Steve Howe playing lead guitar for Yes in 1977

A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar.

Noted guitarists:

Classical

Manuel Barrueco

Julian Bream

Ben Bolt

Sandy Adams:

Matteo Carcassi

Mauro Giuliani

Sharon Isbin

Alexander Lagoya

Paco de Lucía

Godelieve Monden

Ida Presti

Angel Romero

Pepe Romero

Gaspar Sanz

John Schneider

Andrés Segovia

Fernando Sor

Francisco Tàrrega

John Williams

Narciso Yepes

Andrew York

Jazz

Charlie Christian

Franco Cerri

Drew Denton

Bill Frisell

Jim Hall

Charlie Hunter

Stanley Jordan

Barney Kessel

John McLaughlin

Pat Metheny

Wes Montgomery

Joe Pass

Andreas Paolo Perger

Django Reinhardt

Marc Ribot

John Scofield

Andy Summers

Martin Taylor

Al Di Meola

Tony Macalpine

Allan Holdsworth

Folk and acoustic

William Ackerman

Chet Atkins

Martin Carthy

Ry Cooder

Doyle Dykes

Dave Ellis

Gordon Giltrap

Michael Hedges

Bert Jansch

Leo Kottke

Adrian Legg

John Martyn

Ellen McIlwaine

Tony McManus

Al Perkins

John Renbourn

Art Paul Schlosser

James Taylor

Richard Thompson

Doc Watson

Stochelo Rosenberg

Nic Jones

Bob Dylan

Blues

Blind Blake

Blind Lemon Jefferson

Muddy Waters

Howlin' Wolf

John Lee Hooker

Mississippi John Hurt

Elmore James

Robert Johnson

Leadbelly

Mance Lipscomb

T-Bone Walker

Taj Mahal

Brownie McGhee

Memphis Minnie

Charlie Patton

Robert Ross

Son House

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Jimmy Vaughan

Buddy Guy

B.B. King

Albert Collins

Steve 'The Colonel' Cropper

Matt 'Guitar' Murphy

Michael Bloomfield

Robert Cray

Otis Rush

Coco Montoya

Albert King

Freddie King

Chris Cain

Robben Ford

Eric Clapton

Guitar Slim

Lowell Fulson

Ry Cooder

Big Bill Broonzy

Luther Allison

Tampa Red

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Jimmy Reed

Blind Willie McTell

Lonnie Mack

Little Milton

Sonny Landreth

Duane Allman

Keb' Mo'

Lonnie Johnson

Luther 'Guitar Junior' Johnson

Jimi Hendrix

Guitar Slim

Rory Gallagher

Jesse Fuller

Hubert Sumlin

Bonnie Raitt

Johnny Winter

Bukka White

Mississippi Fred McDowell

Skip James

John Hammond, Jr.

Guitar Shorty

Josh White

J.B. Lenoir

Doyle Bramhall

Gary Moore

Little Jimmy King

Roy Buchanan

Rock/pop

Duane Allman (Derek and the Dominos, The Allman Brothers Band)

Trey Anastasio (Phish)

Gem Archer (Oasis)

Chet Atkins

David Bates

Jeff Beck

Chuck Berry

Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple)

Lindsey Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac)

Charlie Christian

Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds, Cream, Derek and the Dominos, Blind Faith)

Warren Cuccurullo (Frank Zappa, Missing Persons, & Duran Duran)

Duane Eddy

John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

David Evans aka The Edge (U2)

Noel Gallagher (Oasis)

David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)

Jerry Garcia (the Grateful Dead)

George Harrison (The Beatles)

Jimi Hendrix (The Jimi Hendrix Experience)

Buddy Holly

Steve Howe

Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders)

Tomas Kadzionis (Godlike27)

Phil Keaggy

Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits & Notting HillBillies)

Goktan Kural

Alex Lifeson (Rush)

Yngwie J. Malmsteen

Hank B. Marvin (The Shadows)

Johnny Marr

Brian May (Queen)

Mike McCready (Pearl Jam)

Barry Melton (Country Joe and the Fish, The Dinosaurs)

Midoru

Kim Mitchell

Steve Morse

Dave Navarro (Jane's Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)

Les Paul

Jack White (The White Stripes)

Joe Perry (Aerosmith)

Johnny Ramone (The Ramones)

Chris Rea

Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones)

Michael Roe

Mick Ronson (played with David Bowie)

Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi)

Carlos Santana

Joe Satriani

Neal Schon

James Honeyman-Scott (The Pretenders)

Brian Setzer (The Stray Cats, The Brian Setzer Orchestra)

Slash (Slash's Snakepit, Guns and Roses, & Velvet Revolver)

John Squire

Pete Townshend (The Who)

Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)

Steve Vai

Tom Verlaine (Television)

Frank Zappa (among other things, played with The Mothers of Invention)

Mattias "IA" Eklundh (Freak Kitchen)

Michael Angelo Batio

Jason Becker

Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big)

Vinnie Moore

Heavy metal

Michael Amott (Arch Enemy)

Kirk Hammett (Metallica)

James Hetfield (Metallica)

Kerry King (Slayer)

Herman Li (DragonForce)

Yngwie Malmsteen (Solo Artist)

Jim Martin (Faith No More)

Tom Morello (Audioslave & Rage Against the Machine)

Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)

John Petrucci (Dream Theater)

Michael Romeo (Symphony X)

Chuck Schuldiner (Death, Control Denied)

Bill Steer (Carcass)

Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom)

Dimebag Darrell (Pantera, Damageplan)

Oscar Dronjak (Hammerfall)

Adam Jones (Tool)

Scott Ian (Anthrax)

Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth)

Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society)

Chris Impellitteri (Solo Artist)

Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)

Brian "Buckethead" Carrol (Solo Arist, Guns 'n Roses, Primus)

Joe Stump

Katherine "The Great Kat" Thomas