What Buckethead thinks of Yngwie Malmsteen

Good evening everybody, today we’ll take a look at the history between a guitarist who hardly ever speaks and a guitarist who is notoriously outspoken. Buckethead and Yngwie Malmsteen.
And for those who don’t know, Buckethead is a former member of Guns N Roses and supergroup Praxis. And Yngwie Malmsteen is a neoclassical metal guitarist, shred pioneer and all around nice guy.

In the mid 1980’s before Brian Carroll became Buckethead. Swedish shred guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen
was making the guitar world take notice, and with his lightning speed playing and sweeping arpeggios, Malmsteen caught the attention of young Brian Carroll, who would go on to attend a guitar convention just to see the swedish maestro.

(Brian Carroll)
I went there to see Yngwie, at that time his album had just came out and he was you know, the baddest

Buckethead spoke of Malmsteen in a 1996 article for guitar player magazine stating. 
"When Yngwie came out he was totally in your face; you can tell he just 
wanted to destroy. It's so dramatic, and that aspect of it was as 
cool as the speed. Plenty of people play fast but they don't set it up like he 
does. Like the way "Far Beyond the Sun" builds and builds until there's a 
break, and then the guitar rips into it - the payoff is so great. Yngwie had that 
fire and even now I'm trying to use that to motivate me. The fact that he hasn't 
changed is pretty rad too. He doesn't care what people think and I admire that." 

In 2006 Buckethead recorded his first and only instructional DVD for Guitar One Magazine.
And who would he share the front cover with?
(hmmm…….Slash?)
No!
(Jimi Hendrix?)
No!
(Augustus Gloop?)
Uh, no…Yngwie Malmsteen
(Ah, I thought so.)
 

 When Buckethead was asked what he thought about appearing on the front cover Malmsteen, he said:-
“I am honored to be on the cover with Yngwie. When I was a small chicken he was my idol. And I’ve looked up to him ever since. It’s hard to believe really. I’ve been very lucky. He is the master”.

Incidentally, this is the same interview where Buckethead’s famous quote about following your truth comes from. And I tell you that because there isn’t a week that goes by where someone doesn’t ask where the quote come from. So if you didn’t already know, now you do.

And as for Yngwie Malmsteen, as far as I’m aware he’s never spoken about Buckethead which judging by his opinion of other musicians, is probably a good thing. He once said that Joe Satriani’s playing was “out of tune and terrible”. That Les Claypool has “the worst technique ever”. That Dimebag Darrell’s solo for ‘I’m Broken’ was one of the “worst solo’s” he’s ever heard. And that Pantera singer Phil Anselmo’s vocals sounds “like something is coming out of his ass and mouth at the same time”. Wow!

(Phil Anselmo)
“There’s Yngwie Malmsteens out there. Great, good for him. Does he have the soul Dimebag had? Nope! Not even close. I don’t give a flying fuck about sweeps”.

So as you’ve seen and heard in this video, Buckethead is an Yngwie Malmsteen fan. And, I am too…in moderation. Whilst some of the things Yngwie has said and done might be questionable, he’s still a super talented guitarist and along with Buckethead inspired a generation. So, Buckethead and Yngwie. We salute you.