General I once made a Zappa vs. Prince on guitar thread

Welcome to our Community
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Feel free to Sign Up today.
Sign up

MMAPlaywright

First 100
First 100
Jan 18, 2015
6,030
10,714
On a different forum, at a point where that forum was flooded with perhaps overhyped reactions to Prince’s guitar work at that George Harrison tribute show, I made a thread asking which was the better guitarist.

I now, for no real reason, on this very forum, make that thread again.

Which was the better guitarist, Prince or Frank Zappa?
 

Rambo John J

Eats things that would make a Billy Goat Puke
First 100
Jan 17, 2015
71,545
71,469
On a different forum, at a point where that forum was flooded with perhaps overhyped reactions to Prince’s guitar work at that George Harrison tribute show, I made a thread asking which was the better guitarist.

I now, for no real reason, on this very forum, make that thread again.

Which was the better guitarist, Prince or Frank Zappa?
no idea...not smart enough about guitar skills

love a few of both of their songs though
 

Brigsy

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2015
472
606
It's got to be personal taste I say. I like Zappas modal style and use of the whole range of the guitar. But, Prince could pretty much do it all. Can't decide.
 

MMAPlaywright

First 100
First 100
Jan 18, 2015
6,030
10,714
The thread on the other forum started off with a couple of Prince votes, then it was pretty much Zappa. Someone who had voted Prince looked up some Zappa online and changed his mind. Then he posted some videos of Zappa playing.
 

Hong Kong Phooey

Spreading The Coronavirus one Corona at a Time
Feb 12, 2015
4,771
4,736
Prince

but find out where those huskies go
dont you eat that yellow snow
 

jason73

Yuri Bezmenov was right
First 100
Jan 15, 2015
72,789
134,171
I always hated prince cuz he was a homo so i never paid any attention to his guitar skills
 

Hauler

Been fallin so long it's like gravitys gone
Feb 3, 2016
45,416
57,815
I don't know how Prince played so well with those tiny little hands.
 

Filthy

Iowa Wrestling Champion
Jun 28, 2016
27,507
29,834
On a different forum, at a point where that forum was flooded with perhaps overhyped reactions to Prince’s guitar work at that George Harrison tribute show, I made a thread asking which was the better guitarist.

I now, for no real reason, on this very forum, make that thread again.

Which was the better guitarist, Prince or Frank Zappa?
you'll need to define best?

purely in a technical sense - Zappa. close, but distinct.

as a composer - a wash, but a slight edge to Zappa for the breadth of compositions.

As a performer, connecting to people and emoting through his instrument - OMG PrinceAndNotEvenClose.
 

Filthy

Iowa Wrestling Champion
Jun 28, 2016
27,507
29,834
I always hated prince cuz he was a homo so i never paid any attention to his guitar skills
everybody wanted to fuck prince.
Everybody. you're not alone. you're not necessarily gay, necessarily...

no homo world.
 

Filthy

Iowa Wrestling Champion
Jun 28, 2016
27,507
29,834
for my money, Mark Knoplfer is the best of Prince and Zappa. The connection of Prince, and the NoFucksLeft greasy attack of Frank.

 

Too swole to control

I’ll fight anyone on here except Sex Chicken
Oct 28, 2015
5,879
9,590
I once made a thread about driving 2 hrs to pick up a escort who got robbed by her pimp. Perhaps I will make that thread again.

Ps I'ma say prince cuz idk but I like to have a opinion
 

MMAPlaywright

First 100
First 100
Jan 18, 2015
6,030
10,714
you'll need to define best?

purely in a technical sense - Zappa. close, but distinct.

as a composer - a wash, but a slight edge to Zappa for the breadth of compositions.

As a performer, connecting to people and emoting through his instrument - OMG PrinceAndNotEvenClose.
Emoting through his instrument? You mean when he jacks his purple guitar off?
 
M

member 603

Guest
Technical player- Zappa

Better soul/sound/feeling- Prince

Zappa was a genius, but he didn't have that soulful feeling to his playing that Prince did... Not that he was incapable, he was just a schooled virtuoso. I remember hearing stories that both Steve Vai and Mike Kennelley said about Frank, where they would play parts on arrangements he did (and Frank would literally orchestrate songs in his head, writing parts for strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, et al) where they would play a part that they felt, and Frank would be pissed saying that's not what's supposed to go there.... Again, Zappa is a super genius, not taking anything away from him, but Prince had more soul in his playing (and he wrote/produced half of the hits of the 1980's...... Him and Phil Collins pretty much wrote/produced the 80's)
 
M

member 603

Guest
Also wanted to add, chosing between these two stylistically is obviously a preference point too.... It's like trying to pick between Fusion Jazz and Bebop Jazz.... Or Dream Theater and Guns N Roses..... Similar in theory, different in application
 

MMAPlaywright

First 100
First 100
Jan 18, 2015
6,030
10,714
^ good posts
The reason I made this thread originally was because people were going nuts over Prince’s guitar playing, proclaiming him the best ever, etc. I thought Zappa was the perfect person to compare him against. Technically, he was much, much better than Prince, and I couldn’t see how anyone could deny it. It was just a way to suggest that there is more to the conversation of who is the greatest guitarist than charisma and stage presence coupled with massive overall talent. Personally, I’m not sure who the bigger musical genius is between the two, but that’s a different conversation.
 

Brigsy

Well-Known Member
Jan 21, 2015
472
606
Heard John McLaughlin last night. Been waiting to hear him since the 90's. Magic.
 

BenAskrensStrikingcoach

Formerly formulating formally
Jan 30, 2015
4,753
5,118
What?! Prince was a master of many instruments and a pop icon , fair enough.

Zappa was a genius, comparing him to prince as a guitarist is like comparing proper 12 to 50 year old Glenfiddich . Delete this shit thread.