Ernie Ball: String Theory featuring Neal Schon of Journey 

The people who play know how good this guy is

Brilliant guitarist. Wish melodious rock would come back.

I’m a metal guy, the harder and faster the better, but I love this mans playing!!! My favorite guitarist of all time!!!

One word : Underrated

Imagine being in highschool and jamming with clapton and getting such an offer! What a legend!

I LOVE the "Stone In Love" guitar solo. Neal is AMAZING.

Neil really ads such lyrical phrases to all of his licks. You can actually sing his leads. It's almost as if his guitar is a backup singer. One of the most underrated players out there. So many memorable songs. Keep em coming Neil.

Legendary tone, legendary guitarist and a pure legend.

Thanks to the people at Ernie Ball for putting all these interviews together. Its fantastic to hear these legends like Neil and all the others tell their stories.

Some guys just never lose their chops. He’s definitely one of them

That Stoned in love solo is always going to be one of the best.

Neal is one of the reasons I picked up a guitar. Mom had me listening to Journey at a very young age and it just always stuck with me. Always loved his phrasing and tastiness of his playing.

His ferocity and fire to me is what is most underated about Mr.Schon.What power!

Right there with Page and Eddie

My older cousin moved in with my family in 1982. He was in 9th grade and I was in third. He brought his records and record player with him. Every morning before school, like at 6:30 am, he would crank Journey without fail. I thought that was the coolest thing ever.

Thanks for this. Neal is one of the most soulful guitarists the world will ever see.

Neal Schon is the most tasteful guitar player rock has and more than likely will ever know.

What I love about his playing is that his solos are always complimentary to the vocal melody of Journey songs.

Neal is a killer guitar player. If you haven't listened to his solo / instrumental albums then do yourself a favor and do so ASAP

God that strat with the reverse headstock is killer

As a pure lead guitarist he’s one of the best... like Carlos, he could solo forever.

I'll be alright without you ~ Neal makes that song what it is. You add Steve Perry and BAM! some really good music 🎶 🙏 Thank you for the music Neal 👍😎

He is very much an individual, His playing is very distinctive, I admire Neal immensely, As a guitarist my self for 40 years, Having your own style is very much an accomplishment, And Neal has it.

This is one of the guys that helped get through my youth many a lonely nights listening to journey and Neil’s searing yet always melodic solos. I should have realized my number one hero, Hendrix, was a big influence on his playing, It never dawned on me before. Good to see Neil back with the old standards, fender strats and Gibson Les Paul

The most musical guitarist in music today.

Tone for days... If I could achieve half of his tone id be a happy man.

Neal, never got enough credit. He’s an absolute master!

I know he plays Ernie Ball strings, but what kind of skateboard does he rock? Kidding! The guy is one of the all-time greats. He can wear whatever he wants!

He is a gear nerd. I relate 😂. Love his instagram videos when he jams at home. Great me,odic player. Timeless songs.

Neil has come up with some of the tastiest and most memorable licks in Rock music.

I'd put Neal Schon up there with Jeff Beck for being prolific, and keeping it fresh and always a surprise. I started playing guitar around 1974, and Journey was so smooth in those days. I've stolen lots of riffs and spent hours learning Neal's playing in and outside of Journey. One of the world's best. Thank you Neal for all your generosity. GT

With the music you play we ain’t “livin in a lonely world” no more. Ernie ball is so much more than a guitar string Company, they bring the artists and us the people, the fans, the aspiring musicians, and all those in the wonderful world of rock and roll together. I ain’t as good as these guys are…and I sure as hell don’t have as many guitars…but all of the music we know and love have these strings to thank…and I ain’t gonna use anything else to string my baby’s.

Just an exceptional guitarist I love anything Neal plays, I'm a huge fan of his, just listening to his music wasn't enough for me I had to learn how to play it. If your a guitarist you know what I'm talking about.

This guy was born to play guitar. Amazing how some people are gifted at sports, some music, some mechanical, so on and so on. At 14 years of age he was catching the eye of real rock stars and being offered to be in their bands, amazing. He is fortunate to have parents who supported him.

Neil made up his own patterns. Greatest melodic player ever.

Neal in 1979 your solo on lights influenced this 11 year old kid to play guitar. 40 years later you’re still the biggest influence and my guitar hero. I’ve been using Ernie Ball Super Slinky’s since 1984.

Really digging the reverse heady fender. Thx for still rocking out after all these years Neil.

Absolutely the most underrated guitarist in history.

Hendrix played 11s. He played Jeff Beck's guitar which had 9s and said to Jeff "what are these rubber bands?" Jeff says this in an interview.

this made me so happy seeing this😣😣😣😣😣😣😣

Don't stop believing that little solo at the beginning with the amazing bend after the speed up.

Neal Schon went from backing Santana to Lead in Journey and went onto writing some of the greatest songs ever written. 200 years from now Don't Stop Believing will still be played. Songs we will never forget. Thanks Neal!

For those saying he is underrated, he's on every "Top 100 guitarists of all time" list I've ever seen. I think he has gotten due credit for his abilities.

Loved the "Back to the Future" outfit!

My wife worked for Kalodner (Geffen A&R head for years), and being a player for decades, I loved how Neal developed. Great video, and for me, 7's freaking rocked!!! I could do anything I'd ever imagined, they were that slinky!!! Lol

Saw Journey once , an outdoor show.......FANTASTIC .

Such a stand up guy. I have so much respect for him.

100% guitar legend!

Neil is the reason I picked up the guitar and later on Richie Sambora became my #1 favorite guitarist after Neil Schon, but I didn't forget my beginning.

Love Neal Schon! I wish someone would do a comprehensive lesson/tutorial on his guitar solo style - Especially the fast/speed element of his playing.

I mean look, it all worked our cuz Journey is... Journey. *BUT*, if Eric Clapton asks you to move to London and join his band, you say, *YES*.

What a masterful player such a Legend

Neal Schon, forever my hero.

Im 64, used to come home in 1977 and play to journey from my record player and les paul and just jam with them in my mind and in my room, magical it was, what a time.

Neil is such a great player! He has been a big influence on my playing for sure! I love how he puts that sweep in at the end of the video just to show the kids what's up!

This guy is an absolute legend. What an incredible interview

I've been listening to Neal since his days with Santana. He is a monster with a 6 string in his hands.

I've always loved him! You'll never ever hear a mistake from this man!

His guitar tone. Skills. Everything just perfect. 👍👍🎸🎸🎸🎸

I'll be alright is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard with a great tasteful solo

The man is a bonafide LEGEND

Neal Rocks ! & Ernie Ball Rocks!! I have been using Ernie Ball strings since the mid-80’s that’s all I use too. Super Slinky “Nickel” on the Relic & Slinky “Colbalt” on the Charvel.

Mixing up different gauge Ernie strings, Great advice! Neal Schon is so cool. Stone in Love for sure

Best guitarist ever in rock in terms of musicality No one even come close to his melodic skills

One of the all time greatest guitar players. One of my favorite guitar players.

Legend. So much emotion.

One of my favourite guitarists ever!

Excellent Video, Brilliant Guitarist, Beautifully Melodic 👍👍👍. Thank you. Melbourne, Australia

Incredible Brilliant Musician/Guitarist!

Great band --great guitarist. thanks for the post

well produced piece thank you

LOVE this and your strings and channel from Huntington WV thanks

One of my greatest inspirations!

A few people said I sound like Niel, I was flattered I love his playing especially the solos.

So much greatness

Just a plain badass

Great one!!

epic playing!!!

Good chemistry is a beautiful thing ,,when it comes to creative jamming. Just putting hand to clay. It beautiful!

Amazing legacy to say the least! 👍🎸🎼

One of the greatest rock guitarists of all time.

Always thought him to be top tier. The solos in feeling that way/anytime are brilliant.

great stuff!!!

I would recommend people look up his new age style instrumental solo albums like Beyond the Thunder, Late Night, and my favorite, Voice, where he interprets vocal songs into guitar. If you are a guitar player influenced by Santana and Neal, you will be blown away by them.

The man!!! like #200! Love how there are no thumbs down.

such a great guitarist! and always has been.

Legend!

The reverse headatock and reverse slanted bridge pickup is so cool

He is a legend, but he dresses like a teenager, remember me of Joey of Friends trying to be a teenager!

One of my favorite guitar players/songwriters. His son #MilesSchon is amazing as well.

Fascinating.

When I think of "Badass" on the guitar.. NS is one of the first who come to mind..

We used to do that in our bar band. we were playing kick ass country and rocking it out, rearranging it. We had out own songs also that were much like the Allman Brothers. We used Deluxe reverbs and turned them up to ten straight across the the board. Everything even the reverb was on ten and throw a furniture packing blanket of it with a mic underneath. What a sound. It was awesome like blasting a marshall stack in a big arena but at a controlled volume because of the packing blankets. They do the same thing today but the put the cabs in a road case with foam packed around them to eliminate most of the stage volume.I love earnie ball slinky .09 gauge. that's about as thick as you can go and still be able to bend and blend bent strings with strings that are not. Billy Gibbons uses .08 gauge on most of his guitars.

I use 8s on an old Charvel with a Kahler flat mount bridge with the heavy spring kit in it. Fantastic feeling.

Phenomenal player

Niels probably my favorite player of all time and listen to them with old journey

I don't know all the toys and effects and such, and just recently learned what a loop pedal is. Cool to see Neil use one for this video.

What a video fantastic

Neil is in everyone of us guitar players no matter who wants to admit it!😮

Top 5 guitar influences for me. His solos with Journey are the main reason I bought an electric guitar and will try my best to learn it well so I can emulate him.