I saw Kenny Wayne Sherpherd play on a double bill with Chris Duarte several years ago at the Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, and Duarte completely blew him away. Technically, Duarte is a much better player..The only thing I don't like about him is you sometimes have to put up with his Jesus preachings between songs..I said SRV has nothing on Kenny - and its true. Shepherd can play everything SRV can. Get Shepherd's 10 Days Out - Blues from the Backroad CD and report back.
hendrix discovered Chicago, saw them in a club one nite and invited them to go on the road with him as an opening actHendrix told Terry Kath, "You're better than me!"
Kath was in the band, Chicago (the same band that went on to make a shit-load of ballads in the early 80's).
http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Forgotten_Heroes_Terry_Kath
There are also a lot of rock guitarists who have extensive jazz backgrounds. Danny Gatton comes to mind as one. Between his rock albums he put out one of the best jazz albums I've ever heard when he recorded New York Stories with Roy Hargrove and Joshua Redman. Robben Ford and Scott Henderson are others who are equally as good at jazz with their side bands Tribal Tech and Jing Chi. There are many good rock players that are technically as good or better than most of the jazz/classical players out there. There aren't any musical boundaries when it comes to guitar. And just because you play a certain genre it doesn't automatically make you a better guitar player.As if rock is the only musical genre. There are tons of jazz and classical guitarists that would blow away half the guys named in this thread.