Vote for your favourite Shredder. Feel free to add why you voted for the guitarist in question.

I have listed who I think have been the main players in this category so if I have omitted your fave then apologies but please give them a mention.

My vote goes to the mighty Paul Gilbert who in my opinion is the most versatile of the guys listed above. I must also add that Yngwie was my top player for close on 20 years but he's become a bit too predicatable IMHO but he still remains the biggest influence on my playing. Anyway PG for me. :)

Jason Becker.

Amazingly fast sweeps, the cleanest sweeps i have ever heard and amazing phrasing. (that rhymes:) )

After that i would choose Steve Vai in 2nd and 3rd for me would be a tie between Marty Friedman and Paul Gilbert.

Jason Becker. Marty Friedman is a close second.

Becker was extremely versatile and skillful with amazing technique, and his compositions after his diagnose keep amazing me one after another. I would say Becker is not just my favorite shredder and musician, he is also my favorite composer.

Christ do I really have to choose? They are all amazing.

I went for Vinnie Moore because I love his phrasing and tone. Uses speed when it is needed but is incredibly melodic.

If George Lynch had been in there I probabley would have gone for him. Maybe not as shred as some of the others, but really individual style and phrasing.

Vinnie Moore #1

Interesting choices guys but so far not quite what I would have predicted. Steve and Acousolysis have chosen as I thought they would. I know that Mind's Eye is your fave shred album Hurricane so I had an strong inkling you would vote VinMan. Devon, your choice surprises me a little. I was 100% sure that you would have gone for Yngwie. Btw Vinnie Moore came an incredibly close second to PG as my choice. :)

HA yeah, Vinnie Moore without a doubt... besides him my favorites are also Tony Macalpine, Steve Vai, Paul Gilbert, and Yngwie Malmsteen. My top 5^

I voted for Satch. Looks like I was the only one :lol:

for me,the 1st place goes to Jason Becker...

Interesting - Yngwie hasn't got one vote yet! I'm really suprised.

I'm going with Tony MacAlpine. Extremely Melodic shred that puts you in a great state of mind. Maximum Security and Edge of Insanity are incredible albums. I like Yngwie Malmsteen and Vinnie Moore a ton as well. Uli Jon Roth deserves a mention.

Glad to see someone has gone for TMAC neoshredder, I love those albums too. He doesn't get as much credit as he should.

Agreed. Btw I added some more choices. I got that power. ;)

Hmmm...there is a few guys that deserve an honorable mention.
If we had all these guys in the poll we would never have been able to choose!
John Petrucci
Greg Howe
Micheal Lee Firkins
Joey Tafolla
Ritchie Kotzen
MAB
Buckethead
John 5
Paco De Lucia
Al Di Meola (hey he's pretty damn fast)
Frank Gambale
Allan Holdsworth
Steve Morse
John Mclaughlin
Shawn Lane
Joe Stump
Chris Impellitari
Nuno Bettencourt
Jake E. Lee
Rustey Cooley
Zakk Wylde

Yeah, not one vote for Yngwie. I'm amazed at that. I really thought he would have walked away with it.

Good to see Tmac get a vote as Hurricane says. He really deserves a lot more recognition. Marty Friedman hasn't got a vote yet either. I always thought that Jason got more of the spotlight than him.

BTW Good news for all you Vinman fans. I believe he is currently in the studio putting the finishing touches to his new solo instrumental album. :)

Why has no body mentioned Michael Romeo?

Id like to mention:
Reb Beach
Paul Masvidal

... im sure there were others

I vote Vai even though these days hes less of a shredder more of er... peculiar.

Peace

Vinman, because he's just perfect. Chose him over becker. With becker, he just wasnt able to put out more stuff so we never really heard too much of him.

I'm sure there are many more shredders. We'll stick with ones mentioned. I guess Romeo can be added since he is Neo-Classical and that is what this sites about.

ya saw him with symphony x, he's just ridiculous

I can't believe how Symphony X can play so well live, considering they play 20+ minute epochs.

A 20 min epoch?


Bit short dont you think, i would hope an age would at least be 500+ YEARS, or equivilent to at least 2000 prog rock master peaces.

I am supprised that on a Neo-Classical metal board he didnt get mentioned... or should we change the name to 'true neo-classical metal' (ie: That junk from the 80's :P )

hahaaha very good point. I sure there are many great neo-classical players around today.. they just can't market it these days. :(

I mean.. there are a lot of great players but not many as amazing as the original shrapnel gang.

IMO the late 80's - early 90's shrapnel shredders haven't really been improved upon. O.k some players these days are maybe even more technical (e.g. Rusty Cooley) but the thing about Moore, Macalpine,Yngwie, Becker etc was that they shredded with feeling and musicality - they weren't just relying on great chops to get them by.

Mind you Guthrie Govan is definately up there with em! One of the best players around I think.

Yeah Guthrie's a hell of a player. I had a feature he did on the Mixolydian scale in a guitar mag last year which was excellent. He did some cool things with it, outside the box if you know what I mean.