The guitarists I most enjoy are the ones that make you want to sing along with their solos.

Seltzer said it best; compositional ability and 'heart' are what matters, technical skill is just a tool which allows you to play what you can envision.

so the guitarist for Sublime is the greatest guitarist ever :D

These kind of debates have a tendency to annoy me (this one hasnt yet) as of course everyone has an opinion and people can rarely agree on anything, especially when you consider this board and the amount of opinions flying around. Personally I've always found myself able to enjoy Iommi to Satriani to Marr to SRV and countless, countless others. Style certainly isnt important to me. I can handle power chords, i like a lot of blues, i like some jazz, i can even handle some a bit of shameless wankery, i think the only thing that really grates on me is what I would consider to be an overuse of harmonics.

Surely this belongs in Artists Corner?

Guitarists who have both rhthym and lead covered. I didn't like some of the electronic noise solos to cover up lack of talent in some bands. A good sound is underrated, too. That certain sound that separated the player from everyone else. A sense of stage presence, too. I don't need to pay to have someone stare at their feet.

I like a guitarist who is able to play what serves the song not what serves his ego. For some reason this seems to be a bigger problem for guitarists than for people who play other instruments. There are few things worse than hearing an otherwise good song ruined by a guitarist's need to show off.

A quote from Jonny Greenwood that I feel is very appropriate:

"Our guitars are more clitoris substitutes than phallus ones. We stroke them in a nicer, gentler way." - Jonny Greenwood