Thread: Hendrix vs. Page... Who wins?

I would say page..

I just absolutely love page..

Thats all i really want to say.

Damn. That's a close one. I love Hendrix, but I don't think I know enough about Page to give an unbiased decision. It's hard to say, though, judging from these two vids, as Page plucks with his fingers (which is capable of quicker sounds) and Hendrix picks. I don't know which playing style is actually harder, though.
Also, Hendrix has a badass way of playing both rhythm and lead, at the same time, with a pick (as does Stevie Ray Vaughan) and that's fuckin impressive, to me.

Bias admitted, I'll have to side with Hendrix for now, until I hear a lot more of Page's stuff.

I was wishy washy on the issue for a while, but then I saw the Hendrix solo I posted. I think it is the greatest exposition of musical talent in the history of the galaxy.

Yeah. That's the first time I've seen that performance, and I caught myself just staring, in awe. Absolutely incredible.

How dare you make me have to choose between them! Technically, Jimi Hendrix is the better guitarist, but come on man, you can't do this to people...

Jimi Hendrix
Led Zeppelin

Edit: After watching both those videos, however, I prefer the Jimmy Page one.

Both are totally awesome. But I would have to give it to Hendrix. He's awesome with a guitar.

Hendrix hands down! He can be completely F'ed up on *illegal stuff* like in that video, and still kick Page's ass. He was a good guy too...

Jimmy Page was sober every concert which is a letdown for me because I like the musician to be on MY LEVEL! He still kicks ass though.

Wow. That is a tough question.
I think Page is over all the best guitarist. He has done SO much for so long.
Hendrix was a pioneer though.
I can't really compare them fairly. Each has their own atrributes that make them -Da shit!

How can you choose? I choose not to choose

I was never much a fan of Page, his music just wasn't in my taste, he was a good player but not to my liking, its actually similar with Hendrix for me, i think he is a good player but i only like a couple of his songs, his playing just was not in my taste, he is still an excellent player and i'd pick Hendrix over Page. However i prefer Stevie Ray Vaughan over the both of them, who's with me?

I don't think people's answer to this question means very much when it comes to determining who's better. Both of these amazing legends eventually reached a talent level where their guitar technique was no longer in the equation. Basically, their limiting factor became their creativity. Whatever they thought about, they could perform, without thinking about technique. Much like someone who's FLUENT in a language means they can think in the language without extra effort/overhead, these two could "think in guitar", if you will. And they both had the creativity to go with it. They both had lots of songs that were different everytime they played them. So I really think it comes down to taste, rather than technique, and in that sense, it's anyone's game, and becomes a bit more of a popularity contest.

Personally, I got much more into led zep than hendrix, but that doesn't mean I think one is better than the other.

Now it is bugging me. I am or should be doing some paper work and I find myself pondering Page vs. Hendrix.
I want to agree with Adam. But Replicon put it very nicely.

Page has contributed to the composition of many many songs that Hendrix can not say. He was more a one man talent. Unique and brilliant. I actually like the abstract style more so than Jimmi Page, but I still feel.

Page was clean and sharp. He controlled the tempo of Led Zeppelin. And BOOM < Led zeppelin. Arguably the best rock band of all time. Held together by a master of electric, slide and acoustic.
As Replicon pointed out, you reach a certain degree of ability on the guitar itself. You then must consider what was created, performed and composed.

Question.
Was Page and the rest of the band notorious for the "psychedelic experience?"
I could not disagree with you more Michael. Your infatuation with drug use has clouded you judgement.
Who is making the music, the drug or the person?
Take away the drugs and what you you have? Mike -chael...

No one can write a riff like Page but he was kind of a sloppy player. Hendrix changed the world. His music was light-years ahead of anyone else at that time. I mean really, can you imagine what music would sound like today if Jimi had never picked up a guitar?

I don't know enough to know who is the better guitarist, but I definately prefer Jimi Hendrix's music.

In the music world, They're both awesome.

But Hendrix kicks Page's ass any day

Ya I love them both but creatively speaking I would go Hendrix. He had depth to his music that was simply haunting and everything he touched was golden. Page is great also but he was hit and miss live. Some performances great and sometimes just plain lousy. Jimmy Hendrix though was even great on a really bad night.

And on a side note however, my fav all time guitar player is the late Randy Rhoads! May he rest in peace.

I really don't like comparing musicians :/

You could of said 'who's playing style do you prefer' and that would of been better imo. But i'd have to say i prefer led zep to hendrix.

I really don't like comparing musicians :/

I agree; art isn't a contest.

I prefer Hendrix, just because I don't like Zeppelin too much. Wish Jimi would've been given more time on earth, he may have done incredible things...

He did do incredible things.

MMmmmmmm How could you bring us to this choice.......

Well I will have to say Jimmy ONLY Because of Third stone from the sun....

thats all I will say on this.

clapton > page > hendrix > santana

Interesting responses. I started this thread because I knew how difficult the question is. It's hard to give an objective answer on the issue. When I first started posting, I was planning to go to Youtube to fetch a video of Led Zeppelin's performance on the French variety show Tous En Scene. It was 1969, Led Zeppelin was new and not very famous, and they played their guts out like they had something to prove. It is the best I have ever seen Page. He played with more smoothness than I have ever seen anybody play. The video was taken off Youtube, probably because of copyright infringement. The video is in the "Led Zeppelin DVD". I have seen a few comments here and on Youtube that Page is a sloppy player, but I know that at times he was not. I think it is more that he was sometimes boring when playing live, while Hendrix never was ever. Page seemed to be inconsistent as a live player, though always incredible in the studio recordings.

I thought about what Hendrix would have sounded like playing White Summer and what Page would have sounded like playing the Woodstock improvisation Hendrix played. I think Hendrix would have pulled off White Summer, but probably not as well as Page, and I seriously question whether Page would have been able to play that Woodstock improvisation at all. Maybe he would have, but it's hard to picture any guitarist in recorded history other than Hendrix pulling off that solo as it was played. I seriously think it is the greatest showing of musical talent I have ever heard.

Hendrix doing Star Spangled Banner @ Woodstock == single greatest guitar performance ever.'

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MjHdBDnHEeU

personally I think carlos santana, stevie ray vaughn, eric clapton, and eddie van halen are better guitarists than jimmy, just to name a few. maybe david gilmore too...

hendrix will always be the best in my book.

Led zeppelin as a whole are top 3-4 or so though.