who are your influences?

[LastInLine]

Tony Iommi and Jimmy Page made me want to get a guitar and make music.

Guys whose styles I admired so much that I tried to incorporate parts into my playing would include (along with the above 2);

Vivian Campbell
Al DiMeola
Yngwie
David Gilmour
Jason Becker

After about 25 years of trying, I sound like none of them.

[Razor]

Randy Rhoads
George Lynch
Warren DeMartini

[Racerx2k]

Paul Gilbert
Ronnie LeTekro
Steve Vai
SRV
Jimi Hendrix
Neil Giraldo
Elliot Easton

[skorb]

Michael Schenker

I love many players, but Schenker's amazing stuff in UFO is what made me want to learn to play guitar.

[LastInLine]

Michael Schenker

I love many players, but Schenker's amazing stuff in UFO is what made me want to learn to play guitar.

You and many others.

[akoch]

Yngwie Malmsteen
Tony McAlpine
Gary Moore
David Gilmour
Marty Friedman

[quiksilver]

Edward Van Halen
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Kenny Wayne Shepherd

[hippietim]

Kiss is why I started to play guitar.

Keith Richards and the Stones are why I continued.

Jeff Beck made me realize I had a *lot* to learn.

Robin Trower showed me how deep emotions can bloom with a guitar.

Jimmy Page showed me that blending many forms of music is a killer idea.

Al DiMeola made me want to play faster and explore "outside" melodies.

Frank Zappa showed me that anything is possible with music - you just have to open your mind to it.

Steve Vai blew away all previous notions I had of what it meant to be a player, musician, and composer/writer.

[Nuclear Vampire]

I started playing guitar because of Glenn Tipton, KK Downing, Adrian Smith and Dave Murray. I continued playing guitar beacuse of David Gilmour, Rob Cavestany, Denis D'Amour, Tony Iommi and Dave Mustaine.

[horns666]

Guitar..Van Halen, Tony Iommi and Frank Marino is what me want to play..when I was 13-14 yrs old.

Lots of 80's shredders..you know who they are.

Jeff Loomis and Nevermore is what I strive for today...

Bass..Geezer Butler and Steve Harris, later it was Louis Johnson..watching Tony Levin on a Chapman stick in '81 changed the way I looked at bass forever...

[gitfiddler]

pick it up: Rhoads
Keep it in my hands: Gilbert

other notables: Brian May, M.L. Firkins, Jennifer Batten, Satch, Shawn Lane, Andy Laroque

[boiwonder]

Joe Perry
Edward Van Halen
Randy Rhoads
George Lynch
Alex Lifeson
Warren Demartini
Jake E. Lee
John Sykes
Harry K. Cody
Steve Vai
Joe Satriani
Michael Lee Firkins
Nuno Bettencourt
Johnny A
Doug Aldrich
Steve Stevens
Andy Timmons
Eric Johnson
Greg Howe
Yngwie J. Malmsteen
Nigel Tufnel
The Edge
Jeff Beck

[Monster Joe]

Main reasons to start playing :
Michael Schenker, Dave Murray, Scott Ian

I quit playing for about a half year in the early nineties but started again after I got a Ted Nugent anthology.

[mantis]

Jimi Hendrix was my first. After hearing him go I knew thats what I wanted to do. Also my Uncle Louis who past away. He was a Punk Rocker and taught me alot over my younger years.
Then came George Lynch who is my hero. Kirt and Lars also have high reguards for me.
Jake E Lee as I had a Charvel just like the one in Shot at the Dark Video.
Even Angus Young and Scott Ian.

Dan

[outsider666]

First made me pick one up.......Dave Mustaine, Andreas Kisser,Max Cavalera, Dime, and I guess Hetfield too.......
Current influences.....Galder (Old Man's Child)
Alexi Laiho (COB)
John Schaffer (Iced Earth), seriously underrated......