Steve Vai vs. EVH

[thenextavh]

My cousin the other day claimed that Steve Vai is BETTER than EVH. Will someone please tell him he is full of it. Eddie is and always will be the greatest guitarist alive.

[Nickdfresh]

We just had a thread on this, why don't you utilize the search function and tell him yourself!

[guwapo_rocker]

We don't kbow your cousin.

[thenextavh]

I know that, but I will print this out and show it to him.

[Nickdfresh]

Originally posted by thenextavh
I know that, but I will print this out and show it to him.

Here you go you no good lazy bastard!

http://www.rotharmy.com/forums/showt...threadid=22640

[thenextavh]

THANKS.

[BrownSound1]

Apples and oranges. Depends on what exactly you're comparing between the two.

Speed? Vai has the edge.
Songwriting? EVH
Tone? 1978-1984 EVH wins without a second thought.
Soloing? This is a bit tougher to gauge...again two different players. Ed always seemed to be flying by the seat of his pants, and Vai seems more calculated. I guess it just depends on what you like.
Originality? I have to give this to EVH, after all without him you wouldn't have Steve Vai.

In all honesty, I would say EVH has done more for guitar playing than anyone since Jimi Hendrix. Sure there have been some incredible players, but none of them have contributed as much as he did. I would think a history writer would just mention them as footnotes in the bigger picture.

[guwapo_rocker]

Originally posted by BrownSound1

In all honesty, I would say EVH has done more for guitar playing than anyone since Jimi Hendrix.

Bingo!!

[Dave's Bitch]

how many of these threads have there been?

[Nickdfresh]

Actually, I've heard EDDIE was even capable of playing faster than VAI (I think Templeman makes that claim), when he wasn't piss drunk.

[David Van Via]

Originally posted by Nickdfresh
Actually, I've heard EDDIE was even capable of playing faster than VAI (I think Templeman makes that claim), when he wasn't piss drunk.

Apparantly Eddie could play even faster then he did but it sounded sloppy and rushed.

[Polk High]

i liked eddie better, but vai sure coudl play

[DLR7884]

House of Music.

DLR7884
I won't close this one.

[Redballjets88]

ok here is the jest f it everytime this comes up.....eds style is better his sound is rougher and edgier but he isnt as good of a cmposer or as technically talented ...vai can still lay down get things...ed is too drunk.....ed from 78-84 is a legend vai has always just been there as a extremely respected artist....i prefer vai.....apples and oranges

[Steve Savicki]

Originally posted by BrownSound1
Originality? I have to give this to EVH, after all without him you wouldn't have Steve Vai.

I thought it was without Joe Satriani, you'd have no Steve Vai. Now compare Satch to VH.

[Golden AWe]

[Redballjets88]

vai was playing before Van Halen 1 came out he was with Zappa

[BrownSound1]

Actually Vai didn't join Frank's band until 1980...which is two years after Van Halen's first album was released.

[Redballjets88]

maybe so....but its not like cai woke up one morning heard evh play and then decided to pick up a guitar

[BrownSound1]

I didn't say that, but I'll guarantee you he woke up one morning heard EVH play, and said..."I'm going to borrow some of this shit!!" In fact he borrowed a LOT of it. Hell why not...everyone else back then did. My point is Vai was heavily influenced by EVH at some point in his development. Vai is a great player, and a nice guy...we've done a couple of interviews with him here at the Army. However, the style of playing he does is a direct result of Edward's influence on the instrument.

Think about it like this...before EVH burst on the scene the heavy hitters of guitar playing were Clapton, Beck, Page, Hendrix, Nugent, etc. Most people learning to play were playing like one of those guys, and following the "book of licks" that had been established by them. Then all of a sudden BOOM...a smiling kid comes out and completely rewrites how rock guitar is supposed to be played. Well now you've got players, some of them having played for years, scrambling to figure out what this guy is doing. Next thing you know, everybody is doing the EVH thing, and Vai was no different.

So the question is, did Vai influence guitar playing? Of course he did, but he didn't rewrite the book like EVH did. Steve is a continuation of that style, plain and simple.

[rucalobe]

You and your cousin can kiss my candy ass ;-D

[BALLYJUNKIE]

i cant name 1 song steve vai wrote, besides when he play with dave can you ... and if you can .is it a classic song like aint talkin bout love .... unchained or panama .......

[Soul Reaper]

How many times must this thread be posted?!

[Terry]

Bah. Vai may make longtime readers of Guitar World cream their shorts, but when it's all said and done he's gonna have a limited appeal.

Ed reinvented the wheel. Vai was just one of many fine players who followed in EVH's wake. Agree all these 'This player vs. That player' threads come down to personal taste.