Just trust the greatest guitar players' opinions. Hendrix, Van Halen, Clapton, Page, Santana, Satriani etc etc etc. They all think Beck is brilliant. Leave you with one quote "I feel like a beginner compared to Jeff Beck" -E. van halen

By the way, are you a guitar player? If you are not you probably don't know what makes someone a great guitar player. Just remember, "Popularity" is very different from "Greatness".

Les Paul, inventor, musician, creator of the Les Paul guitars could have chosen anyone to induct him in the rock and roll hall of fame. Guess who he chose? Why? Les Paul knows how important Jeff Beck is in the guitar world. And trust me, This old guy has heard them all.

Thanks for your understanding. Here's another quote, "If I could take one guitar lesson from another guitar player it would have to be Beck." Joe Satriani, from an interview in Guitar Player magazine online.

We can debate for days, but let's just use our logic and one example -or two. Supposedly Joe Satriani was heavily influenced by Eddie Van Halen. I believe he was. But then, ask yourself why would he rather take a lesson from Beck than from Van Halen. Why didn't Eddie Van Halen induct Les Paul into the R n R Hall of Fame? Well, we all use superlatives about guitar players we admire but actions speak louder than words. In the end, Les Paul believed that the honor had to be given to Beck, in a sea of many great guitar players. Don't get me wrong I do think that Eddie redefined heavy metal but Beck's guitar playing is much more diverse and important. I can give you many other reasons why Beck is the most important (not popular)guitar player in Rock. Again, we have to prove our point with facts. I checked the youtube video, didn't see Eddie's comments about clapton. What guitar players say does not really matter. What matters is who was responsible for shaping the world, in this case the guitar playing world. Who created the techniques that reverberate in the guitar playing world. In Eddie's case I give him credit for the hammer-on technique (although I got tired of it really quick) the rest of the techniques he uses are Beck's. One technique versus 5 or 6 from Beck, who is more influential? Peace.

Personally, as a guitar player I've been in awe of Eddie Van Halen, Santana, Hendrix, Michael Shencker, but somehow got bored with their style after a while. Beck is the only one that amazed me when I was young and is still amazes me now after 25 years. Never get tired of his playing. Perhaps because is soooooo varied. Note: I'm not from Beck's generation actually I'm from Eddie Van Halen's generation. This will tell you something about Beck's far reaching influence.

SLASH- He says he was influenced by Page and Eddie van halen, but adds that .......his heroe is Jeff Beck. "It's a lot easier to appreciate Beck if you are a guitar player. He just has a natural control over the instrument. It's the ability to make something that you've never heard ANYBODY ELSE do." This from Slash's website on his music and equipment. That is why many guitar critics say that heavy metal would not be what it is without Jeff Beck's influence. Slash, Satriani, Eddie, and thousands of other guitar players would sound different. Also Beck's plays in the myxolodian guitar scale. The scale that many heavy metal players started to use. In contrast to Beck, Page and Calpton played mostly in the blues scale.