Succsses in music is more luck then abilites... and ofcorse you can be better player than anyone but... the ability to play every van hallen / malmsteen / page or whatever lick doesnt make you good... the difference between good guiatist and bad one to me is the ability or the lack of the ability to write something original.... for example: i heard from my father that when he was young people were saying about someone that he is better than page cause he plays stairway better... this is a s*** because page wrote this solo , and song and the guy from my dad's place didnt ...
i mean maybe the guy on the tv is the worst guitarist you've ever seen... but he wrote this song and he succssed to sell it and you didnt... so the ability to play every song you know doesnt take you anywhere