I would just tell them that if it were not for Hendrix, the "shredders" today wouldn't be "shredding". I had seen Steve Ray Vaughn live twice. Both times he opened his show with a Hendrix tune, the first time he started with "Little Wing" and the second time he started with "Voodo chile".

Hendrix was an inovator and was responcible for a different "type" or feel for the music. I think everyone would agree that there are and have been many guitarest that are "technically" better than Jimi was. Clapton, Page, Santana, Trower and Knoffler come to mind almost immediatly and todays contemporaries are very good. I don't know of a single guitarest that can compare to Satriani  when it comes to speed and knowledge. But I don't think he holds a candle to Jimi Hendrix or Steve Ray Vaughn when it comes to "feel". I never got to see Jimi live and there aren't but a few of his live recordings around but if what I see in some of the great "feel" guitarest today is what Jimi was about, and I believe that's true, then he was one of the best.

No one today could compare with Steve Ray Vaughn as far as I'm concerened and I can tell you this much about him, about the second song into the set, Steve was no longer with us, in other words he'd start sweating, throw his head back, close his eyes and fly away with his music. Your choice was to either go with him or stay in your seat. I was one of the few that got to fly with Steve, it still gives me chills when I think about it. I think Jimi was all about this too. It wasn't the technic, it was the trip he put you on. Put Electric Ladyland on a good sound system, turn it way up until you can hear the buzz in Jimi's old Fender Twin Reverb Amp, turn the lights down low, tell everyone to imagon they're in a full concert hall and Jimi is there to take them on a little trip. When the recordings over ask them how they "felt". Some will get it and some won't but the one's who do will Thank you.