Rock star EDDIE VAN HALEN has topped a poll to find the greatest guitarist of all time.

The Van Halen legend landed at number one on Guitar World's list - ahead of Queen's Brian May, Rush's Alex Lifeson, Jimi Hendrix and Joe Satriani, who make up the top five.

Other greats who ranked high in the survey, voted for by the magazine's readers, include Slash, Jeff Beck, George Harrison, Les Paul and Jimmy Page.

The poll comes just weeks after Hendrix was named the Greatest Guitarist in a Rolling Stone magazine survey.

Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards and Jeff Beck made up that top five, with Van Halen coming in eighth.