Where does John Petrucci rank among your favorite guitar players?

[KevShmev]

I'll have to go with option 3.  He is probably in the 4-8 range for me.  I don't have a specific order, but I know that Alex Lifeson is number one, and David Gilmour and Roine Stolt are 2 and 3, so Petrucci would be in that next tier along with Jeff Beck, Andrew Latimer, Brian May, etc.

[Madman Shepherd]

I don't even know how to answer this because he is in that odd category.  I don't think his style is particularly memorable and while that may sound like I am slamming him, it is simply that when I hear a Tony Iommi riff, I know it is Tony Iommi.  If I hear Randy Rhoads, I know it is Randy. 

When I hear JP, I usually love it but not for his guitar playing.  I think he is a great writer and obviously a great guitarist but with DT I guess I look at the whole picture....fuck, I mean The Bigger Picture (almost fucked up that reference).

When I think of my favorite guitarists it is usually because they a so incredibly unique and distinct but for JP, he is a chameleon and is amazing at whatever style he is playing at that moment so he almost blends in amongst all of the other guitarists. 

[TheGreatPretender]

Definitely my favorite, by far. I like plenty of guitarists, some write slightly better riffs, some are slightly faster at shredding, maybe, they all have their strengths. But JP is probably the most well rounded guitarist I've heard. I mean, he can play virtually anything in terms of style and I think it's a large part of why Dream Theater's music has so much variety. He can go from playing cold, brutal sounding riffs, with face melting shredding solos, to soft, warm acoustic passages... Sometimes in a single song.

[King Postwhore]

Option 3 for me.  I love atmospheric guitarists the most.

1. Lifeson
2. Gilmour
3. Gurley
4. Tanna
5. Brian May

Then Mr. Pertrucci

[TAC]

3. Gurley
4. Tanna

Who?



I've always stated that my two favorite guitarists are Gary Moore and Michael Schenker. But I'm not sure I can deny JP much longer.

I don't even know how to answer this because he is in that odd category.  I don't think his style is particularly memorable and while that may sound like I am slamming him, it is simply that when I hear a Tony Iommi riff, I know it is Tony Iommi.  If I hear Randy Rhoads, I know it is Randy. 

When I hear JP, I usually love it but not for his guitar playing.  I think he is a great writer and obviously a great guitarist but with DT I guess I look at the whole picture....fuck, I mean The Bigger Picture (almost fucked up that reference).

When I think of my favorite guitarists it is usually because they a so incredibly unique and distinct but for JP, he is a chameleon and is amazing at whatever style he is playing at that moment so he almost blends in amongst all of the other guitarists. 

I completely agree, and this has always been my issue with how to view JP. Most of the icons had something distinct about them. They all excelled at something. JP excels at everything!

[King Postwhore]

3. Gurley
4. Tanna

Who?

Dada and I Mother Earth.

[bosk1]

I said top 3.  I don't really rank them anymore, so it's tough to say.  Some days, he might be my favorite.  Others, somebody else might be, depending on what I am listening to.  But he is definitely top 3 or so.  And in terms of "favorite people who happen to be great guitarists," he is also way up near the top.

[TheGreatPretender]

If we're gonna do rankings, then I'd have to say:

1. John Petrucci
2. Dave Mustaine
3. Dino Cazares
4. Brian May
5. Tony Iomi

[Jaq]

Number 2 behind Stevie Ray Vaughn and just in front of Randy Rhoads.

[JayOctavarium]

Gilmour
Petrucci
May

[Syzzle]

1.Petrucci
2.Buckethead
3.Michael Romeo
4.Joe Satriani

[Podaar]

This is difficult choice for me. JP's body of work is what I listen to the most and he always impresses and surprises me with his broad range of playing skill. Like someone else said earlier, he excels at every genre of playing...I mean, just listen to the covers on side 2 of A Change of Seasons. Hell, he sounds more like Davey Johnstone live than Davey does. It's just mind boggling sometimes.

Yet, I can't honestly say JP has his own recognizable style or even tone. His solo album was the closest he ever got, or so it seems to me, and I think that's why I usually turn to Suspended Animation when I truly want to hear John play. Maybe that's just a testament to how much of a team player he is with DT that his personal style gets buried in the mix.

I voted for option 2.

Only Derek Trucks and Michael Schenker rank above him as favorites for me.

And if you're scratching your head about Derek Trucks all I can say in my defence is  I'm with B.B. on this one.

[Daso]

He's my favorite. Guthrie Govan is also my favorite. They're both number 1 for me.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

He's my absolute favorite. He's crafted my favorite music, and there isn't anything that he can't do.

[Dave_Manchester]

1. Mark Knopfler
2. John Petrucci
3. Eric Johnson

[Tom Bombadil]

Not sure what my exact rankings would be, but JP would definitely be on top.

[ReaperKK]

I like many different types of guitar players and I like JP. He used to be my favorite guitar player but over the years as my music tastes have changed he has moved down the list. Out of the shredders Guthrie Govan is number but I'd say JP is in the top 5.

[CodyWanKenobi]

Definitely my favorite guitar player playing today. My all time favorite guitar player though, is Jason Becker.

[CodyWanKenobi]

If we're gonna do rankings, then I'd have to say:

1. John Petrucci
2. Dave Mustaine
3. Dino Cazares
4. Brian May
5. Tony Iomi

Dave Mustaine is hardly a guitar player...

and he's an asshole.


But it's okay, I forgive you.

[TheGreatPretender]

Dave Mustaine is hardly a guitar player...

and he's an asshole.


But it's okay, I forgive you.

Dave Mustaine is an awesome guitar player and I'm not ranking them by personality.

[Outcrier]

He wrote the two Peaces anyway 

[ZKX-2099]

JP is number one. He is my number one. He is the best of all ever. Objectively. If you disagree you are wrong.

[AngelBack]

He is definitely my favorite guitar player and by an even farther margin my favorite musician/artist, when you consider the song writing aspect.  And I obsess over guitar players...I could name all the usual suspects on guitar, but I must mention, I think Alex Lifeson is one of the most underrated guitar players. Not for his solos, that may be the weakest part of his repertoire, but for the rhythm, atmosphere/mood and accent he brings to my second fave band. 

[wolfking]

Between spots 5-10.

[Phoenix87x]

1. Jim Matheos
2. John Petrucci
3. Robert Fripp
4. Alex Lifeson
5. SRV

[wolfking]

1. Jim Matheos

Interesting number 1.

[CharlesPL]

1.John Petrucci
2.Shawn Lane
3.David Gilmour
4.Steve Rothery
5.Joe Satriani
6.Adrian Smith
7.Dave Murray
8.Steve Vai
9.Eric Johnson
10.Al Di Meola
11.Andy Latimer
12.John McLaughlin

[BlobVanDam]

He's definitely in my top 3, possibly/probably even #1, but I voted for option two to be safe, because it's hard to rank them! JP is such a consistently great songwriter and solo player, and I love the style he plays.

[SeRoX]

I simply can not rank. I mean there are lots of great players with different style on their own. For instance, while JP gives me chills with technique Satriani makes the same effect with his improvisation style. Examples can be multiplied.

[davidolson22]

Please fix the neck in this photoshop, it looks like he should be spewing blood from where someone slit his throat.

I guess my list is very different from everyone elses, but here goes:

1) Hendrix
2) Jimmy Page
3) Satriani
3) Petrucci

Satch and Patch are tied for 3 in my book. (Is it ok if I call him Patch?)

[Unlegit]

Somewhere high in my top ten, but not top three, maybe top five.

[adastra]

Petrucci has been my absolute favourite as long as I have known of him!  It was '99-'00   when I was introduced to DT .

I remember listening to SFAM and thought that I had never heard guitar playing like that before!


So for me,  Petrucci is #1 !

[puppyonacid]

I had to go with in my top 3 even though it's more like top 4.

I have a "big 4" who's playing I listen to more than other and have stuck with me through the years. Two of them I think are just untouchable and two of them are heroes but they're at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Oddly I put JP in the same category as Brian May in that, you can figure out what he's doing. I love JP's imagination, I love his ability and his solos are often so beautifully crafted. There are times his playing (usually in a live setting) leaves me a little cold. I'm not in to his solo spots so much. I also believe that, even though he is a real technician and he is just amazing at times, you can figure out what he's doing. It's just a question of speed, accuracy and stamina.

My other two I kind of feel are untouchable in that they have "something" in their playing that just isn't easy to grab hold of replicate. They are Nuno Bettencourt and Eric Johnson. That doesn't mean I necessarily think that they are "better" than JP.

JP is a favourite of mine and I couldn't really separate out those 4 guitarists. So always top 4 for me (or tied for favourite with three other guitarists).

[wasteland]

Number 1, what the hell!

[Evermind]

Somewhere high in my top ten, but not top three, maybe top five.

I agree. Gilmour is my favourite guitarist no doubt, but then it gets harder. Anyway, voted for top ten.