This comparison has a clear cut winner as far as best guitarist.... SRV.

Like the Beatles vs Stones, if Billy Gibbons' career had been as short as SRV's we would think of him as one of many short time Texas Guitar blues players who came and went. But Gibbons has lasted 40 years and created a trademark blues sound and brand. He is a legendary blues player whose name always seems to come up in conversations about "best guitarists", even if its never in the top 10. He has the respect of almost all other great guitar players. When people talk about great rock bands from Texas, these are the first two that come up most of the time.

Its interesting that two great blues players can be from Texas and have such totally different types of music.

Whatever. I've really been into power trios lately.

Huge bummer that I mispelled SRV's name in the title. Apologies.

I have a hard time with saying one guitarist is better than another once you get to a certain level precisely because of the differences in style across the board. At some point, they're all just who they are. The better depends more on your taste in music. I guess it just becomes kind of an apples and oranges deal. Stacking Clapton, Vaughan, Gibbons, Page, Guy, etc. next to each other, I think they could all hang with the others just fine. I also think you'd be able to pick out each one without looking from their style and sound. That's the mark of a great one and I don't really know that you can definitively say one is better than the other.

Love Billy, but SRV is in another stratosphere.

But did SRV shop at Fiesta?

Lucky #007 - Well said. That makes a lot of senses.

SRV's style could go from a slow tear jerking blues to something that sounds like he spent 5 hours before at Starbucks drinking their strongest product.

Billy Gibbon's songs mostly make me want to lean back my car seat and drive slow with sunglasses on.

I'll bet that if someone showed Billy Gibbons an acoustic guitar, he'd be like "what in the hell is that?!" A single coil pick-up would probably confuse him, too.

I saw the Fiesta commercial. That was weird, but Billy Gibbons just seems to be a cool Houston dude.

Personally, I don't think either are as great guitar players as their reputations make them out to be.

Playing electric blues riffs in E, with 6 strings and a pick, over a 4/4 beat isn't as complicated as many make it out to be. That doesn't mean that their songs and playing don't kick ass because they do!

I think they are as great as they're made out to be. What I think you mean is they aren't as technically proficient as say Steve Vai or some of the virtuosos. For me, the technical proficiency is great but I'll take a less technically proficient player that can play with the emotion that SRV or Clapton or Gibbons do. Then again, we're back to stylistic preferences making a difference in anyone's opinion of their greatness and how much it may or may not be overstated.

[This message has been edited by Lucky #007 (edited 10/10/2012 3:09p).]

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SRV is in another stratosphere.

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One reason someone might not think those two guys are "that great" is that now in the year 2012 its not hard to find dozens of blues and rock players that appear to be just as good or fast or emotional or whatever. Spend 15 minutes on youtube and you can find several imitators as good as SRV or BFG. The reason? They all learned it from guys like SRV and BFG. In 1970 when ZZ Top started, he didn't invent the blues, but he invented his blues. And he didn't have youtube and concert dvds from Best Buy to watch 100 hours of BB King footage. Same for SRV in the 80s.

By the way, for a great blues imitator you might not have heard about, check out Popa Chubby.

True enough. I've always said though that there are musicians around you every bit as talented as some of the superstars that have never gotten a break. I know some unreal musicians in and around Houston that are just stupid talented.

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Spend 15 minutes on youtube and you can find several imitators as good as SRV or BFG.

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That's horse****. Maybe I'm just being difficult but if all you're doing is aping someone else you'll never be as good as that person. Stevie had "it". The copycats do not. It's hard to define, but you can feel it when you see/hear it.

I can see all of those arguments and you're correct Lucky, in that I don't think they are virtuosos. They are amazing with their energy! Fun to listen to etc. But it isn't as though they ever really stretched themselves. Both are great bluesmen! Some folks count SRV among the true virtuosos like VanHalen, Vai, Lifeson, Steve Morse, etc.