Ed & Steve Vai

[Terry]

Steve just had the misfortune of timing to attain his notoriety after EVH, and to get put on the map by playing in Dave's band, so the EVH comparisons in that respect are inevitable. There are some stylistic similarities in terms of the hard rock stuff.

Think Steve has a diversity in what he does that's a little more extensive than Ed's. Probably has more technical ability, too.

Steve has a very plastic-sounding tone, and a rather mechanical method of execution. Very precise. Don't get me wrong; the guy could play rings around me, but as good as he is, it's not really all that impressive to me anymore. Besides, playing an instrument was never a form of competition to me. Trying to improve for one's own sake is one thing, but never saw the point in trying to be Mr. Joe Bitchin' Guitar Hero. Vai definitely has a lotta 'wheedly-wheedly-wee' isms that, while great in the 1980s, are definitely passe. That's just me, though.

Pretty safe to say EVH's influence was much more wide-ranging, which includes Vai. Plus, for all his guitar histrionics, Ed wrote some smokin' TUNES. From what I've seen, it's the quailty of the songs a band writes that determine longevity. Steve, for all his amazing soloing content, is a little lacking in that department.

Ed had the perfect balance of musicianship and tunesmanship. Steve has too much of one and not enough of the other.

[DR CHIP]

I agree that Ed's tone is WAY better...

I also agree that Bird and Magic should be in the same sentence....

I also agree that Ed has more memorable songs, but not without Dave!!!

Vai has the same situation...no great songs without Dave...

I think Dave gets too little credit for the ability to make guitar players end up with great songs....

Ed without Dave writes shit like "How Many Say I"...

Vai without Dave writes Whitesnake shit...

BUT I still think Stevie boy is a better all around player...

[POJO_Risin]

You got your second Hendrix...

Here's the thing...

Eddie came up with Van Halen...Roth...

Vai came up with Frank Zappa...

So Ed's influence obviously came off to MORE people...and a different crowd. Vai's stuff was heard by a cult audience...and certainly not a fucking Guitar playing crowd per se...

So Ed gets the jump on his influence...

Now...Vai's next big gig is with Roth...hmmm...who is he going to be compared to...

He leaves for a gig with Whitesnake...and was fucking HUGE with them...if you've never seen Vai's performances with whitesnake...it was incredible...but...unfortunately...Whitesnake was dying...and Vai wanted to be solo anyways...the songs weren't great...but he played his ass off...and fucking stole both Snake shows I saw with him...

So Ed had the benefit of VH...had the benefit of Roth...who wanted Ed's guitars to be the best fucking things on the planet...period...

Vai always had to play second fiddle...Zappa...a snakebitten Roth...David Coverdale (and correct me if I'm wrong here...but Vai was taking over for Adrian Vandenberg because Vandenberg was hurt?...I could be wrong...)...

Vai goes solo...and has to put up with the Satriani/Eric Johnson connection...

so perceptually...Vai's been a shadowed player...even playing second fiddle to fucking Ralph fucking Macchio...

as for the technicality of their playing...there aren't many of us who listen to either one because the are 'TECHNICALLY' FUCKING BETTER...

I play to...and if I listened to rock and roll because of how fucking technical it sounded...I'd be listening to...well...something else...

Eddie has great feel for playing...and we know it because we can hear it...and because he fucking SAYS it all the fucking time.

Vai...for anyone out there who's saying the fucking guy doesn't have fucking FEEL or fucking tone...

are fucking idiots...

Vai DOESN'T want to sound like Ed...never did...always has great things to say about him...has jammed with him...but enjoys going a different route than Edward. So What...

I've heard Vai sound identical to Ed...I've not heard Ed sound identical to Vai...but he could...

both can just pick up a fucking guitar and bring anything you want....that's a fact...

Ed wins on the 'OTHER' stuff...the influence...the notoriety...

but when it's all said and done...there aren't many players that can keep up with either...

and trust me...if you are saying that Vai doesn't bring innovation when he plays...haven't ever seen him play...he does things with the guitar that only he does...

remember...nothing Eddie did was any different than what other people were doing...he just did it ten times better...Ed even admits that his innovations were just rips off his old heroes...he just did it louder...and more of it...

Vai...man...I loved watching the fucker take the guitar off his shoulder, lay it on the floor, and play the fret like a piano...it wasn't that I hadn't seen it before...just not as good...

Ed's natural sound...the Brown Sound...is a rich sound...that he found after fucking with his shit so much...that he's had a hard time finding it again...and if you really listen...you can tell when it went away...and how it occasionally will be there...

Vai has a thinner...erotic sound...but can have an equally full sound...if you listen to some of his solo work.

Okay...I don't want to start running technical...so I'll just let it go at that...

I have a good Vai/Ed story...I'll post it later...

[Mr. G]

The above post I think covers it perfectly. Now bring on the story.

[krcampbell]

Originally posted by Terry
Steve just had the misfortune of timing to attain his notoriety after EVH, and to get put on the map by playing in Dave's band, so the EVH comparisons in that respect are inevitable. There are some stylistic similarities in terms of the hard rock stuff.

Think Steve has a diversity in what he does that's a little more extensive than Ed's. Probably has more technical ability, too.

Steve has a very plastic-sounding tone, and a rather mechanical method of execution. Very precise. Don't get me wrong; the guy could play rings around me, but as good as he is, it's not really all that impressive to me anymore. Besides, playing an instrument was never a form of competition to me. Trying to improve for one's own sake is one thing, but never saw the point in trying to be Mr. Joe Bitchin' Guitar Hero. Vai definitely has a lotta 'wheedly-wheedly-wee' isms that, while great in the 1980s, are definitely passe. That's just me, though.

Pretty safe to say EVH's influence was much more wide-ranging, which includes Vai. Plus, for all his guitar histrionics, Ed wrote some smokin' TUNES. From what I've seen, it's the quailty of the songs a band writes that determine longevity. Steve, for all his amazing soloing content, is a little lacking in that department.

Ed had the perfect balance of musicianship and tunesmanship. Steve has too much of one and not enough of the other.

PERFECT. Very well said

[tjvhou812]

via is a fucking great guitar player period...

eddie's just the best

[Nickdfresh]

I read on another board, regarding this subject, that TED TEMPLEMEN was once asked who was better, he said ED. He basically said EDDIE was faster AND more creative than VAI.

[Redballjets88]

i think pojo said it best....i used to like compairing them i just think that vai never really liked the style of evh and stuff ...like he says nowadays he wouldnt go reunite with roth...its not his thing...and the number one reason i like vai isnt vbecause of ability...its because vai didnt ruin van halen, eddie did

[POJO_Risin]

I wonder who Dave thinks is the better guitarist?

My bet is he'd say Ed...as a matter of fact...he's said Ed...several times...

[Lloyd Anger]

I love Vai. Always have, always will. Saw G3 in Mpls. w/Malmsteen,
w/Eric Johnson, solo a couple of months ago. (Billy Sheehan, Tony McAlpine, David Wiener, and the drummer who kicks ass.)
PARTIAL SETLIST:BAD HORSIE
WHISPERING A PRAYER
JIBBOOM
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD
I love classic Van Halen. Always have, always will. Saw them in St. Paul in 1980 and 1982.
PARTIAL SETLIST:RUNNIN' WITH THE DEVIL
SOMEBODY GET ME A DOCTOR
OUTTA LOVE
BOTTOMS UP
Great songs, great bands and great times.
Pop a cold one, roll a fatty and move with your favorite girl.
Does it get any better?
Who's better.
Eddie?
Steve?
Imagine your life without one of them.

[6gun]

Originally posted by Redballjets88
nah ill take steve over eddie any day the stuff eddie does can be done people all over the place play his stuff no problem ...bc he is one trick pony man....he is alright with other things but tapping is all he is great at....vai can do it all he is amazing

[tydhurst]

Originally posted by Redballjets88
go listen to steve vai's solo work he may not be as great at improv...but he is a modern day composer the stuff he writes is amazing i could get all of his cds and sit there for 9 hours straight just listening he has imagination that evh could never have...and vai is still going and making new things and touring while eddie lives his life in a bottle

Me and you have had our disputes in the past, but i gotta agree with you on this man!

[rustoffa]

Who is Steve Vai?

[rustoffa]

Originally posted by Sarge's Little Helper
Steve Vai used to dig ditches for a living. David Lee Roth replaced the side of the road with superstardom, and a virtuoso was born.

[Wonder Twins]

Steve Vai is pretty awesome no doubt. However, I think if there was no Eddie there would be no steve vai. I think that steve vais sound in a lot of way is sounds like eddie.