Here is my two cents: A great musician who knows theory is going to be better musician than a great musician who doesn't. People tell me that I'm a great guitarist. I've done a lot of studio work in Nashville. i think I'm an okay guitarist who could have been a much better guitarist had he studied instead of depending on his natural ability. i play around with a lot of cats in Baton Rouge and New Orleans who are schooled musicians and I never tell them that I know next to nothing about music. I never let them know, but I'm intimidated every time I play with them! I always play it safe with them because I'm too scared to try different things. If I knew my theory the way I should, I would know in my head what I could try that would work and what wouldn't. I always stress to younger musicians to learn everything there is to know about music because after all, this is our business and a person should know everything there is to know about their particular line of business. Its just good business. I recently learned something that kind of bummed me out: I was always under the impression that Jimi Hendrix didn't know theory. I just learned recently that in fact he did. Same goes for Eddie Van Halen, but I think every one already knows that. I always use the analogy of a baseball pitcher who can throw ma 100 mph fast ball. That's a God given talent, but in order for that pitcher to utilize that talent he has to have coaching. The same goes for music. A person can have the God given talent for music, but for that person to reach their full potential as a musician they need to study. Look at Jaco Pastorious. Look at Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The list goes on and on. I know in Nashville these days all the young cats showing up have all gone to Berkley and graduated from their college and university music programs. As I'm sure most of you know, this is a very competitive business and getting more competitive every day. I study some theory off of YouTube and at groove3.com, but I still have to fake most of what I'm doing. That's the good thing about music though, you can play it and learn about it your whole life and still never know it all. I met Les Paul in Nashville and he was telling me that he still practiced scales and things. And he was close to 90 when I talked to him. Know your theory. It will only make you better!