Frank Zappa as a Guitarist

[ds673488]

Please Discuss...id like to hear what everyones opiions are.

[leith]

Improvising Shredder with an Ear that could catch anything.

[Gfunk]

Zappa = genius guitar player.
He wasn\'t afraid to play "the ugly notes"
One of the alltime greats imo.

[ds673488]

He wasn\'t afraid to play "the ugly notes"

def one of the first guitar players to do this and make it sound good.  jimi hendrix is another in that era that comes to mind.

[Spunk]

um
better composer then guitarist
definitly played cool shit, mad respect

[ds673488]

i agree with ya spunk...i was waiting for someone else to say this...dont get me wrong, hes a great guitar player, but i would put his composing way over his guitar ability.

i would actually say tim is a better guitar soloist than zappa, if they went head to head

[Jim Cobb]

i\'d say his talent and skill as an arranger might be what impresses me the most.

[jking]

i\'d say RIP... 14 years ago today...  



and definitely a better composer than guitarist (and i think he said/thought the same), but still a great guitarist, that\'s fer dayum sure!!!

[Lexington]

i agree with ya spunk...i was waiting for someone else to say this...dont get me wrong, hes a great guitar player, but i would put his composing way over his guitar ability.

i would actually say tim is a better guitar soloist than zappa, if they went head to head

zappa was way more jazz influenced than tpalms. if you\'re into straight up rock guitar (and face melting most intense jams ever) than tpalms owns. FZ had a much jazzier style, imo
that said...
i would rank both in the top 10 best guitarists ever, and i think both own the shnot outta trey or jerry as far a pure skill is concerned (sorry boys, much love of course)

[SlimPickens]

I\'m not a huge Zappa fan, but IMO he\'s one of the all time great rock guitar soloists.  

What always impressed me was his ability to rip a great solo w/out frequently falling into the typical trap of getting outta control and resorting to big climatic note bends... the crowd pleasers.  He was able to translate that incredible song composition talents into his solo\'s resulting in some tasty stuff... a man of true capability.

[Yoda]

This is a though up for discussion, but knowing how much of an influence Zappa has/had on Tim, I think that he might shy away from people saying that he\'s a better guitarist than Zappa.  Just my two cents.

[SlimPickens]

i would rank both in the top 10 best guitarists ever, and i think both own the shnot outta trey or jerry as far a pure skill is concerned (sorry boys, much love of course)

Jer & Trey were/are both such students of the guitar, they know the instrument at a level that most rock guitarists only dream of.  

I think Jerry\'s love of opiates took away from his abilities

Trey can rip... I\'m not sure if anyone in a top 10 list can own the schnot outta someone else in that top 10.

I\'d be interested in reading this top 10 list.

[Kaliguitar]

Highly underated.....what made Zappa so great IMO is that he owned his unique style.

Name another who sounded like him....I can\'t.

[siflandollie]

his improvisational style of soloing was so ill too.  i would say his solos sound more sincere to me than any one else\'s... that is he knew what he was trying to express with the solo and went about expressing himself spot on in that moment.  I think his musical knowledge helped with this alot, I know he has been quoted as saying he views his guitar solos as improvised compositional pieces.

[leith]

Anyone who thinks Jerry Garcia\'s "skills" were lacking has no real clue.
His guitar work is impeccable on so many studio works non GD or JGB related (over 50) you probably do not even know he is on.
Before he began his lifetime Chase of the Dragon there could def. be a case made that he was THE Guitar Player on the scene.

EVERYBODY wanted to play with Jerry. Why? Because he shredded!!!!!!!
I have a few discs of non GD related jams that Jerry is simply smoking fools on.

To say Zappa or Tim has more "skills" than Jerry Garcia is to me a statement made in ignorance.
To say that both Zappa and Tim\'s technical styles are superior to Jerry\'s would just be a different debate that would have a lot more merit.