I need a list of great guitar players for my 11 year old to get inspired by.?

Question:My son's been playing for about a year and is pretty decent. He's got both an accoustic and an electric guitar, but I want to sort of push him in an acoustic direction. Not that I don't like the electric but there are already enough people who get one too fast and stink at both! His electric is a loan. I play Santana for him and Roddy Frame so we're not totally hopeless. Thanks, G

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: My son's been playing for about a year and is pretty decent. He's got both an accoustic and an electric guitar, but I want to sort of push him in an acoustic direction. Not that I don't like the electric but there are already enough people who get one too fast and stink at both! His electric is a loan. I play Santana for him and Roddy Frame so we're not totally hopeless. Thanks, G

Y'know, it's not only important to get the guitarist--but you'll need to know what specific recordings show them to their best potential as acoustic guitarists.

For John McLaughlin, that would be his oldie, "My Goal's Beyond." Maybe the greatest acoustic jazz guitar album of all time.

Richard Thompson is pretty consistent but his stuff from the 1970s is probably the best.

Consider picking up the compilation Jethro Tull: Greatest Hits Vol. 2, best of Acoustic Tull. Ian Anderson is a rather unique acoustic guitarist and his long-time sideman and lead guitar wizard Martin Barre does some of the sweetest fills ever crafted.

Dave Matthews--any of his albums except "Stand Up", and particularly his duets with Tim Reynolds.

Ani di Franco--the female equivalent of Dave Matthews--I'm partial to "Evolve" but her early albums are pretty aggressive too.

Larry Coryell--maybe not to everyone's taste, but the ultimate in technical guitar playing, he did several albums where he recorded guitar transcriptions of some of the more difficult orchestral music of the 20th century. Imagine, if you will, one acoustic guitarist performing all of Igor Stravinski's "Rites of Spring"--and getting every note right!

And y'know, they weren't technical wizards, but early America was some really tasty acoustic guitar work. Thinking particularly of "Ventura Highway".

Hm, that's a start. Any flamenco recording would probably serve as well. And for some great folk playing, go to Youtube and search for "crosby nash" and watch what a young David Crosby could do at the height of his powers.

John Williams
Slash
Mick Thompson
Francis Goya.
Blind Guardian (band)
and many others. Try listening to music of Akira Yamaoka also. Download it

Richard Thompson (in particular, have him listen to the fingering on "Beeswing" and "1952 Vincent Black Lightning"), and anything by Chet Atkins and Django Reinhardt.

Prince and Jimmi Hendrix, but I've only heard them both with an electric guitar.

I guess, would Eric Clapton be considered a great acoustic player?

Paco de Lucia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYkz30RL_...

Al Di Meola

John Mclaughlin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOVWqhGXV...

Steve Morse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIu7UA-82...

In Rock and Roll
Jimmy Hendrix
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Eric Clapton
Duane Allman
Dicky Beitz
Roger MacGuinn on Electric 12 String

In Blues & Fingerstyle
Albert Collins
Rev Gary Davis
Stephan Grossman
Roy Book Binder

In Country Pickin
Jerry Reed
Chet Atkins
Merle Travis

In Jazz Guitar
Tommy Crook
Jim Hall
John McLaughlin
Emily Remler
Joe Pass
Barney Kessel
Django Reinhardt
Wes Montgomery
Charlie Burd
Tal Farlow
Lenny Breau

On Steel Guitar
Leon McAuliffe (Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys)
Dick Gordan Sr.

And many, many more in all catagories

Good luck

Good answers so far, and I saw the same show Bob T described and it was amazing to say the least. Other good ones would be:

Jeff Beck - electric
Michael Hedges - acoustic
Larry Coryell - both
Larry Carlton - electric
Clapton - electric and some acoustic

There's a million great players out there, help him to discover the ones that speak to him the most.

How about Craig Chaquico.

Jimi Hendrix.. DUHH!!

John McLaughlin is a pretty great and inspiring guitarist. He has solo recordings, as well as recordings with his groups, Shakti and the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Jimi Hendrix
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Dimebag Darrell
Herman Li
Bill Hudson
Micheal Romeo
Padge

This is quite a personal list but all these players are seriously good, they're not just people who are in bands I happen to like:

Acoustic players:

Robert Johnson
John Fahey
Eugene Chadbourne
Sir Richard Bishop
Ani DiFranco
Martin Simpson
Martin Carthy
Zan McLeod
Richard Thompson

Electric players:

Richard Thompson
Jim Hall
Sonny Sharrock
Fred Frith (also a great acoustic player)
Otis Rush (check out the Cobra recordings, great blues)
Albert King
Steve Tibbetts
Charlie Christian (if you only play him one jazz player, let it be C.C.)
Jimi Hendrix (the rock guitarist by whom all others are measured)
Frank Zappa
Robert Fripp