Clapton / Gilmour

Clapton vs. Gilmour: Clapton’s got to be the knee-jerk reaction, and he’s probably the better guitar soloist. I’m not a guitarist, and although I’m capable of being a credulous fanboy, I’ve never been a devotee of Pink Floyd or of Clapton. But listening to Wish You Were Here in advance of possibly reviewing it, I’m reconsidering just how good Gilmour is. Opinions?

TCat wrote: Clapton is more varied and a better improviser, but Gilmour can create more passion and strength.  They both have their own distinct styles, and they are both highly revered by me, so I can't decide which one I like more, I think they are both amazing.

Clapton is perhaps more virtuosic and more eclectic, but Gilmour has delivered lots of monumental soli and riffs, both on the acoustic guitar (Wish You Were is so moving, so beautiful) as on the electric guitar (the Comfortably Numb solo is one of the best ever), and the steel-guitar. He plays emotionally, in the spirit of the blues, and knows how to build up a solo and work to a climax. And he has a very distinctive sound, that is also a big plus, like Jeff Beck and Al DiMeola, he belongs in that category!

Neither of these guys is a top ten guitarist to me.  But Clapton, at times, seems like he knows the guitar better than Gilmore.  When Clapton wants to he can stink with the best of them but when he brings his 'A' game he's hard not to listen to.  Clapton gets my vote.

According to this interview, Gilmour was influenced by Clapton. Not that the pupil cannot surpass the student...

Jeff Beck is an interesting story, he left The Yardbirds because he disliked the poppy factor, the rest is history, because he developed an unique sound, very powerful, often with the use of the tremolo arm. For me Jeff Beck and David Gilmour are on the same level (like I stated in my previous post), guitarists that do not need to deliver fast scale acrobatics to impress (like so many prog metal, heavy metal, hardrock and jazzrock guitarists), they focus on emotion, on playing just a few notes. For me that does more than all those clinical virtuosic scale acrobacy ...

Edited by TenYearsAfter - June 10 2019 at 21:01

Gilmour is my favourite guitaris, so this is easy. Clapton is of course, deservedly a legend, though. By the way, I wish Waters would release a live album from the tour he did with Clapton on guitars, I believe that would be interesting to hear.

Both are heavily influenced by the blues. Though quite different, they really deliver a fantastic array of sounds and melodies. I like both for very different reasons, and cannot pick one above the other, it all depends on what mood I'm in at the moment. 

They're both great. Gilmour happens to be on far more music that I love, but that doesn't mean I have much to complain about Clapton's guitar playing. Beck certainly is good, too, but really doesn't have that much stuff that moves me.


Edited by Lewian - June 11 2019 at 06:31