The greatest guitar solo of all times

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Not really a solo per se, but it really is. Hendrix's intro to Little Wing - all the little slides and hammer-ons and double stops - just an astounding bit of music. One that SRV copped the beginning of and then expanded into a whole instrumental. I've been trying to learn it and I've only gotten semi-proficient at the first few little sections, but even learning that much has made me a better player. If I ever get the whole thing down where I can play it smoothly and with feeling, I can die a happy man. A lot of people have really nailed that style and can play and improvise all over stuff like that, but I'm just starting to get a feel for it. And I almost always play it on my strat - it just doesn't quite feel right on my 594...

-Ray
 
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As far as catchy, forgot about Commodores "Easy"...Great solo.
I was thinking in terms of long and stretched out, but if you want catchy, economical, straight to the point, the solo break on "Rickie Don't Lose That Number" is pretty tough to top. I think that was Skunk Baxter but I'm not sure - they used so many guys in the studio it could have been anyone...

-Ray
 
David Gilmour, the introductory guitar solo from Shine On You Crazy Diamond (I forget whether or not that counts as Part I or Part II) -- just crazy tasty perfection from beginning to end, tear-jerkingly pretty, jaw-droppingly perfectly intonated

I actually think I like the recent live versions he's done better than the original studio recording, if that's possible, so ...pick one from Live in Gdansk or Live at Pompeii.

I've also developed a new appreciation for the solo from Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2 due to this video:
Every time I've answered the guitar solo question since '93 it's been the same.

Dinosaur Jr - Where You Been
Track 5 - Get Me
Time 4:04-5:51
But the solo starts at 3:37, are you saying you don't like part between 3:37 and 4:04? AYE KEED, AYE KEED

(Such a great album...)
 
Ok so maybe not your widdly-widdly, ultra technical solo, but when you listen to the story of the structure and the fact it was originally improvised. It shows the pedigree of Louie Shelton, who was responsible for so many solos and motifs throughout modern musical history.

I first heard Louie play when I was about 8 years old, on Seals and Crofts - Unborn Child LP. When I heard his solos, that’s when I knew I had to play electric guitar.

 
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Man...this is a tough one for me...there so many great ones but I gotta go with my all time favorite...second solo on Comfortably Numb...Gilmour plays with such emotion, to me it juat bleeds through his fingers and out of his guitar...its a beautiful thing....
 
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Girth, OH! Sorry I thought you said Garth.
 
The solo in Peg. And it’s not until you hear the great solos they rejected that you realize there is such a thing as more perfect. The magic starts at 4:10:
Yep this track does it for me! Along with a lot more. I discovered The Nightfly in the late 80’s courtesy of my guitar friend Mike (who played with Elvis!) and the Kamakiriad, in the early 90’s during its release. My musical tastes were always pretty diverse (somewhere between 17th century and present day, pretty weird for a 20 something!)
, but they were moving away from more rock based music, to melodic grooves, with some funk and soul thrown in.

A great video! I love when you get to see Michael McDonald say the harmonies were a bit tricky. Fagen and Becker come over as a pretty formidable duo!
 
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