I haven’t seen any recent list yet. This one is produced by “Guitar One” itself. Below is the list of top ten fastest guitarists of all time.
MICHAEL ANGELO BATIO
MICHAEL ANGELO BATIO is considered to be one of the fastest guitarists in the world, Batio was voted the “No. 1 Shredder of All Time” by Guitar One Magazine in 2003. He was also listed as one of the “Top 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists of All Time” by Guitar World Magazine, whom he writes the column Time to Burn for, and one of the “20 Greatest Shredders of All Time” by Total Guitar Magazine, both in April 2008.
CHRIS IMPELLITTERI
Chris Impellitteri was born November 10, 1964 in Connecticut. According to Guitar One Magazine, he is the second fastest shredder in the world, but it is not uncommon for him to be ranked first on other fastest player lists.
YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN
Yngwie is a Swedish guitarist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and bandleader. Malmsteen became notable in the mid-1980s for his technical fluency and neo-classical metal compositions. Four of his albums, from 1984 to 1988, Rising Force, Marching Out, Trilogy, and Odyssey, ranked in the top 100 for sales.
PAUL GILBERT
Paul Gilbert is best known for his work with Racer X, Mr. Big, and his more recent instrumental albums. Following his departure from Mr. Big in 1997, Gilbert began releasing solo albums. He also joined Joe Satriani and John Petrucci on the 2007 G3 tour. He is also notable for his alternate picking, string skipping technique, and was named #4 on GuitarOne’s “Top Shredders of All Time”.
THE LATE SHAWN LANE
Shawn Lane became a noted player in underground guitar circles and joined Black Oak Arkansas when he was just fourteen years old. He is best known for his solo album Powers of Ten and his long stint with former John McLaughlin bassist Jonas Hellborg.
JOE STUMP
Joe Stump style is similar to Yngwie Malmsteen’s neo-classical metal. He has released albums with his band, Reign of Terror and as a solo artist. He also plays the lead guitar for the symphonic metal band HolyHell. Stump is a professional shredder, and Guitar One Magazine voted him 6th position among the Top 10 fastest shredders of all time.
RUSTY COOLEY
Rusty was unsatisfied with local musicians and began to work on solo music in early 1996. He also began playing 7-string guitars exclusively at this time. His debut solo album Rusty Cooley was released in 2003 on Lion Music. He is definitely one of the fastest guitarists I have ever seen.
BUCKETHEAD
He is known for wearing a white plastic mask and a KFC bucket on his head while performing. He is a prolific composer, having released 38 solo albums and performed on over 50 more. He has also made a guest appearance on 44 different albums from various artists. His music spans across diverse areas such as thrash metal, funk, electronica, jazz, bluegrass and avant-garde music.
JOHN PETRUCCI
One of the most inspiring guitarists ever. John is best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. He has produced (along with his bandmate Mike Portnoy) all Dream Theater albums since their 1999 release, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. He is also the band’s main lyricist.
THE GREAT KAT
The Great Kat is the stage name of Katherine Thomas who is best known for her thrash metal interpretations of well-known pieces of classical music. Most feature her using the electric guitar, but some have her on violin. Thomas is in fact a classically-trained violinist, graduating from the Juilliard School and touring for a time playing conventional classical music before crossing over to metal. She is as crazy as she looks 
It may be fast but it’s hardly music…
grantml02
April 25th, 2008
The great Kat…. someone needs to shoot her. She is the most obnoxious person
nebiru
April 25th, 2008
Blatantly missing Francesco Fareri. He’s right up there with Cooley in terms of speed.
Tom Martin
April 25th, 2008
John Petrucci, Paul Gilbert and Buckethead > You
Revelations
April 25th, 2008
Shawn Lane > everyone else on that list.
denizenz
April 25th, 2008
is it just me or does anyone else think bucket heads video woulda bin better if he just kept playing with the nun-chucks (or how ever u spell them) I mean sure the guitar playing was great like all of his stuff, but I just like teh nun-chucks
schecter_r0cker
April 25th, 2008
Oh, Buckethead, you never fail to amaze me.
NielsWho
April 25th, 2008
Whether it is music or not is up for debate.
But can we all agree Michael Angelo Batio needs a haircut. Ridiculous hair!
Cyberbob
April 25th, 2008
where the hell is ronnie le tekro???
dave
August 13th, 2008
How about Ol’ Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhodes?
Dr.who
August 14th, 2008
Damn! I didn’t make the list!
Shandooga
August 14th, 2008
No Becker? No MacAlpine? Le Teikro was pretty fast, too. Malmsteen, though competent, should not be on the list, neither should Stump.
CrazedLeper
August 14th, 2008
Buckethead totally ROCKS dude.
JT
http://www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com
Jt
August 14th, 2008
Where’s Ron Thal (Bumblefoot)? Maybe he’s best for original music, not speed…
Andy Alt
August 14th, 2008
But can they run Crysis?
erichansa
August 14th, 2008
Where the hell is Tommy Emmanuel. He does it with an acoustic with ZERO effects to cover up mistakes. Check this out :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ahGOzE0l9U
None of these guys can match Tommy’s skill… NONE OF THEM.
Tommy's Bitch
August 14th, 2008
You guys forgot Ralph Machio from Crossroads
tonyrocks
August 14th, 2008
Man so many mediocre guitarists… Yngwie and Shawn Lane are the only ones who really belong on the list. Batio is not really that fast and is really sloppy. If you are looking for pure chops guthrie govan has the best I’ve ever heard of pick electric guitarists. Easily faster and cleaner than anyone on this list.
Jerry Silver
August 14th, 2008
Hello? Where’s Shawn Lane? That guy was the fastest and most musical.
Pod
August 14th, 2008
wow…list is allrite but
joe satriani
steve vai
jeff loomis
chris broderick
….WHERE ARE THEY? half the guitarists on that list studied under satriani…
sorin
August 14th, 2008
herman li anyone?
frostedbutts
August 14th, 2008
Most didn’t sounds like music to me. John Petrucci however is I think the most talented guitarist out there. People may be able to play faster than him but his composition skills are the best. I love Dream Theater and all his solo works (including Liquid Tension Experiment) are amazing.
Rocky
August 14th, 2008
WHERE IS HERMAN LI????? wow.
tim
August 14th, 2008
Nuno Bettencourt!
extremely overlooked
August 14th, 2008
Umm…I’m just gonna throw this out there to get reaction because I don’t really know these individuals well enough to gauge their ability against my favorite guitarist’s but…what about Emppu Vuorinen? True Nightwish doesn’t play nearly as technical stuff as they used to…but back in the days of Wishmaster, the man shredded.
Patrick
August 14th, 2008
Wow, these guys all seriously pale in comparison to Dragonforce. They aren’t all bad, but they aren’t really doing anything that complicated, far less musical, and they still aren’t even as fast…lame. Go youtube “Through the Fire and Flames.”
Dforce
August 14th, 2008
Umm I think you forgot, the greatest guitar player alive today… THOR SHREDSTEEN
http://metalinjection.tv/tags/thor+shredsteen
thorfan69
August 14th, 2008
What about Michael Romeo, guitarist for Symphony X?
Lord Angerdorf
August 14th, 2008
no Tim Reynolds?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFmvzVTvYRE
S
August 14th, 2008
I sorta expected this to be a joke and end up being guitar hero kids. Thank god it wasn’t.
BoredQuiz
August 14th, 2008
Where are McAlpine and Satriani?
PRBorg
August 14th, 2008
Amen to that brother. You could draw a bell curve graph plotting ability vs quality and there would come a point where the most technically able guitarists were making the worst music. That is the point that everyone here has reached.
Each video should climax with a money shot on the camera cos wanking is all they’re doing. Snoogans.
Coits
August 14th, 2008
Incidentaly, the amen was for the first comment. The rest of you doucheberries wouldnt know music if it held you down and exfoliated your colons.
Coits
August 14th, 2008
Incidentaly,the amen was for the first guys comment. The rest of you doucheberries wouldnt know music if it held you down and exfoliated your colons.
Coits
August 14th, 2008
Too bad none of these guitarists (with the exception of John Petrucci) have any musical talent. Yes they’re fast, but honestly, the “music” sucks hard and really lacks imagination. By the way, where is Al di Meola on this list? He’s certainly one of the fastest and he actually can play tunes that are worth listening to.
Guitar Bob
August 14th, 2008
They should definitely include Circuit V. Panther:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=uqDisAzdeGo
Nicholas Russell
August 14th, 2008
All kind of interesting but obviously fastest does not equal bestest… Steve Via for outright feel and passion, as well as speed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw74sDWPH7U
markc
August 14th, 2008
Since this is fastest and not necessarily best, shouldn’t Li be included. I’m not the hugest fan of the stuff dragonforce cranks out, but Li is amazingly fast.
If this was the best rather than fastest, my vote would be kiko from angra for sure
Chris
August 14th, 2008
what?! no alexi laiho?!
COBHC
August 14th, 2008
How can you forget Randy Rhoads?
Dave
August 14th, 2008
What happened to Tiago Della Vega? http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1495641/world_record_guitar_speed_2008/ skip to 3:00 to see him play, or 7:38 for fastest run…
Christian Sonne
August 15th, 2008
John Frusciante?
Faster.Fastest. Ultimate Fast
Tom
August 15th, 2008
How on earth did Herman Li from Dragonforce not make it onto this list?
Hexley
August 15th, 2008
Whether it is music or not is up for debate.
No, it really isn’t, since “music” is a noun and, according to all English dictionaries, all of these entries qualify.
Now, whether or not it’s music you’d ever want to listen to, that’s up for debate.
LJM
August 15th, 2008
Where the heck is Al DiMeola?
Jfarley
August 15th, 2008
i think herman li of dragonforce should be on this list
aldershot
August 15th, 2008
None of these bitches can carry Allan Holdsworth’s jock
Uncle Mikey
August 15th, 2008
where’s Skwissgar Skwigelf?
frank osso
August 15th, 2008
yeah guthrie govan!!
Simon
August 15th, 2008
Batio is sloppy? WTF? That’s exactly what he’s not. Listen to “Time Traveler” and then tell me if there’s anyone who is faster or cleaner! I would have expected Shawn Lane to be higher on the list. David Shankle should be on there, but he’s not as well known. Not a bad list though.
Maxxxwell
August 15th, 2008
herman li isn’t on this list? really?
jim
August 15th, 2008
Weedle-ee, weedle-ee, weedle-ee . . . Zzzz, Zzzz, Zzzz. Not guitarists, finger excersizists. Time to turn in your Spock-ears, nerdlingers.
Ryan
August 15th, 2008
This lame that Steve Vai and Eric Johnson are not on this list. They are both fantastic.
Ben
August 15th, 2008
The lolrus haz found his buhket. Thx Mr hed.
Void
August 15th, 2008
What about Philip Sayce?
Jake
August 15th, 2008
Steve Vai? Fast AND you can listen to him for more than a 1min youtube clip. His speed is at least melodic, and even when he holds notes, it’s quick (you read that right); just about everyone else on this list was doing scales. The Great Kat? Seriously? No, really?
Ernie Ball
August 15th, 2008
Zakk Wylde is the fastest and the greatest
Aaron
August 15th, 2008
Sorry.
Zappa was the best.
cboz
August 15th, 2008
If we’re done with this.. I’d have appreciated if ya`all had read the post first…
THIS LIST WAS PRODUCED BY “Guitar One” Magazine and I believe it’s a little out of order now…I know there are new people/New records and I’d agree Herman Li is Awesome
admin
August 15th, 2008
too bad fast does not equate to good…
jnm
August 15th, 2008
What about Skwisgar Skwigelf?
Beliy Volk
August 15th, 2008
In all fairness, nobody ever claimed shredding to be music. Shredding does take talent though. Its all scales and fine motor skills. Music comes from the other side of the brain and requires creativity and emotion.
ithurtswhenipee
August 15th, 2008
Okay Dragonforce lovers - you DO realize that they are not NEARLY as amazing in concert as they are in the studio, right? There are these things called effects pedals and synthesizers and computers…things that Dragonforce uses WAY too much of…so much, in fact, that I’m not sure they’re even metal anymore. I mean yes, Herman Li is a talented guitarist, but the effects make him sound better than he really is. If you don’t believe me, hop out to your local guitar center or other music store and play around with effects pedals and amps. You’ll see what I mean - you can make yourself sound incredibly good and fast (playing against delay) without really being all that amazing. I gauge a true guitarist by what he does unplugged. And seriously, you people who only know good guitar music from guitar hero…just stop posting already…or pick up a real guitar.
Patrick
August 15th, 2008
These players are not musicians, at best they are technicians but none of them could write a listenable song because they’re to into showing of they’re chops. Not one of them is fit to lap up Robbie Robertsons piss.
Coits
August 15th, 2008
and where’s Fast Fingers Floor?
Emilio_K
August 15th, 2008
An unselfish guitarist, who doesn’t do everything in a song just because he can or has the ability to, but rather does what the music calls for because it fits, does not often rise above the masses, but know for sure that he truly is the best musician.
Patrick
August 15th, 2008
I love Micheal Angelo’s music.. listen to flamengo or flamenco by paul gilbert its an acoustic.. some amazing music
Abby
August 15th, 2008
Joe Stump? Really? w/e. According to this list, I guess Steve Vai isn’t fast, or any death metal guitar player.
Warheart
August 15th, 2008
Rofl, faggots crying because their favorite guitarists aren’t on this list, I’m sorry Zakk isn’t the fastest, Herman is just too sloppy. A lot of people are crying “this isn’t music” I also bet that none of them have also checked out other songs by the guitarists, these are examples of their speed and technical prowess at their peak (Or close to) These guitarists are KNOWN for being fast so don’t bitch about “wahh they can’t play a melody” go back to Dashboard Confessions if you can’t handle the raw speed and motor skills these players have and developed.
-Tinky Winky
Tinky Winky
August 16th, 2008
Chris Arp!
stephen
August 16th, 2008
i would just name both my guitar heros ere..
Matt K. Heafy - Trivium
Correy Beliau - Trivium
enough said..
terri k. wei
August 16th, 2008
This video clip of Petrucci does not do him justice. He is cetainly one of the best. Check out DT’s website, or search his name on Youtube for dozens of much better examples.
Yngwie is still the king imho.
Birdieguy
August 16th, 2008
LMAO these guys are ridiculous. Technically impressive but they have absolutely nothing to say except LOOK AT ME!!
Bunch o’ wankers…
yingyang molesteen
August 18th, 2008
crazy!
Music
August 18th, 2008
I personally think that jason becker should be on the list! at least #3
Mark
August 20th, 2008
Chris Arp from Psyopus should definitely be on this list!
Devin
August 25th, 2008
he cant sing very well but he can sure play guitar amazingly… buckethead rules… KFC FUNERAL lol
Ninja skills
August 27th, 2008
I agree with Mark… Jason Becker was hands down the most gifted shredder to grace the Earth. If anyone disagrees, taken a listen to Perpetual Burn or Cacophony. The lighting sweeps/picking runs are all Jason’s. I would put him at #1 and take Malmsteen off the list (so he can shred but he has little in the way of taste).
Fred
September 2nd, 2008
Good, but this kid is no slouch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7Jh1BV1EOc
anglicus
September 7th, 2008
SnyStER GAtES Is NUmBEr ONe
anjus
October 17th, 2008
petrucci ftw
ur mom
November 1st, 2008
what about Marty Freedman???
Jon
November 7th, 2008
ok first of all herman li? he isn’t really fast and besides Im pretty sure through the fire and flames is mostly done with keyboard and effect pedals.
but where is joe satriani…oh and by the way…go buckethead!!
who cares
November 13th, 2008
youve probely not herd of this guy but listen to a gut called jeremy barnes recorded 45 nps in one if his songs seriously
lamba bamba
November 13th, 2008
Where the hell is Eddie Van Halen?! Hes one of the biggest metal influnces of the world! And also has one of the best chord progressions. Geez! have they ever heard ERUPTION?! He deserves a spot on that damn list!
lp
February 17th, 2009
Wow!
not the best representation of bucketheads work.
and whoever said herman li needs to just shut up and let the grown ups have a discussion.
steve vai should be on the list somewhere considering he did most of that stuff first.
yngwie is ovverrated!!!
Dgyzzle
March 24th, 2009
No Synyster Gates?
Amber
April 25th, 2009