on one's tastes and appreciation of music genera. Love vs. Logic.

[koocaracha]

jimi, wtf is wrong with u?

[pastuiedada]

Jimi was awesome, but he was by no means necessary the greatest guitarist ever.

Anybody nowadays will say this because that's what they learned, albeit some will say otherwise all these kids think Hendrix was God because he fuckin did drugs. They want to be rebels too so they worship him. Now he was good, great solos and all, but if these kids knew half as much about Leslie than they do Jimi they would reconsider.

but the greatest american guitarist is Les Paul

[japonaliya]

@pastuiedada

There cannot be a BEST anything...why has no one mentioned Django?

But..in the context of ROCK..Jimi was the greatest innovator..period!!! ASK ANY guitarist who plays rock..inc. Jimi's contemporaries like Clapton or Beck..ALL changed there playing styles after hearing Hendrix.

Name ANY guitarist today, and I'll show you someone who as a teen, or pro didn't cry the first time they listened to him.

The only proof I need is to ask you to remember his Little Wing intro...nothing tops

[japonaliya]

@japonaliya

BTW: Les Paul was Jazz/Pop not rock, and he was only innovative in his RECORDING techniques, not so much his playing style...but yes he was an innovator. However, if he didn't have a guitar named after him, who would remember? But even elementary school kids have heard of Hendrix!

[movanshane]

Hey people. Jimi's favorite band was Mountain! Jimi was once quoted as asking ,"Am I as good as Leslie West?"

Enough said.

Leslie's favorite player was Jimi.

[NYR682]

I'm much more of a Leslie West fan, but as far as greatest American guitarist, it is BY FAR Frank Zappa. Neither can compare to him.

[cydonianman]

if u want to hear the greatest solo ever, go to:

youtube(dot)com(forward slash)watch?v=1-XxLQkSGWo

[kvstupify2011]

many people dont understand that James Marshall Hendrix was the biggest thing in music since mozart...yea some of his art work is rough but it was the way he painted music and he also played softer music like a lot of blues but his most famous songs and live shows was what people liked to listen from him, an example of this is the remake of red house. jimi is a god at what he does and what he does is play the guitar and no one can top him

[depper]

@kvstupify2011 Hendrix was the biggest thing in music since mozart!?!? Um, you are skipping a lot of musicians. I'm sure Elvis Presley might be able to tell you to go fuck yourself :) As for guitarists? Elvis' guitarist Scotty Moore was more emblematic of that statement then Hendrix.

[thepcguru55]

Leslie West - the King of Tone !

deal with it.

[13Musicmachine]

Jesus everybody knows that these are not the only two amazing american guitarists ( EVH ) cough cough but Hendrix pwns all nubes

[JohnnyLennon2008]

Very cool idea. Thans! People should get a chance to see & hear Leslie West, the msot underrated guiatr player in history.

[mrdak]

On Jimi's worst day, he's still 100 times the guitar player Leslie West will ever be. period.

:P

[KaiRobin]

*sigh* typical clueless hendrix fans, go crawl in a corner and don't come out

[peterbaron2]

they're both great in very different ways...leslie is the loose cannon guitar slinger and jimi was a cutting edge innovator with the help of engineer/producer eddie kramer.. i 've worked with both leslie and eddie . jimi was a bit before my time but theirs alot of talent there....i was the first guitarist to play with leslie right after wb&l and inbetween mountain albums as well as later leslie bands...i was 17 at the time......how i spent my summer vacation !

[depper]

Actually Mountain's Southbound Train was the biggest secret of Woodstock... and maybe the best tone and vibrato effort of the concert.

[hendodabest]

Both are outstanding.Watch Hendrixs Red House at Woodstock,and Moumtains Nantucket Sleigh Ride.You won't be disappointed.

[drumsanddrumming]

Leslie West AND Jimi Hendrix, Leslie is my favourite but then again, I´m just a simple drummer, - "The musicians best friend"

[algrand90]

what's the song tittle by leslie west ?,

[drumsanddrumming]

This one is "Mississippi Queen.

[dogshit71]

...and for the record... I don't care about this contest thing because both guitarists were great at what they did!

[pjt30]

Hey everyone!

RELAX!

They are both awesome guitar players with totally different styles and approaches to music. Leslie had many hits , one was written by Jack Bruce for Mountain , because Felix Pappalardi, was Cream's Manager. In an interview Jimi said Mountain was his favorite band!

Eddie Van Halen made history also but what has he done since the early days? NOTHING of any consequence !

[spore2045]

we're putting leslie west with some of the greatest of all time... for me mountain has always been a one hit wonder band, and mississipi queen sucks... oh and anyone who thinks leslie has better tone should get their ears checked

[PoposNewGuitarChan]

This was added on my birthday. That's not important though. The important thing is that Hendrix just melted West's face.

Jimi all the way.

[Punorss]

Both of them are clown shoes and cannot hold a candle to Van Halen. So fart off.

[PoposNewGuitarChan]

?????

[PoposNewGuitarChan]

And by the way, Jimi totally would hold a candle to van halen. He would hold the candle with his left hand while he played a solo with his teeth that would knock the rest of Eddie's teeth out.

[Punorss]

Balls! Jimi could not play something like Eruption, it would fry his brain. Also he could not hope to get up to the speed of the likes of Vai and Joe Satriani. Things have moved on a lot in the guitar world since since the late 60's. Jimi was great back then but some one will come along who is better. Thats Life!

[PoposNewGuitarChan]

Eddie is one of my favorite guitar players, and I agree, Jimi couldn't play Erruption like Eddie, but Eddie wouldn't be able to replicate Jimi's star spangled banner either, because both guitarists are so unique. There's no point in comparing who's better, it's all opinion. Maybe Jimi wouldn't have been able to play erruption (I think he could, since he had not even reached his full potential when he died) but that' not important, b/c he did his own thing that sounded just as great.

[dogshit71]

Jimi had WAY MORE FIRE than this dude or ANY OTHER guitarist! He's the reason that dudes play with FIRE and ENERGY!!!

[Punorss]

Rubbish! Have you ever heard of Flamenco? Do they not play with fire and energy? Any Flamenco guitarist could run rings round the pair of them.

[86lenny]

He couldn't play Eruption ? Go watch Jimi on the Lulu show when he breaks into a solo before "Hey Joe" and get back to me !

Dude you have NO clue !!!!

[Punorss]

Jimi never done any tapping it was way before his time and was limited to the Stratocasters shit tremolo arm that was forever knocking his guitar out of tune.

[japonaliya]

@Punorss

Which is why it is impossible to judge what he would have come up with had he lived longer as the technology improved...

[hesmon]

loser

[dogshit71]

I respect your opinion but youre TERRIBLY WRONG!!!

[depper]

Hendrix was great no doubt. But tone and vibrato go to West.

Also West has survived this problems. He beat FAR MORE demons than Jimi had to deal with. Same can not be said for ANOTHER artist who struck out to the pitcher called DRUGS.

[toadfrogblues]

I agree with "unrealistic1". Jimi is going to wax damn near evryone you put up against him. Listen to "Little Wing" closely and then play it. For a guy who had to teach himself to play left-handed and on a makeshift left-handed guitar. Nothing short of Genius in his playing. He achieved what he did in little over 3 years. Name one other guitarist who made a bigger impact in close to as few years as he did it.

[4digs]

I think Jimi Hendrix is way better and way more influential among other guitarists

[liamdude555]

hendrix totally he just owns this guy

[Ichee12]

Jimi Hendrix

[rockmetalredsox]

Jimi Hendrix

[gjosed]

Hendrix!, is the best!

[PabloMaffioli]

hendrix

[depper]

this thread is a joke. Mississippi Queen is not even a "solo"... you put a Leslie West studio cut against a Jimi Hendrix jam. this doesnt even make sense in YOUR WORLD.

[ProffessorMusic]

Hendrix by a LOT.

Leslie West is a joke.

[depper]

Go to "Yngwie Malmsteen - I Never Played Hendrix Riffs"

He tells you Hendrix didnt influence him. "It wasnt music, just noise."

Music is individual.

[rhcp4life16037]

hendrix

[goonyougoodthing]

leslie is a great guitarist and underated but come on you cant compare him to hendrix hes only like a c list guitarist and hendrix is so good most guitarists get compared to him

[depper]

C-list guitarist... hahahahahahahaha

This list is stupid.

you are asking the musically inept

[goonyougoodthing]

alright the point is leslie is good but few guitarists are even worth comparing to hendrix

[depper]

The lists of who is better is RIDICULOUS. Hendrix is the blueprint because he was one of the first of the elite guitarists. But, he was ONLY one. There was Scotty Moore, who was Elvis Presley's guitarists. Rarely mentioned on lists. But he INVENTED many licks. Theres guys like Leslie West, who had the best tone in rock history. Nobody had his tone or vibrato beat. (Even Jack Bruce said that.) Hendrix was about feedback and esoteric sounds. Each guitarist was the best at something.

[depper]

just the idea that you play a studio version vs a live version. Senseless.

Your concept is stupid.

[depper]

These guys dont even KNOW anything about Leslie West. Thats why these lists are stupid and make no sense. Hendrix was a commercial hit. Leslie was much more an underground success because Mountains songs were simply too heavy (just like sabbath) to be played on the radio. Hendrix and West were probably the two best of all time. But they played completely different. This is just a popularity contest. Means NOTHING

[asdesas]

Let's not forget, Dep, that when Jimi was asked if there were any guitar players he was into, he said, "Yeah--I dig Leslie West."

Respectfully to the poster, I have to agree with depper--these two guitarists are so different in almost every way that there's no valid way to compare them--and why bother anyway, since one man's axe god is another man's Guitar Hero/Rock Band wannabe.

[unrealistic1]

same with Hendrix, rarely do you hear any Hendrix on the radio at all, b4 or today.

[avonbarksdale5]

i pick hendrix. come on leslie west?! give me a fuckin break!

[Varvara10]

hendrix

[shmahoogale]

hendrix. and the fact that he didnt win the last one is crazy

[beseeingyou6]

knopfler is rightfully at the top.

[xelephamtx]

hendrix

[mangimosbii]

who the fuck is leslie west?? is any 1 fucking kidding me Hendrix revolutionised the sonic abilites of the electric guitar and blazed the trail like no one before him or since the 'WHOLE" guitar was an instrument to jimi

[depper]

"who the fuck is leslie west??"

"the 'WHOLE" guitar was an instrument to jimi"

--> a symbol of the stupidity of youth. Fender and Les Paul were around DECADES before Jimi ever played a lick on guitar.

So who is Leslie? Listen to Larry Dimarzio preach it was "Leslie's sound" that first inspired Dimarzio to create their most popular pickups.

Cut/paste into youtube search:

"Larry DiMarzio's conversation with Leslie West"

listen and learn.

[mangimosbii]

Ok that was an ignorant comment and I apologize but my personal choice remains with hendrix but of course Leslie is a legend

[dogshit71]

Fasho!!!

[depper]

I will say Leslie West for the win. Leslie's ability to incorporate some of the greatest sounding blues into some of the hardest rock ever created along with the greatest tone in Rock history make's the Man from Mountain stand alone. You can play Hendrix note for note. Nobody can sound like Leslie West.

Also, Hendrix's career ended almost when it began. Leslie West is STILL going strong, 40+ years after he began. No contest, Leslie West.

[unrealistic1]

You are clearly mistaken...to this day no one has been able to play hendrix "note for note" and sound exactly like him. Your last 2 lines of the 1st paragraph should have the names switched. Hendrix's career was short only because he, sadly, passed away at 27. Obviously you cant play if your deceased. However, Hendrix and his music continue to thrive today. In less than a decade, Hendrix accomplished what some artists havent/cant accomplish in 3X that time! They both rock, but Hendrix is king.

[depper]

Thats just it. Hendrix fell prone to the drug wars of the era. West survived. And drugs wasn't West's only demon, his vast obesity was maybe his biggest demon, pun intended. And West persevered. Today he lives on, plays on, and has turned his life completely around.

I liked Hendrix, nobody played more esoteric, its just that, for me, West played just esoteric enough to sound Bad Ass, all while keeping his tone intact. Hendrix made noise. West made music. Just my .02.

[unrealistic1]

Hendrix, at worst, stumbled bcause of drugs. the only reason he died was because he accidentally took more than recommended sleeping pills (he didnt know they were so potent). and hendrix was pretty much self-taught and literally only played guitar for just over 10 years

hendrix did not make "noise", if anything he made complex music which to many many sound like noise. i used to think similar thoughts b4 i really began listening. but i have listened n studied both, but Hendrix is victor.

[Roachcock333]

Wow, depper. Ask ANY guitarist ever (ANY) who is the best ever (INCLUDING Leslie West), and they will say Jimi Hendrix. They'll say NO QUESTION Jimi Hendrix. He MADE NOISE????? He made music, GREAT music.

[dogshit71]

Jimi was once asked how does it feel to be considered the greatest guitarist inthe world and he replied..."Ask Phil Keaggy"

Phil is COLD AS HELL!!!

[checks00]

@Roachcock333 roach, man, hendrix is my hero, but Stevie Ray Vaugan has him beat in my opinion.

[esf428]

@checks00 -I love SRV......had the honor of seeing him in concert twice.....the last time 2 months before his untimely death. I have to say though, as great as Stevie was, he was, at his core, a virtuoso blues and rockabilly player. He had technique in spades! But he wasn't the creative artistic genius, innovator on the guitar that Hendrix was.

[Roachcock333]

@checks00 yeah, i said that 2 years ago. thats funny, i just listened to SRV today, i actually think hendrix has him beat (barely), but SRV is #2 for me. i also love duane allman, jimmy page and david gilmour

[dogshit71]

1/2 way agree. Hendrix made music and included noise as a part of the music and made it music!

[depper]

Yea, and only if Jimi didnt "make" drugs and make them part of his "life" maybe he would have been around long enough to join in on this conversation.

Jimi was great in his way. But only as a casual listen. To me, he was missing the tone and soul I like to hear in a guitarist.

[dogshit71]

For my own personal taste Jimi had a KILLER tone whether it was rough or soft. He KICKED ASS in MANY different ways and I'm a HENDRIX anaylist and it doesn't stop at just him. Others as well have a KICK ASS tone but he did so much that he didnt even know when he switched those strings around!!! THAT tone is unparalled!!!

[unrealistic1]

You seem to be under the impression that Hendrix died of overdosing on something. Again, he only died because he accidentally took more sleeping pills than he needed and no one was there to help him. You should really learn the whole truth about a person before labeling him a druggy.

[depper]

stop your stupidity. it isnt benefiting of a simpleton moron.

[unrealistic1]

I don't see how stating facts makes me a "simpleton moron". I believe it is you who is the moron being repetitive with your insults.

[depper]

Kathy Etchingham spoke of an incident that took place in a London pub in which an intoxicated Hendrix beat her with a public telephone handset because he thought she was calling another man on the pay phone.

--- doesnt matter how he died. he was a failure as a human being.

[Roachcock333]

So... you're the first person that has ever said Jimi was missing the tone and soul you want to hear in a guitarist. ARE YOU FUCKING JOKING??? He had more soul than almost anyone, and how the fuck do you think he lacked tone? And now you're arguing that he was a failure as a human because he beat somebody? First of all, that has nothing to do with this conversation, second of all that doesn't mean he wasn't a human. Please shut the fuck up before you make yourself look any stupider.

[msaintpc]

@Roachcock333 He would have to be a genius to be able to make himself look stupider. I can't believe anyone with an IQ above -10 would make such a rediculous statement. Thanks for enlightening that nitwit.

[depper]

"Hendrix is widely known for and associated with the use of psychedelic drugs, most notably LSD, as were many other famous musicians and celebrities of that time. He supposedly had never taken psychedelic drugs until the night he met Linda Keith, but smoked cannabis and drank alcohol previously. Amphetamine is also recorded as being used by Hendrix during tours. Hendrix was notorious among friends and bandmates for sometimes becoming angry and violent when he drank too much alcohol."

[unrealistic1]

Well look at you taking a passage from Wikipedia. Bravo! Try reading real biographies about him not just a short summary of major events. About 100% of ALL musicians, at least of the past, took some sort of drug or alcohol. Don't assume that by taking a drug your a "bad musician", or that you automatically fall into despair. You seem to take a very conservative, stereotypical view on drug use.

[depper]

Theres a difference between drug USE, drug ABUSE, and just pure experimentation-until-you-die. Jimi chose curtain #3

[unrealistic1]

Its not like he died because he used too much LSD or marijuana you imbecile! Hendrix's death was a unfortunate tragedy, which may have been a conspiracy.

[depper]

Conspiracy huh? Hmm lets see, maybe OJ did it? Or maybe JFK? Hey maybe the Loch Ness Monster did it? or the Tooth fairy?

.. but seriously, if you cant figure out who killed Hendrix, The Addams Family may be responsible. Or ya can just blame his butler...

[unrealistic1]

Wow! You never cease to amaze me! Your profound stupidity and lack of reason are outstanding! There's nothing but childish and unfounded attacks coming from you. I was merely making reference to his questionable death, which had been confirmed to have nothing to do with drugs.

[dogshit71]

rock on dude!

[Roachcock333]

@depper hey depper, i take that back, while i disagree strongly that leslie west is better than hendrix, if u truly believe that i have no problem with it. music is completely about opinion, there is no right or wrong.

[jungenbum]

Hendrix, he should win the tournament too.

[QNXcam]

You wouldn't get any argument from Leslie, michaelscott!

[michaelscott878]

Hendrix!