Eric is something you really have to look past technique to understand why he's so up there. He has such a command over the instrument, his feel is great. Chances are, if you're a diehard shredder, you don't necessarily get to see why putting emotion into a note can be so great. I reccomend putting on some Clapton, closing your eyes, and imagining where it takes you. Shred is great from a technical aspect, and I love Eddie and Vai, but if I do the same thing that I told you to do with Clapton, I end up in some scummy allyway, where a cat is roaming through a dumpster, and a mom living in an apartment is yelling at her son. Clapton, on the other hand, takes me to somewhere indescribable. That's how you know he's good.