Speed is sometimes what distinguishes a master guitarist from a good one. That's just a fact. Think of it this way, Al Di Meola versus Carlos Santana. Both of them play latin-influenced, jazzy lines with plenty of taste to spare. Yet, one has the option of blazing away at tempos around 200+bpm while the other cannot.

If you think of speed as simply another tool to help paint the artistic canvas with, it becomes clear why a master guitarist would be seperate from a 'normal' guitarist based upon it. The more rounded you are, the better a musician you are.

The only reason I posted this is that through my study of the guitar in-depth at Berklee, I have gained a real appreciation for guitar virtuosity. Getting to and passing 180+ BPM is a huge deal and is extremely hard. I am convinced no one can get to and/or past that point without monster amounts of pure, painful, practice. Forget the crap that Yngwie and EVH say about 'never practicing.' They did. And they did it a lot.