Jimi Hendrix has been proclaimed the “Greatest Guitarist of All Time” by a panel of musicians wrangled by Rolling Stone Magazine.

Though dead for more than 40 years, Hendrix’s fiery and distinct style clearly continues to inspire, and intimidate, six-string pluckers the world over.

“His playing was effortless,” wrote Rage Against The Machine axe man and poll voter, Tom Morello, in an appreciation of Hendrix’s technique that will be printed in an issue of the magazine out Friday. “There’s not one minute of his recorded career that feels like he’s working hard at it — it feels like it’s all flowing through him.”

The experts also weighed in on their favourites, with Pearl Jam's Mike McCready calling Eddie Van Halen "a master of riffs" and Joe Perry praising Jimmy Page's "vision of how to transcend the stereotypes of what the guitar can do."

The full list will be featured in a special issue with four special covers of Van Halen, Clapton, Hendrix and Page, and will be on newsstands and online at www.rollingstone.com on Friday. Rolling Stone's top 10 greatest guitarists follow:

1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Eric Clapton
3. Jimmy Page
4. Keith Richards
5. Jeff Beck
6. B.B. King
7. Chuck Berry
8. Eddie Van Halen
9. Duane Allman
10. Pete Townshend


11 – George Harrison
12 – Kurt Cobain – Nirvana
13 – Jerry Garcia
14 – Jeff Beck
15 – Carlos Santana
16 – Johnny Ramone (Ramones)
17 – Jack White (White Stripes)
18 – John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
19 – Richard Thompson
20 – James Burton
21 – Kirk Hammett – Metallica
22 – Mike Bloomfield (Bob Dylan’s guitarist apparently)
23 – Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers)
24 – The Edge (U2)
25 – Freddy King
26 – Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave)
27 – Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits)
28 – Steven Stills
29 – Ron Asheton (from Iggy & The Stooges)
30 – Buddy Guy
31 – Dick Dale
32 – John Cipollina
33 – Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth)
34 – Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth)
35 – John Fahey
36 – Steve Cropper (Booker T & The MG’s)
37 – Bo Diddley
38 – Peter Green
39 – Brian May (Queen)
40 – John Fogerty (CCR)
41 – Clarence Whyte (The Byrds)
42 – Robert Fripp
43 – Eddie Hazel
44 – Scotty Moore (Elvis’s guitarist)
45 – Frank Zappa
46 – Les Paul
47 – T-Bone Walker
48 – Joe Perry - Aerosmith
49 – John McGlaughlin (Miles Davis guitarist)
50 – Pete Townsend (The Who)
51 – Paul Kossoff – Free
52 – Lou Reed
53 – Mickey Baker
54 – Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane)
55 – Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple)
56 – Tom Verlaine
57 – Roy Buchanan
58 – Dickey Betts (Allman Borthers)
59 – Ed O’Brien (Radiohead)
60 – Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead)
61 – Ike Turner
62 - Zoot Horn Rollo
63 – Danny Gatton
64 – Mick Ronson
65 – Hubert Sumlin
66 – Vernon Reid
67 – Link Wray
68 – Jerry Miller
69 – Steve Howe
70 – Eddie Van Halen
71 - Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins
72 – Joni Mitchell
73 - Trey Anastasio
74 – Johnny Winter
75 – Adam Jones (Tool)
76 - Ali Farka Toure
77 – Henry Vestine
78 – Robbie Robertson
79 – Cliff Gallup
80 – Robert Quine
81 – Derek Trucks
82 – David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
83 – Neil Young
84 – Eddie Cochran
85 – Randy Rhoads
86 – Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)
87 – Joan Jett
88 – Dave Davies
89 – D. Boon
90 – Glen Buxton
91 – Robby Krieger
92 – Wayne Kramer
93 – Fred “Sonic” Smith
94 – Bert Jansch
95 – Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine)
96 – Angus Young (ACDC)
97 – Robert Randolph
98 – Lee Stephens
99 – Greg Ginn
100 – Lindsay Buckingham (Fleetwood Mac)