Welcome Faav, very good first post, keep them coming!!

But I guess that VAI is even a better businessman and advertiser than he is a guitarist...
Why? Well, because he actually makes people believe he's better than Satch. He is considered as the hired gun (whitesnake), the new Van Halen (with the DLR band)the devil's guitarist (movie crossroads), the stunt guitarist (Zappa), the italian virtuoso (Zappa too), the experimental guitarist (Flex-able) and the list could go on...
While Satch only is 'the teacher'... But he has also been the hired gun (deep purple, Alice Cooper) the Alien (Surfin' and not of this Earth) the new Van Halen (Midnight)... Except he must have less panache and excentricity than VAI... And that it's not on every mag's cover...

I think 'great guitarists' are made by the media. I've seen a couple of threads about John PETRUCCI, and the buzz is coming just like it was when VAI became famous (John can play Eruption while playing the yoyo, just like VAI could play the black page at twice the speed... Have you seen the video or the mp3 of any of the 2??). John listens to a guy you might have never heard of, Ron THAL, and he says that his music impresses him!! I know that Ron will never have as much coverage as John, and that saddens me, because Ron is actually changing the way the guitar is played.
John PETRUCCI is a great technician, songwriter, and everything, but just like VAI is... Satch and Ron THAL are innovators, but they'll never get the credit they deserve...