Relax. Be yourself. Play a lot.

I assume most guitar players are like me. They're playing, having fun; then they get a magazine in the mail that says "Shred Is Dead" and they say, "What the Hell?" They throw it away and keep on playing.

I'm ready to take the heat.

Solos I kind of [couldn't] care less about. I know most people probably think that's what I care most about, but it's really the melody playing that is the cornerstone of what I'm working on.

If someone can relate my guitar solo to an exercise in a book... that's no fun at all.

I'll tell you one thing: I will always play the sh** out of my guitar.

Guitars are fun. There are plenty of different kinds to play. They look cool. They sound cool. Don't you want to play guitar?