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From: monte9402
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  • Personally i like Eric more!

    But i also really like Steve vai. But he doesen't give me goose

    bumps like Eric does. Also i think you could of shown better versions of Eric live.

    You showed Steve's best in my opinion

  • Both are great but I give the nod to Eric for original composition. Vai's For the Love of God....his main melody...sounds too much like the intro music to the 1970's Tv Show - Kung Fu....imo.

  • And the winner is... Guthrie Govan!

  • esta muy largo

  • Hell I love them both equally...there's no "which one is better" to me.

  • Music is not a Competition!!! End of argument.

  • Um. Steve is "Ginger" and Eric, well...Eric is everyone's "Marianne".

    ps-if you're too young to know what this means, please don't comment. :)

  • Vai has about 10 "official" albums, with several other compilations released as single CDs or a Multi-CD box. He also has several DVDs of his live performances, like Astoria and "where the wild things are" Look, if you want to hear Vai's best, listen to "Windows to the Soul".  Also, he is more into composing now with orchestras then he is into rock. His live performances also usually concentrated towards experimental improvs. I suggest you study his "studio album" work to hear his finest.

  • tender surrender kicks ass

  • Different styles. Neither is better really although I prefer Eric Johnson. His sound is so unique. Vai sounds like every other speed rock guitarist.

  • @stockjonebills Vai actually does not sound like other speed rock guitarist. His personality is noticeable immediately. At least I can detect this. He has designed guitars, pickups, guitar cables, amplifiers, pedals, and fans to his personal specifications.

  • They are both masters of eletric guitar. But I like Johnson music better

  • Eric. End of story.

  • I don't know who's better, I figure when you get to the point that they're at it doesn't really matter, but I personally like what Eric plays more just because I prefer it's sound, but Steve's amazing too, don't get me wrong it's like the difference between 9.9 and 10.

  • Steve Vai's got a lot more than three albums, friend.

  • Steve Vai Por supuesto!!!

  • STEVE VAI !!!

  • Fuck it. Eric Johnson forever!!!!!!!!

  • It's like Al Di Meola verses Frank Zappa ? what's the point?

  • Ritchie Blackmore wins

  • steve vai!!! :)

  • Our ears won! Definitely. Great musicians

  • Eric Johnson :D

  • It's down to opinion who's music you like really. Steve can shred extremely fast, but Eric can as well, people just don't really expect him to be the shredding type. There both different. Btw i think monte9402 could of showed much better perfomances of Eric

  • im the best,hands down

  • Eric is a better composer imo

  • ERIC..

    

  • Oh, nice comparing. I have one for you. What do you like more? Food or drink?

    Jackass.

  • vais sound is more powerfull and hes had more hits than any other shred guitarist but dont forget erics got 6 grammys to his name the same as stevie ray vaughan so i think that counts for something and ive got one for u whos faster vai or johnson thats like unraverling the mystery of the universe

  • steve is the best

  • I prefer the Eric Johnson because he and the best guitarist in the world and plays with a great accuracy!! one day I'll play like him

  • if it was a fist fight i would have to go with steve lol

  • Completely different, 2 sides of a coin both have the same skill level, Please dont start a fight and hear both whats the problem in that? :D

  • steve for ever

    

  • eric johnson for sure....

    most of steve vai songs get very annoying after the middle of the song

  • They are really so different. For one, Eric is all about totally refining his sound, while Vai is about letting what's in the rock air define how he pulls the string. Also, it's worth noting that Eric often plays small venues, using no more than 50 watts out of his main amp (the mains, of course hotter), while Vai develops sound right off main amps, which have to be cranking hundreds. Vai Dimazio evos, which wail. Eric is interested in a wider variation of sounds that he alters throughout .

  • Aaaaaah , Steve plays millions of notes that mean FA , Eric got class .

    Each to their own , mindless shredding fucin' yeechhhhhhhh !!!!!!

    Have the speed sure , but some soul too , thankeee .dcc......

  • Great

  • Well obviously Steve does something way better than Eric Johnson, facial expressions...No one in the history of guitar has ever looked like they are having a seizure while playing. Well done Steve.

  • Eric Johnson is a master of jazz chord progression and incredibly clean, playing very individual notes. Vai knows his way around and can really make it seems like his guitar expresses emotion. CANNOT COMPARE THE TWO. Not even in the same genre,

  • Each have their own styles. I hear less bum notes in Johnson's technique, but Vai has a bit more stage presence. They're both guitar legends. I find Johnson's technique to be much more precise and fluid, but again Vai knows how to stoke a crowd (and his band). My vote is for Johnson, just because of his impeccable precision.

  • @drummerdudex023 Steve Vai is just a crapload more expressive. That dude makes you feel the music. Gives him an edge imo. The Tender Surrender video played 3rd gets me every time. That thing is just freaking amazing.

  • @drummerdudex023 you are such a twat

  • I'm throwing my guitar in the stove the second this video ends. Fuck it. FUCK IT.

  • @Taraalcar Send it to me instead?

  • spoiler alert eric wins

  • Eric Johnson can play almost any style. Vai just plays his style, which is usually single note leads. Vai also never plays chords which EJ does. To me Vai's style is fun for one song.  Both have great technique, EJ has more pallettes available.

  • Yes.

  • like if this is true

    They are both Amazing but Eric Johnson just makes it sound better HAHAHAHAHA

  • eric is amazing , vai is god

  • Both guitarist in your style are incredible only enjoy the music!

  • manhattan for the love of god

    tender surrender cliffs of dover i know you're here buenisimas rolaaas todas y me enkantan los doos asi qe no puedo decidir kien es el mejor solo se qe son una vergaa¡¡¡

  • yeah Vai has loud screaming tones...eric is much softer...take your choice...it takes a real guitar nut to enjoy and the screaming Vai does but nevertheless he IS amazing and pulls it off for those who apprectiate it..Ill admit it can be a headache after awhile...its like having too much of a good thing...or..finding delight until the point of boredom

  • I think Steve Vai is the most dramatic guitarist out there. Eric Johnson is plays powerful, but at the same time, delicate...perfect sounding stuff. but shark vs. bear is easier to say...

  • eric johnson's tone is better, and so is his phrasing.

  • Vai he played for Zappa but i am EJ fan

  • Vai is a genuine god. Johnson is great, but they are very different. Its all in preference.

  • Are you dumb??!! Eric Johnson freakin owns in this competition. Vai is good...but as far as an insane musician all around, EJ completely wins this battle. No contest. saying Vai is better is like saying sweet pickles are better than dill....its retarded.

  • @MrHleath Have you ever seen vai play a solo? because i dont think you have, he can sgred with the best of them. Hes one of the best guitarists out there. (im not saying hes better im just debunking your dumb comment.)

  • EJ is the best!!...of course Steve Vai is also amazing :D

  • Steve Vai is to Beethoven, Eric Johnson is to Gershwin.

    Vai plays with a lot of emotion. Eric Johnson's live Chord melodies are amazing. they're colorful, just like Gershwin.

  • for musicality Eric Johnson won,but both are good

  • Ambos son buenos pero con estilos distintos. A mi me parece que sabe mas escalas Erick Johson.

  • could have chosen one of Vai's songs that matched style better

  • Opinion is subjective, but If I could only choose to listen to one of them for the rest of my life, it would be Eric Johnson by an extremely LARGE margin!

  • EJ is so clean...it's amazing.

  • They both lose in the world of fashion.

  • look to put it in layman's terms e.j. likes to play safe s.v loves to experiment with sound and form if it wasn't for people like s.v/ rock music would grind to a standstill and be a dead music form e.g. disco

  • Steve Vai and EJ play two different styles; its like comparing apples to oranges. Personally, having a heavily distorted electric guitar in an orchestra is blasphemous.

  • Encima no paran de hacer ligados, que tíos..... Algo parecido a decir que dos y dos son siete.

  • Parece que se les va la vida a la guitarra por entre las cuerdas. No merece la pena 18 horas de estudio, rompiéndose la espalda, durante años, solo para demostrar que la tienen más gorda que los demás. Asuntos de machotes y cosas de la velocidad. Decir mucho para no decir nada,. Soltar la lengua, a ver lo que sale, con tal de que sea rapido. No merece la pena. Eso si, al menos Eric Johnson se entretuvo al principio en demostrar que no solo sabe montar en coche turbo. Lo siento, el pensar asi.

  • go eric !!

  • EJ 10, SV 9.

  • @junebaby74 that's hitting the nail on the fucking head!!! It's all about listenability.

  • i love steve vai but with all respect eric johnson could string a dog turd and play it with the perfection each of EJ's notes has its own feeling

    vai is just an shredder who hasnt quite figured out the concept of tone though they are both godly i go with EJ

  • @robbyk5150 The man, Steve vai, the one who helped design and custom make the Amps he has, not to mention designed the guitar he uses, Inside and out. Has not concept of tone? Shredder? Do you mean as in in tender surrender when hes going from A Ionion to D Lydian thus diatonicly ending up on the half note Cb Chaning the key to C so turning it to F Lydian with a Flat 9th and a sharp 11th? .. ohhh, "Shredder" Seriously, you penatonic blues idiots always seem to think you know something.

  • @TheBeatlesCom i didnt say he wasnt a god dont get me wrong he has some beautiful songs

    whispering a prayer

    building the church

    for the love of god

    and tender surrender is a masterpiece

    i just dont like his tone something about it erks me

    never said i had it all figured out either

    i just like johnson more

  • @TheBeatlesCom

    You are the worst type of musician if you look down on others like you did by throwing around your badly spelled theoretical knowledge. Who are you trying to impress? For the record, it's Ionian, Diatonically and Pentatonic.

    I understood every word of what you said (disregarding your spelling errors) and really, it wasn't needed. It just made you sound like every other pretentious asshole that nobody ever wants to work with or hire.

    Sincerely,

    A musician who gets work

  • @handicappedhoods My "Badly Spelled" was not a problem to me, this is not English class, this is youtube. Who really looks at my grammar? Oh, its you my good sir. Is that all you have for a comeback? Grammar nazis really don't have anything else to come back with, and I am not a shallow musician. I just think some people really just don't understand how much of a genius Steve Vai is. I met him once at guitar center autograph booth. He is a very kind person, down to earth kinda guy.

  • @handicappedhoods what was your last job?

  • eric is more handsome than vai

  • yea steve :)

  • How many guitar players does it take to screw in a light bulb?

    100.....1 to screw it in and 99 to say how much better they can do it!!!!!

    -Al Bohnomme

  • A bear on land. Shark in the wa-wa.

  • Who would win in a fight? A shark or a bear?

  • @getkristan Uhm who would win between a zombie and a ghoul -.- same thing, they can´t fight, a shark would beat the bear in the water, and the bear would beat the shark on land. A zombie cant kill a ghoul cos it´s immortal, and the ghoul would kill the zombie, for it to rise back again lmao

  • Both these guys are STUPENDOUS. I am less familiar with Vai, but Eric Johnson has been my hero for years. The perfect marriage of technique with musicality.

  • eric you r the best

  • eric is the best ; )

  • steve RULES!!! ^^

  • This video's description has some shitty-ass grammar. Just throwing that out there.

  • What does it mean to be better than another person? For example...if most people agree that Steve is better than Eric...then what? Eric should stop playing? Or people should stop listening to him?

  • Johnson

  • meaningless

  • Comment removed

  • Comment removed

  • eric johnson gana

  • eric johnson won after 3:52.... cliffs of dover is pure epicness

  • guys..all of them are great...but all of us had different genre..so whats the big deal with this video?

  • no se cual es mejor porque se escucha como el orto. Me parece que S VAI es mejor guitarrista pero yo soy blusero así que prefiero a E CLAPTON

  • Both are good and nice guys I think although when Steve played in Whitesnake, their roadies always stuck an n behind his last name.

  • Steve Vai reemplazo a Yngwie Malsteen y nunca pudo competir con la velocidad de Malmsteen hahaha.. idiota "Asshole" .. HAHA #1 Malmsteenn, #?,3,4 .. VAi

  • This is obvious, both men are equally amazing. Neither is better than the other and they jam together, because they are awesome people as well who don't compare guitarists from different planets of music.

  • i win

  • What does Simon have to say about all this?

  • I see no losers here.......... :-)

  • Eric Johnson....

  • i hate this... always has to be ssomeone vs someone -.- just listen to music!

  • This one is not hard. Ask yourself this: If I was starting a new band and needed an accomplished, clean, versatile guitarist probably capable of playing any kind of genre, who would I select? I think the answer is clear if your honest with this question.

    Eric Johnson -- hands down.

  • Sure, Vai can play fast and loud, but he overdoes it. Eric has the control of his technique and uses it in such a manner that accentuates the tone and touch in his music more. Eric is like slowly roasting a marshmallow to golden perfection over a crackling campfire, where Vai is incinerating it with a blowtorch. But hey, some people really enjoy burnt marshmallows.

    And yes, I understand that they're different styles: they're both great, that's just MY opinion on which is better.

  • @cSoapbox You hit the nail on the head there, bud! I saw Eric this past Tuesday here in San Antonio. I was right in front of him. His technique is so refined but very fluid. He makes every single note sing. Slow roasting a marshmallow indeed.

  • shut the fuck up you cant compare these 2 eric johnson is jordan vai is lebron, its illegal to compare.

  • @DanPotthast1 why don't you shut the fuck up! I hate basketball but, I follow it enough to know that Jordan won 6 FUCKING TITLES and LEBRON WON JACK SHIT!!!!!! YOU FUCKING MORON!!!!!

  • @Kramer135 Scroll through 2 month old comments much? faggot. and are you mental? go back and read what i wrote and then read what you wrote.......i said the same thing you said bitch. Johnson is the man and vai can open for johnson if he's lucky.

  • i love how in the beginning the screen says "eric won"

  • eric is melodic

    vai is loud

    they are 2 different styles

  • huh you guys are idiots they are 2 different styles

  • I bet all the Vai fans commenting have only heard Johnsons tame stuff. Believe me, he has phenomenal technique, and can shred with the best of them. I prefer Vai myself, but love them both.

    It's like saying what's better, a Ferrari or a Lambo. You'd kill for either so shush with your dumbass comments ;)

  • i cant even listen to vai that shit hurts my ears

  • eric Johnson but like many have said its not a comparison, your looking at a guy who's inspired by the likes of wes montgomary against a guy who has followed the virtuosic trend honest though Johnson= way more wayyy more experience, technique and theoretical ability Vai is excellent don't get me wrong but his guitar is kitted out for playing 1000000 mph and so is his tone

  • Vai and it's not even close.

  • Fuck you people are stupid. Neither are better. Playing guitar is their job. They'd rather be at home chilling out than on stage working. Believe it or not, it's not always fun for them. And to compare them is just fucking stupid. Fuck you all

  • All I know is that this Steve Vai once was called by some Jack Butler who was a helluva player but I saw Ralph Macchio cut his head back in the day. lol.

  • Love Vai...but listen to Eric's tone...pure and beautiful...They are both fantastic :-)

  • I bet all these virtuoso guitarists sit around watching these videos together with a couple of beers laughing at all the crap people comment.

  • @ZootAllures92

    Lol...what a great comment. I'll bet youre right , too...

  • Absolutamente de acuerdo, con MrCold768, que pelodudez estas comparaciones.

  • I always hate these videos, no offense to the creator. It's just, you can't compare two COMPLETELY different genres. Not to mention different tastes.  I prefer Eric over Vai any day, because that's the kind of music I like

  • both freak!!!...amazing..no one is the best...both of them are the best..oh yeah!!!...calm and anger!!!!...woohhhhhhhhh!!!

  • great playing. uninspiring music. The whole genre.

  • eric johnson is better in my opinion !

  • Eric Has More Soul And Feeling, Steve Vai Is More Technical!!! No Contest

  • eric ...BC he's NOT a douche

  • @KyleRumCinco2012 Steve is an extremely nice guy, I don't understand this thought that he is a douche. Maybe because he's better than you. And so is Eric. And they are equals.

  • its all about taste i honestly just think Eric Johnson has an insane tone so i would give it to him but that's just 'my' opinion

  • nose nose pero el chikito le gano a steve vai

  • both are respectable musicians who give off their own taste and opinion in music it's impossible to compare them.... but Eric totaly won by a long shot. beautiful tone and musicality and variaty. No question about it.

  • These gentlemen are in tune with their own minds and able to transpose that inner-self to the fret board and perfect that transposition via selective feedback via the electronic apparatus. They Re: Artiste!

  • me gusta mas Eric

  • Stive vai was good when he played with Frank Zappa, after that i don't understand him and his music...

  • La verdad a mi me gusta mas la musica de steve vai, pero eric johnson es mas prfecional, yo le daria el triunfo a eric johnson toca mas bonitoo

  • It's not about who is better! It's ALL good. It just depends on what you are in the mood to listen at the time. Both Highly talented musicians without question. If you can do better...POST IT!!

  • Although "Cliffs of Dover" is one of my favorite songs I'd vote for Vai just because overall he writes songs that I find more enjoyable. Both are great technical players who can play with speed and also play slower songs as well. Some of the comments below seem to indicate that Vai is all about speed, but that's just not true. In fact you won't find much shredding at all on Flexable or Flex-Able Leftovers.

  • I have nothing against Vai personally-I just don't think he or anyone else alive today holds a candle to EJ. The closest I've seen is Monte Montgomery

  • Although Vai is an extremely talented guitarist, I like EJ better because I think he is a better musician and knows when to play fast and when to play slow. Sometimes the really fast playing can get a bit boring. I also think EJ plays with more emotion, which is more important than technical skill to me.

  • at 5:30 WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING? I am guessing 6 7 12 or something like that but jesus christ damn it is so out there in narnia or someplaceLOL wow

  • i think it's a tie..there both amazing!! O.o

  • The Weather Channel, Brought to you by Eric Johnson

  • I just think Vai makes a nasty noise - very fast but so what? Unpleasant

  • @MJkidfiddler fast = unpleasant? man, eric johnson can play hella fast too, and he does it many times actually. It all depends on what you wanna say with a certain song or melody, both these guitarrist are amazing in their own way and you cannot say who's better than the other because they're just different

  • Their styles are so different , it seems pointless to compare them.

  • how anyone can listen to vai and say he is not about music is a retard no matter how many other retards thumb you up, they are both about music, different music. i feel pity for all the noobs or long term non-learners who cant appreciate something they don't like for what it is, vai was changing the face of guitar when johnson was learning eric clapton riffs! They both rule but show some respect

  • Eric johnson

  • @lolsmileyface I agree totally.

  • Comparing Vai and Johnson, is like comparing Transformers and The Godfather.

  • I love Eric's sound.

  • Ej is great

  • @FatPigAnnWilson  he is one of the best

  • POR MI FUE UN EMPATE LOS DOS DAN CAÑA A LA GUITARRA ESAS CANCIONES NO SE COMPARAN CON NADA

  • i hate videos like this because there is no professional guitar player that is better than one another, for example steve vai is a different genre of music than eric johnson so its not even right to compare the two.

  • @bianchiniman Amen

  • I think Steve Vai is better guitar player, BUT Vai doesn't have any song as good as Cliffs of dover, yeah he has songs harder to play, but Cliffs of Dover is a sin to ear.

  • @dindonrosales tender surrender ?

  • @MaxvergaxS shit, well, is a tie

  • Thing is about Eric Johnson - as an artist, he chipped out a complete niche for his sound - THE JOHNSON TONES. One of his albums is appropriately entitled "Tones" because to him, tone is life - it's his own sound and he is oft copied but never duplicated. If Johnson is on stage with other greats - his tone comes through as his own. Steve Vai is no doubt a great player who picks and chooses from a grab bag of other's techniques and sounds like any number of very good heavy metal guitar players.

  • @lolsmile So all the vai clones sound like who exactly? vai is as distinctive if not more so than johnson and you can argue johnson sounds like a technically gifted eric clapton, but listen to 5.23, who does that sound like???? respect to both of them but if you're well versed in Vai you wouldn't say he sounds like a good number of metal players, go listen to flexable, he is a genius composer and back then nobody sounded like Steve Vai until they copied HIM! Eric and Steve are apples and oranges

  • nn vale. si vede chiaramente che Steve nn stava bene, tutte quelle smorfie di dolore!

    ahah

  • stev vai WINS

  • Stupid comparison! Both are brilliant guitarists!

  • Cliffs Of Dover !!!!!!!!!

  • Comment removed

  • Eric Johnson PWNS Steve Vai.

  • what about gambers!