Chet Atkins, I love his singer style and the country thing that he did. He really had a huge impact in my life, just his style - western swing and the country thing he did - it really changed my life.

I'm always working and recording. It's just what makes me happy.

There's 24 hours in a day, and I'm working most of them.

In my eyes, and in my opinion, the guitar is strong and powerful and will never die.

There's not many crazy guitar instrumentalists out there that put on a crazy monster show.

I always look for inspiration. If I find something that's inspiring, I'm so excited because it is very hard to find something inspiring.

I was a valet for celebrity parties.

I'm a Telecaster connoisseur, and I love my Teles. I have one from almost every year since the very beginning, in 1950. I'm so obsessed with them.

I'm still obsessed with Kiss. I'm still obsessed with Van Halen. I guess we don't change that much from being kids. Either we don't change that much, or we just have really good taste.

Oh my God, Guns N' Roses - it's like, jeez, that's what made me move out to Los Angeles. 'Welcome to the Jungle,' you know - it's been a huge inspiration for me.

Branching out to other genres - I think it's why people put me apart from other guitar instrumentalists.

Whatever I say is so honest when I'm doing interviews.

I'm a vegan now, and I've never felt better in my life. In my life.

I have tons of Telecasters but also about 50 Les Pauls, six or seven SGs, and a bunch of Gretsches.

All my life, I've really enjoyed music: making music, playing it, and recording it. It's such a relief and a joy to do what I do for a living.

I like people writing great songs on guitar or piano or what have you. I miss people getting on stage with real bands and real instruments and expressing themselves that way instead of with computers and technology.

Inspiration is a really hard thing to describe, but it's something that triggers your brain, like the first time I heard a certain guitar player that I loved or the first time that I saw a monster or the first time that I saw anything that really was an epiphany for me. It just stays with you your whole life.

Steve Vai had a unique style of playing. Steve Vai didn't sound like anyone else: Steve Vai sounded like Steve Vai.

I was such a big Kiss and Van Halen fan, Yngwie Malmsteen, Racer X... all that stuff. I loved everybody.

You gotta go after your dreams and do it. Go and do it.

I would love to work with a Beatle: Paul McCartney or Ringo Starr.

I really truly love all styles of music. A lot of people say that, but the first station they turn to when they get in the car is a rock station. I don't always do that. I really enjoy everything. But, of course, I'm a rock shred guitar player first.

I liked what any other kid did back in the day. You know, Bob Seger, Alice Cooper, and everything else that was on the radio in Michigan. There was a lot of Steely Dan; just a lot of great music inspired me.

Ever since I was a kid, I've been a Fender connoisseur. And to have my name associated with greatness like that, it's amazing. I couldn't be more proud of anything. My children, and then being associated with Fender. In that order!