So what makes a guitar hero

fretmeister · September 2023

Under no circumstances would I ever rate Noel above Vai / Satch / Yng as a guitar hero.

I don't even view him as a guitarist as such, just as a clearly talented songwriter. Song writing has nothing to do with being a guitar hero.

guitars4you · September 2023

fretmeister said:

Under no circumstances would I ever rate Noel above Vai / Satch / Yng as a guitar hero.

I don't even view him as a guitarist as such, just as a clearly talented songwriter. Song writing has nothing to do with being a guitar hero.

Interesting thought - Mr Ave record listener has probably never heard of Vai/Satch/Yng - To them Noel is the hero and inspires them to want to learn to play - IMO very few, if any, take up wanting to play guitar as Vai was their first venture into wanting to play guitar - Most will find out about such hero's after an initial attraction from another source

IMO Larry Carlton is one of the finest guitar players ever - His touch, feel, phrasing etc is sublime - He is equally one of the worse song writers ever, certainly IMO - I could barely whistle, hum or sing one of his lines, melody, tunes - Yet as a guitar player he is a genius - As a guitar hero I'll rate him quite low - Yet to some one who inspires me he is up there

How many would have some pic of Noel on their bedroom wall and how many would have a pic of Larry or Satch on their wall

I'm not a Noel fan - I don't even like Oasis - But I know from the day Definitely Maybe was released, to now, that many have taken up guitar as an instrument to learn to play, as he is their hero - I sold a guitar to a guy the other day, his first serious guitar and a treat from his wife for his 50th - His hero is Noel and his current goal is learn a few more of their songs

He (Noel) isn't my hero - But he is one of the biggest hero's out there today, even more so to non guitar players

fretmeister · September 2023

guitars4you said:

fretmeister said:

Under no circumstances would I ever rate Noel above Vai / Satch / Yng as a guitar hero.

I don't even view him as a guitarist as such, just as a clearly talented songwriter. Song writing has nothing to do with being a guitar hero.

Interesting thought - Mr Ave record listener has probably never heard of Vai/Satch/Yng - To them Noel is the hero and inspires them to want to learn to play - IMO very few, if any, take up wanting to play guitar as Vai was their first venture into wanting to play guitar - Most will find out about such hero's after an initial attraction from another source

IMO Larry Carlton is one of the finest guitar players ever - His touch, feel, phrasing etc is sublime - He is equally one of the worse song writers ever, certainly IMO - I could barely whistle, hum or sing one of his lines, melody, tunes - Yet as a guitar player he is a genius - As a guitar hero I'll rate him quite low - Yet to some one who inspires me he is up there

How many would have some pic of Noel on their bedroom wall and how many would have a pic of Larry or Satch on their wall

I'm not a Noel fan - I don't even like Oasis - But I know from the day Definitely Maybe was released, to now, that many have taken up guitar as an instrument to learn to play, as he is their hero - I sold a guitar to a guy the other day, his first serious guitar and a treat from his wife for his 50th - His hero is Noel and his current goal is learn a few more of their songs

He (Noel) isn't my hero - But he is one of the biggest hero's out there today, even more so to non guitar players

Noel as a Musical hero - I get that completely. But not "guitar hero". They are not the same thing to me.

I'm not a fan of his either, but he's written tunes that have (as Mr Nile Rodgers said about Top40 stuff in general) - spoken to millions.

So has Elton - and he wouldn't ever be called a Piano-Hero. Jerry Lee Lewis probably is though.

Sporky · September 2023

Based on my experience of Masterchef Australia, making anything "hero" involves adding a lot of butter.

See also "make sure you hero the peas enough".

fretmeister · September 2023

Sporky said:

Based on my experience of Masterchef Australia, making anything "hero" involves adding a lot of butter.

See also "make sure you hero the peas enough".

I'm pretty sure Yngwie had a lot of butter over the last few years.

SpoonMan · September 2023

Yeah to me there is a difference between a personal hero that inspired you to play and a "guitar hero". There are plenty of players that I would call a "guitar hero" that I don't even like.
I don't like satriani and have never had any desire to play like him. I really wouldn't so he was an inspiration at all to me but I'd still say he is a "guitar hero".
It's not a factual term it's just made up to describe awesome players.

I'd say jimmy page is probably the archetypal "guitar hero". Or possibly now slash. Angus would be another.

guitars4you · September 2023

Yet if a teenage kid put a picture on their wall of their hero, you'd assume they'd pick a pic of Noel playing his guitar - Not just Noel without the guitar - So the guitar is part of the package - Hence guitar hero - I'd probably struggle to pick any other guitar player, from the last 30 years, to influence new budding potential guitar players, more than Noel - I know there are other contenders

Agree there are hero's we admire, who many of the general public have never heard of - Agree Satch is guitar hero to many - Not to me

Guitarist like Cobain, Hendrix, Hank, EC, Slash, Angus, Noel, EVH, May often cover the hero parameters to both us, as players and to the non playing Joe Public - But by and large SRV, Satch, Vai, Carlton greater appeal is more to us ,as players

Petepassion · September 2023

I would say Noel is really famous because of his songwriting more than his guitar playing, therefore I would never look at him as a guitar hero. But obviously if a person playing their guitar inspires you, their status doesn’t matter as they are YOUR guitar hero.
Personally I look up to those who play with attitude, such as Jimi, Angus, Steve Jones, Wayne Kramer, Jordan Cook, Steve Marriott and a fella not quite known at the commercial level, but he plays like he means it, called Graham Day.

Blaendulais · September 2023

A guitarists guitar hero is clearly always going to be different to a non guitarists

roberty · September 2023

The thing with qualifying it with chops is most people wouldn't know the difference. If it sounds amazing to you it is amazing. When I was 11 I didn't know that Smells Like Teen Spirit was easier to learn than anything by Queen. Cobain and Brian May were equal heroes to me

roberty · September 2023

It's inisputable that Noel Gallagher's guitar solos have stirred strong emotions in millions. Assuming most of the people who bought it enjoyed it on some level

flying_pie · September 2023

roberty said:

It's inisputable that Noel Gallagher's guitar solos have stirred strong emotions in millions. Assuming most of the people who bought it enjoyed it on some level

IMHO both Live Forever and Don't Look Back In Anger are great solos.

So what if they're pentatonic and easy, they are melodic and fit the songs perfectly

guitars4you · September 2023

Okay , so we are going to write a new book that will be commercial and appeal to a large audience. It will be called Guitar Hero’s

So we need to design the front cover so that it instantly attracts the buying public. We have 2 options. Just one player on the front cover. For that then surely it would be Hendrix with a white Strat and that flower power image

Or we have a montage of 50 well known players each with a popular image of them playing a guitar they are probably best known for playing

With the latter there are many obvious options of the 50 guitar players

Hendrix May Cobain Keef Slash Angus Chuck Berry even Ed Sheeran EVH EC BB King Page Knopfler Jack White Eddie Cochran etc etc - no need to list them all

You’d probably add Steve Vai as it is a strong image of him with the Jem and his long hair - Ditto SRV with that SRV Strat - Plus adds some credibility to the cover amongst more well known players

You’d certainly not have Carlton Satch Johnson Govan Ford on the front cover - But granted you’d feature them within the book

But you’d certainly include Noel on the cover amongst the other players

Philly_Q · September 2023

guitars4you said:

Okay , so we are going to write a new book that will be commercial and appeal to a large audience. It will be called Guitar Hero’s

Hopefully we'll run that title past an editor before it goes to print.

Sporky · September 2023

It's a bit telling that the "obvious" front cover choice died over half a century ago.

swiller · September 2023

guitars4you said:

Nile Rodgers is an interesting one - Most will know of Chic - But the amount of times people say to me who is Nile Rodgers - They've never heard of him - I had one friend saw him life at a festival and knew nothing about who he is outside Chic - Almost like the most heard guitar player on record, but no one knows him

Thats completely opposite to my circle, where the vast majority know who nile is.
But popularity/ record sales/awareness isnt the best measure of merit/heroism, otherwise, if it was music heroes, stock aitken and waterman maybe in the top 10.
All guitarists i know, very familiar with NR and generally see him as one of the goats.

BigPaulie · September 2023

Philly_Q said:

guitars4you said:

Okay , so we are going to write a new book that will be commercial and appeal to a large audience. It will be called Guitar Hero’s

Hopefully we'll run that title past an editor before it goes to print.

Or at the very least, a GCSE English student..

BigPaulie · September 2023

Blaendulais said:

A guitarists guitar hero is clearly always going to be different to a non guitarists

And it's the non-guitarists' guitar hero who's more important...

Far many more non-guitarists listen to music than guitarists. If some guitarist creates something that reaches out to those people and connects with them emotionally, who cares if some daft wee guitar forum in an obscure corner of the internet doesn't rate them?

Tannin · September 2023

swiller said:

guitars4you said:

Nile Rodgers is an interesting one ..... Almost like the most heard guitar player on record, but no one knows him

Thats completely opposite to my circle, where the vast majority know who nile is.
But popularity/ record sales/awareness isnt the best measure of merit/heroism, otherwise, if it was music heroes, stock aitken and waterman maybe in the top 10.
All guitarists i know, very familiar with NR and generally see him as one of the goats.

Never heard of him. Our goats are called Daisy, Chloe, and Clover. Don't recall a Nile at all.

guitars4you · September 2023

swiller said:

guitars4you said:

Nile Rodgers is an interesting one - Most will know of Chic - But the amount of times people say to me who is Nile Rodgers - They've never heard of him - I had one friend saw him life at a festival and knew nothing about who he is outside Chic - Almost like the most heard guitar player on record, but no one knows him

Thats completely opposite to my circle, where the vast majority know who nile is.
But popularity/ record sales/awareness isnt the best measure of merit/heroism, otherwise, if it was music heroes, stock aitken and waterman maybe in the top 10.
All guitarists i know, very familiar with NR and generally see him as one of the goats.

I was referring to the non-guitar players who have never heard of him - And even if they have they are unaware of who he has played with, written and produced for - But they might know of Chic - They know even less of Bernard

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