I think it comes down to a matter of taste. There are some people who get immense satisfaction out of seeing a guitarist display great technical virtuosity. Lots of musicians appreciate this style more because it shows the "chops" of a musician. Then there are artists like Miles Davis who captured the 'economy of notes' approach, and could convey the same amount of emotion using one note. I think there is a happy medium that few artists have mastered, where rhapsody meets melody. I read one time that Carlos Santana described Jimi Hendrix as being able to play 'fast and deep' I think thats what he meant.

Technicality means nothing, especially i the sense of playing fast with sweeps and all that rubbish.
Guitar solos are generally cliches and as an extremely technically able guitarist myself...that stuff isn't very hard, try playing some Jazz harmony stuff and see how good you really are.

Innovation, restraint and taste are far more interesting.

But of course feeling alone isn't enough, i.e. Clapton's amped up theft of B.B king licks does nothing to impress me.

Haha yes.

I both like technicality and heart (good word as any), but I think the latter is most important. I love Mark Knopfler's guitar on songs like "On Every Street", "Speedway at Nazareth" or "Sultans of Swing" (of course). I also absolutely love David Gilmour's steel guitar solo at the end of High Hopes, last track on Pink Floyd's "Division Bell" album from 1994 which, to day's date, is also the last song they wrote.

I think a lot of the shred guys also play stuff with heart in it every now and then. It's just that they get known for their shred and little else. I know Buckethead has some lovely songs (I'll mention "Soothsayer" again as an example) and even twin-axe player Michael Angelo Batio has some hearty stuff on his records.

edit :

Buckethead's Soothsayer for your listening pleasure, although the sound quality could be better. Give it a few minutes - it gets very good. The heart I'd say is in the solos he starts playing somewhere out there in the song. A good example of mix between excellent technicality and feeling, I think.



edit :

Oh what the hell, I'll add Buckethead's "For Mom" as well. This poor guy needs to get known for more than his shred-stuff anyways.

i've had this debate lots over who the best guitarist is. personally i think someone who breaks the boundaries, tries something new, or just molds everything together perfectly. i don't just go of that either. slash is one of my favorite soloists and he doesn't really do anything that different from anyone else. nirvana is my favorite band and i've never classisfied cobain as an amazing guitarist. now musically he was a genious but a great guitar player no. i seen zack wylde playing with ozzy and I was pumped for his solo but then it just ended up being a bunch of scales played at an insanely fast speed. good yes, the best not really. my pick for the best guitarist is tony iommi. the guy lost his fingertips and because of it he pretty much invented metal. listen to his playing it is simply amazing. their are many great guitar players out there and everyone has their own tastes so i think it's different for everyone. my other favorites include eric clapton, stevie ray vaughn, eric johnson, and another guy who i just came across in the last year or so erik mongrain i think was his name that uses a tapping technique which i think is awesome.

i have to mention dimebag just because he is a great guitar player and right up there with tony iommi. RIP dimebag

Creativity and technicality can be happily married....Robert Fripp would be my favorite example of this. He's a fracking machine, yet never fails to blow me away with his strange and unexpected ideas.

Also, TONE. Trey Anastasio (of Phish) is one of my favorite guitarists simply because the tone he plays with melts my soul.

being able to play things that i like to hear, and rhythm.


rhythm is most important to me.

Emotion and creativity.

This video about epitomizes it. The only parts I don't like is Zakk Wylde's pinch harmonics, he overuses them like hell, and the Satch part. Then again, he does have a lot more going for him than just legato.

Dude, annoying wanking. He might as well just take his pants off and start beating his meat.

I look for pretty much good technical ability and/or composition skill. I greatly favor any guitarist with both.