Pete Thompson,Edward Box: DoFret interviews

Both - Tell us a bit about your influences on guitar?

Ed - For tone and vibrato it’s got to be George Lynch and Schenker. For picking, Malmsteen and for attitude Doug Aldrich. Kee Marcello is awlays a great nod for solo structure and I also enjoy some more ‘cult’ players like Frank Marino, Mathias Jabs, John Norum and Ronni le Tekro. For rhythm playing I love Van Halen and Warren DeMartini. There are loads of other players I have stolen things from but Pete and I both count Jake E Lee’s Salt Lake City TV performance as a major happening in our youths. I virtually learnt every technique from watching that 1985, 30 minute master class.

Pete – Ed is absolutely correct in mentioning Jake E Lee as a major influence on both of our playing. Actually I would say even more so with me as I still have his vibrato and fingerstyle locked into my technique, even now! For rhythm I would say Edward Van Halen, people often refer to his soloing but I think he has one of the best rhythm techniques of any player I could mention. As far as guitar soloing, my faves would be Jason Becker, he was by far my favourite shredder of the 80s. Doug Aldrich (for that gutsy blues feel) same goes for Andy Timmons and for technique I would say Yngwie, Petrucci, and Michael Romeo. full interview