Ex-Megadeth Guitarist Marty Friedman: "I Would Rather Chew Glass Than Listen to Hendrix"

Jimi Hendrix is highly regarded by many as the single greatest guitar player to ever grace the Earth with his music. Countless guitarists have tried over the past few decades to emulate his style. However, one well known guitar extraordinaire has to disagree with all of the hubbub: ex-Megadeth lead guitarist Marty Friedman.

In a recent interview with Ultimate Guitar Friedman declared his distaste for Hendrix's playing saying he would "rather chew glass than listen to Jimi Hendrix". When the crap started to hit the fan from this comment, he addressed things on his Facebook page saying:

"When I was a beginning guitarist, all the good players in town would tell me I should listen to this guy or learn from this album, and check out this guitar master or that one. Of course I wanted to impress my friends as well as "learn from the best" so I diligently checked out all the most respected players. I soon realized that although the artists that were suggested to me were certainly brilliant masters, I found little joy in analyzing their music, because I just plain didn't understand it or even like much of it. It meant nothing to me, like homework from a teacher in school. When I dug into the music that I did actually like, even though much of it was a bit obscure and not "approved by the local big shot guitarists" I really enjoyed the process of learning and as a result, I wound up easily and subliminally able to decide what I want to play in my own music.

Good interview below:
Of course their headline makes me look like an asshole, but that`s how I talk to my friends, and that`s how I consider all of you out there, so enjoy."

I suppose everyone has their own preferences when it comes to music, but I still can't help but find it pretty astonishing that a guitarist that I have a great deal of respect for has something so bold and negative to say about someone so highly praised and immortalized for their musicianship. I guess Friedman and Hendrix are both from two completely different schools of music. Friedman is more classical and Hendrix was more of a play by feel kind of guy. Either way, I guess we have to respect everyone having a right to their own opinion.