Introduction
Steve Vai is one of the world’s most virtuosic guitarists, a pioneer of the shred genre with a flamboyant stage persona to match his guitar skills. The son of Italian-Americans, he also looks great in closely tailored rock apparel and wraparound shades. The git.
As well as a successful solo career, Steve has played for Frank Zappa, Whitesnake, David Lee Roth and even PiL. From fusion to hard rock to new wave, Vai has proved as versatile as he is virtuosic.
It was during his stint with Roth that Vai was targeted by Ibanez, who sent a one-off guitar, wrapped up for Christmas, to his parents’ house. Vai was effectively wooed and joined Ibanez in a bid to build the best shred guitar money could buy.
The result was the JEM, an expensive, highly-spec’d wonder of a thing, boasting 24 frets, unrivalled access to the dusty end of the neck and a vibrato system with several improvements on the Floyd Rose.
The success of the JEM led to Vai and Ibanez developing the Universe, the world’s first mass-produced seven-string guitar. Endorsements with Morley and Carvin amps followed, leaving Vai fully kitted out and free to spend his pocket money on hair products.
Here we look at two rigs - one budget, one blowout - that can help you get close to Vai’s tones…
