This one is great guys!!

Great job guys! I bought a guitar because i saw SRV on unplugged! I went and bought a 12 string and the bridge popped off in 2 days. My eye caught a white and black shred strat and i got that in place of the 12 string. within 2 months i took a lesson with a guy named Mike Lussos, whew, before the store. My lessons were once a month and then the store opened and i met a young kid, as i was already in my late 20's and an established chef in the hamptons! This young kid, a new teacher in Mike L. new store named Joe M. young cocky kid who could absolutely tear the shit out of the guitar! his technique was mind blowing. I was really a classic rock fan, floyd, zepp ect and not much into metal until i heard a random band everyone was talking about called Dream Theater! Images and words stayed in my CD player for literally a year straight. As Joe mentioned about the Randy stuff, i diagnosed it over and over. I some how saw a distinct connection to David Gilmour in his playing. I mean he is pure technique but he had so much feel and he just blew my mind! i was never a fan of metal till this point and i still don't like a lot of it. I always point people to the Dark Side of the Moon album DT did to point out the diversity of John and the Purple Rain cover he does on occasion. But those three people in Lussos guitar shaped who i am as a player. My right hand technique is a direct result of Joe and his chromatic exercises, FK U joe and that 4 note per string shit that flies all over the neck! I remember one time you told me you were in the recording studio and you forgot you were dropped D so you just switched positions for this massive riff you were playing and i couldn't wrap my head around the fact you could adjust so easily at such a speed! Be honest i started to get discouraged working with you, you were just so good! then i got passed to the Petrucci student. WTF. I thought it would be easier, NO! Metropolis was our first lesson. Damn! took me a year before i could come close. Out of all my influences, Prince, David Gilmour, John Petrucci, Nuno, Zakk and Brian Seltzer (who absolutely shreds on a hollow body guild into a bassman) are my top 5, it was you 3 and a little help from the rest of the crew at lussos that got me through and eventually into Music School where i graduated with a 3.75! You two in particular were able to keep me interested and coming all the way from Southampton every week! I mostly attribute my success to those years in Lussos. Of course Mark Elf, Mark Marino, all the jazz i studied and all the composers and compositions i worked on and all the classical i studied and sang in chorus and such made me a musician but my ability to play the guitar stems directly to you 2! Mike owned the store and he was just a bad ass! My right hand is like Joes my left hand is like Craigs and my desire to understand theory stems from Mike! My trifecta. I give you guys the most credit for who i am as a player! I hold John Petrucci and David Gilmour equally with Prince a close second. Its a crazy mishmash but for me it works. I owe you two everything and have nothing but love for the 3 of you! It was awesome when you came to the restaurant so I could show off for you the way you always did for me. We should get together for dinner sometime! Bless! love you guys! My influences now are people nobody hears of. Monster players under the radar. Teddy Kumple who tours with Joe Jackson, Stig Mathison, Mike Keneally, Jimmy Vivino, Sonny Landreth (sick slide player), Steve Lukather, bands like Lettuce, Dumpstaphunk, Rock Candy Funk Party, Meters and a number of MONSTER players in NYC that the world will never know even though you hear them on popular records all the time. I love stealing horn lines! Nuno is one funky player and incorporates many different techniques at the same time. I like what Paul Gilbert says and does these days. He has really reinvented himself these days. Monster player! Keep up the good work! Love to get a guest appearance! You two are by far my greatest influences. Even the way i build my guitars and the way i stack tone! THANKSTHANKSTHANKS can never thank you enough for sending me down a thankless and brokass path! :')

@Craig: No Dimebag mention. I recall you saying that he probably is one of the best rhythm guitarist out there.

You sound so much better. What did you guys invest in? Your voices sounded balanced to the instruments.