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Steve Vai Jackson "Jack Butler" Guitar

54K views 68 replies 29 participants last post by  ibrahimasood 
#1 ·
Hi. I recentley purchased a Custom Shop Jackson "Jack Butler" guitar. The guitar is amazing, but the pickups came with Seymour Duncan JB on the bridge and S. Duncan 59 on the neck which I believe it´s not the pickups which was installed at the Vai´s Charvel Green Meanie. I love the Jack Butler tone and wish to put the right pickups to get that tone. I´ve receive an email from Steve Blucher from DiMarzio saying he doesn´t know what pickups was installed during movie recording.
Anybody could help me ?

Thank you so much

Waverider
 
#33 ·
Man, this is another dificult subject too because red tone colours varies tremendously in pictures and video. In a past, I had a conversation (by email) with Arlen Roth about the original guitar and asked him a lot. He told me great stories about that guitar and about the movie. But he made some mistakes when he say that guitar wasn´t sparkle. In a matter of fact, it´s not easy to verify if that guitar is plain red, mettalic red or sparkle red. Nowadays I am shure that the original one is sparkle red. My replic is sparkle but depending on the light, pictures and videos of it will show metalic or even plain red. I have a lot of pics of my guitar which are completely different tone red colors including sparkle or metalic or plain red. So, watching the Crossroads movie is not the better way to get the exact guitar color. But, you can move to the Hard Rock Cassino at Biloxi and verify it () . I wish to do that someday, but for me is dificult because I´m living in Brazil. If you see that movie you will be induced to conclude that the original is not sparkle, but when I take mine and make a similar video, my guitar - which is sparkle - looks like exactly the same tone color and shine. If you want I can post some pics of my guitar and you could verify how different red tones it can show.
 
#34 ·
I always thought it was a candy apple red metallic -- not sparkle -- but it's hard to tell from the pics I have seen. I think that the vid you posted somewhat confirms this in my eyes, but one's eyes can deceive them.

At times, it looks like the Pearl Red that Ibanez used on my lost, beloved RG 410



If I were to get fairly close, I think I could be happy.
 
#41 ·
Hello Mike. Following this comments from DiMarzio Tech support and Steve Blucher also, saying that they do not believe that pickups were Paf Pros.

Steve Vai say to me that pickups were probably PAFs and no PAF PROs also.

Thanks

-------------------
From: Steve Blucher
Subject: RE: What pickups in Steve Vai´s "Green Meanie" guitar on 1986 Crossroads Movie ?

Sorry, but I can't. It sounds too warm to have been a PAF Pro, but a Super or X2N could have been used, depending on the amp and overdrive pedal he might have used.

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Friday, June 04, 2010 5:12 PM
To: Steve Blucher
Subject: RE: What pickups in Steve Vai´s "Green Meanie" guitar on 1986 Crossroads Movie ?


Thank you due to your answer. Do you belive, hearing the recording that pickup could be a Super Distortion or a Paf Pro or even a X2N? You probably have the greatest hears for this at the entire world... Can you give me a suggestion ?



Thank you so much

--- On Fri, 6/4/10, Steve Blucher <> wrote:


From: Steve Blucher
Subject: RE: What pickups in Steve Vai´s "Green Meanie" guitar on 1986 Crossroads Movie ?
Date: Friday, June 4, 2010, 5:51 PM

It isn't possible to identify the pickup from the movie. We didn't work directly on this guitar until the first David Lee Roth CD, and that took place after the movie was done.

-----Original Message-----

Posted At: Friday, June 04, 2010 4:34 PM
Posted To: Tech
Conversation: What pickups in Steve Vai´s "Green Meanie" guitar on 1986 Crossroads Movie ?
Subject: RE: What pickups in Steve Vai´s "Green Meanie" guitar on 1986 Crossroads Movie ?

Ok, thanks. Is it possible to try to identify the pickup by hearing it from the movie? Any chances to be a Super Distortion or other pickup?

In this webpage http://www.jemsite.com/jem/model/charvel2.htm is said that the Green Meanie has "custom shop DiMarzios". What should be this pickups ?

Is it possible to ask Steve Blucher about this? Maybe he can know what was the pickups used...

Thank you so much

--- On Fri, 6/4/10, DiMarzio Tech <tech@dimarzio.com> wrote:


From: DiMarzio Tech <tech@dimarzio.com>
Subject: RE: What pickups in Steve Vai´s "Green Meanie" guitar on 1986 Crossroads Movie ?

Date: Friday, June 4, 2010, 1:01 PM

I'm sorry, but we don't know. It isn't likely that the pickups were PAF Pros, and there was an X2N in the bridge position of this guitar at one time, but I can't verify that this is the pickup used for the recording of the movie soundtrack.

-----Original Message-----
Posted At: Thursday, June 03, 2010 7:14 PM
Posted To: Tech
Conversation: What pickups in Steve Vai´s "Green Meanie" guitar on 1986 Crossroads Movie ?
Subject: What pickups in Steve Vai´s "Green Meanie" guitar on 1986 Crossroads Movie ?

Hello DiMarzio !

Ok. I know it could sound like a nonsense question, but it´s important to me. I have a Jackson Custom Shop "Crossroads" model, with same spec as that one Steve Vai used on 1986 Crossroads movie. Since that red Jackson guitar was just a prop and Steve uses his Charvel Green Meanie for recording it, I will appreciate SO MUCH if you could tell me what the exact pickup models Steve uses on that time in Green Meanie guitar.

I LOVE the tone Steve got on that movie. I know maybe it´s not a simple question, but I intend to put the right pickups on my guitar in order to get the same tone.

Someone says it´s a Super Distortion, other says it´s a X2N on bridge, Pafs and other says it´s a Paf Pro. So.. I´m confused. I really appreciate if you help me.

For reference, the tone that I´m talking about is this:


Thank you so much




 
#39 ·
I seen that guitar at the hard rock cafe in Hawaii. If memory serves me correctly, I don't think it was a sparkle. The body was completely split in half only being held by some wood fibers. Crossroads is one of my all time favorite movies. Anyway you have a really nice guitar.
 
#46 · (Edited)
I have crossroads on DVD...I just watched the scene twice and it DEFINITELY sparkles...here's some fullsize screencaps:

In the light is sparkles just like yours Waverider. Awesome!



Here's an upclose: I think it's safe to say with those black pole pieces they are definitely Dimarzios. Since the superdistortion has chrome poles and the older PAF's have black ones; i'd definitely say they are PAFs! (think, this movie was 1985 so Steve was probably right in saying this was a hot DP103, not a PAF pro. Jems and PAF Pros hadn't been invented yet I don't think!)

 
#52 ·
The plot thickens....

So, if Steve Blucher notes its NOT a PAF Pro then why come Dimarzio's own website has "Butlers Bag" as a sound clip for the PAF Pro?!?
Is it a bad sound clip example? (this does happen on Dimarzio's website)
Or is Steve Blucher mixing up Greenie Meanie (which was also mentioned in the e-mail) with this guitar, which certainly does predate the PAF Pro?

http://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/humbuckers/paf-pro

hmmmmmmmmm????????

That and it sounds like a PAF Pro too.
 
#54 ·
Good question Mike !!

Also, it is strange this sound clip example was never in there in their website. DiMarzio never made any reference to this music as an example of Paf Pro sound. Never. It is a very recent information.

Or Steve Blucher made some mistake or anybody at Dimarzio did.

My guess is that Steve Blucher is correct due to fact that when this track was recorded, there was not a Paf Pro Pickup. None, even a prototype. I asked Steve Vai the same question and he gave me the same answer that was not a Paf Pro pickup.

Best Regards,
Waverider
 
#55 ·
Actually, That version of ETB is a studio one steve made right before he was going to do all of that "secret jewel case" stuff IIRC. It is clearly a different, and more modern recording - but it is very confusing!

PS. hey, I just realized, today has been exactly since I met ya, Waverider!
 
#57 ·
Well I think, that the song "Butler's Bag" on DiMarzio's website ist the same as track 4(also named "Butler's Bag") on Steve Vai's Album "The Elusive Light and Sound Vol.1". I think it's the original recording from the movie, which would explain the Charvel(Green Meanie) under Guitar Used. ;)
 
#59 · (Edited)
Steve used PAF pros for quite a while... The PAF Pro was released in mid 1986, the movie was released in March 1986. The track was recorded with vais GM. It stands to reason, it could not have been a PAF Pro based on timeline given, unless steve had access to early release of the pickup or worked/developed it himself.
edit: apparently steve was using x2n's during this period, perhaps that could be it.
Ill ask larry dimarzio if he can provide any inputs on this.


And, not sure if the model was disclosed yet, but its a dk2m model.


Yay for google! :p
 
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