Shredder Poll

[savethematches]

I've been listening to both a lot lately. Personally, I prefer Satch. He's a little more straight-forward. Gotta give Vai credit, though. Dude can play like nobody's business, and he has the most uncanny sense of melody.

Your thoughts?

[marcus2]

I like them both a lot.

Lately, Vai's cinematic (to my ears at least) approach holds my interest for longer periods of time.

But they both have compositional ability, melodic sense, and chops that are so good, I really shouldn't even make comparisons.

I'm not worthy!

Marc

[anotherfreak2]

Vai is friggin' awesome........chops, musicality, huge compositions, guitar pyrotechnics............

That being said I'll listen to satch and like it better for the grooves and melody :angry:

not that any of this makes ME worthy of passing judgement on these two

[silentman]

I don't listen to either regularly. I have more Satriani in my cd collection. I've seen Satriani once more live than Vai. I like to watch Satriani more than listen to him. Vai is sometimes to spacey for me to understand where he's coming from. I'm going to see Vai at ther end of this month so my opinion will be influenced, I'm sure. They both have more talent in their little fingers than I'll ever dream of having.

[pesocaster]

My vote goes to Joe......

Joe's songs are memorable and you can hum them..... Vai is flashier... but Joe writes better songs.

Went to the first G3 show.... and when he took the stage he blew everyone else away with his set...

[Jimbilly]

Satch is more conventionally melodic, Vai is great but too far-out for everyday listening. Lately I've been really enjoying Satrianis 'strange beautiful' cd. It's music you can have in the background or pay close attention to, but Vai's music seems to demand your full focus.

[jettster]

Several years back I would have said Satch but, had to go with Vai. If you listen to their earlier work I think Vai has grown a lot more in all respects than Satch has. I think Vai's more recent stuff is his best where, Satch's earlier work is better IMO. I have seen Satch 5-6 times live and the last three times were interchangeable. Basically all of the same tunes each time. I have seen Vai 3 times and it's like a new show every time. I think if he surrounded himself with the same caliber musicians that Vai did he would be a lot better off. His band sounds like a garage band playing after Vai's and Vai is also a much better showman. Back in the days when Jonathan Mover played drums and Stu Hamm was on bass was Satch's pinnacle for me.

[Guest cruster]

I've been listening to 'Strange Beautiful Music' lately...his cover of 'Sleep Walk' with Fripp is great stuff.

[SouthernShred]

I've seen Satch a few times and Vai once....Vai owns Satch. I love Satch, but Vai is the man...Joe played the exact same set every time I saw him and had Matt Bisonette on bass and he looked like he was asleep...it bored the crap out of me. Last time I saw them both was G3 in ATL in '03 and Yngwie and Vai both kicked his butt.

[atquinn]

I like 'em both (haven't bought any new stuff by either of them for years tho'), but I'd pick Joe because he was an inspiration to me when I was starting out on guitar. I had a poster of him on my wall for crissakes!

-Austin

[Aceldama]

Satch: better song writing.

[hardheartedbill]

Vai , cause he's one of a kind

[adferreira]

I have to go Other:

Yngwie is the choice I always go for when I look for meedly meedly.

Even on the G3 DVD last year, he simply outplayed and outshone Vai and Satch.

Say what you will about his attitude and weight, but the man just kicks it on that strat.

[mario]

Love 'em both(it's an Italian thing). But Joe has a bit more blues vibe going on.

[Blueshound]

I would pick Satch as the guy I would want to be in a band with, his style seems like it would fit in a band better. If I just wanted to watch amazing guitar, I'd go with Vai. Lee

[tomteriffic]

I like 'em both. Vai's flashier, Joe writes more engaging stuff. I can listen to Joe for longer than Steve.

My fave all-time king-hell all-around musicianship shredder type guy, though, is Steve Morse.

[Travis]

I couldn't possibly pick between the two. Satch usually has a catchier groove with his songs, but Vai can take music where not many others dare. Satch has an amazing tone and tons of chops. Vai has tons of sounds and just as many chops.

As far as other, you can't forget Petrucci. Right now, he's my mofo.

[DaveH]

Like most everyone else who has commented, I'd rather listen to Satch as far as recorded music goes.....for a live show, I'd choose Vai. This is based on seeing both of them live.

[Michael_]

Vai's work on the Halo 2 soundtrack is great, so I voted for him. Videogames have soundtracks now. Geez.

[Nuclear Wessel]

I like both Vai and Satriani a lot. I voted other because in recent years I've just become more awed by George Lynch's tone and technique.

[earachemyeye]

I saw them both at a G3 concert. I'll take Satch for recorded music but Vai for watching live, everybody stood up after a few minutes of his portion of the show. Satch followed (poor guy) and it was anticlimatic. Vai's band was also more entertaining. They all took turns tearing it up and covered more ground musically.

Joe

[wyldbil]

Further entrenching my pariah status, I am a Vinnie Vincent kind of guy.

Never liked his glam image, but the boy is LIGHTNING fast and hella melodic at the same time. His songwriting chops are really good, too. Too bad he has been sitting on his as for the last fifteen years or so...

[earachemyeye]

I had Vinnie's Star Licks video and his Minds Eye album. He is a fantastic player.+1 for Vinnie

Joe

[Brownsound]

Satriani isnt a shredder to me...more of just a soloist/instrumentalist. Vai shreds but his sound is so processed it sounds like a keyboard...bores the crap out of me.

[Smakutus]

I like Satch better than Vai.. I like his recorded guitar sounds better, and he is the better writer of the two.

Vai was awesome in the DLR band with Billy Sheehan.

The first time I saw Satch was at Harpo's in Deetriot and the place was full of guitarists. The whole crowd was just standing there staring at his hands. He would end a song and then the crowd would go "What?! yeah... yeah...clap clap clap" Not a normal heavy guitar crowd at all.

My favorite album by Joe is his first one (Not Of This Earth?) which is actually closer to being "Vai-like", than Surfing, or his later ones.

out..

Jeff.