Are the new guitarists better than 80s guitarists?

General Music Discussion
#44

This kinda just seems like a side effect of just not being tuned into current modes of music consumption - it’s Youtube and Instagram, Twitch etc.

As far as fewer new players goes - I think that was a trend but it could be reversing according to an article I just posted on here yesterday the pandemic brought us a solid 16 million new guitarists, so maybe we’ll see a huge burst of talent in a few years. Plus with companies like Harley Benson putting out very affordable guitars that are actually moderately good quality, mass produced guitars are very available for like $200 or less.

Here watch this - how many of them were you already familiar with? Jared Dines is pretty great at gathering a ton of top players together for these collabs:

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#45

It’s not just the voicings either. The progressions and voice leading are unlike anything else. I’ve always like dissonance too.

#46

I probably should have included this in my original comment with Tim mentioned:

Live:

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#47

This entire discussion of cool artists that we like is a sideshow. What we really need to be arguing over is who the fastest alternate picker alive is.

(i’mkiddingpleasedonthurtme)

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#48

Same generation as Tim Henson:

This guy is worth checking out. I sorted by most popular and grabbed this vid, it’s two years old:

This is more recent:

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#50

There’s so much more. I apologize for spamming this thread. I’m 52 years old and I’m glad I’ve survived long enough to hear some of these super young players coming out. I wouldn’t say they’re more creative or more technical, they’re just making new foods with the available ingredients.

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#51

I guess it simply boils down to personal tastes. This goat sound is not my cup of tea, I know, I sound like my dad :no_mouth:

Dont’ think this thread was just about technique. The musical content and vibe is just as important, this is the reason I never liked Guthrie’s albums. Lovely guy and killer player, but again musically rather dry for me.

The goat music sounds like its designed for first generation ipod buds.

edit: R2D2 reprogrammed it’s timer chip?

But to be honest I think it’s the utter lack of blues, Indian or western that makes my brain cringe.

Story telling started in a cave that echoed and was lit by dancing shadows, quite theatrical, this does not fit unless one is innocent of millenniums of musical sensibility.

#52

I’ve come across a few really interesting players on instagram over the last few years. Some playing in ways I never heard before. I unfortunately didn’t keep track and cannot remember any names right now. I don’t use instagram much and probably didn’t follow them.

I do think though, that the likes of instagram etc has pushed some people into a competition. This can be both a good thing and bad thing, depending on the person.

Anyway, I don’t think they are better or worse, just… different, as all generations tend to be.

#54

I concede Shawn Lane is kind of a complicating point here, as he’s still towards the edge of what I’ve heard in terms of pure unbridle technique.

But, I’d say on average, the “up and coming” generation is probably ahead of where the average shredder was in the 80s, in pure technical ability.

And, IMO, that’s a good thing nd that’s not really surprising - every generation is building upon what the generation before it did, so you kind of expect the limit of the envelope to get pushed further and further. There are some GREAT technical players out there today.

As far as “musicality” or “compositional ability” or “really letting it all hang out there and not worrying about mistakes” or whatnot, that gets awfully subjective quickly. And, as a product of the 90s more than the 80s, really, I absolutely have a bias towards playing with a slightly more raw and ragged edge, than clinically perfect playing.

Still, some of these guys are GOOD. Angel Vivaldi is one of my personal favorites -

More melodic:

A little more shred:

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#55

Oh man, Tribal Tech used to be my FOOD!! Thank you for reminded me!

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#56

Don’t necessarily disagree with the technique being up there these days, maybe, but yall all wrong man, I’d rather hear albert Collins drop his guitar :laughing:

He slays with one note:

#57

Damn, I had no idea. That’s interesting to know, though

#59

I think if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that this is incorrect – wait, you clearly disagree so we can’t even agree on that :smiley:

#60

And my dad would probably say:

#61

I disagree that the quality of guitar centric music has declined, there’s just a worse signal to noise ratio. There is objectively more self and independently produced music out there now than ever in human history.

So some cool compositions how about this-

Consider The Source:

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#62

You’re the one saying better, not me.

I’m saying Guthrie hasn’t surpassed him.

However, there’s this.

Do you really believe that Guthrie’s mechanics are capable of replicating this, or doing it better than Shawn did it?

There are a great many things Guthrie can do that Shawn could not have done. There are a great many things that Shawn could do that Guthrie cannot.

This is excellent playing from Guthrie, however his transcription isn’t accurate on the fastest lines.

Again, I’m a fan of Guthrie Govan. I bought Erotic Cakes at launch and the Tone Merchants’ Cornford Clinic DVDs from way back. I respect his playing immensely.

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#64

The first minute and change of this video makes me laugh out loud when I see it. The display of technique is so off-the-wall it’s insane lol. Top 3 guitar clips on YouTube for me easily

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#65

I like this one a lot:

edit:
Don’t know if you’ve seen this session:
Jeff Sipes is one of my fav drummers, always cooking…

edit2: it’s been a long time since I saw these, he’s peaking here!

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#66

The guys aren’t exactly super young (Christian Meunzner is I think maybe freshly 40) but Obscura is extremely enjoyable guitar centric music in my opinion, this was one of my favorite albums last year

First Fragment is absolutely insane and Phil Tougas is an absolutely top notch player:

And then they combined forces on Eternity’s End so there’s that too, it’s pretty fun:

#67

Well yeah, but technique is pretty clear what Satriani was talking about in the OP. :laughing: :

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