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Are you a die-hard fan of the guitar or the man?

How many Jem/ UV owners are big Steve Vai fans?

3K views 18 replies 16 participants last post by  slackta7vwh 
#1 ·
Yes, Steve's incredible technical prowess and innovative style are undeniable but my Vai listening time is by far overshadowed by Satch, Petrucci, Jeff Loomis, Broderick/ Friedman/ Mustaine, and yes, even Tremonti (Alter Bridge NOT Creed).

I love the Vai/ RG guitars. How many others love the guitars because of the guitars and not because of Steve?
 
#2 ·
In the late 80s, I found out about the RG550 at GC one day, before I knew about Vai.
Then I really started looking at the Ibanez line of guitars and found the JEM was the same guitar but cooler looking.
Then, when David Lee Roth split from VH and started a new band, I thought ,"Who is that incredible guitar player that is way better than Eddie?"
Then I dug in and found out about Steve's solo album and Zappa.
So in a way, Ibanez and Roth, led me to Vai.
 
#3 ·
Well, you gotta love the guy first off. He's technically a pretty flawless player and what he actually plays is pretty unorthodox compared to the other instrumental musicians. What got me to love his guitars was him, but honestly at this point in time, I don't even listen to him that much anymore. I still however love his sig line of Ibby's. They all just play really really great. I don't think there are too many people who pick up one of his guitars, play it, and say "ah, that things crap!" There are however, quite a few people who probably think, " I won't get caught dead playing that cheezy looking thing." Fortunately, I'm not one of those folks! Steve's guitars are really only for true Steve fans. Otherwise a lot of the little intricate things about his guitars gets losts. The pyramid inlays, the tree of life inlay, the name etc... I've had guys just laugh when I say I'd beg, borrow and steal for an SK. Or I get "whats with the chopped up pyramid thingys....
I'd say I'm a HUGE Vai fan, but his stuff as of late is pretty..blah.. "Ultra Zone" was the last CD that had me thinking he was still able to kick it up a notch. I miss the P & W days where he didn't process his guitar to the hilt in order to make it NOT sound like a guitar...
 
#4 ·
Vai is great, but nowardays I very rarely listen to his stuff. Obviously he was a key player in shaping rock and metal and the things and noises that you can get out of a guitar but P+W, ALS and fire garden are the only albums that are notable IMHO.

The guitars however are another thing. Since getting my first Jem which was a VWH back in 2001, I havent been able to stop getting more, they look great and they feel and play great. I agree with tmatt that being a Vai fan obviously helps you appreciate the intricacies about these guitars.
 
#5 ·
I actually don't like Steve Vai at all. I find his playing excessively noodly and uninteresting. I've also always been turned off by the very distinct Vai tone he always has. Don't get me wrong, I respect what the guy does, but I don't own any of his music and never listen to him.

I knew what a Jem was before I had any clue who Steve Vai was, when I saw an FP in Guitar Center and was absolutely blown away by the guitar. To me it's all about the guitar. Jems are hands down the coolest looking "80's" guitars ever created as far as I'm concerned and they play and sound great.

I didn't get into music like this at all until the very late 80's and was completely unaware of DLR's solo stuff. I knew of Van Halen, but I was mostly into pop metal at the time. I first became aware of Vai when he joined Whitesnake.
 
#6 ·
I first heard of Vai around the Eat 'Em And Smile time. I was already playing guitar (because of Yngwie) and I remember reading an interview with Vai in a guitar magazine. I thought "this guy sounds like he knows what's going on, plus if he's replacing Eddie with Roth, and had replaced Yngwie in Alcatrazz, he has to be good, right?" I got the album soon after and for some reason, it's my favorite Vai album. The solo for "Big Trouble" is my all time favorite.

The JEMs didn't appear until the second DLR album. I remember wanting one, but not being able to afford one. Eventually, the Ibanez guitars exploded in popularity, especially with shredders. I noodled away on my Squier Stratocaster until I was able to buy an RG570 brand new. Vai or not, from that point forward I knew I would never play another make of guitar.
 
#8 ·
I find Vai's music to be very mixed. Some of it is litterally incredible, some of it I find unlistenable.

At his very best, I don't think there's anyone who can do more with a guitar. At his very worst, I think that if he wasn't already Steve Vai, he simply wouldn't get an output for it.

The question you have to ask though, is how can you top "Passion and Warfare"? And when you did that by the time you were 30, where do you go from there?
 
#14 ·
Steve is no doubt an amazing player with an amazing guitar. However, I'm sure that someday people are gonna know the JEM more than Vai, kinda like the Les Paul. Still, he is a virtuoso, and capable of many tings on the guitar, including Strat abuse. Having said that, I like David Gilmour better.
 
#15 ·
In my eyes at least.....Vai is the best there has ever been or ever will be. Many players have mad skills for sure but little of those have completely revolutionised the guitar (made 7 strings popular amongst metal bands) revolutionised how it's played and what can be done with a guitar as well as being a flamboyant and exciting character to watch onstage. He's got the whole package.

Really, what Vai does on a guitar, if you really watch it closely.....no one is doing anything close to that. No one....not even satch. That shizzle is unparallelled. Unless you practice 12 hours a day for the next 20 years, forget about it. (Tosin Abasi comes ridiculously close.......actually, he'll be one to watch)

Vai is godlike
 
#17 ·
I don't recall that I got into RG's back in the late 80's from Steve Vai. Although I did have Flexable...on CASSETTE. And I thought his work on DLR's Eat'm and Smile was pretty awesome. Grunge came along when I was at a low point, so I identified a lot with that music. Recently I was in a retail store that had the Where the Wild Things Are DVD playing, which I bought and think is amazing. I still play RG's and don't have a JEM. I also have a couple of the G3 DVD's and might get P and W next.
 
#18 ·
I'm not really into Vai, & never really have been.

Sure, passion & warfare is gathering dust amongst the cds somewhere, but 'surfing' is always in the stacker.

I never bought a Jem to look like Vai, but i also haven't bought a JS to look like Satch. Having said that, i still love my Jem.
 
#19 ·
great question! i love these types of questions!

i would say i think highly of steve vai. not enough to learn his music though. So i play the JEM for its versitality rather than to be just like him.

i felt is was more important to play more suddle like joe satriani and eric johnson. i just listen to steve vai. take some ideas, and make it my own.

the JeM IS exactly what i needed to play classic rock. i can go from stevie ray vahn to B.B. King then back to Van Halen without switching a pedal. just a simple roll of the volume.

Thanks for the great question, i wish i would have thought of it lol.

Jay
 
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