Best rhythm guitarist?

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In a true rhythm-guitar-in-a-band-with-a-lead-guitarist setting, I’d like to mention Chris Isaak. We were on the same bill many times, and he even played my Gretsch during a show. He’s a solid rhythm guitarist...as is Dwight Yoakam...and let’s not forget about Tom Petty...all of whom trace back to John Lennon and Elvis!
 
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On the early Bang Records recordings, Neil Diamond played great acoustic rhythm guitar! Back then, he was still playing on his own records, something he stopped doing for a long time until just recently.
 
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And, don’t laugh, but listen closely to “I Walk The Line”. That’s Johnny Cash. They had no drummer. He didn’t play a note, just strummed that rhythm thing with paper wrapped around his strings as he sang! This was before sequencing or cut and paste technology. Pretty innovative for back in the day!
 

walrus

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Not laughing - Johnny Cash is a good choice! That great "thumb on the bass notes" style he had - from Maybelle Carter, I think. The very definition of "rhythm guitar"...

walrus
 

Stuball48

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Gonna throw in Billy Strings. Heard him last night--awesome - almost hard to believe anyone can be that good.
 

Eric P.

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Roger Tallroth from Vasen. What he plays is sort of a cross between rhythm guitar and bouzouki. What with that custom tuning and all. But he drives that band. Or any group he plays in.

Adam Kiesling has quickly become the go to rhythm guitarist here in the Twin Cities.
 

Grassdog

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In a true rhythm-guitar-in-a-band-with-a-lead-guitarist setting, I’d like to mention Chris Isaak. We were on the same bill many times, and he even played my Gretsch during a show. He’s a solid rhythm guitarist...as is Dwight Yoakam...and let’s not forget about Tom Petty...all of whom trace back to John Lennon and Elvis!

Yeah Tom Petty wasn't too shabby at all. I keep coming back to John Lennon, though on this. His playing was the driving force on so many of those Beatles recordings in '63 - '65.
 

mike1100

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JP agreed.

I searched through 5 pages to see if the Colonel was already mentioned and you beat me to it.
 

jp

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JP agreed.

I searched through 5 pages to see if the Colonel was already mentioned and you beat me to it.
I'm really into the Southern fried funk tradition. Leo Nocentelli of the Meters is pretty great too!
 

CA-35

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Because he may not be a great rhythm player, or because we're all old enough to actually know who he is?

I think his guitar playing is very under rated, and yes, because some may be old enough to remember him.
 

cupric

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Lindsey Buckingham. And Steve Howe.
And everyone else listed!
 

fronobulax

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Here's another vote for Bob Weir. My favorite live Grateful Dead shows are the ones where Bobby is right out front in the mix... so much to be learned from him! Here's a great example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhKv2DObCoc

Somewhere I read a comment about Weir, that said, in essence, anyone who can vamp between two chords for 20 minutes and not die of boredom and take the audience with them, is a very fine rhythm player. I couldn't find it but I did find this which talks about how he makes the choices he makes when playing.
 

crank

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Somewhere I read a comment about Weir, that said, in essence, anyone who can vamp between two chords for 20 minutes and not die of boredom and take the audience with them, is a very fine rhythm player. I couldn't find it but I did find this which talks about how he makes the choices he makes when playing.

Many Dead songs are fairly complex: different timings, polyrhythyms, lots of chord changes, key changes....

And Many are 2 chord jams. Some songs become 1 chord jams but I can't think of any entire songs that are played with just 1 chord.
 
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