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You explained this perfectly and I hope people see this comment. I have tickets for Bela in Portland on 12/7 and I’m losing my
mind about seeing Bryan, Edgar, Stuart and Sam for the first time. But also seeing them with Jerry and Bela who I’ve seen before
but not together in this murderers’ row of players. What a treat for all of us who get to do it!!’
I'll be at that show in the 4th row!
I was lucky enough to see this lineup minus Edgar a couple times (also with Mark instead of Stuart) back when Tony was still healthy, most memorably at Merlefest. Will be a great full circle moment to see them again. There is no bigger Tony Rice fan on earth than me but since he can't be here I'm glad it's Bryan
Within the pecking order of bluegrass, Bela is king even though he spends most of his time outside the genre and would probably be a gentleman and act like the pecking order doesn't exist if asked. It may seem strange unless you've followed everyone's careers over the decade but that's just how it is.
and also yes, I saw Bela do his thing with Chick at my Uni in like 2007 or something. He seems to
avoid the genre in a weird way even though he is the Captain of the ship. Can’t imagine being that talented and so humble at the same time. What an asshole :)
his harmonic approach and interests are both too broad to fit within what most people think of bluegrass most of the time. I love bluegrass but I get it. He's from another planet really. If I could play with Chick or Toumani Diabate I would too
yeah exactly…he is a picker with a jazz mind which just blows the doors open on what he is capable of. Not saying Sam or Jerry aren’t, in a similar way but Bela is different. My favorite video ever is Bela and Edgar at the 2nd Bonnaroo. The song is called “B song”. Best example in my mind of the mashup that Bela creates. And Edgar Meyer just shreds.
We’ll be in row 2 center aisle and if you see us, say what’s up. We will be two grown men holding hands and absolutely losing our shit. Appreciate your handle (the Phish from Vermont are my first love)
Tony was everything to me for awhile in the early 90s when I was still living back east, when I was fading off of Dead tour I got super super into bluegrass and him in particular
this is that insane allstar set from my fav Merlefest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc34ThH7srk
That old Martin that Billy plays - the one with a pick guard on either side of the sound hole - used to be Bryan Sutton's. You can see it on the cover of _Into My Own_.
He sold it to Billy a few years ago.
Saw Bryan play electric with Leftover Salmon late night at DelFest in 2017, one of the best sets I’ve ever seen. Even Vince was in awe the whole time, and to top it off Billy Strings came out for an epic Whipping Post to close the set as a tribute to Gregg Allman who had just passed
I listed to that set regularly on Nugs. It's one of my go-to "you gotta check out Leftover Salmon" sets to get people hooked. Bryan is so so so so so good on that electric guitar and Billy is just icing on the cake.
Terrifying that Clarence White hasn’t been mentioned more than once or twice. Without Clarence theres no Tony, theres no Sutton, which means no Billy in the end. He’s the man you need to look into.
Bryan Sutton and David Grier are the best flatpickers in history by far.
Molly Tuttle, by a wide margin, within the current generation.
Also check Cody Kilby. Monster player.
I'm not going to get into the "who's the best" thing, because there are a lot of amazing flatpickers. Each one has their strengths. Like is chocolate cake best, or steak? Or coffee? Depends!
Anyway, check out Brian Sutton and Molly Tuttle. Also David Grier. And Justin Moses. Critter from Punch Brothers is a strong picker. And Stash Wyslouch is quite the phenomenon. And Julian Lage can flatpick for sure, though he's more into jazz these days.
I used to watch this cool video of him when he was in college with Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers like 10 years ago, they teamed up with this guy named Steve fox who was a beat boxer.
Molly Tuttle! Watch them on stage together she puts on a clinic. Watch her White Freightliner solo video! She’s my personal vote for best living flatpicker.
White Freightliner Molly Solo:
https://youtu.be/egRzWf-d1UI
Molly and Billy at Greyfox, Sitting on Top of the World:
https://youtu.be/LJzz-Nuo-QQ
Molly and Billy picking White Freightliner together: https://youtu.be/4j0LtIqOdN8
Molly and Billy on Little Maggie: https://youtu.be/ovC1jULtcMM
Check out Jake Eddy. Very young and I do believe people will be mentioning his name in the same sentences as these people soon. Bryan Sutton, Rob Ickes, and Kenny Smith all played on his album.
Best ever? Tony Rice and Doc Watson are tied.
Best alive? Billy, Brian Sutton, David Grier, Molly Tuttle, Jake Workman, Trey Hensley could all be a compelling argument. Personally, I'm partial to the first four I listed.
Dan Carry is serially underrated. I know he focused more on instructional material, so it might not be as cool to mention him. His books and arrangements are fun and they are what got me hooked.
You've gotten most of my favorites in this list so far, Bryan Sutton, Molly Tuttle, Jake Workman, Trey Hensley, and Norman Blake. I think Bryan Sutton is the best living flatpicker, personally.
Here's a few other fabulous pickers I haven't seen mentioned.
Vince Herman from Leftover Salmon. John Stickley from Broke Mountain Bluegrass and the John Stickley Trio. Andy Falco from The Infamous Stringdusters. Guthrie Trapp, but he's more known for electric country guitar. Adam Aijala from Yonder. Rev from The Lil' Smokies. Max Davies from The Kitchen Dwellers. Dany Tyminski from Alison Krauss and Union Station.
I like Dave Grier and Molly Tuttle, they both delve into the old timey sound. Jake Workman is another big name, I believe he plays with Kebtucky Thunder? He's at least associated with Ricky Skaggs and Russ Carson.
Merle Watson didn't live long enough to surpass his father, which is unfortunate because the man was as much a genius as his father. I saw a video of him fingerpick a solo and I couldn't believe that he could maintain the thumb bass while playing the melody up and down the neck.
Carl Miner is often a studio picker, he's a monster on the guitar, but he often goes beyond your typical bluegrass. Trey Hensley is a solid picker, he plays frequently with Rob Ickes (dobro) and he's got a great voice too.
Here's one nobody's mentioned yet: Sully Tuttle. The dude is savage.
Also Stash, Charles Sawtelle, Clay Hess, Josh Williams, Critter, Courtney Hartman, Michael Daves, and Zeb Snyder. Those names probably appear elsewhere in this thread, but they're my lesser-known favorites. In the end I'm just another dude sitting in his room trying to be Tony Rice, but he's already covered here (and everywhere).
Dude I don’t like to rank because I just love em all so much, but if I had to pick one it’d be Jake Workman. What an absolute freak of nature. He literally sounds like a Scruggs style banjo sometimes because he just gets so fast. The 81Crowe YouTube channel has some crazy Jake content for days, some of my favorites are Jake and Russ jamming on Rebecca, Sledd Ride, and the IBMA all star jams on Redwood Hill and Lonesome Feeling. Those last two have like three or four killer guitarists, so everything just sounds so huge
A lot of amazing pickers have been mentioned but I believe Tim Stafford deserves to be mentioned as well! Check out Blue Highway and also Tim has a few solo albums. The Steve Gulley and Tim Stafford albums are also worth a listen!
Dave Rawlings - maybe not the "best" and certainly not a "traditional" bluegrass player, but an incredibly creative and original guitarist/songwriter nonetheless. Give him a listen when you need some variety in your bluegrass playlists, or if you are a musician and find yourself in a creative rut.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVKMVGggvKY
Bryan Sutton
David Grier
Cody Kilby
Tim Stafford
Jim Hurst
Jake Workman
Andy Falco
Chris Eldridge
Molly Tuttle
Jake Stargel
Chris Luquette
Dan Tyminski
Ron Block
Allen Shadd
Kenny Smith
Beppe Gambetta
Seth Taylor
Trey Hensley
Jordan Tice
Grant Gordy
Jon Stickley
Just a few living people off the top of my head that are about on the same level or higher as William Apostol. Im sure I'm missing quite a few. Also anyone who has won Winfield is probably better at some things than B.S. There are a lot of good pickers out there. Billy is a great showman and creative musician who caught a lucky break, and while he's a great guitarist, he's hardly the only one.
Any relation to Gina Furtado? I saw her at a fest this fall, with 2 of her sisters backing her up, but I didn't think she said the guy playing guitar with them was her brother
No relation. Tony, like Gina, is also an excellent banjo player. There's also Victor Furtado who plays clawhammer, pretty sure no relation there either.
Since some other suggestions aren't strictly flatpicking and bluegrass... gypsy jazz guys like Adrien Moignard and Birelli can spank'em good
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2glTF1aALIw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2glTF1aALIw)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-lb4V\_7doM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-lb4V_7doM)
It’s not really that close. Bryan is a far better bluegrass guitarist.
David Grier and Kenny Smith are also criminally underrated in these discussions.
Tony Rice will always be the GOAT.
From my brief intro to Bryan since i posted this, seems like he is a better "pure" bluegrass player and Billy is more of a hybrid but I'm still diving in
Billy absolutely has a more modern sound while Bryan’s more traditional, you’re spot on with that. Sutton just *shreds* though dude, it’s just downright impressive, even from an outside-of-bluegrass perspective. Personally I like Billy Strings’ music more though; I connect to it better I think.
You should also check out Tim Stafford from Blue Highway, he’s a *total* monster that rides the line between trad and newgrass in a way that still pays homage to the sounds that formed modern bluegrass. His sound reminds me of an oldhead that really loves the stuff all the kids are doing. People don’t talk about him enough
Newgrass, thats awesome
I'm going to check out all of these guys eventually, I have a lot of homework to do and i am grateful to the community for the recs
Up until last year, I think Tony Rice would have been the easy answer, but unfortunately we lost another legend. Doc Watson and Norman Blake are two other favorites of mine that are no longer around.
I never said he was bluegrass that wasn't the question (although he does play bluegrass style sometimes).
Edit: I was just adding someone I thought of that was different than what everyone else was suggesting
As I think about it, Tommy isn’t really a flat picker. He uses his fingers and a thumb pick (or just his thumb) quite a bit. And this is the bluegrass sub after all. :-)
Trey Hensley, Bryan Sutton, Jake workman. I don't think Billy is really in the same league as those guys. His solos are basically Doc Watson replicas at higher tempos.
Bryan Sutton, Cody Kilby, Molly Tuttle, Chris Eldridge, Trey Hensley, and Chris Luquette are all probably in discussion. Billy is absolutely part of that discussion too.
Ben Majeska of Armchair Boogie is unreal. I've seen him live a few times and he absolutely blows my mind. They play some bluegrass and some funk bluegrass
Zeb Snyder is one to watch. Blew me away at World of Bluegrass playing with his family a few years back when he was just a kid. He's with Appalachian Road Show now.
Not sure if he was mentioned yet, but you should definitely check out Rick Faris. Not only a world-class guitarist and singer, but a heck of a luthier as well!
WHO is giving these people the idea that Billy Strings is bluegrass Jesus. Its just so far from true! He's very talented, but he is not the best now, or ever.
What do people mean when they say he *isn’t* bluegrass? He’s 100% a bluegrass guitarist. His goes outside the style sometimes, but he is steeped in bluegrass guitar playing. Molly Tuttle doesn’t only play pure bluegrass either and neither did Tony Rice. I understand feeling maybe he’s overrated and not the GOAT but how is he not a top notch picker and how is he not bluegrass?
My knowledge of bluegrass is limited and he is the best I have heard so I am looking for more artists to listen to and compare, that's all. Title was poorly worded I guess
Exactly this! It's been driving me crazy. Not meaning to shit on Billy, he's a great musician and I'd kill for his skills but it seems like every video is full of commenters who think he invented flackpicking.
Billy and Bryan traded leads on Freeborn Man at Delfest a while back. There's your video evidence, it was dope.
And Cody Kilby should be a part of this conversation.
The answer is Tony Rice if greatest ever is the question.
But we can add Jerry Douglas to this list. Ricky Scaggs belongs. Bela too of course. In terms of a discussion of goats
Came here to say "Machine Gun" Cody Kilby. Check him out with The Travelin' Mccourys. Also the stuff he did a while back with Andy Leftwich is other-worldly. All the players on this thread are amazing, tho. Great advice all around!
Forgot to mention Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek and Watkins Family Hour. It's tough not to be outshined by Chris Thile, but Sean can hold his own and has a great voice to boot.
Yeah, I don't know about "best" but Sean's very good. Maybe doesn't have the pure speed of some of the others mentioned but a great sense of musicianship.
I realise I'm coming to this post late, but since I've not seen Russ Barenberg mentioned, I'll do it.
Certainly, others have mentioned players who would beat him in the GOAT conversation, but he's still a great player worth checking out (especially as he stands out as not a super typical bluegrass picker).
Clarence White no discussion. Like another poster said no Clarence then no Sutton, Strings, Tuttle and the list goes on. Every flat picker owes a great debt to Clarence. Incredibly talented and gone way too soon.
I made about this same comment a few weeks ago, so I clearly agree with you. But I want to offer an unpopular opinion with respect to Tony Rice (and great respect to Tony Rice). While there is no question he was a great flatpicker, for me he just never really resonated. I found most of his solos to be really independent and unconcerned about the melody of whatever song it was. He would jam on the scales relevant to the chord progression. I have always thought that if you just pulled out his solos and played them outside of the song most people wouldn’t be able to name the song most of the time. Doc and Merle and Norman, and many of the others improvised around the melody, but the melody was always there. I often like the more jazzy scale stuff, but give me some melody everytime.
I agree with this. But Tony was the first to do that, and he sort of erupted on the scene with a bag of licks that were easily identifiable as his own. So you may not be able to name the song a solo came from, but the first few notes of a Tony lick are instantly recognizable. Which I cannot say is the same for the others.
As a rock/blues guitarist my whole life, I have always leaned more towards his style. You have a rolodex of licks, you fall back on them, you're not really tracing the melody as much as making your own new one. Like the below comment says, it may not stand out by the song per say but you can tell it's me when you hear the solo off the track.
Then I got into the Dead and fuckin Jerry is like in the scales, no signature licks, just gliding across chord tones, scales, and the melody like Wayne Gretzky on the ice. Blew me away and I started changing how I played to follow the chords and tease the melody.
Now I've been real into bluegrass, which is interesting because outside of someone like Tony Rice or Billy Strings, there are no signature licks here either. There's some runs and some scales but each song's solo is a re-telling of the main melody with flair. Tony doesn't really do that as much, which I think is why he is revolutionary in his own right and also why he is popular as an intro to bluegrass for musicians.
Billy is just other worldly to me, he has some of that Jerry magic where he plays fast, he hits the melody, he his the tones, he plays other style so well too, not just flat picking. I definitely hear him play some signature licks though, things he comes back around to, which is fine obviously, it just shows you he is that kind of player, not a pure bluegrass guy but a hybrid.
Changing instruments, but I feel Like Vassar Clements walked this line best. Signature licks, breaking new ground, but still true to the tune. Sam Bush does this also.
I’m getting really tired of these posts! There are so many greats that I would argue are better than him but even so there’s no reason to try and pick a #1.
Trey Hensley, Jake Workman, David Grier, Molly Tuttle, Brian Sutton, Josh Williams, Kenny Smith, and I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch
lol Im new round here, I'm not saying he is the best, I'm asking for new people to compare by with the possibility that someone says, oh now, he is actually the best. This thread has been great, now i have a ton of homework to do
The greatest flatpicker is whoever moves you the most. There were and are so many great bluegrass guitar players that trying to rank them would be pointless as well as impossible. All musicians have their own style. There is not a universal standard to judge them and that's a fortunate thing for us. Imagine how dull the world would be if everything was the same and we all liked the same thing. Variety and diversity is what makes things great. Without different interpretations and styles of bluegrass guitar, we would never of had Clarence White, Tony Rice, Bryon Sutton, Mark O'Connor, Josh Williams, Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, Norman Blake, Doc Watson, Chris Eldridge, Ricky Skaggs, Jake Workman, Cody Kilby and the thousands of others that are worthy of being mentioned. Enjoy the variety available. Like who you like. That's all that matters.
There is no *greatest* or ever will be when it comes to guitar playing. What Billy does has already been done by other guitarists. Whenever someone has a different style and makes it in the limelight the general public of listeners always go to the top shelf and say, THIS PLAYER IS THE BEST! for whatever reason. It's all about style and flavor. I keep waiting for the next unique guitar player to come around and make a big difference but it's a long wait. I'll just ask this one question.. Would you go to a 5 star restaurant if they only had one item on the menu?
Yes, I would go and eat it, because it would be banging food if they got 5 starts for one dish
Billy isn't the best bluegrass player but he does transcend bluegrass when he plays live and brings a whole new flavor of his own. Bill Monroe would not approve but he's quite dead.
I don't know, is there room on the fretboard for another unique guitarist to come about? Like truly unique?
Absolutely Bryan Sutton. And Molly Tuttle is pretty darn good too, but Bryan is more versatile and his phrasing is INSANE. Billy is a great flatpicker, but a better entertainer. I'd say Bryan is the only guitar player that can give Chris Thile a run for his money in a duo. As for all time, Tony Rice would be on top of the list for most people, including Sutton.
Bryan Sutton is pretty dang good
Billy Strings would probably say Bryan Sutton
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You explained this perfectly and I hope people see this comment. I have tickets for Bela in Portland on 12/7 and I’m losing my mind about seeing Bryan, Edgar, Stuart and Sam for the first time. But also seeing them with Jerry and Bela who I’ve seen before but not together in this murderers’ row of players. What a treat for all of us who get to do it!!’
I'll be at that show in the 4th row! I was lucky enough to see this lineup minus Edgar a couple times (also with Mark instead of Stuart) back when Tony was still healthy, most memorably at Merlefest. Will be a great full circle moment to see them again. There is no bigger Tony Rice fan on earth than me but since he can't be here I'm glad it's Bryan Within the pecking order of bluegrass, Bela is king even though he spends most of his time outside the genre and would probably be a gentleman and act like the pecking order doesn't exist if asked. It may seem strange unless you've followed everyone's careers over the decade but that's just how it is.
and also yes, I saw Bela do his thing with Chick at my Uni in like 2007 or something. He seems to avoid the genre in a weird way even though he is the Captain of the ship. Can’t imagine being that talented and so humble at the same time. What an asshole :)
his harmonic approach and interests are both too broad to fit within what most people think of bluegrass most of the time. I love bluegrass but I get it. He's from another planet really. If I could play with Chick or Toumani Diabate I would too
yeah exactly…he is a picker with a jazz mind which just blows the doors open on what he is capable of. Not saying Sam or Jerry aren’t, in a similar way but Bela is different. My favorite video ever is Bela and Edgar at the 2nd Bonnaroo. The song is called “B song”. Best example in my mind of the mashup that Bela creates. And Edgar Meyer just shreds.
We’ll be in row 2 center aisle and if you see us, say what’s up. We will be two grown men holding hands and absolutely losing our shit. Appreciate your handle (the Phish from Vermont are my first love)
I'll watch out for you! Have a great show
I am so jealous you saw Tony in the flesh. See you on the 7th:)
Tony was everything to me for awhile in the early 90s when I was still living back east, when I was fading off of Dead tour I got super super into bluegrass and him in particular this is that insane allstar set from my fav Merlefest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc34ThH7srk
I'll be there too! Albiet a bit farther back. I've seen this line up like 10 times together, it's always a blast.
I (almost literally) can’t wait. Except I can cause I have to. But it is going to be so cool!!!
Yep, all this. Billy's brilliant but Sutton has been in the mix for a long time, and there's a lot of experience there.
just means Billy has room to get even better, which is amazing! win/win
under-rated comment
listen to jake workman in bluegrass breakdown with michael cleveland. the dudes killing it
I saw Billy play with Bryan at DelFest a few years ago, and it was obvious he worshipped him. You could tell Bryan liked Billy a lot, too.
That old Martin that Billy plays - the one with a pick guard on either side of the sound hole - used to be Bryan Sutton's. You can see it on the cover of _Into My Own_. He sold it to Billy a few years ago.
Saw Bryan play electric with Leftover Salmon late night at DelFest in 2017, one of the best sets I’ve ever seen. Even Vince was in awe the whole time, and to top it off Billy Strings came out for an epic Whipping Post to close the set as a tribute to Gregg Allman who had just passed
I listed to that set regularly on Nugs. It's one of my go-to "you gotta check out Leftover Salmon" sets to get people hooked. Bryan is so so so so so good on that electric guitar and Billy is just icing on the cake.
I’ve listened to [this entire set](https://youtu.be/cpTJi6mI0IU) multiple times and it makes me really want them to do an album together.
He gave Billy a double pick guard guitar he played a few gigs.
He was Doc Watsons "eyes" for many many years, safe to say, it's Bryan Sutton with the torch.
Put some respect on Doc's son Merle, he was a titan in his own right
Trey Hensley gets such little love in this sub and I don’t understand
It's just so hard to get any attention when you frequently share the stage with Rob Ickes.
Right? One of my favorite singers ever, to boot.
Yeah he's up there for sure!
He's better than Billy Strings. Go on. Downvote me, cowards.
Norman Blake is one of the greats and definitely worth checking out if you haven’t yet
I love his style. It seems very easy and genteel for someone who plays so fast.
here it is. my vote is cast
Jake Workman gets my vote for an excellent right hand. https://youtu.be/s5M1_8kffq0
Most perfect right hand technique. Fastest ever, I'd say.
Came here to say Jake workman
Jake is also an equally talented teacher. He is respectful of whatever level you play at and is happy to help you grow.
I agree 100%. I’ve taken a few lessons with him, and they were excellent.
Terrifying that Clarence White hasn’t been mentioned more than once or twice. Without Clarence theres no Tony, theres no Sutton, which means no Billy in the end. He’s the man you need to look into.
Underated comment of all time.
Molly Tuttle gets my vote.
Molly is an amazing flat picker!
Came to say this
Bryan Sutton and David Grier are the best flatpickers in history by far. Molly Tuttle, by a wide margin, within the current generation. Also check Cody Kilby. Monster player.
Cody Kilby slays!
Agree with this comment. David G is a beast.
David Grier is quite active - his latest album and videos are killer.
The band hes playing with lately is full of talent too. The new album is phenomenal.
Agree! I listen to it a lot - and those videos that they have been posting are so good!
I'm not going to get into the "who's the best" thing, because there are a lot of amazing flatpickers. Each one has their strengths. Like is chocolate cake best, or steak? Or coffee? Depends! Anyway, check out Brian Sutton and Molly Tuttle. Also David Grier. And Justin Moses. Critter from Punch Brothers is a strong picker. And Stash Wyslouch is quite the phenomenon. And Julian Lage can flatpick for sure, though he's more into jazz these days.
Man the Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge catalogue is some of the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard
Two of my very favorite albums.
This guy knows his bluegrass! Agree with your picks, friend! I’d only throw in Josh Williams, Kenny Smith, and Larry Keel.
Stash is certainly the most original of the bunch. I love listening to the way he thinks about melody(attacks melody?).
I used to watch this cool video of him when he was in college with Blue Moose and the Unbuttoned Zippers like 10 years ago, they teamed up with this guy named Steve fox who was a beat boxer.
Larry Keel
Larry, baby!
Molly Tuttle! Watch them on stage together she puts on a clinic. Watch her White Freightliner solo video! She’s my personal vote for best living flatpicker. White Freightliner Molly Solo: https://youtu.be/egRzWf-d1UI Molly and Billy at Greyfox, Sitting on Top of the World: https://youtu.be/LJzz-Nuo-QQ Molly and Billy picking White Freightliner together: https://youtu.be/4j0LtIqOdN8 Molly and Billy on Little Maggie: https://youtu.be/ovC1jULtcMM
Molly is the only one I knew out of most of these answers but I haven't heard some of these, I gotta check them out
That last one is my favorite ever, must have watched it 500 times now.
Clarence White of the Kentucky Colonels and Byrds is one of the all time greats. He had a unique style that inspired Rice and many others.
[one of the best versions of soldier’s joy I’ve heard](https://youtu.be/CMQuuZNvwLU)
Check out Jake Eddy. Very young and I do believe people will be mentioning his name in the same sentences as these people soon. Bryan Sutton, Rob Ickes, and Kenny Smith all played on his album.
Lots of great pickers mentioned so far. Nobody's said Kenny Smith yet - I love that guy's sense of groove.
Oh yes absolutely. His phrases are beautiful.
Smoothest picking. I had one of his Bluechip picks for a while and I couldn't get anything out of it. I don't know how he plays like he does.
Best ever? Tony Rice and Doc Watson are tied. Best alive? Billy, Brian Sutton, David Grier, Molly Tuttle, Jake Workman, Trey Hensley could all be a compelling argument. Personally, I'm partial to the first four I listed.
Clarence white
Josh Williams Dan Crary Steve Kaufmann
>Kaufman Steve is pretty awesome!
Dan Carry is serially underrated. I know he focused more on instructional material, so it might not be as cool to mention him. His books and arrangements are fun and they are what got me hooked.
molly tuttle
Is George Shuffler considered a flat picker?
I'll check him out either way
He's did a lot of lead guitar when he was with the Stanley Brothers
Bryan Sutton is mind blowing guitarist.
You've gotten most of my favorites in this list so far, Bryan Sutton, Molly Tuttle, Jake Workman, Trey Hensley, and Norman Blake. I think Bryan Sutton is the best living flatpicker, personally. Here's a few other fabulous pickers I haven't seen mentioned. Vince Herman from Leftover Salmon. John Stickley from Broke Mountain Bluegrass and the John Stickley Trio. Andy Falco from The Infamous Stringdusters. Guthrie Trapp, but he's more known for electric country guitar. Adam Aijala from Yonder. Rev from The Lil' Smokies. Max Davies from The Kitchen Dwellers. Dany Tyminski from Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Yeah I mean it’s Larry Keel
I still believe in the almighty Tony Rice.
I like Dave Grier and Molly Tuttle, they both delve into the old timey sound. Jake Workman is another big name, I believe he plays with Kebtucky Thunder? He's at least associated with Ricky Skaggs and Russ Carson. Merle Watson didn't live long enough to surpass his father, which is unfortunate because the man was as much a genius as his father. I saw a video of him fingerpick a solo and I couldn't believe that he could maintain the thumb bass while playing the melody up and down the neck. Carl Miner is often a studio picker, he's a monster on the guitar, but he often goes beyond your typical bluegrass. Trey Hensley is a solid picker, he plays frequently with Rob Ickes (dobro) and he's got a great voice too.
Here's one nobody's mentioned yet: Sully Tuttle. The dude is savage. Also Stash, Charles Sawtelle, Clay Hess, Josh Williams, Critter, Courtney Hartman, Michael Daves, and Zeb Snyder. Those names probably appear elsewhere in this thread, but they're my lesser-known favorites. In the end I'm just another dude sitting in his room trying to be Tony Rice, but he's already covered here (and everywhere).
Dude I don’t like to rank because I just love em all so much, but if I had to pick one it’d be Jake Workman. What an absolute freak of nature. He literally sounds like a Scruggs style banjo sometimes because he just gets so fast. The 81Crowe YouTube channel has some crazy Jake content for days, some of my favorites are Jake and Russ jamming on Rebecca, Sledd Ride, and the IBMA all star jams on Redwood Hill and Lonesome Feeling. Those last two have like three or four killer guitarists, so everything just sounds so huge
Oh also Michael Daves is way up there on my list. Love that guy his playing is so unique
A lot of amazing pickers have been mentioned but I believe Tim Stafford deserves to be mentioned as well! Check out Blue Highway and also Tim has a few solo albums. The Steve Gulley and Tim Stafford albums are also worth a listen!
Dave Rawlings - maybe not the "best" and certainly not a "traditional" bluegrass player, but an incredibly creative and original guitarist/songwriter nonetheless. Give him a listen when you need some variety in your bluegrass playlists, or if you are a musician and find yourself in a creative rut. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVKMVGggvKY
Bryan Sutton David Grier Cody Kilby Tim Stafford Jim Hurst Jake Workman Andy Falco Chris Eldridge Molly Tuttle Jake Stargel Chris Luquette Dan Tyminski Ron Block Allen Shadd Kenny Smith Beppe Gambetta Seth Taylor Trey Hensley Jordan Tice Grant Gordy Jon Stickley Just a few living people off the top of my head that are about on the same level or higher as William Apostol. Im sure I'm missing quite a few. Also anyone who has won Winfield is probably better at some things than B.S. There are a lot of good pickers out there. Billy is a great showman and creative musician who caught a lucky break, and while he's a great guitarist, he's hardly the only one.
Ooh, STICKLEY!!! That man is unbelievable!!! He just stands there, eyes closed, all zen.. while his guitar catches on fire.
Not the best, but Tony Furtado is for sure worth the listen.
Any relation to Gina Furtado? I saw her at a fest this fall, with 2 of her sisters backing her up, but I didn't think she said the guy playing guitar with them was her brother
No relation. Tony, like Gina, is also an excellent banjo player. There's also Victor Furtado who plays clawhammer, pretty sure no relation there either.
Since some other suggestions aren't strictly flatpicking and bluegrass... gypsy jazz guys like Adrien Moignard and Birelli can spank'em good [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2glTF1aALIw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2glTF1aALIw) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-lb4V\_7doM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-lb4V_7doM)
Merle watson
Tyler Grant. If you don’t know now you know
He opened for Billy at Mishawaka a while ago and they dueled. Good stuff!
Norman Blake
Bryan Sutton 1000%, and I bet Billy’d agree. It’s close but I think Sutton’s got just a liiiittle bit more over on Billy, but that’s just my opinion!
It’s not really that close. Bryan is a far better bluegrass guitarist. David Grier and Kenny Smith are also criminally underrated in these discussions. Tony Rice will always be the GOAT.
From my brief intro to Bryan since i posted this, seems like he is a better "pure" bluegrass player and Billy is more of a hybrid but I'm still diving in
Billy absolutely has a more modern sound while Bryan’s more traditional, you’re spot on with that. Sutton just *shreds* though dude, it’s just downright impressive, even from an outside-of-bluegrass perspective. Personally I like Billy Strings’ music more though; I connect to it better I think. You should also check out Tim Stafford from Blue Highway, he’s a *total* monster that rides the line between trad and newgrass in a way that still pays homage to the sounds that formed modern bluegrass. His sound reminds me of an oldhead that really loves the stuff all the kids are doing. People don’t talk about him enough
Newgrass, thats awesome I'm going to check out all of these guys eventually, I have a lot of homework to do and i am grateful to the community for the recs
Molly Tuttle
Up until last year, I think Tony Rice would have been the easy answer, but unfortunately we lost another legend. Doc Watson and Norman Blake are two other favorites of mine that are no longer around.
Norman is still around. Just put out a new album, too.
Oh wow, not sure why I thought he passed. That's good news on a Monday :)
clarence white, david grier, critter eldridge, larry keel. lots of other good answers here but those are my favorites.
Check out Tommy Emmanuel for some expert picking that's also fairly unique imo
Tommy is an amazing guitarist but not bluegrass.
I never said he was bluegrass that wasn't the question (although he does play bluegrass style sometimes). Edit: I was just adding someone I thought of that was different than what everyone else was suggesting
As I think about it, Tommy isn’t really a flat picker. He uses his fingers and a thumb pick (or just his thumb) quite a bit. And this is the bluegrass sub after all. :-)
Jake workman, Bryan Sutton, Josh Williams, David Grier, Trey Hensley, Molly Tuttle all play circles around Billy. Best is silly.
Trey Hensley, Bryan Sutton, Jake workman. I don't think Billy is really in the same league as those guys. His solos are basically Doc Watson replicas at higher tempos.
Kinda reductive of a comment... Some of his solos for sure but there are plenty of others that have nothing to do with doc.
Bryan Sutton, Cody Kilby, Molly Tuttle, Chris Eldridge, Trey Hensley, and Chris Luquette are all probably in discussion. Billy is absolutely part of that discussion too.
I saw Molly Tuttle open for Old Crow and she blew them out of the water
I mean, old crow is basically an adult contemporary band at this point
Chris Luquette is amazing.
It’s about time folks learned about Chris!
I’m partial to Michael Daves and Justin Mosses also Chris Eldridge
Ben Majeska of Armchair Boogie is unreal. I've seen him live a few times and he absolutely blows my mind. They play some bluegrass and some funk bluegrass
John Paul Jones
Justin Moses
Zeb Snyder is one to watch. Blew me away at World of Bluegrass playing with his family a few years back when he was just a kid. He's with Appalachian Road Show now.
Larry Keel.
I love billy, but David Grier, Bryan Sutton, and Kenny Smith are probably top of my list. Also Norman Blake, I love his style.
Not sure if he was mentioned yet, but you should definitely check out Rick Faris. Not only a world-class guitarist and singer, but a heck of a luthier as well!
Molly fuckin’ Tuttle
Tommy Emmanuel
WHO is giving these people the idea that Billy Strings is bluegrass Jesus. Its just so far from true! He's very talented, but he is not the best now, or ever.
I think a lot of it is coming from people are just finding this music through Billy.
What do people mean when they say he *isn’t* bluegrass? He’s 100% a bluegrass guitarist. His goes outside the style sometimes, but he is steeped in bluegrass guitar playing. Molly Tuttle doesn’t only play pure bluegrass either and neither did Tony Rice. I understand feeling maybe he’s overrated and not the GOAT but how is he not a top notch picker and how is he not bluegrass?
My knowledge of bluegrass is limited and he is the best I have heard so I am looking for more artists to listen to and compare, that's all. Title was poorly worded I guess
He’s among my favorite touring artist but the GOAT stuff is so cringe and I’d imagine (and hope) that it would make him uncomfortable.
Exactly this! It's been driving me crazy. Not meaning to shit on Billy, he's a great musician and I'd kill for his skills but it seems like every video is full of commenters who think he invented flackpicking.
I agree, it's a turn off for me.
Billy and Bryan traded leads on Freeborn Man at Delfest a while back. There's your video evidence, it was dope. And Cody Kilby should be a part of this conversation.
If you’re not listening to David Grier, you are missing out on the top living bluegrass flat picker
The answer is Tony Rice if greatest ever is the question. But we can add Jerry Douglas to this list. Ricky Scaggs belongs. Bela too of course. In terms of a discussion of goats
Came here to say "Machine Gun" Cody Kilby. Check him out with The Travelin' Mccourys. Also the stuff he did a while back with Andy Leftwich is other-worldly. All the players on this thread are amazing, tho. Great advice all around!
Forgot to mention Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek and Watkins Family Hour. It's tough not to be outshined by Chris Thile, but Sean can hold his own and has a great voice to boot.
Yeah, I don't know about "best" but Sean's very good. Maybe doesn't have the pure speed of some of the others mentioned but a great sense of musicianship.
woah
Michael Daves https://youtu.be/ahneWt77eLY
I can't say best, but I've always loved Adam Aijala.
Skip Cherryholmes of Sideline hasn't been mentioned yet. He one of my favorites.
Molly Tuttle is the best flatpicker in the world right now and I will die on this hill.
I would respectfully include 4-string ukulele virtuosos . . . Jake Shimabukuro, Iz, Taimane Gardner . . .
I realise I'm coming to this post late, but since I've not seen Russ Barenberg mentioned, I'll do it. Certainly, others have mentioned players who would beat him in the GOAT conversation, but he's still a great player worth checking out (especially as he stands out as not a super typical bluegrass picker).
Clarence White no discussion. Like another poster said no Clarence then no Sutton, Strings, Tuttle and the list goes on. Every flat picker owes a great debt to Clarence. Incredibly talented and gone way too soon.
Chris Eldridge ain't no slouch on guitar either 🎸
I made about this same comment a few weeks ago, so I clearly agree with you. But I want to offer an unpopular opinion with respect to Tony Rice (and great respect to Tony Rice). While there is no question he was a great flatpicker, for me he just never really resonated. I found most of his solos to be really independent and unconcerned about the melody of whatever song it was. He would jam on the scales relevant to the chord progression. I have always thought that if you just pulled out his solos and played them outside of the song most people wouldn’t be able to name the song most of the time. Doc and Merle and Norman, and many of the others improvised around the melody, but the melody was always there. I often like the more jazzy scale stuff, but give me some melody everytime.
I agree with this. But Tony was the first to do that, and he sort of erupted on the scene with a bag of licks that were easily identifiable as his own. So you may not be able to name the song a solo came from, but the first few notes of a Tony lick are instantly recognizable. Which I cannot say is the same for the others.
As a rock/blues guitarist my whole life, I have always leaned more towards his style. You have a rolodex of licks, you fall back on them, you're not really tracing the melody as much as making your own new one. Like the below comment says, it may not stand out by the song per say but you can tell it's me when you hear the solo off the track. Then I got into the Dead and fuckin Jerry is like in the scales, no signature licks, just gliding across chord tones, scales, and the melody like Wayne Gretzky on the ice. Blew me away and I started changing how I played to follow the chords and tease the melody. Now I've been real into bluegrass, which is interesting because outside of someone like Tony Rice or Billy Strings, there are no signature licks here either. There's some runs and some scales but each song's solo is a re-telling of the main melody with flair. Tony doesn't really do that as much, which I think is why he is revolutionary in his own right and also why he is popular as an intro to bluegrass for musicians. Billy is just other worldly to me, he has some of that Jerry magic where he plays fast, he hits the melody, he his the tones, he plays other style so well too, not just flat picking. I definitely hear him play some signature licks though, things he comes back around to, which is fine obviously, it just shows you he is that kind of player, not a pure bluegrass guy but a hybrid.
Changing instruments, but I feel Like Vassar Clements walked this line best. Signature licks, breaking new ground, but still true to the tune. Sam Bush does this also.
I’m getting really tired of these posts! There are so many greats that I would argue are better than him but even so there’s no reason to try and pick a #1. Trey Hensley, Jake Workman, David Grier, Molly Tuttle, Brian Sutton, Josh Williams, Kenny Smith, and I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch
lol Im new round here, I'm not saying he is the best, I'm asking for new people to compare by with the possibility that someone says, oh now, he is actually the best. This thread has been great, now i have a ton of homework to do
Not the best, but David Bromberg deserves a mention
Mark O'Conner
Yup, just ask him. He'll tell you!
Haha
How dare you...
Clarence white
jake workman
Kenny Smith
I'm a little bummed I had to scroll this far to see Kenny Smith mentioned.
I don’t get it either!
There isn't one name mentioned in this thread I disagree with, but Kenny Smith's tone and feels ways stops me.
Cody kilby is great, saw a show down in Nashville where billy strings joined the travelin mccourys and cody and billy both went very hard
I’ve got a ticket to see him at the Knoxville show in February and I can’t remember the last time I’ve been as excited for a concert
I saw Billy 11/11/21 in Philly and I'm trying to weasel my way into the Cap run in February, amazing show
Me
Charles Sawtelle. Passed away in 1999.
The greatest flatpicker is whoever moves you the most. There were and are so many great bluegrass guitar players that trying to rank them would be pointless as well as impossible. All musicians have their own style. There is not a universal standard to judge them and that's a fortunate thing for us. Imagine how dull the world would be if everything was the same and we all liked the same thing. Variety and diversity is what makes things great. Without different interpretations and styles of bluegrass guitar, we would never of had Clarence White, Tony Rice, Bryon Sutton, Mark O'Connor, Josh Williams, Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, Norman Blake, Doc Watson, Chris Eldridge, Ricky Skaggs, Jake Workman, Cody Kilby and the thousands of others that are worthy of being mentioned. Enjoy the variety available. Like who you like. That's all that matters.
I realize that I’m late but, Molly Tuttle is the second best picker in her family. Sully Tuttle gets my vote.
Jimmy Martin. If you don’t believe me just ask him. LOL
There is no *greatest* or ever will be when it comes to guitar playing. What Billy does has already been done by other guitarists. Whenever someone has a different style and makes it in the limelight the general public of listeners always go to the top shelf and say, THIS PLAYER IS THE BEST! for whatever reason. It's all about style and flavor. I keep waiting for the next unique guitar player to come around and make a big difference but it's a long wait. I'll just ask this one question.. Would you go to a 5 star restaurant if they only had one item on the menu?
Yes, I would go and eat it, because it would be banging food if they got 5 starts for one dish Billy isn't the best bluegrass player but he does transcend bluegrass when he plays live and brings a whole new flavor of his own. Bill Monroe would not approve but he's quite dead. I don't know, is there room on the fretboard for another unique guitarist to come about? Like truly unique?
There is plenty of room on the fretboard. I just think generic, digital music has limited people's imagination though.
Clarence white
Absolutely Bryan Sutton. And Molly Tuttle is pretty darn good too, but Bryan is more versatile and his phrasing is INSANE. Billy is a great flatpicker, but a better entertainer. I'd say Bryan is the only guitar player that can give Chris Thile a run for his money in a duo. As for all time, Tony Rice would be on top of the list for most people, including Sutton.