Top ten Guitarists According to me

The ranking below is done by technical criteria only, speed and by how much of the fast sequences are actual melody and how much sterile (repetitive, decorative) intervals. Here are included only commercially successfully players i have casually encountered on the radio and you tube. Don't care how famous they are. (It was once said Eric Clapton was God but that was in the 60s).

It is physically a very strenuous activity, grimaces are seen because of the great force one need to push on strings with one finger (up to one pound) to produce one note only, try and multiply that by 20 times a second, head movements are needed for cooling during relaxation periods, and some of them integrated those as part of the act.

Some play just strict notes, like Buckethead, some are romantic, like Eric Clapton, rest are in between.

Warning. Some of these players play so fast at times no individual notes can be distinguished.

1 Gary Moore

2 Eddie Van Halen

3 Buckethead - Brian Patrick Carroll

4 Joe Satriani

5 Steve Vai

6 Orianthi Penny Panagaris

7 Joe Bonamassa

8 Eric Clapton

9 Ulco Bed

10 David Gilmour

(2.4 N is about 0.24 kgf force which is about half pound force. 13 ounces is in the same range. But it also depends on the tuning and weight of strings.

If you go with heavier (thicker) strings, which is using the next weight of strings, like i suspect David Gilmour does, for increased "presence" (he trades speed for that "Pink Floyd signature" out of this world quality of sound), that force doubles so you really have to be in good physical shape (look at his arms amd fingers). But i think you can always get lighter (strings), giving possibilities to those with less arms and finger muscles).

...

Thank them all for making this world a little brighter...