Clapton, Beck or Page

Ok I am a huge Yardbirds fan and I was thinking. Who is the greatest guitarist out of these three who all had a moment or two in the Yardbirds. So Who do you think is the greatest guitarist out of them. FOR ALL OF THEIR WORK NOT JUST THE STUFF THEY DID IN THE YARDBIRDS ! ! ! !

Out of those three? Page. Clapton might be the most overrated guitarist of all time. I recently found out that the one thing I admired him for -- the amazing riff on "Layla" -- was mostly Duane Allman.

Clapton would be my favorite of the three.

And I don't honestly know much about Jeff Beck other than Truth, which is great, and his work with the Yardbirds. But Jeff Beck never made "The Immigrant Song".

What about Chris Dreja? Or Gypie Mayo?

Dreja was there from day one.

if you bring up those two you also have to say Anthony "Top" Topham. The first lead guitarist. He was the one who quit so Clapton could join the band

this is such a no brainer..page , because he is in league with satan ...clapton is a hack and never wrote his own songs anyway..beck is okay but not standout

Jeff Beck is a funny guy. I met him when I worked the B.B. King show here, and he is a wee bit fizzled now, but a great guitarist with a great live show.

Page and Clapton are great too, but I haven't seen them live yet, so my money is with Beck.

I have to say Page - SLOPPY (intuitive and interesting )

Jimmy Page , even if he sold out for that stupid puffy godzilla thing

[Edited on Aug 09, 2005 by guitarsnglasses]

Tom Verlaine.

jimmy page had to be the most diverse of the three........maybe the sloppiest, but to me the best............

although Beck pulled off some great shit on "Blow By Blow" and "Wired"

Listen to the solo on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".

But on the whole:

- as songwriter and arranger, Page. By miles.

- as "blues guitarist" (in the days when he was one), Clapton.

- as aggressive scary lead guitarist, Beck.

Beck is the one as a lead guitarist who didn't get put in the shade by the guitarists who came after him. There's a performance on film from a charity event (one of the Secret Policemens' Ball things in the '80s) where Beck and Clapton duet on "Further On Down The Road" and Beck is just scary as compared to EC.

Clapton recently commented that "there's just something cool and mean about Becky" and he's right. There is. Pity the guy made a bunch of really boring records. Page has still written the best songs and made the best albums of the three of them.

any answer other than Jeff Beck is wrong. Jeff Beck is possibly the best guitar player who has ever recorded a note. He's a visionary guitar player, he is light years away from Clapton and Page. I like both Clapton and Page, but they don't belong in the same breath as Beck.

Edited to say, I use the word "wrong" for dramatic effect. This is of course only my opinion, but listen to People Get Ready, Two Rivers, Where Were You?, Beck's Bolero, and Scatterbrain.

As a songwriter Beck is not on the same level with Page but I'm not rating them as songwriters, I'm rating them as guitarists. Beck kills.

[Edited on Aug 10, 2005 by FridgeMagnet]

[Edited on Aug 10, 2005 by FridgeMagnet]

Page.

Clapton is the best only when he has a group of people around him to push him. he needs drive, and motivation, an pressure, that is why Derek and the Dominos was so great he had other great, and talented musicians around him to push him. on his own he lacks that drive.

Jeff Beck by default. Page was a sloppy wanker...inventive, yes...but a sloppy wanker. Clapton, while a technically superb guitar player, loses major points for filling the market soulless, pasty, white blues.

Listening to Clapton play Muddy Waters is akin to Ed Begley Jr. replacing Richard Roundtree as Shaft.

Tough one.

Jeff Beck is the better guitarist (9/8 timing anyone?) but Page is definately my favourite.

Agreed.

Actually, if you listen to the George Harrison solo acoustic recording of that song (recorded during the same period) on the Beatles Anthology you'll want to kill Clapton for ruining it.

ps. one of my favorite Beatles songs "Savoy Truffle" was written to taunt Clapton that all his teeth were going to have to be pulled out due to his obscene sweet tooth.

Jimmy Page, of course.

Jimmy Page, by a long shot.

Page!!!

Page, easily

Clapton is God.

Page. The other two are over-rated, I think.