So I was walking around on campus today when I saw a friend of mine from class playing guitar, so I decided to go over and talk to him. He was with some guy I didn't know and was in the middle of a song so I waited for him to finish before I asked him what it was. He told me it was John Mayer and we started talking about the guitar and music and whatever, which eventually led to the guy I didn't know asking me who my favorite guitarist was. I hate this question.

When people ask you who your favorite guitarist is, they don't mean in terms of songwriting or the ability to make nice melodies or lyrics. They mean in terms of technical ability, which I (and I'm pretty sure most other people) seriously don't care about. I get asked who my favorite guitarist is every once in a while and in my experience, the asker is always one of three kinds of people: a neo-classical pseudo-metal from the 80s fan (Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Michaelangelo Batio), a classic rock fan (Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Paige), or a modern-ish ten years ago rock fan (the guitarists from Red Hot Chili Peppers, System of a Down, Phish, Primus). This guy was a modern-ish ten years ago rock fan. I kind of half-assed Elliott Smith. He plays the guitar and I like his music a lot (it's my favorite!!!), but he plays other instruments too and I don't like him BECAUSE of his guitar playing.

So this guy goes on a little while about how John Mayer can do crazy things with the guitar and how he's a guitar god. Then he talks about some guy from Primus being a guitar god, and then System of a Down. I didn't really know what to tell him. I guess? I seriously just don't care about GUITAR VIRTUOSITY or whatever and I definitely wouldn't listen to music just for it, which is what I got the impression that this guy does. I guess what I've learned from people asking me who my favorite guitarist is is that they don't really care who it is, they're just sort of fishing for some accessible and popular virtuoso that they can pit against their own favorite and that they're more interested in technical ability than actual music. Maybe I'm wrong but that's pretty much what it's seemed like every single time I've talked about guitarists!

So basically it is the worst question anyone can ask you.

my favorite musician is john frusciante and he plays guitar so

All of them get boring after listening to them for too long

the point is though, panda, that the people who ask you who your favorite guitarist is don't want to talk about those people. they probably DO NOT EVEN KNOW about those people! i feel kind of shitty saying this, but every single person who has ever asked me who my favorite guitarist is has been one of the three kinds of people in the original post. they know what they're going to talk about regardless of what you say.

Yeah it is a stupid question.  Its the same as other stupid shit like "whats your favorite color" or "what is your favorite movie" they are all stupid and you are stupid.

I usually say Keith Levene and it's kind of a test to see if I can REALLY talk rock n roll music with them or just bullshit about radiohead or whatever.

I hate those kind of questions. While I used to be a shred junkie, it's just pointless. I love guitar, I listen to a wide range of guitarists but pick a solid favourite? Nah.
Also Vai ain't neo-classical dud​, he's far more than just shredding.

I think the reason you run into this is because only guitar players tend to ask who your favorite guitarist is instead of who/what your favorite MUSICIAN/BAND is. I think it's naturally taken as a technical question by most people. not that it's a good thing but yeah I think a LOT of people who get into guitar totally sperg on the shredders and fast players because they don't like music so much as GUITAR, if that makes sense.

also maggot brain.

also

Keith Levene

lets talk about music itt.