Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai has named a relatively unknown player, Pete Thorn, as one of the musicians he most admires, praising him as a "guitar soldier" for his tone, lead playing and intonation. The remark stands out because Vai, himself widely regarded as one of the finest guitarists of all time thanks to his work with Frank Zappa, Alcatrazz and Whitesnake, bypassed more famous names to highlight someone better known for online guitar demonstrations than chart success.

Thorn has performed and recorded with artists including Don Henley, Chris Cornell and Melissa Etheridge, but is chiefly recognised for his YouTube channel, where he has posted over 1,300 videos demoing guitars, pedals and techniques to more than 275,000 subscribers. Vai said he first noticed Thorn through his gear demos and was struck by his tone and phrasing, comparing his string-hitting technique to that of Angus Young and Kurt Cobain, and praising his ability to make everything he plays sound right despite lacking the mainstream recognition of more celebrated guitarists.