The Steel Guitar Forum

With respect, the second line addresses that.

Many great guitarists CAN play beautiful work at slower speeds.
But can't be equally eloquent at higher speed.

There are many who are very fast,
and say little at any speed.

So I have to combine BOTH elements,
plus invention, as the test.

Slow and beautiful as well as the facility
to play extremely fast
AND beautifuly at the same time.

The question was "Top Hottest Guitar Solos"
Hottest implys speed in some quantity.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 22 October 2006 at 06:41 AM.]</p></FONT>

Thee have been many great soloists who could go like the blazes but chose not to - Knopfler and Garcia come to mind. However, I agree with the David (Donald edition) that it also depends on what you've been listening for and training your self to hear - I've been on a nutty-Russian violin concerto kick lately (Shostakovich & Prokofiev), and always Eliot Fisk's nylon-string take on Paganini's 24 Caprices, and somehow the old Ted Nugent and George Thorogood records just aren't cutting it anymore....

I know both Thorogood and The Nuge could BLOW ELIOT FISK RIGHT OFF THE STAGE, MAN - but I wouldn't want to have to hear it?

Two acoustic solos worth remembering:

Doc Watson, Black Mountain Rag from NGDB's "Will the circle be unbroken".

James Burton on "Dixie Darling" by Carlene Carter

Roy Buchannan - "After Hours"

David, I hope you are kidding with the remark about Elliot Fisk being blown away by Ted Nugent. I used to hang out and talk alot with Elliot when I was on the faculty of the American Institute of Guitar here in NYC. Elliot is a Yale graduate and a world class guitarist who has transcribed a spate of pieces for the classical guitar. He doesn't play rock guitar to my knowledge so why compare him to Ted Nugent? Tell me you were kidding please!

Oh he WAS kidding... no doubts.

But you put a transcription of Nugents BEST solo,
in front of Eliot, and he will sight read it,
faster than Ted could play it.

Whew...thanks. Now I can sleep tonight.

Heres two of my favorites, Rick Derringer solo on "Back in the USA" on Edgar Winters live albun" Roadwork". Leslie West solo on Mississipi Queen was pretty darn hot also, not too many notes, but they sure are in the right place at the right time!

I try to listen to Eliot Fisk every day, usually either some of the Caprices for Solo Violin from Paganini or some of the Sonatas and Partitas for Violin from Bach. I just read along with the sheet music and weep though, like, "Oh, sure...." (I can play the Bach stuff O.K. at my speed, nuff said.)

I read that several classical guitarists were irritated with Fisk, because they were comfortable playing the same old guitar stuff and he's raised the bar considerably by blasting out Paganini & piano transcripts and such. Conversely, Ted "The Nuge" got mad at other guitarists and started refusing to let anybody on stage to jam with him, because everybody that showed up smoked him so bad - maybe that's why he took up shooting Bambi's mother instead.

David, I've heard Elliot play Paganini pieces. Virtuoso stuff. Elliot has also transcribed more Scarlatti keyboard sonatas for the guitar than anyone else on the planet. He's probably the only one who can play them also. He has huge hands which make some of the crazy stretches in his transcriptions easy for him but murder for nearly anyone else. He used to practice for hours on end, and it shows.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Mike Shefrin on 23 October 2006 at 01:19 PM.]</p></FONT>

Wow, I do remember picking up the needle and replaying Derringer`s solo on Back in the USA. Kudos Bob Smith on that one.

Mike you are no slouch on the Scarlatti I heard.
And of course that was solo too.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 24 October 2006 at 01:45 AM.]</p></FONT>

Haven't listened to it in quite awhile but Jimmy Bryant's "Pickin Peppers" impressed me a bunch.

bh

I remember hearing a solo Brent Mason played in a local studio here in Ohio before he went to Nashville. He was playing this blinding fast chicken picking stuff on an acoustic guitar. I'm not an acoustic guitar lover as a rule, but that solo was incredible.

I also remember in the 70's hearing a group called Focus. The guitar player they had was hands down the best I've ever heard. Anyone remember the song 'Hocus Pocus'. That was one of their lightweight silly songs, but check out the guitar playing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yekVlhBeTA

Ken,

Who dat? He stole that warm up exercise from me note for note.

Seriously, pardon my ign'ance, but who is it? Alzheimered minds want to know. All hammered too.

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"I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back." --Henny Youngman

David L. mentioned somebody I hadn't heard of, Bireli-Lagrene. Judging from his other picks, I figured if he liked it then I'd like it. And I do. So if you haven't heard of him, here are some samples that some of you will be happy to discover:
http://amazon.com/Gipsy-Project-Friends-Bireli-Lagrene/dp/B00006JTH5

David, do you know Pierre Bensusan, and also Boulou and Elios Ferre? (Hope I spelled that right.)

------------------
"I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back." --Henny Youngman

I played with Bireli once many years ago in Mallorca. He wasn't into trying to play with me but just tried to blow me away with his chops,and it was not a pleasant experience.I won't say anymore about the incident than that.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Mike Shefrin on 30 October 2006 at 07:24 PM.]</p></FONT>

Boulou and Elios Ferre, I am familiar with.

Mike, yeah Bireli has a teency bit of
ego with him at all times... DUH.

My favorite in the bunch for manouche style is
Tchavalo Schmitt, no relation to Crowbear.
Maybe not the fastest, maybe not the biggest ego, but a great player,
who plays for love of music and not aclaim.

It's said they can hardly get him to leave
his little local Alsacian cafe to play
or record anywhere else.

I just got a copy of Electric Ganesha Land
by indian guitarist Prasanna.

I am pretty sure David Mason made the recomendation.

His indian style tribute to Hendrix.

So far it is astounding.
Track three is making my ears itch...

Track 4 makes me think Zappa at his height.

I have recorded some indian music in Paris,
played by an master 14 string viloinist,
and this a guitar album is in the same range.

<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 30 October 2006 at 07:46 PM.]</p></FONT><font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 30 October 2006 at 07:47 PM.]</p></FONT>