Boy, this post kind of slipped under the proverbial radar ... Guess everyone's too worried about sitcoms at the moment.
It's hard, though, to think of many up & coming guitarists (in rock, at least) as the "best." Perhaps it's because most rock, nowadays, values impact above virtuosity, and ensemble playing over instrumental showboating. This isn't bad, necessarily, and it doesn't disqualify a guitar player from being considered a good player. It's just hard, though, to think of such a guitar player in the same light as a virtuoso like Jimi.
FWIW, I've seen Derek Trucks perform three times, and have been very impressed by Mr. Trucks' playing. He's the son of Allman Brothers Band drummer Butch Trucks. Nowadays, young Derek (all of 26 years old) tours with the Allman Brothers, when he's not leading his own group.
