Holy Crow! I just realized no one had mentioned David Gilmour!

Have to put up Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead. Not the greatest, but he is up there.

Can't remember where I heard it, but I remember that a respected source said that the greatest guitarists were the ones for whom the guitar was an extension of their soul and personality. They should be instantly recognisable.

Based on this, my vote goes to Carlos Santana.

Tomas Ledin gets my vote.

I like Joe Bonnamassa, his blues riffs are among the best to be heard today. He's played with rocks, blues, and jazz gratest singers and guitar players.

Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown, Brian May of Queen, Bob Dylan (more folk than rock?), Mark Knopfler, Tom Petty, Arlo Guthrie (folk again), BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Duane Allman, Mark Farner of Grand Funk, Neil Young and the Wilson Sisters of Heart should all appear on a top twenty guitarists ballot. George Harrison and Sir Paul weren't too bad on it either.

I also like Peter Green, Joe Satriani, Bruce Springsteen, Hank Marvin and Tony Hicks.

Since some have strayed a little from Rock, I am going to vote for Chet Atkins. His "signature" picking style put him right up there as one of the best in Country, Rock and Roll, Folk, and Rockabilly. He was known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman." At one point in his youth, he lived in Georgia and attended Mountain Hill School in a small town near where I now live. He was of Grand Ole Opry fame and helped promote the "Nashville Sound."

My vote goes to Jimi Hendrix, followed by Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Richard Thompson, Eric Johnson, Robert Fripp and David Lindley. These are my top ten!