Guitar World Announce their Guitarist of the Decade as voted for by the readers

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

This really turned into the "Tremonti isn't that bad"

Because he's not bad. A lot of people here think Creed's the only thing he's done. Alter Bridge is still releasing albums and JUST released a new one this October. Hell a lot of people consider Fortress Alter Bridge's best album, and that was just released in 2013. On top of that Tremonti's solo shit has been really, really solid.

Fuck it, I'll throw in another hot take; All I Was is probably one of my top 5 albums of the decade.

 

[StevenC]

Because he's not bad. A lot of people here think Creed's the only thing he's done. Alter Bridge is still releasing albums and JUST released a new one this October. Hell a lot of people consider Fortress Alter Bridge's best album, and that was just released in 2013. On top of that Tremonti's solo shit has been really, really solid.

Fuck it, I'll throw in another hot take; All I Was is probably one of my top 5 albums of the decade.

Yeah, he may or may not be bad, I only know him from his association with PRS. But it's not a good sign if a guitarist of the decade winner has to be defended so fiercely.

Like, if you said Steve Vai was the greatest guitarist of the 90s most people would probably say that's a fair opinion. If you said Kurt Cobain was the greatest guitarist of the 90s, while wrong you'd still have a good argument to make. If you said Jimmy Page was the greatest guitarist of the 90s most people would ask what exactly he did in that decade that was more valuable than Steve Vai or Kurt Cobain.

 

[c7spheres]

My favorite thing Tremonti has done (that I've heard) is the first half of the very first Tremonti solo album. I never got into Creed or Alterbridge at all though.
- The cover does say guitarists with an "s" not guitarist of the decade. Does it really matter anyways? Who cares what some people that work at a guitar mag think about who's best anyways, if this is a list or who's best? Who care's what fan's vote on about who's best. It doens't mean anything to me. It's like when Rolling Stone came out with their list. Who cares? I like what I like. Some of my favortire and most influential guitarists don't even have albums out and nobody will ever know they exist because that side of the industry doesn't interest them. In fact it's a detriment to them.

 

[JSanta]

Yeah, he may or may not be bad, I only know him from his association with PRS. But it's not a good sign if a guitarist of the decade winner has to be defended so fiercely.

Like, if you said Steve Vai was the greatest guitarist of the 90s most people would probably say that's a fair opinion. If you said Kurt Cobain was the greatest guitarist of the 90s, while wrong you'd still have a good argument to make. If you said Jimmy Page was the greatest guitarist of the 90s most people would ask what exactly he did in that decade that was more valuable than Steve Vai or Kurt Cobain.

This might not be the right forum for Tremonti stuff I think. I've probably listened to his solo stuff the past two years as much as I've listened to anything else in all honesty. Fantastic songwriting, great guitar playing. There's not much more I can really ask for in an album or an artist. I genuinely like his solo stuff more than I enjoy Alter Bridge, but there's no denying that Mark Tremonti continues to be a huge force in the general music community. The accolades are well-deserved IMO.

 

[prlgmnr]

I know he's a polarizing person, and I know people hate his overuse of pinch harmonics

woah woah woah woah


people dislike that?

 

[cardinal]

Given that the covers say "1 of 4" and as @ikarus noticed, it says guitarists (plural), they probably took the top four from the voting.

Personally, I agree with @GunpointMetal that it seems that the Meshuggah guitarists if not hugely influential directly seem to have captured the zeitgeist of heavy music from the past decade or so; I probably would have voted for them had I cared enough to even realize guitar magazines were still a thing and taking polls of such things.

But, Tremonti writes some really great riffs, that's for sure.

 

[Bobby69]

I'm very confused as to why Mark won. There are so many guitarists that are great, but don't have the attention of the guitarist community. Aside from not liking recent solo work, John Mayer has to be the most virtuoso guitarist performing. I'm just not that impressed by Mark's stuff - it's too generic IMO. Like how is playing a djent riff with some soulless shredding that impressive? Improvising a guitar solo based on simply feeling the music is another level that is too unappreciated. Congrats to Mark, but he's not even in the same ballpark as the people I look up to.

 

[mastapimp]

You'd think they'd put the "guitarist of the decade" on more than one cover since April 2001.

 

[TheTrooper]

No, I mean technically better players than 99% of anyone who touches the instrument and pushing playing ability and the scope of the instrument forward. If the music isn't for everyone, that's fine, but its Guitar World magazine, not Pop Music With Guitars magazine.

Music isn't a sport, music is music.

Their technical abilities mean nothing in the big picture that is "what get's most radioplay/sales/streams".
What sells is what (most) people like to hear.
AB/Tremonti are a Rock/alternative group, the kind of Rock that sells; AAL and Aristocrats are Rock/prog/fusion that sells to people that PLAY guitar/metal/fusion/instrumental music.

The magazine is called "Guitar World", not "Metal Guitar World"; if they want to include John Mayer they have all the right to do so.

(I am a fan of Tosin's and Guthrie's music, but let's avoid profanity here: what Passion & Warfare and Surfing with the Alien REALLY meant to guitar music, will N E V E R be achieved again )

 

[Bobby69]

Music isn't a sport, music is music.

Their technical abilities mean nothing in the big picture that is "what get's most radioplay/sales/streams".
What sells is what (most) people like to hear.
AB/Tremonti are a Rock/alternative group, the kind of Rock that sells; AAL and Aristocrats are Rock/prog/fusion that sells to people that PLAY guitar/metal/fusion/instrumental music.

The magazine is called "Guitar World", not "Metal Guitar World"; if they want to include John Mayer they have all the right to do so.

(I am a fan of Tosin's and Guthrie's music, but let's avoid profanity here: what Passion & Warfare and Surfing with the Alien REALLY meant to guitar music, will N E V E R be achieved again )

I guess I had no idea how popular Alter Bridge is. Not to be a jerk, but anything I hear that resembles "that sound" just seems clichéd and passé to me - so I don't keep up with how well they're doing.

 

[GunpointMetal]

Music isn't a sport, music is music.

Their technical abilities mean nothing in the big picture that is "what get's most radioplay/sales/streams".
What sells is what (most) people like to hear.

And sales/radio play/streams have nothing to do with guitar ability or influence, by that logic Taylor Swift is actually the single most influential guitarist alive because of record sales and she does play guitar, so its a circular argument in the context of the guitar community. Shit, Three Days Grace probably has more sales than AAL and company, and you can play most of their stuff after your fourth lesson. I really don't understand the "well, most morons like this stuff and buy it, so its good" mentality (not saying everyone who enjoys average pop hard rock is a moron, just that a lot more morons would like it than AAL. If this was "Guys Over Thirty Five That Still Rock Bedazzled Jeans" magazine, I could understand.

AB/Tremonti are a Rock/alternative group, the kind of Rock that sells; AAL and Aristocrats are Rock/prog/fusion that sells to people that PLAY guitar/metal/fusion/instrumental music.

Again, what does pop music sales have to do with influence on the guitar community?

The magazine is called "Guitar World", not "Metal Guitar World"; if they want to include John Mayer they have all the right to do so.

and John Mayer would probably actually be reasonable addition to the list, and Tremonti is, too, now that I'm being made aware of the fact that he's still releasing music (even if the stuff I checked out from this thread could be literally interchangeable with almost any modern "radio rock" band and I wouldn't be able to tell). The point I was trying to get it is, as a guitarist that interacts with musicians/guitarist, many of whom reside well outside of the metal/rock/fusion/mathcore stuff that I play and listen to, nobody is talking about Tremonti in relation to guitar. But this thread has already gone on long enough on the idea that he was named the singular guitarist of the decade, as its a list of people that have all influenced guitar (I guess, apparently), so all around it's a moot argument, anyways. His playing is solid, his riffs are catchy, but so is pretty much every other guitarist that is on the radio. I don't hear anything unique or different about it to warrant any influence.

I guess I had no idea how popular Alter Bridge is. Not to be a jerk, but anything I hear that resembles "that sound" just seems clichéd and passé to me - so I don't keep up with how well they're doing.

Exactly. I've probably heard a bunch of his more recent output, but I just assumed it was another throwaway radio rock band and never paid any attention.

 

[stevexc]

Here's another cover featuring Nita Strauss... and I'm assuming there's a 4th with Gary Clark Jr, too. If it wasn't already completely obvious that GW didn't crown Tremonti #1 Guitarist Of The Decade, after seeing these other two covers it should definitely be. So what's the fuss again?

 

[fps]

Yeah, he may or may not be bad, I only know him from his association with PRS. But it's not a good sign if a guitarist of the decade winner has to be defended so fiercely.

Nonsense. The internet is a cesspool of whinging losers who take to their keyboards to complain about every minute aspect of others' success due to their own bitterness and inferiority. It's everywhere. No winner of any popularity would have been greeted without those sad little bile bottles having a go.

 

[NoodleFace]

You can tell how out of touch people are with guitar as a whole when Sarah Longfield is mentioned. She is a great player, don't get me wrong - but her mark thus far on the guitar world is nowhere as close as any of the 4 on the cover of Guitar World. I'm not trying to belittle her, but I think that opinion that if they aren't in your bubble they don't count is wildly out of touch.

 

[GunpointMetal]

You can tell how out of touch people are with guitar as a whole when Sarah Longfield is mentioned. She is a great player, don't get me wrong - but her mark thus far on the guitar world is nowhere as close as any of the 4 on the cover of Guitar World. I'm not trying to belittle her, but I think that opinion that if they aren't in your bubble they don't count is wildly out of touch.

I agree, but that was the point of mentioning her. I hear that name more than Mark Tremonti, and she barely makes music anymore. I'm sure it does have a lot to do with she's from my city. But even the loads of buttrockers and nu metalers we play with, hang out with, go see at shows, nobody has ever said "yo did you hear that new Tremonti/Alter Bridge? The guitar playing is siiiiiick." Nobody says that.

 

[Bobby69]

The community of guitarist has moved away from the Hendrix, Clapton, Page, etc. [legends] to idolizing dudes with with bad goatees and hoop metal earrings. It’s a shame because there are people still creating truly original music. Derek Trucks, Marcus King, Billy Strings, John Mayer (Should be playing blues instead of trying to write pop hits into his 40’s, however his improvising with Dead & Co is unreal) - catch one of these guys shows, and I can guarantee you will feel silly about what you used to consider mind blowing guitar playing.

 

[c7spheres]

Music isn't a sport, music is music.

(I am a fan of Tosin's and Guthrie's music, but let's avoid profanity here: what Passion & Warfare and Surfing with the Alien REALLY meant to guitar music, will N E V E R be achieved again )

- You might get a lot of flak about this, but I agree. I really don't think most people (even guitar players) know exactly how profound an album like Passion and Warfare is in terms of guitar playing. Passion and Warfare is extraordinarily difficult on a technical level, is modern, and it includes fast playing as well. Comparing it to something like RoS or other people/bands doing that type stuff quickly shows it's an entirely different thing, even techincally. I think Passion and Warfare is far more advanced compared to this type of stuff.
- I also think people confuse technical proficiency with physical speed which, imo, has very little to do with it. It might even be the opposite under certain circumstances. I believe many guitar players think this because they're still mesmerized by the gymnasitics some players can do. Once you get to a certain level with speed and gymnasitcs however, it actually gets quite boring and is usually uneventful, imo, . . though not always.
- Some players that do Not shred fast legatos and arpeggio sweeps and other gymastic feats however are doing much more techincally complex things, and they are so good most people don't even know what they're doing in terms of dynamics and feel. The usual list of names always comes to mind like Gilmore, Page, Hendrix, Zappa, Beck, Angus, etc. None of them were shredders, but all of them are/were some of the most technically proficient players of all time for sure. They just weren't shredders in the Modern sense of the word of playing fast sweeping arpeggio stuff etc..
- If you want to experience really crazy control and proficiency look at the old blues and jazz guys. They are the epitome of the proficiency that modern players seem to be obliviious to. Listen, and if you think to yourself "So what? big deal. He's just doing a little bendy, he's just hitting a note and letting it ring out, he ain't doing anything, that's boring!" That's exactly my point. People that say that probably haven't felt "it" yet. They haven't made that connection yet. They still have to develop in that regard. Once you've lived it. You'll get it. You can't learn this stuff you can only experience it.
- This isn't to be taken or given as an insult, btw.
- There's a few types of players. Those that hear music, and those that feel music, or, those that play with their mind and those that play from the heart. If there has to be a competition then the heart string players win every time.
- No disrespect intended towards anyone.

The community of guitarist has moved away from the Hendrix, Clapton, Page, etc. [legends] to idolizing dudes with with bad goatees and hoop metal earrings. It’s a shame because there are people still creating truly original music. Derek Trucks, Marcus King, Billy Strings, John Mayer (Should be playing blues instead of trying to write pop hits into his 40’s, however his improvising with Dead & Co is unreal) - catch one of these guys shows, and I can guarantee you will feel silly about what you used to consider mind blowing guitar playing.

- Seriously. People have to be at a certain level to even recognize what's actually happening. It's why so many people crap all over it only to come back with a great respect and adoration of it later on. It's also probably why it never dies out, even though everyone is dying off. It all sounds so easy, but so much of it is really hard to play, especially compared to fast sweep licks. I think fast playing and sweep pikcing is much easier than this stuff to play.
- It's like apples and oranges. It's like comparing Frank Sinatra to John Legend. They're both very good, but there's no comparison. It's old world vs new world etc. and they really shouldn't be compared.
- Kids idolize what's fed to them through media, just as they did in the 70's,80's,90's etc. The difference is that the guitar idols of yesteryear had the inexplicable "it" factor that NOBODY has anymore and "it" has not only left the building "it" has left the planet or went underground again or something. Nobody has "it" anymore.
- We're all to domesticated nowadays.

 

[StevenC]

Here's another cover featuring Nita Strauss... and I'm assuming there's a 4th with Gary Clark Jr, too. If it wasn't already completely obvious that GW didn't crown Tremonti #1 Guitarist Of The Decade, after seeing these other two covers it should definitely be. So what's the fuss again?

Yeah, this struck me when I saw all the Abasi related accounts post his cover and using the phrase "one of" but Tremonti posted about being #1. So now we're in the situation where either he's right having read the issue already (is it out yet?) or he saw his face on the cover and jumped to the conclusion all by himself.

Personally, I'm hoping it's the former.

 

[bostjan]

I have no issues with Tremonti as a musician. I had woefully underestimated how popular Alter Bridge has been the past ten years.

That said.

I really don't see how he's anyone's favourite guitarist. Altered Bridge riffs are good, but, face it, there are some next-level riff guitarists out there. Technically, I don't think there's anything to say about him good or bad- he does just fine but isn't pushing any technique envelopes. Popularity-wise, he's nowhere near the Jonas Brothers or even Lil Wayne.

As far as being Iconic: Slash has his top hat, SRV had his tone, Gojira does the 2nd fret natural harmonic rake-thing, Zakk does pinch harmonics, and Tremonti might be the only guitarist to not have any distinguishing characteristics.

So here's what I think we can learn from this thread: there are a lot of Gen X people who subscribe to Guitar Magazines and don't care about trends nor about technical playing. And for a group like this, that's mildly surprising (on average).

 

[Vyn]

I actually agree with Nita Strauss being on that list - not only a fantastic guitarist playing for a huge band she's managed to get to a level of visability that no other rock/metal female guitarist has managed and inspired a ton of girls to start playing.