“You’d be surprised how hard it is to find a big rock electric guitarist playing rhythm in tune”: Steve Vai says he’s “admired” this guitar player “for quite a while”
Steve Vai has revealed the guitar player he has “admired for quite a while”, praising in particular his unique ability to play rhythm parts “in tune”.
Speaking in a recent interview with Cassius Morris, the virtuoso explains how session veteran and YouTuber Pete Thorn – who’s joining him and Joe Satriani on the upcoming SATCHVAI tour – had impressed him with both his guitar solo and rhythm skills: “Pete Thorn, I’ve admired him for quite a while,” says Vai. “He’s like a soldier, you know? He’s like a guitar soldier.”
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“You’d be surprised how hard it is to find a big rock electric guitarist playing rhythm in tune.”
“I’m sure I’m in tune,” he adds, “but there’s a way that some people hit the strings – they just explode and resonate beautifully, like Angus, or even – oddly enough – Kurt Cobain. They were different, but when you add more gain, it’s harder to make chords and playing sound really good. And Pete – he’s just a master at it.”
Like many of us, Vai first learned of Thorn via the guitarist’s gear reviews: “I first started hearing him when he was demoing gear, and I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s a great tone. Wow. This guy…’ I’m checking the boxes, you know?”
“And his lead playing is beautiful. His intonation is great. He’s just like a real soldier,” says Vai. “And so, it’s gotta be nice to have that underneath everything.”
Vai, whose tour with Satch is set to kick off later this year, also teases that he’s been “writing music together” with the guitar maestro.
“That’s just so great because I’m not usually a collaborator, you know, when it comes to my catalogue in my solo work,” he says. “But I am a very good collaborator when I know the project and I know the people and I know what’s expected of me, so with Joe it’s just like heaven in a cup. Because he’s just a great collaborator that way too.”
Adding that they’re “feverishly writing”, Vai says “it’s so much fun because we’re bouncing ideas and it takes a certain trust and acceptance with another to collaborate on creative things especially when those two guys come from a world of being the master and commander of their own ship.”
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
