Perhaps George the best and John the least?  

1. Paul
2. George
3. John
4. Ringo

Quoted from Brynjar

Perhaps George the best and John the least?  

Are we talking best guitarist or instrumentalist? If we're talking best instrumentalist then hands down Paul. He could play almost every instrument ever created. He played every instrument on McCartney, McCartney II and Chaos and Creation. That should say it all.

Paul

Paul in a curbstomp.

Quoted from Wordno

Are we talking best guitarist or instrumentalist? If we're talking best instrumentalist then hands down Paul. He could play almost every instrument ever created. He played every instrument on McCartney, McCartney II and Chaos and Creation. That should say it all.

Im not talking about who could play the most instruments. Then surely Paul, thats obvious. More like, was Ringo a better drummer than John was on guitar?

I didnt know how to put it, as my english isnt my mother-language.

You mean who mastered his instrument best?

I'd say:
1. Paul
1. George
3. John
3. Ringo

Poor Ringo.  

What comment did John say about his guitar skill? Somehting along the line: I may not be the world greatest guitarist but I sure can it make scream(?). - Or how was it exactly and when did he say it?

1 Paul
2 Ringo
3 George
4 John

Quoted from Wordno

[...]
and Chaos and Creation. [...]

There were instruments on C&C he didn't play - duduk, electric guitar, drums, classical guitar, bass drum, bongos, shaker, percussion, block, tambourine, and an orchestra and brass section.

Quoted from Brynjar

Poor Ringo.  

What comment did John say about his guitar skill? Somehting along the line: I may not be the world greatest guitarist but I sure can it make scream(?). - Or how was it exactly and when did he say it?

THE ROLLING STONE INTERVIEW - 1971

How do you rate yourself as a guitarist?

Well, it depends on what kind of guitarist. I'm okay; I'm not technically good, but I can make it fucking howl and move. I was rhythm guitarist. It's an important job. I can make a band drive.

How do you rate George?

He's pretty good [laughs]. I prefer myself. I have to be honest, you know. I'm really very embarrassed about my guitar playing, in one way, because it's very poor; I can never move, but I can make a guitar speak. I think there's a guy called Ritchie Valens, no, Richie Havens. Does he play very strange guitar? He's a black guy that was in a concert and sang ``Strawberry Fields'' or something. He plays, like, one chord all the time. He plays a pretty funky guitar. But he doesn't seem to be able to play in the real terms at all. I'm like that. Yoko has made me feel cocky about my guitar. You see, one part of me says, ``Yes, of course I can play,'' because I can make a rock move, you know? But the other part of me says, ``Well, I wish I could just do like B.B. King.'' If you would put me with B.B. King, I would feel real silly. I'm an artist, and if you give me a tuba, I'll bring you something out of it.


from here: http://www.johnlennon.it/rolling_stone_interview.htm

/\
Thanks for that, raxo.

Quoted from Brynjar

/\
Thanks for that, raxo.

At your command, Brynjar!  

I'd say George, Paul, Ringo, John...? then again, I don't really have a good ear for music. Like, I can't tell the difference between a good and bad, say, drummer.  

A tough one. Was Ringo a better drummer than George was a guitarist? I think they all knew how to play their instruments. John might have been the weakest link in this perspective. But he had other talents.

From Total Guitar issue from 1996 in the midst of Anthology-era.

Interview with Paul:

But hes a modest chap when you meet him.

Paul: Im one of the least technical people youre likely to meet. I went into a guitar shop in America a few years ago, and a guy said; What kind of bass strings do you use, Paul? I said, long shiny ones. I dont know about the model names of basses, he laughs. I dont know about amps, I dont know about the serial numbers. People say to me: Ive got a fantastic L35. I say oh...yeah? It could be a motorbike for all I know. Im just not like that, you know? With us it was always just Vox, Hofner... I never really got into the analytical end of it.

Quoted from Kaleidoscope_Eyes

I'd say George, Paul, Ringo, John...? then again, I don't really have a good ear for music. Like, I can't tell the difference between a good and bad, say, drummer.  

Me, either.   I have a drummer friend who is a staunch defender of Ringo-- er, that's as much as I can say about it! But I did then try to listen for the drums.

On the early recordings, where Pete was playing, I found myself working a lot harder to get the feel of what the "front line" (as they say) was up to. Pete's drumming was very loud-- good for a dance hall situation-- but I think it did overpower the song. Ringo came in and was much more supportive of what the song needed. I think it's natural that that should happen; Pete was trying to capture a live audience, and Ringo was recording for airplay. Those two different applications would require different skills.

But this is only my unskilled impression. Real drummers, tell me more!

Every drummer I've ever met - and there's been a few - rates Ringo very highly. Even the one's that aren't Beatles fans (if there could be such a thing!).

Seems to me that when bands that began as friends or amatuers move onto  recording  it's always the bass player and drummer who get "found out." They need to be so precise, and suddenly there's nowhere to hide. Guitarists and vocalists can be all over the place and they're being "original" or "innovative."
I remember in my band I was a bit of a Stu Sutcliffe - if songs were too fast for me on stage I just skipped every second note and no one seemed to realise. But that first time I was played back by an engineer ( a home studio, nothing grand) I was definately given "the look."

Quoted from Kevin

Guitarists and vocalists can be all over the place and they're being "original" or "innovative."

What you say about bass and drums may be true--I've never played those. But I think you might have an overly optimistic view about what a guitarist/vocalist can get away with. Just in the Beatles, George gets all sorts of flak for his guitar playing and vocal abilities. Or am I missing something in your post? Cheers.

Paul by far.....and that's not to discredit the other three.

Paul and George--it's pretty damn close.  Paul's great on bass, but his intonation on guitar can be a little sloppy (even on great solos like "Taxman" and "Drive My Car" not to mention lesser efforts like "Another Girl").  George's solo on "Something" is something else--I don't think Paul could have played that.  And Paul certainly couldn't have played the kind of slide George later became noted for (his pitch accuracy is what makes his slide sing so much).

To me, the guitar solos on "The End" show the relative strengths of the three guitarists--and George wins easily, hands down.

Of course, I'm not sure George could play the bass-line on "She's So Heavy."  

But then I'm not sure Paul could have come up with the intro to "Octopus's Garden."

Oh, well, I give up for now . . . .

  

Quoted from adamzero

Paul and George--it's pretty damn close.  Paul's great on bass, but his intonation on guitar can be a little sloppy (even on great solos like "Taxman" and "Drive My Car" not to mention lesser efforts like "Another Girl").  George's solo on "Something" is something else--I don't think Paul could have played that.  And Paul certainly couldn't have played the kind of slide George later became noted for (his pitch accuracy is what makes his slide sing so much).  

Yeah and i'm sure George was well versed in playing the drums, wood winds, brass, and every other known instrument. Sorry, but George was a one trick pony and its not even a bit close.

Quoted from tkitna

Yeah and i'm sure George was well versed in playing the drums, [...]

I don't know about the other instruments, including the Indian ones but (and this should be posted in George's forum) theses are excerpts from an interview with Jim Keltner -talking about George as a drummer (and he sounds sincere to me)- that I copied long ago and that I think you might like, tkitna (this is from me to you ):

MD: One of the questions I asked Ringo for Quick Beats was: Who was a better drummer, George or John? And Ringo said "George." Would you agree with that?

Jim: [laughs] Good question…. Well, I would have to say yes, because, first of all, John never played the drums in front of me. But George did, and he could play very well. He had such beautiful time. When George played drums he had all the basic language. He knew what to do with his feet and the hands. He cracked me up a few times at the drums. I have a beautiful picture of him behind my set at the house.

[...]

MD: Were all your drum tracks completely finished before he passed away?

Jim: Yes. I didn’t do any more after…. When he called me to come do the drums, it was before the stabbing, and I believe after his throat operation.
I never took gear to his place because years ago I had DW send him a real nice drumset with all the hardware and everything, and then Paiste sent a bunch of cymbals and stuff. So he pretty much had everything I—or anybody—would need. So when I would go to his studio at Friar Park later on, I would hardly ever take anything with me, maybe just a certain cymbal and a snare…little things.
Now, George had this tremendous living room, which was like three stories high, with a balcony overlooking it. My bedroom was on the third floor—"the loft," they used to call it. It was a beautiful place with a kitchen and den and everything. I used to come down in the morning and stand on this part of the balcony that extends out over the room a little bit. A few times over the years I’d snap my fingers to hear the sound, and I’d say to George, "It would be great to have the drums here," and he’d just laugh, because he had a major studio built in another part of the house; why would he want to put drums there? But when I arrived for this recording, I walked in and the drums were set up right in that space. I was so knocked out. He did that for me.
I guess he asked the engineer John Etchells whether the sound would be controllable. So he went out and tested a few things and said, "It would be great." I remember they had a whole bunch of 87’s [mic’s] out over the room to get the room sound. And I ended up using George’s drumset. I didn’t even use any of my snares.

MD: How about cymbals?

JK: I might have used one of my cymbals. The hi-hats were a pair of Arbiters that said "602" on them. So they were early Paistes before they put their company name on their cymbals. They were given to Ringo, and he gave them to George. Ringo always played a beautiful Paiste 602 crash-ride, and his hi-hats are 14" Zildjians that are so old you can barely see any logo. He preferred those, so he left the Arbiter Paiste hats with George. George had them in his studio for years. I used those hi-hats on everything I ever played with George—Cloud Nine…everything.

MD: The Traveling Wilburys albums too?

Jim: No, both Wilburys recordings were done in California, so it was all my gear.
Anyway, on the last day of the sessions for Brainwashed, as I was packing up, I was putting the cymbals back in the box like I’d done for so many years, and I said, "George I’m going to take these hi-hats with me." He said, "Why are you taking me hats?" And I said, "I’ve been coming here for years, and nobody else ever uses them but me. Year after year, I come here to record, I go to the box they’re in, and there they are in the same position I put them in the last time. [laughs] Other people who have recorded here, Ray Cooper or Jim Capaldi, they come by and play, and they never use them. They use the new batch that I had sent, or something else. So it’s a shame to just leave them here un-played. They’re still yours, though, so I’ll bring them back." And he said, "Okay." But I never got a chance to give them back to him. So I’ll probably give them back to Dhani.

MD: How was this recording arrangement set up?

Jim: We’d sit out on the ledge talking until we got around to recording. Then George would sit in the control room with John the engineer and they’d talk to me over the phones while I was out in the big room. They couldn’t see me and I couldn’t see them. Once we started it was just one song right after the other.

MD: Would he direct you to play a certain way?

Jim: Oh yeah, George had a lot of set ideas, so he would tell me pretty much what he would want. Basically he would tell me what he didn’t want. He didn’t want fancy fills and he didn’t want too much quirkiness. It was hard to do that sometimes, because he would always talk to me about Ry Cooder and how he loved Ry’s records, which I played on. And he loved the quirky side of my playing, which he always got a kick out of. But when it came down to playing on his songs, it wouldn’t work for him, so he would always have me kind of straighten out things and play more conventional and basic. Of course I never had any problem with that, because that’s the job. I always want to play something appropriate for the song. I don’t need to play something that tickles me. That’s not what music is about--unless you’re doing a clinic or a drum record.

MD: Would George ever say to you, "Play this one with a Ringo feel"?

Jim: No, he never, ever did that. But I would always do that. Every time I played with George I would think of Ringo. George and John would’ve had Ringo play on a lot more of their stuff if it hadn’t been for the fact that those were supposed to be their "solo" efforts. It wasn’t meant to be "having the mates," you know what I mean.

MD: I can hear the Ringo influence on "Rising Sun." If anyone can get it to feel like Ringo, it’s you.

Jim: Well, thank you, but I don’t know if anybody can really do Ringo. It’s like nobody can ever do Charlie. You just can’t do it. It’s impossible.

MD: Did you hear the songs beforehand? Would George give you demos?

Jim: He didn’t send me any demos, but he would have ideas on tape. He would call me and ask, "What are you doing in February? Can you come over?" I’d say, "What have you got?" and he’d say, "I’ve got some new ones and some of the ones you’ve heard over the years." It was always such a thrill when I’d first hear them. Sometimes he would say, "Um…I don’t know about this one," but I’d be like, "God, I love that one, George. Let me put drums on it," and he’d say "okay." So we’d put drums on it, but then I’d never be sure whether he was going to use it.

[...]


MD: How was George’s tribute concert?

Jim: It was a very emotional night. People told me it was both powerful and intimate. Eric [Clapton] put together the band based upon people who were close to George and who had a history with him over the years. [Besides Keltner and Clapton, the players included Dhani Harrison, Anoushka Shankar [Ravi’s daughter], Tom Scott, Jim Horn, Billy Preston, Jeff Lynne, Joe Brown, Chris Stainton, Albert Lee, Marc Mann, Jools Holland, Klaus Voorman, Gary Brooker, Jim Capaldi, Tom Petty (with Steve Ferrone), Sir Paul McCartney, bass player Dave Bronze, percussionist Ray Cooper, and drummer’s Henry Spinetti, and Ringo Starr.]

MD: How was it playing with Ringo again?

Jim: Oh Man! Playing with Ringo is something everyone should have a chance to do. He’s so honest. He just grooves, and when it’s time for a fill, he fully commits. I would look over at Henry, and we’d be amazed at what he does to the beat--the way he pulls it back. There’s just nobody like Ringo.

Has to be Paul, if for his bass work alone. He was the master of his instrument.

Totally agree Kevin!!
McCartney was & still is an incredible bass player!
I've always thought he was the best Instrumentalist out of the four.
He can play bass, drums, guitar, piano, recorder, flugelhorn (on his last album)
& even the trumpet!
McCartney 1 & chaos & creation shows shows proof of all this!

I'll grant that Paul can play more instruments.  But if you look at it from a producer's point of view, George Harrison has a one-of-kind sound that is instantly recognizable.  From the Beatles days (particularly the latter period--through his solo career--to the Wilbury's).  I'm not sure you can say the same about Paul.  

"Hey that's a Paul McCartney bass-line, or a Paul McCartney piano solo, or a Paul McCartney flugelhorn!"

Jeff Lynne said George was his favorite guitarist--that's pretty high praise--coming from performer/producer who's worked with some titans.  

This is not to take away from Paul's versatility--but that ain't always the same thing as virtuosity.  I like the Henry McCullough comment saying that Paul's solo for "My Love" was crap and having to stand up to Paul and George Martin to play his classic solo (which Paul apparently didn't have the chops to play).  

http://www.dmbeatles.com/forums/m-1156929152/s-0/highlight-henry+mccullough/#num0  Thanks, Bobber.

Thanks for the article Raxo. I've read it before, but its been awhile. Jim is and will always be one of my top 5 drummers.

As for Paul not having the chops to play the solo in 'My Love',,,,,bullshit! Theres no chops to it. Henry wanted to play it because he can play with soul and feeling. Not everybody can do that. I'm not a big fan of Pauls lead guitar work by the way. It always sounded like he struggled. It didnt flow, but it was passable. I do like him as a drummer though. He's more than competent there. And again, his bass playing is outstanding. He had the chops and the feel when it came to the bass.

Obviously Paul.

Quoted from sewi

Obviously Paul.

Why is that?

I would put Paul at instrumentalist and George at guitarist, but despite all the mess that John gets for his guitar playing, he can still do some nice stuff, like in the performances of the Rooftop Concert, John can play a bit when he wants too...

Paul

The Beatle that mastered his own instrument the best was definately George. But the best overall musician is Paul. Great bass player, great guitarist, good pianist and a not too bad on drums either.

Quoted from Joost

The Beatle that mastered his own instrument the best was definately George. But the best overall musician is Paul. Great bass player, great guitarist, good pianist and a not too bad on drums either.

I disagree. I think Paul was a better bass player than George was a guitar player.

Quoted from tkitna

I disagree. I think Paul was a better bass player than George was a guitar player.

No way... George's solos are definately harder to play than Paul's basslines. I know cause I tried...

Quoted from Joost

No way... George's solos are definately harder to play than Paul's basslines. I know cause I tried...

Maybe you're a better bassplayer than a guitarist.