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Play electric guitar like Steve Vai
Steve Vai doesn't really need any further introduction, he should be known to every ambitious electric guitarist. If you belong to his large fanbase and would like to sound like him, then you've come to the right place. In this guide, we'll tell you what you need to sound like Steve.
About Steve Vai
From his legendary stints as Frank Zappa's guitarist for special sounds and solos, his time alongside Whitesnake and David Lee Roth to contributions to various soundtracks and an extremely successful solo career, Steve Vai, born in New York in 1960, has redefined the boundaries of the electric guitar - if there are any boundaries for him at all. Even today, Steve is still fully committed and does not shy away from any musical challenges.
Steve started playing the guitar at a very early age and, from the age of 13, received lessons for several years from Joe Satriani, who lived in the neighbourhood and was only four years older than Steve. The two became good friends and still work together today. However, Steve formed his first band at the age of seven.
Steve attended Berklee College of Music in 1979 and focussed in particular on transcribing Frank Zappa songs. He pursued the goal of one day playing in Frank Zappa's band and convincing Zappa of his abilities - which he actually achieved. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in 2000.
From 1986, Steve was part of David Lee Roth's band, with whom he recorded the albums Eat 'Em and Smile and Skyscraper. He attracted particular attention with the track Yankee Rose, in the intro to which Steve lets his guitar have a "dialogue" with the singer. From the way Steve phrases the notes, Roth's "answers" make it possible to understand, with a little imagination, what the guitar is saying in the dialogue. He left the band in 1989 and was brought in to replace Vivian Campbell in Whitesnake. By this time, Steve had already launched an impressive solo career and now he has ten studio albums to his name. In 2000, he also founded his own music label: Favored Nations Entertainment.
Discography and successes
Solo:
- 1984: Flex-Able
- 1990: Passion And Warfare (Gold)
- 1993: Sex & Religion
- 1996: Fire Garden
- 1998: Flex-Able Leftovers
- 1999: The Ultra Zone
- 2005: Real Illusions: Reflections
- 2012: The Story of Light
- 2016: Modern Primitive
- 2022: Inviolate
- 2023: Gash
With David Lee Roth:
- 1986: Eat 'Em And Smile
- 1988: Skyscraper
With Whitesnake:
- 1989: Slip of the Tongue (Platinum)
Steve has been nominated for a Grammy seven times, first winning in 1993 as Artist for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for the track Sofa and again in 2002 as Producer. He has also been honoured with numerous awards from renowned music magazines.
Affordable electric guitars for Steve Vai fans
Copying Steve's style is not just a question of material, but above all of technique and practice. With the right technique, you can manage to sound like Steve even with an inexpensive guitar. Steve's signature model, the Ibanez JEM, is also available for a reasonable price in various versions, as are the numerous classics that Steve has in his large collection.
High end electric guitars of Steve Vai
About Steve's guitars
In addition to the JEM models already mentioned, there are other Ibanez signature guitars from Steve: the PIA series. These guitars represent a further development of the JEM and are equipped with state-of-the-art features. In addition to numerous other Ibanez models, Steve also repeatedly uses two classic electric guitar models, the Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster. The JEM and PIA models are also based on these models. Steve also plays signature models of other artists such as John Mayer, Yngwie Malmsteen and Jeff Beck.
The instruments in the following selection are either played by Steve himself or are very similar to his instruments.
Here comes PIA
The Ibanez PIA is the successor and further development of the popular JEM, which is also a Steve Vai signature model. At first glance, both models look very similar. The PIA adopts the Modern ST body made of alder, the HSH pickup equipment, and the Floyd Rose vibrato system. However, the fine details differ, such as the "carrying strap" inspired by the symbol for ying and yang, the design of the pickups and the PIA Blossom fingerboard inlay inspired by the Tree of Life inlay, or the magnetic backplate that still makes the PIA look like no other electric guitar. In the video on the left, Steve himself explains the most important features of his signature guitar.
Alternative high end electric guitars fitting Steve's style
The most important components of Steve's signature models are the Modern ST body, the HSH pickup configuration and the Floyd Rose vibrato. However, these features can also be found on other high-end guitars. We have put together a selection of alternative guitars from other manufacturers that are based on the design of guitars from Steve's collection.
Expert opinion
Steve's typical stylistic devices include his expressive slides and his distinctive vibrato playing. He uses these to create bizarre effects and very special soundscapes and combines them with sensitive phrasing. Compositionally, he relies on elements from rock, fusion, blues and classical music. So it takes more than just the perfect guitar, the right, sophisticated technique is also important if you want to emulate Steve's sound.
Steve Vai's effects pedals
Steve Vai uses a whole range of effects pedals, especially the Boss compact pedals. Here are the most important effects you need for the Steve Vai sound.
