So many great, fantastic rock, blues, etc. guitarist out there that it's hard to pick a favorite,

[MarineCombatEngineer]

but the greatest guitarist, past and present, has got to be, in my humble opinion.......wait for it.....
DAVID GILMOUR of Pink Floyd fame.
Here is David in his early years:

&list=RDJQ2pTamaqQ4&start_radio=1

And here he is in the later years of Pink Floyd:

&list=RDvi7cuAjArRs&start_radio=1

Who is your favorite guitarist, past and present?

[Skittles]

1. the best I ever saw in concert was Randy Rhoads

my overall favorites - Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page

[MarineCombatEngineer]

2. Oh yeah, Randy Rhoads!!!

When he was with Quiet Riot, was a great lead guitarist, no doubt, but, IMHO, not quite as close as David Gilmour.
The way he died is a tragedy.

[Skittles]

6. I saw him with Ozzy

he did a solo I thought was just mesmerizing

I know Ozzy always felt tremendous guilt over Randy's death, he said he would never have allowed anyone to get on that plane (I think Ozzy was hungover on the bus that was clipped by the plane's wing) - I guess that bus driver / pilot was quite the wild one.

[tazcat]

3. Jeff Beck

Hendrix

[Diamond_Dog]

4. There are so many to choose from!

Can’t argue with David Gilmour, Jimi Hendrix, Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen.

How about Gary Moore and Joe Walsh?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

5. Both great guitarists.

[Martin Eden]

7. I can't pick a favorite, but Gilmour's solos on Time and Comfortably Numb put him on my list.

This is an inclusive list, not ranked;

David Gilmour
Carlos Santana
Dicky Betts
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Page
Alvin Lee
Ritchie Blackmore
Stevie Ray Vaughan

I'm sure I forgot a few.

Best performances I saw live were Alvin Lee (Ten Years After) in 1975, and Stevie Ray Vaughan in 1990.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

8. All great guitarists, I would also add

Joe Satriani
Eric Johnson.

Here's some more David Gilmour solo:

&list=RD1LOZIhbPk38&start_radio=1