Is There A Greater Guitar Artist Than Jeff Beck?

Perhaps you've never heard (or seen) Jimi Hendrix (e,g, in Purple Haze, Hey Joe), Eric Clapton (e.g. in Crossroads, White Room) ...

I've seen The Yardbirds in England twice, in 1965 with Eric Clapton on guitar and in 1966 ...
Edited: oops, 1966, that were The Cream.

Beck is now in a category of his own. How he changed and advanced music amazes me. His jazzy licks and constantly changing (even his own works) is thrilling. Followed him since his days in late Yardbirds. Saw him with Yardbirds, solo and more recently in dual concert with SRV around 1989-90.

Loved Hendrix with a passion. Saw him once w/ The Experience. Loved the late great Roy Buchanan, Roy Gallagher, Stevie Ray Vaughan ( saw him once), loved Django... Just to name a few of my never-get-tired of their licks or style. It's not a requirement to make my list but I seem to like the dead ones ... Speaking of the Dead. add Jerry Garcia into that list.

Mark Knopfler, Carlos Santana, John McLaughlan, and Ry Cooder also at or near the top of my list.

Add Brian May and Pete Townshend, and George Harrison.

Don't be ridiculously stupid Walter.

If I know who Beck is, I obviously know who Hendrix and Clapton are, and I have seen both play live. Hendrix at his Band of Gypsy's performance at the Fillmore and Clapton at his 2004 Crossroads Concert in Dallas. Isn't it interesting that the 250 minute two disc DVDs that came out of that concert didn't include Beck's performance? Do you think Clapton didn't have a say in it?

Hendrix was a genius who self-destroyed. Beck would never claim great to have greater talent than Hendrix which is to his credit.

Clapton is a wonderful technician who has limited his virtuoso abilities to the Blues.

He's not half the artist Hendrix or Beck were/are.

In a different genre altogether I must include Paco de Lucia in my list of most highly respected 'Tops'. If you're not familiar, please check out the late Paco De Lucia. ( newer style of Flamenco).

All that you mention are wonderful guitar players/artists and if you ever have a chance to view a Beck interview he gives credit to so many.

In fact he once said he tried to emulate John McLaughlin and his Mahavishnu Orchestra but fell short. He is a far too humble.

I love McLaughlin and saw the Mahavishnu Orchestra in concert back in the day, but he too often got out of control. Beck never does.

I agree with you in your assessments - both of Beck's humble attitude and McLaughlan. John was a master for sure but would sometimes 'careen about in a bit of disjointedness or perhaps inefficient noodling . Beck was more collected and focused with no wasted energy or searching from off of a tangent.
At one point early on he had somewhat of a derivative style (as you indicated he stated) , but that all changed decades ago.

Loved his interviews.

Loved guitarist who evolves. Many (Clapton as an example) stayed within the confinement of their original style. Hendrix endeavroed to change at the end of his life- -Band of Gypsies.

I had a "guitar hero" phase around the age of 15 to 16 and they included Eric Clapton, Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Chris Dreja, Jimmy Page, etc. I grew out of it. Clapton never recovered, in my eyes, from his racist outburst on stage in 1976.

Yes, there are "specialists" and De Lucia is amazing but can he cover the breath of what Beck can? He is without a doubt a virtuoso and his fingers may even fly faster than Beck's but (and I don't mean to minimize his artistry because if you listen to him you often want to weep) the Greatest Guitar Artist displays his artistry beyond one genre.

Agree completely which is why I think Beck is the greatest.

I agree. ( see my last edit about extending beyond one genre - rock or blues.)

Paco had a pure playing style no matter how fast or hard or fast the progression he played you could always hear each note as distinct.

No politics welcome.

Beck is an old geezer even older than me but he continuously tries to move on. If that isn't artistic, I don't know what is.

Beck played at Crossroads a few years ago (9 yrs ago?) and introduced the female bass player who was then aged 21. I'm going out on a limb and say her name was Tal Wilkenfeld. NPR on tv carried the concert and plays it regularly.

The guitarrist I really liked most was John Slaughter.
It's not only me but others as well think that he could have been a fmous, wellknown player - but he decided to play for some 40 years with Chris Barber (played with e.g. Howling Wolf, Van Morrison and many jazz stars, too)

Only ones I'd put above or with him are Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton.

You're right, it was Tal and another example of Beck the true artist. He is always surrounding himself with talent, regardless of whether or not they may take the shine off him (As if they could)

Why?

Can't say really, those are just my favorite guitarists, Jeff Beck included.