I agree w/rajsmooth here.

My personal favorite w/any guitar is the Edge, who has played the strat quite a bit, but my soul sings when I hear John Mayer's "Where the Light Is" album, my body swings when I hear Buddy Guy, Frusciante gives me tremors that would otherwise be dancing in a more coordinated body, and Gilmour takes me places I used to only go to after tokin' something illegal - though it's been 10 years since my last taste every time I listen to "On The Turning Away" or "Learning to Fly" I can disappear into the metaphysical world for a while.

Brilliant stuff.

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Electric Guitar #1: Fender American Select Mahogany Stratocaster HSS
Electric Guitar #2: Agile Al-3110 Les Paul
Acoustic: Fender CD200SCE Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Amp: Line 6 Spider III 75 75W 1x12 Combo Amp
Piano: Yamaha M450

My vote would be a tie for Jeff,Eric and Eric.I recently bought Live at Ronnie Scott's DVD and was amazed by Beck's effortless fluid playing, he made the most difficult riffs look like child's play.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

In no particular order:

1) Richie Blackmore
2) Eric Johnson
3) Eric Clapton

How about Gary Moore playing his strat on the strat pack dvd.

Coco Montoya is also a great player.

Clapton hands down

Jeff Beck

Eric Clapton

and

Buddy Guy

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Richie Kotzen.

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-Kc
"Payin' dues."

David Gilmour, Carlos Santana. Clapton is great but I've never understood his deified status. Most of his best sellers are covers of other people's songs. I've got no problem with that though. I admire the technical skills of Yngwie Malmsteen

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"If I don't see you no more in this world I'll meet you on the next one and don't be late... don't be late." -Jimi Hendrix

SRV!!!
lol

The dude from Steel Dragon. We all die young!

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'10 Gibson LP Studio Faded
'09 Fender American Standard Stratocaster
'08 Fender Classic Player 60s Stratocaster
'07 Fender Classic Player Baja Telecaster
'05 Breedlove AC 25 SR Plus

The best stratocaster player:
That's hard to say because they are all real good and far better at it than me.
I think it's a question of personal tastes.
Consider Willie Nelson. Nobody can play Trigger better than he can.
Waylon Jennings, could play his Tele better than anyone else.
Buddy Holly could play his strat better than anyone else.
Chuck Berry could play his Gibson ES350 better than anyone else.
B.B. King can play Lucille better than anyone else.
Les Paul nobody could play his Les Paul than he could.
The list goes on and on.

Why? Because the player is what makes the guitar sound good and unique.
It's hard to listen to one artist and say he or she is the best X guitar player.
I think you have to look at the entire package.
It doesn't hurt to try and emulate the pros but at some point, if you're serious about playing, you'll be interested in your own style and develop it.
That's how a lot of those legendary names got their start.
And...... any of them worth their salt, will tell you that they have many influences. So... we hear a little bit of many players whenever we hear
Clapton, Nelson, Jennings, King, Berry, Paul etc,

Another thing I've noticed is that what you hear on records is usually far better than live, though not necessarily all the time. I made a record for myself and friends and family and I can tell you that there are numbers in it that I cannot play again. It was the best I could do.
I have my personal variation preferance for a given song by a given artist.
That artist, even the best of the best sometimes may or may not be able
to outdo their own selves.

I could be wrong, but that's my way of approaching this question.
Your mileage may vary.

My favorites are Clapton and Beck. Although I have to say Malmsteen's technique is unbelievable.

Ben

For me (in no particular order);

Eric Johnson, Jeff Beck, Ritchie Blackmore, David Gilmour

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The mind is like a parachute; it doesn't work unless its open-FZ

You all must be having brain farts.

I cannot believe noone said firstrat...he clearly is the best

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst

Has anybody said Gary Hoey yet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaUj_anH2c0