[ruscio]

I'm curious what others think of the color varieties that have been made so far. Please, if you simply hate the PIA, just move on to another thread...

Here's my ranking and thoughts, but I'll admit up front that I've only ever seen the Stallion White and Onyx Black ones in person, and only one specimen of each (the ones I bought). Also, I fully understand that I'm about to throw bricks from inside my glass house, that someone else can very easily admire the ones that turn me off and take aim at the ones I like better. That's part of what I'm eager to hear about!

1 = Onyx Black. The gold mirror inlays are amazing, the black pickguard is more subdued than the white pearloid on several of the other PIAs, and I find the black + gold scheme much more classy than any of the others. I really appreciate that everywhere you look, it's just black and gold (with a subtle touch of abalone in the inlays that enhances them). Though I'd prefer more conventional pickup covers, this overall aesthetic really works for me.

2 = Stallion White. Yes, it's so similar to the long-running JEM7V, but I think that's for good reason. The white pearl paint actually looks much better up close than in photos. It's brilliant in sunlight. The inlays are fabulous. On the other hand, I'd really prefer this with chrome hardware. It ranks above all the others only because, well, I really don't care for any of the others...

3 = Blue Powder. This has the chrome hardware I want, plus the same gorgeous inlays as the Stallion White, but I'm undecided about the baby blue color itself and the headstock doesn't pop. The decal gets lost up there, and it looks weak where all the other PIA headstocks look bold and dazzling. The blue beneath the pickup covers also makes me a little squeamish, would've really preferred white.

4 = Sun Dew Gold. The gold paint looks amazing. Honestly, for that paint alone I'd own one of these if it wasn't for the horribly mismatched blue/pink inlays. Complete deal-breaker for me. Also, the knobs look like the tops are scuffed in every photo I've seen. I'm sure they're not, but that's how unattractive they are. Final demerit is for gold hardware on a gold body.

5 = Panther Pink. At least part of the inlay matches the body color, kindof. The pink body itself looks pretty cool, I think, but I couldn't pull off the look. I'm just not a guy who can hold a pink guitar without someone trying to slap it out of my hands.

6 = Envy Green. I know it's at the top of this site now, but putting the blue/pink inlays on this one is just as atrociously mismatched as on the Sun Dew Gold and there's no redeeming body color to make up for it. The green just seems boring. I will give it some credit for using the black pickguard, black beneath pickup covers, and nice knobs, though.

Having just trashed most of the lineup, I should say I'm not averse to Vai-style colors. In fact, even though I've never owned a JEM I like pretty much all the ones I've seen for sale and on this forum. There's some really gaudy stuff out there on JEMs, but at least there's a coherent style to it. To my eye, most of the PIAs are just a visual mess--the three limited-edition color models look like they were slapped together from leftover parts, not intentionally designed.

What do you think of the PIA colors?

 

[Mr_Scotia]

I also feel like black is the best colour on the PIA, very smart looking. Almost like a tuxedo became a guitar. I quite like the new blue colour but i also think the blue in the pickup covers is a bit overboard, maybe just some straight chrome regular PAF looking covers might look better.

I feel similarly about the green variant, i think it looks quite obnoxious (but that's coming from a guy with a colour clashing 80s shredder). I think white version just reminds me of old JEM's and it just feels stale now.

Im not a PIA fan in the slightest but if i had to have one it would be black or nothing. Maybe strip it back to bare alder wood and do a colour tinted clear over it if i had to

 

[jemboyee]

Pink
Green
Blue
Gold
White
Black

 

[Rich]

After just getting the blues in I have to say they're pretty. The white is very pearly so it's nothing like the plain white VWH. The black looks great but is a flat finish and I hate flats as they age, polish, scuff, etc, you can do nothing about it. I'll stick to clearcoats. I liked the greed pink and gold. I don't think I have a favorite out of all of them.

 

[Stratoblaster1969]

Putting the blue first because it has chrome/nickel HW. The launch colors next, then black, white.

Blue
Green
Pink
Gold
Black
White

 

[BdaGolfer]

I have a blue on order, but pink would have been my second choice. Was determined not to buy a white or black guitar, have that covered already.

 

[WMerkert]

Green
Pink
Gold
Black
White

I only saw the Onyx Black on pictures. In some pictures the inlays seems to be golden, in others they seem to be white. How is it in real ?

Cheers !

 

[3bolt79]

I think @ruscio has the best already. Orange!

 

[ruscio]

Green
Pink
Gold
Black
White

I only saw the Onyx Black on pictures. In some pictures the inlays seems to be golden, in others they seem to be white. How is it in real ?

Cheers !

I’m not sure the official name for the material, but I’d describe it as gold foil or gold mirror. It’s highly reflective, so the appearance varies with lighting and scenery.

 

[Fowleri]

no love for pias lol

 

[ruscio]

no love for pias lol

Can't read two sentences into a post, or just don't care, got it. That's why we all love you, man!

 

[jono]

OK so, I had a long think about this. Changed it up a bit and settled on this...

Stallion White
Interestingly, after 20 years of white and gold on the JEM, it’s actually come to be my favourite of the schemes offered on the PIA. To my eyes, it just works. I prefer the gloss white of the JEM until that moment when the pearl is bathed in bright sunlight. And then it lights up like it’s made of magic. As much as I dislike the overall shape of a PIA, Steve knows what he’s doing with this classic combination. Everything works together perfectly, White, Gold and if you get a good one, an almost black fingerboard.

Blue Powder
A very close second, this is a colour combination that again, just works. The hard and bright chrome hardware paired with the white pearl pickguard and that gorgeous blue powder finish. Fantastic. Everything matches perfectly and it just works.

Envy Green
Despite the fact that the inlays don’t match, the evolution (pun intended) of the Loch Ness Green is the perfect update for this guitar. The colour is amazing, but overall this version loses out because the inlays just don’t work with the rest of the guitar.

Sundew Gold
As with the green one, the inlays don’t match and that costs this guitar. If they’d put the gold inlay from the onyx black on this one, then they’d have been doing things right. It might also have been better if they could have done that paler “brushed” gold hardware we saw on some of the old J-Customs to match the more subdued tone of the gold paint.

Onyx Black
I love black guitars. There, I said it. But this to me is an example of how not to do a black guitar! This one really needed a gloss finish to work with the gold hardware; the satin finish and the weird pickguard, to me, just don’t work. I do like the fact that the inlay is all gold though. Matching inlay is important on these guitars! I’d have done this one with Chrome hardware like the Blue Powder in a tribute to the 7 PBK. I think this is like the update of the JEM777VBK with gold instead of green, but it doesn’t seem to work as well.

Panther Pink
No. Just. No.
Sorry.

 

[jono]

OK so, I had a long think about this. Changed it up a bit and settled on this...

Stallion White
Interestingly, after 20 years of white and gold on the JEM, it’s actually come to be my favourite of the schemes offered on the PIA. To my eyes, it just works. I prefer the gloss white of the JEM until that moment when the pearl is bathed in bright sunlight. And then it lights up like it’s made of magic. As much as I dislike the overall shape of a PIA, Steve knows what he’s doing with this classic combination. Everything works together perfectly, White, Gold and if you get a good one, an almost black fingerboard.

Blue Powder
A very close second, this is a colour combination that again, just works. The hard and bright chrome hardware paired with the white pearl pickguard and that gorgeous blue powder finish. Fantastic. Everything matches perfectly and it just works.

Envy Green
Despite the fact that the inlays don’t match, the evolution (pun intended) of the Loch Ness Green is the perfect update for this guitar. The colour is amazing, but overall this version loses out because the inlays just don’t work with the rest of the guitar.

Edit
Onyx Black
I love black guitars. There, I said it. But this to me is an example of how not to do a black guitar! This one really needed a gloss finish to work with the gold hardware; the satin finish and the weird pickguard, to me, just don’t work. I do like the fact that the inlay is all gold though. Matching inlay is important on these guitars! I’d have done this one with Chrome hardware like the Blue Powder in a tribute to the 7 PBK. I think this is like the update of the JEM777VBK with gold instead of green, but it doesn’t seem to work as well.

Sundew Gold
As with the green one, the inlays don’t match and that costs this guitar. If they’d put the gold inlay from the onyx black on this one, then they’d have been doing things right. It might also have been better if they could have done that paler “brushed” gold hardware we saw on some of the old J-Customs to match the more subdued tone of the gold paint.

See maybe the black has to go above the gold. Because the non-matching inlays really do affect this guitar and it doesn't have the "green meanie" association to pull it up the rankings.

Yeah, Onyx Black ahead of Sundew Gold


Panther Pink
No. Just. No.
Sorry.

Fixed that for me... ?

 

[brett8388]

I bought a gold one new but hated it and had it painted. I think blue would be the best color if I had to do it over.

 

[Leviathus]

I like this one.

@brett8388 's blue/yellow Bonvillain (IIRC?) is very cool too.

As far as the released models...

Blue
Pink
Green
Black
Gold
White

 

[jemboyee]

Panther Pink
No. Just. No.
Sorry.

Have you seen it in person? It's pretty spectacular.

 

[jono]

Have you seen it in person? It's pretty spectacular.

I'm afraid so, but my therapist says that, with time, I should be ok

For me I just don't think that the colour scheme as a whole works together, the shade of pink with the white pearl pickguard and the dark fretboard really just doesn't come together for me. I think that this one ideally needed a maple fingerboard and to have gone the "pastel" route like the blue powder. I understand that the launch colours were updates of the old JEM777, but I just don' t think this one works.

I actually think this would also have really benefitted from the black pickguard, as it is, all its components just look too disconnected to me

 

[PBGas]

Love the look of the black and green.
However, I have moved to something else and will be putting both of mine up for sale shortly.

 

[bob mclaughlin]

The envy green one looks the best, so I bought one....

 

[ibaraki_gaijin]

If thought the black one looked the best on stage when he toured last year. I like them all except the pink one.

Nothing beats the original floral or the DNAs for looks on a Vai guitar yet though.