He reminds me so much of Hendrix - I sometimes think that these incredible players come along once every 25 or 30 years - dazzle us with their brilliance for a short time and then leave us far too soon. To those people who think he was over-rated, all I can say is that they don't know Squat about players or guitars. If they did, they wouldn't make such a stupid comment

Stevie had major substance problems which diminished his ability.

You kidding - the Master, the King. The One and Only.

A real pity he was cursed by drug addiction because he had the potential to be really good.

I loved this man - he was a class act with more talent than most people realize.

Stevie Ray Vaughan is Insane with skillz

The man who can let music flow naturally out of him. No set solos

EVH #1??!! You all who voted him that, smokin' window pane? Granted, a gifted guitarist..but HIM above SRV,Clapton,Hendrix,Zappa(yes),Robin Trower,Jeff Beck,etc.... Ya know, this is what is so great about questions like this. Music is art. What do WE like. I think that Picasso sucks, but I love Dali. Chet Akins was great to me. Where is he? Where are the Jazz guitarist? None here! And,excuse me,placing B.B.King here tied at 3rd?! I love B.B., but it is his booming vocals that dominate his songs. Art=subject/personal opinion.

this dude is a beast, playing both rythm and solo while singing, that is a freaken genius.SRV isnt too high up on my list. Obviously he's one of the greatest ever. Well you all have a different opinion from mine and i respect that since you didnt act like an idiot about it i just enjoy SRV more.

Stevie ray does it for me. Who would not feel happy listening to "Pride and Joy" or not be elated when "The House is Rockin"? Don't know if his guitar playing is correct or great but I sure do love listening to it

I think he was awesome. Watch any of his live DVD's. I don't understand all the people calling him a hopeless junkie or drunk since he was sober about 4 years when he died.

This bluescat was as fluid and natural as he was gritty and nasty with the axe! Check out some of his fusion on songs like Lenny and Chitlins Con Carne to realize he was The Best There Ever Was!

I saw him in 1988, unbeleivable player, only behind a handful of other players like Eddie Van Halen, Angus Young and Ace Frehley.

incredible phrasing and speed picking

SRV was a decent blues guitarist from Texas that interpreted Hendrix material real well and was a good live performer. That's about it. I think his original material sounds very "stock" and is wildy overrated. As a matter of fact everything this guy ever did became excessively overrated after his death. I don't have anything personal against SRV's legacy, I just honestly don't think that he was the inarguable genius that so many have labeled him as being. I think that one of the reasons that it has become so fashionable to excessively praise SRV after his death is that there are many blues fans out there that wish that blues would become more mainstream. Subsequently, the overplayed nature of SRV's material, especially on godawful classic rock radio stations across the USA, attempts to toss these fans a few proverbial crumbs to satisfy their cravings. Me, if I want to listen to real blues I will put on a Muddy Waters or Howlin' Wolf record.

Tragic stuff. A life ruined by narcotics. A junkie beyond saving.

Considering the amount of drugs he used, his playing was creditable.

best guitarist ever

Certainly rated in my elite guitarist of all time. He had heart and soul and technique to back it up.

Usually when a guitar player dies in their prime they receive legend status even if they aren't. But SRV was an explosive energetic and talented force of nature.

I don't believe any guitarist can be called better than another as long as they have emotion, soul and a good technical approach. If someone were to go up to Jimmy Page and say 'Wow Mr. Page, you are way better than BB or Albert King,' I think Page would so 'Whoa, not so fast.' Saying such things are irrelevant cuz all guitarists choose to play the way they do. Hell, i think it would be a crime to add shredding to the sweet blues playing of Bloomfield. However, I do still believe that it is possible to make a claim as to which guitarist has the best control over an instrument. SRV is this person for me, no one had a batter grasp than he did

Will not be denied, assuredly. But in a list that compares the talent and legacy of virtuoso artists, every 4- and 5-star vote among 56 for contemporary guitarists creates a considerable void that separates them from the neglected classics, such as Django Reinhardt, whom only a half dozen among us recall.

Would have been better if if didnot take drugs. They really screwed him up and halted his potential.

he would be the greatest guitarist of all time if he hadn't died (and he is). only rory gallagher can match him ( and the other way around). And for those who think he was junkie, he was for a first few years of fame, then he quit drugs. rest in peace stevie

The best overall guitarist of his time and the best electric blues performer that EVER lived IMO.

the best!!!

Great Musician, Great Guitarist.

the best...Stevie Ray Vaughan

This man took a dying genre and made it his own. He's one of the all time greats.

Pretty hopeless drug crazed addict.

Definitely in the all time top 10 electric guitar players. He had a very recognisable style and tone which is more than can be said for most metallers and other bluesmen. He made 3 cracking studio albums - Texas Flood, Couldnt stand the weather and In step - but IMO the addition of keyboards was unnecessary as was the use of brass on some of his live recordings.

He is very talented guitar player. He has many licks of his own.

Listen to 'Crossfire' and 'Pride & Joy', for starters.

Hey Capt. Cock or whatever the hell ur name is just cuz u didnt listen to his music doesnt mean u can just give him a bad rating. Also this isnt the "rock god" catagory dumbass. This is the best guitarist list. Thats all. And Im pretty sure ive said this b4, if SRV would have come b4 hendrix he would without a doubt be number 1 on this list with no one coming anywhere close to him!!!

That guy knew how to make a Strat sound like it should. Killer, powerful tone and some amazing licks. Yea, it was the blues and could get a little repetitive, but the way he played......

Saw him in concert in '85, he was good, but after fifteen minutes I started yawning. Yeah Stevie, we know you could play the hell out of a pentatonic scale, but I need more.

Just fabulous -- the best ever! Even the other greats admit to it --- After Clapton saw him live the first time he was so awed that he just wanted to go home and throw away his own guitars --- like, why bother anymore ?? As for Tossa's remarks, may we wish him a similar fate with even less regrets.

saw him in concert and was smooth as silk but still overated.especially after his death

He was good. but it never had the effects on me as it obviously did to some others...i cant rate him high because i honestly dont think he is 'rock god' category

A junkie and wino who fortunately died young. No great loss.

OK, how about the greatest electric blues guitar player of the late 20th Century. C'mon, this guy was the last true guitar hero (and he played a fine acoustic too).

Awesome. All of you with anything below a five, go back and listen again.

Only remembered because he died young.

He puts it all together. Clearly One of the best ever and one of my favorites.

what do you mean poor accoustics, didn`t hear "Life By The Drop" Best 12 string I`ve heard. RIP

You could feel his soul when you watched him live.

Poor acoustic skills condemn this man to a 3 star rating. To be a complete guitarist, you must know how to play without electricity.

It sounds corny but this man was one with his guitar. The music flowed from his soul to his fingertips and out of those guitar strings. He could convey emotions like nobody's business. He's definitely one of the more underappreciated greats.

This is guitar at its best. His recorded music is incredible, but it still doesnt compare to his live stuff. The best to date. Blew away Jimi Hendrix with his cover of Voodoo Chile!!

He wed the best of the heavy sound of the great British rock guitarists with the burning emotion of the classic American bluesmen. I saw him once. He started playing before he walked on stage, announcing that the guitar would do the talking, ripped through song after song with barely a breather in between, and then ended his set with an amazing climax and walked off the stage, no phony showbiz finale, no goodbye, no encore. The crowd was in an absolute frenzy. And he left them there at the top.