Steve Vai

[FONT=Georgia]I happened to notice that there wasn't a single thread started over the world's greatest guitarist(in my opinion) so I had to start one!!! Steve Vai is not only a great guitarist but he is also very intelligent!! He didn't get into the drugs like Justin hawkins and jimi hendrix and kurt cobain and all these other great guitarist that are now gone, he just stuck to the one thing he new loved the most, music!! and for that he, along with the like of clapton and wylde and a few others, has earned my respect!!![/FONT]

Vai is a pretty spiritual guy, wouldn't suprise me at all if he smoked weed from time to time. One could go on and on about how great and acomplished he is, but i'm not up for disscussing it. :D :p

Yeah.... he does like a smoke now and again.... Clapton as well would pretty much do anything back in the day - it's no coincidence he's got a rehab clinic in Antigua! Zakk Wylde must be about 90% ABV for 90% of the time... Most people have some sort of a poison....

Vai is a great player - and an inspiration of mine, but I find it difficult to take his 'guitar religion' thing seriously...

"shut up and play yer guitar".... sums it up nicely :D

It's hard to think that anyone can create music the way that Vai does without a little creative assistance (weed)....... Vai is our generations Beethoven or Paganini......

I agree that Vai is the most talented guitar player to ever live. He excels in every style there is, from shred to blues to slide, he can do it all.....not many players can cover the bases like he can.

Plus, he's one of the few shred players that also has feel in his music.

:o Sorry if I ruffle some feathers by saying this, but I think Vai is very much overrated. He's always struck me as little more than a Zappa imitation without half the originality and creativity; and while he's technically impressive, he doesn't seem to be comfortable with any musical styles beyond high-gain instrumental rock.
Again, sorry if I've offended any Vai fans.

Yeah, I can agree... but my perspective on Vai basically completely neglects the fact that he is a great guitarist... I put him more in the category of "composer" than I do recording artist... or guitar player...

When Nicolo Paganini first composed his 24 caprices they were strictly meant to be a compilation of his technical skills... not masterpieces of classical music.... Many people thought his work wasn't as "beautiful" as stuff of that time period... but in reality they're some of hte greatest pieces of solo music ever written... Not based on their acceptance at the time period that Paganini composed them..... He was more of a freak show than a well known musician at the time... I think the same of Vai.... In 50 years when people are recreating music like his peopel will view them as the 24 caprices of our time period....