DAVE MATTHEWS OR JOHN MAYER

[dagoba6@aol.com]

I have been a Huge Dave listener for about 4 years, and I just started listing to John Mayer about 4 months ago, and just started to learn some of his songs just recently. I just wanted to hear everyone's thoughts on who they thought was the better all around guitar player, Dave Matthews or John Mayer. I have a friend (Who is a WHAY, WHAY better musician then me) who thinks John Mayer is the better one I personally like Dave’s style and ability better. I am a lot bigger Dave Fan then John Mayer but John Mayer does have a lot of cool songs out there. Anyways some thought from everyone would be cool and remember Eat, Drink, and be Mary.

[dagoba6@aol.com]

Oh one more thing it would be kick ass if they toured together or played together sometime. Just my opinion though.
Peace

[gcom007]

I have been a Huge Dave listener for about 4 years, and I just started listing to John Mayer about 4 months ago, and just started to learn some of his songs just recently. I just wanted to hear everyone's thoughts on who they thought was the better all around guitar player, Dave Matthews or John Mayer. I have a friend (Who is a WHAY, WHAY better musician then me) who thinks John Mayer is the better one I personally like Dave’s style and ability better. I am a lot bigger Dave Fan then John Mayer but John Mayer does have a lot of cool songs out there. Anyways some thought from everyone would be cool and remember Eat, Drink, and be Mary.

you're asking for trouble with this one, but John Mayer owns Dave on the guitar, he can play circles around him, I like Dave a lot and probably more than John at this point, but John still has not just a slight upper hand, but a huge upper hand over Dave, but if you want someone who's not as good at guitar as John and in some ways not even Dave, check out Martin Sexton, he owns both live...as in, DMB w/ Tim Reynolds and Butch Taylor is not as good as Martin Sexton and his drummer

[gravedigger]

I don't think its fair to compare the two. They have different styles - yet it says a lot for both of them that we're actually comparing them. Both are great!

peace,
Ken

[gcom007]

I don't think its fair to compare the two. They have different styles - yet it says a lot for both of them that we're actually comparing them. Both are great!

peace,
Ken

but John is far, far greater, there's no competition, John has mad rythm and lead skills, it's plenty fair and realistic to say John is better and it by no means goes to say that Dave is bad

[coejus]

Here's my opinion:

Mayer can play guitar, he has a nice voice (but face it, his singing technique isn't very good (undersinging, anyone?)) He can write songs, but I just don't like his more "chick rock" stuff. I like a lot of his electric SRV/Jimi style stuff, and especially his acoustic Radiohead covers, but I don't really think his music is for me.

Dave, on the other hand, has a "lesser" voice, but incredible vocal technique. He can write songs (in my own humble opinion) much better than Mayer can (without the sanitized feel that Berklee seems to impart on it's students,) and is a better player than a lot of people give him credit for; he has an interesting voicing based on thirds. Plus, the songs he plays while singing are a testament to his ability--I have plenty of faith he could pull off "Neon" and sing at the same time.

What do I think of the two of them in direct, full-scope comparison? Apples to oranges. I do, however, think Mayer is consciously following the acoustic coffee-shop style that Dave seemed to popularize (although, interestingly enough, Dave himself isn't really of that style.)

[tyler]

I downloaded a short clip from what seems to be a radio show and it was John mocking Dave's singing/guitar style. I like John Mayer's music but i lost respect for him when i heard him dising my favorite artist.

[gravedigger]

I'm pretty sure John is a big Dave fan. Is that the clip where he says "this is not a song that Dave Matthews would write.." and he goes on to play some weird ass shit. ? I think he was just jokin' around. He said in interview that Dave Matthews and Stevie Ray Vaughn are two of major influences.

peace,
Ken

[tyler]

alright cool, because i like John Mayer and his music alot and i didn't want to feel like he was a prick if you know what i mean. I like them both but i would pick Dave over him anyday! hehe

[gcom007]

I downloaded a short clip from what seems to be a radio show and it was John mocking Dave's singing/guitar style. I like John Mayer's music but i lost respect for him when i heard him dising my favorite artist.

oh please, get off of it, he also did eric clapton too, yeah, I'm sure he's going to go out and mock him, no. Get real, he was just being a dork, both of those guys are heroe's to him. if you're that touchy you need to loosten up a lot!

[DmbFanJason]

in my opinion john songs are boring, and even more boring to play...kind of like daves new stuff...it really would not take that long to learn a john mayer song good, i learned one of his like in one day. I have never heard anyone play a dave song like dave....ever... it takes years and years of practice to do that... Dave will be around for a long long time...in 5 years people will be like john who?...don't get me wrong, john is a great guitar player(esp. his jimi hendrix cover), but as far as his music, just another david gray or howie day etc....and as far as rythm...pleeeez, nobody and i mean nobody has rythm like dave matthews, thats the main reason nbody can play like him, it's not really the fingering on the neck so much, but the strumming that makes it so hard and amazing....dave wins hands down with rythm, and as far as lead, nobody has ever heard him try to play lead...i'm sure if dave tried he could at least be just as good....Yes, I vote for Dave!

[lpittman]

Is John Mayor that guy that always wears button down shirts when he plays. He is too much of a softie. No disrespect, but he is just another david gray etc..... I think he and dave are friends/dont disrespect eachother. I got the idea that John Mayor had bought the guitar he uses in one of his videos, of Dave.. . And by the way. John has a great voice, but he doesnt use it well. I agree that is voice controll really sucks.. Even from the few clips i just heard, i could hear a few places where he was out of tune with the rest of the music,, especially when he tries to "jam" between the lyrics. But on the "Walk on the ocean" song, he really kicked ass.. Wonderful voice actually..

cheers

[gcom007]

just wait til the next album...

[cquick]

There is a very simple answer to this question John's a bad ass on the electric and dave rules all in the acoustic world. Their styles are way to different. Personally i think Mayer dug himself a whole by re-releasing inside wants out. That album is just unreal, it's just cool as hell. But since it flew under the radar on the first release everybody's gonna remember room for squares which sucks compared to inside wants out. I'm not dogging him or anything, i'm sure the producer and his label steered the recording of room for squares kinda like dmb's everyday album. But anyway if a guys talented enough to get into Juliard and then has the balls to drop out he's cool in my book. Original opinion staying:
(Mayer+Electric)(Dave+Acoustic)= a pretty fucking cool genre.

peace and no disrespect to Mayer,
cquick

[gcom007]

There is a very simple answer to this question John's a bad ass on the electric and dave rules all in the acoustic world. Their styles are way to different. Personally i think Mayer dug himself a whole by re-releasing inside wants out. That album is just unreal, it's just cool as hell. But since it flew under the radar on the first release everybody's gonna remember room for squares which sucks compared to inside wants out. I'm not dogging him or anything, i'm sure the producer and his label steered the recording of room for squares kinda like dmb's everyday album. But anyway if a guys talented enough to get into Juliard and then has the balls to drop out he's cool in my book. Original opinion staying:
(Mayer+Electric)(Dave+Acoustic)= a pretty fucking cool genre.

peace and no disrespect to Mayer,
cquick

again, I somewhat agree, but I still think Mayer has got it on the acoustic too, especially considering it's not his main instrument, just listen to some of the stuff he does, he's just the man on the axe, however, Dave's the man with the pen and the backing band minus boyd at this point