This for me too....He's not somebody I've tried to steal from but I dig that he made a style out of playing melodic lead guitar. I put him with Neal Schon as a guy who plays stuff you sing and remember instead of being about tricks.
He's a genuinely nice guy
that plays guitar a thousand times better than I ever will.
excellent guitar player, who's talent has been over-shadowed by the 'Slash' persona - the hair, the hat...