I went through a stage where I wanted to play exactly like Satch. I mean, it sounds so perfect to my ears, what else is there to want to play like? However, I find much more satisfaction in creation of my own music and my own style. Everybody looks for something different in music. Some wanna play to get chicks and be famous. Some don't have fame in mind, they just love the feeling music gives them. Some just go with it and whatever happens, happens. Point is, as its been said, you're never going to be able to do better than Yngwie. Personally I think the guy is a douche bag, but his technical ability is pretty jaw dropping. Take all your favorite artists. Use them as influences. Then try to fuse these together to make your own style.

Another thing that turned me away from wanting to be a shredder is this. I go on myspace and I get friend requests from all sorts of different artists. These guys can shred. Thing is, they don't really sound much different than Satch or Vai, and they lack their technical ability and ability to capture certain emotions with their music. My thought is, shredding isn't gonna get you anywhere in the fame category, unless you're really really good at it and you've added an element to it that these guys haven't. You probably won't if you're trying to mimic one certain guy.

So learn from Yngwie. Learn his licks. Study his style. But develop your own. I can promise you, theres a much bigger satisfaction and feeling when you can pour something out of your guitar that is great to your ears.

I'm rambling, so I'll shut up now.