Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has named his "Last Supper" of guitar players – keeping a place for Rainbow and Deep Purple icon Ritchie Blackmore for "being metal as f*** back when there were no metal guitar players."
Mustaine was asked to name his favourite guitar players in a new interview with YSOLIFE and he offered up a list of legendary musicians for his dream "Last Supper" scenario. Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, AC/DC and UFO's guitar heroes would join Blackmore at the table curated by the thrash metal star.
Mustaine says: "I would have to say probably one of my favourite guitar players has a lot to do with the era that they came in. And I would say for guitar layering and sounds, it would be Jimmy Page.
"For excellent note selection, it would be David Gilmour. For being metal as f*** back when there were no metal guitar players, Ritchie Blackmore. I am not a fan of the keyboard, so I could have had them be a little bit lighter shade of purple and gotten rid of the keyboard player. But, yeah, he was great.
"And then, of course AC/DC and Angus and UFO with Michael Schenker. That's my 'Last Supper' kind of thing I'd want, to have those guys with me."
Mustaine adds that few modern day guitarists would make his list because, in his words, it's easier to learn to shred now than it was in his day.
He says: "There are so many guitar players now that are really good, especially because of the software that they can learn how to play with.
"When we started off, we didn't have all these apps. We had to learn by lifting up the stylus on the record and scooting it back a couple grooves and dropping it and hoping it went in the same f***ing spot so we could pick up our guitar and our pick at the right time and play along with the song again, until they started developing cassette decks where you could slow stuff down or back it up real easy.
"But that was the way we learned stuff."
Megadeth's self-titled and final album is out now and the band have a number of farewell tour dates lined up before wrapping up their decades-long career.
