They were the raw materials that continued to build the legend, and now they’re available to buy. It must be highlighted, though, that there’s nothing raw about this set of musical items, the nascent tools that guitar legend Steve Vai practised for hours a day on being things of rare beauty and power.
On these, the six-stringer would continue to work on his chops and hone the skills that would see him so admired by rock luminaries such as Frank Zappa, Whitesnake, Dave Lee Roth and many others, as well as his stellar solo career.
Often preparing for shows and tours near his family’s Long Island base, Vai would run through his routine on the small rig, recently discovering them once again on a trip to see his parents. He’s now decided to part with these pieces of history, along with some other once-in-a-lifetime purchases that are all on Reverb seller All Music Inc’s Musicdungeon.
Alongside the beautiful and unusual JEM7V-WH, there’s also a Carvin Legacy II, Boss DS-1, Boss DD-5, and Dunlop CryBaby 95Q.
If this wasn’t mouth-watering enough, Vai is selling a scalloped-fretboard Fender Stratocaster, which the man himself has signed alongside the other members of the Generation Axe supergroup: Nuno Bettencourt, Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde and Tosin Abasi.
Whether you’re a Vai disciple or just someone who appreciates high-quality, well used and loved axes, this little collection is for you. It doesn’t come cheap, with prices ranging from £429.18 for each of the pedals through to £42,492.61 for the JEM7V-WH, which comes complete with a hard case (plus postage on each item), but you’re buying a little slice of history from an artist regularly in the Top Ten guitarists around today.
What isn’t guaranteed is that you’ll be as good as Steve Vai if you buy any of the items, but hey, keep practising, and who knows?