He rules. Those million guitarists who followed, without the classical training, and began playing "solos as fast as possible for no reason" however, suck. ;0)
IMHO, while 'classical training' is a definite plus; some of the best guitar players I have ever heard were self taught or had very little instruction. You either have a 'genius', and a musical sense for the guitar, or you don't.
and began playing "solos as fast as possible for no reason" however, suck. ;0)"
I agree. As an old friend and guitar instructor once told me:"It aint how many sixteenth and thirty-second notes ya slip into a measure, it's what you do with those notes. When he needs to, within his own context, he can "shred" with the best of them.
/jasper