Holy fcuk! I never knew how much ridicule someone else is getting here. Kinda missed out on this thread... Just for the record, Alex played some lines when he was at Shinji's studio during the mini-EB for the MTPA forum, yet no one bothers to ask for those clips, which are far more "listenable" than those bends (which are kinda killing my ears if you ask me...)
But I know that these bends that you see in the video were done with a purpose... To show how a guitar can sustain a note and at the same time maintain a certain wail that I cannot describe... (it totally transcends the verbal realm.) I just know that a bad guitar cannot nail that wail I am talking about... Arie taught me a few pointers on how to test a guitar and this is just one of the methods he taught me.
Just a few things I want to share:
1. ANY youtube video is guaranteed lo-fi, kahit direct rip pa yan sa DVD. Because the flv format is lossy especially on the audio side (which is the standard format for youtube).
2. ANY recording, even the best audiophile recordings, are ALWAYS less than perfect reproductions of the source. this is why different miking techniques, outboard equipment, and all those theories in practice in the studio were invented, and they all come into play depending on the recording situation. There are some nuances that mics, A/D converters (or tape) that cannot be represented perfectly.
3. Granting, that you have a PERFECT (yes PERFECT) recording of the source, you also need a PERFECT PLAYBACK SYSTEM.
4. A bad player, no matter how great the gear is, would sound bad. Don't blame a $20k axe and a $15k amp and call it "unworthy of its price" if the playing was done by a bad player.
5. Alex, you need to get your chops together, but I still see your point in this video. (See above.) So better come up with something more interesting and listenable. THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO. Although, I deem that this video is not representative of your playing skills. based on the very few times I've seen you play, I think you're not that bad a player, but definitely not bordering on virtuosity.
And yes, credibility belongs to those who can play. That is why gear manufacturers would rather spend on endorsers, than build up a mass information campaign on their indispensable tone gurus' designs.