Guitar legends Jimmy Page and David Gilmour have long been celebrated for their iconic riffs and signature tones. But what many might not know is that both icons agree on one name when asked who they consider the “most incredible” guitarist — Jeff Beck. According to a feature in Farout Magazine, Beck’s artistry, especially on his solo records like Blow By Blow, earned him rare praise from both Page and Gilmour.
For Gilmour, Beck represents consistent excellence. He once said,
“I have lots of favourite guitar players. I think the person I have admired the longest and most consistently is Jeff Beck in the guitar playing space.”
Page, meanwhile, not only shared stages and roots with Beck (they rubbed shoulders in The Yardbirds, among other contexts), but also admired how Beck never settled. Page noted that whenever he listened to Beck evolve — from Truth through Blow By Blow and beyond — it was impossible not to keep watching in awe. “You listen to Jeff along the way and go, ‘Wow, he’s getting really good.’ He keeps getting better … leaves us mere mortals still wondering.”
What makes this especially meaningful is how different Page’s and Gilmour’s playing styles are. Page, with his layers of distortion, improvisation, folk influences; Gilmour, with his emotive bends, spacious solos, haunting tone. Yet both found in Beck something that spoke to their core: innovation, mastery, and a restless spirit.
Beck’s work, especially on Blow By Blow, is pointed out as the kind of record that doesn’t just show off skill, but shows growth, daring, texture, precision — the kind of guitar playing that moves hearts rather than just impresses fingers. For Page and Gilmour, Beck wasn’t just among the greats — he made them, and everyone listening, believe in possibilities beyond what they’d imagined.
