Steve Vai's Amps & Effects

Full Rig Details: bit.ly/SteveVaiRR23
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The guitar legend has all sorts of rack gear, pedals, and modeling to get his signature sound.
Come on down to the crossroads-or the CMA Theatre in Nashville-as we walk through the jaw-dropping rig of devilishly talented shredder Steve Vai.
Steve Vai is much more than a great guitarist. The American guitarist has established himself as a key figure in guitar culture, and one of the world’s leading masters of shred. Vai broke on the scene in 1980 as Frank Zappa’s transcriptionist, until Zappa hired Vai, age 20, to join his touring band-Zappa allegedly called Vai his “little Italian virtuoso.”
Bolstering his guitar theatrics with sharp songwriting and producing, Vai went on to conquer the world of guitar music, winning three Grammys and selling 15 million records. PG was lucky to be invited to Vai’s recent show at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s CMA Theatre in Nashville, where his tech, Doug MacArthur, took John Bohlinger through Vai’s jaw-dropping current touring rig.
Shop the Rig:
Steve Vai Ibanez UV70P - sweetwater.sjv.io/k0JonM
Ibanez JSM100 - sweetwater.sjv.io/ZQYykR
DiMarzio Evolution Pickups - sweetwater.sjv.io/EKRZnX
Ibanez Prestige AZ2203N - sweetwater.sjv.io/jrJONa
Synergy Vai Signature Preamps - sweetwater.sjv.io/3emd6A
Synergy BMan Preamps - sweetwater.sjv.io/Pym6Jq
DigiTech Whammy DT - sweetwater.sjv.io/anrWvq
Dunlop 535Q Cry Baby Wah - sweetwater.sjv.io/k0MGAv
Full Rig Details: bit.ly/SteveVaiRR23
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© Copyright Gearhead Communications LLC, 2023
#guitar #ibanez #rigrundown #stevevai #guitarplayer #guitarist

[@premierguitar]

Shop the Rig: Steve Vai Ibanez UV70P - sweetwater.sjv.io/k0JonM Ibanez JSM100 - sweetwater.sjv.io/ZQYykR DiMarzio Evolution Pickups - sweetwater.sjv.io/EKRZnX Ibanez Prestige AZ2203N - sweetwater.sjv.io/jrJONa Synergy Vai Signature Preamps - sweetwater.sjv.io/3emd6A Synergy BMan Preamps - sweetwater.sjv.io/Pym6Jq DigiTech Whammy DT - sweetwater.sjv.io/anrWvq Dunlop 535Q Cry Baby Wah - sweetwater.sjv.io/k0MGAv

[@_o__o_]

onion farts?

[@Twobarpsi]

Steve's kid is a great tech!

[@PhilthyCasual]

He has someof Vai’s mannerisms 😊

[@DannyRedCheeks]

I thought he really was his kid for a second

[@dr.buzzvonjellar8862]

Thank you Guys

[@lalloligyst718]

Awesome guitar tech!

[@bargemaster_band_fl]

Steve is the best!

[@muffinman4353]

Love Vai's "Stunt Guitar" work with Frank..... Outstanding.

[@TylerJohnstonGuitar]

Disappointed to see he’s not still rolling with the Morley Wah. I love my Bad Horsie 2.

[@FastOneBaz]

The main article says the Wah is a Switchless Dunlop 95Q modded, but the link in the description is for a Switched Dunlop 535Q, both are unique units, but which one is correct?

[@DecimasoN]

Mad to think that with all the power of the AXE FX III it's only used for effects.

[@ileutur6863]

Imagine the crazy things you could do with the DSP power from not having amp simulation active.

[@rodrigobelinchon2982]

And for endorsing revenue I guess

[@potluckfishing]

Would make more sense to me to use the 4 cable method with the synergy preamps inserted into a loop

[@christopheranderson2158]

Only if using pre-gain effects before the Synergy preamps....which Steve does not. Why introduce another analog/digital signal conversion if you don’t need to?? That doesn’t make sense......

[@realtruenorth]

Thats the only way I would use it, if is did use one.

[@BOOLsheet]

I think it’s time for Steve to get a plug in

[@syfman6]

8:40 Irony...😂😂

[@rebuildingrocketships]

😅

[@marshall881]

I wonder what happened with Morley?

[@adownbeatexegete1549]

During the '80s there were walls of gear just for a single guitarist. Technology's come a long way.

[@docdaytona108]

“I can only imagine.” (Beat) Are we SURE Steve didn’t have the Little Green Men take him to Kamino on a ‘business trip’ a couple decades ago??

[@FrancescoCristian]

When Satriani Gear?

[@PearHellforge]

8:40 that's john in a nutshell

[@adventurepromo]

Sometimes I wonder if I could take over the world if I had a slightly OCD, detail obsessed person going around making everything work the way it should before I even show up. Probably not. But it'd be pretty cool.

[@aapddd]

This isn’t how it is at all. I have severe OCD. It’s the common misconception about OCD. It’s okay though , I know what you mean.

[@realtruenorth]

​@@aapddd he was joking. Take it easy bro.

[@CocoKoi321]

Vai could simply ...... his rig

[@imeverywhere3969]

What's wrong with mods?

[@minervaselysium137]

yeah I saw this and said hey steve kinda started using modellling...no. he is actually now using 4 amps secretly hidden in the synergyies....

[@rareform6747]

Wish Dave Freedman could help me with all my amps at Stereo ? Yes drop the ground off one amp for Stereo

[@WilliamPayneNZ]

He is actually a surprisingly approachable guy.

[@taylorwerner384]

So I guess he doesn’t use Carvin anymore?

[@scramblesthedeathdealer]

They said he uses Carvin speaker cabs.

[@Twobarpsi]

Cabs...

[@potluckfishing]

Carvin don't make amps anymore.

[@_o__o_]

onion farts

[@wowthisiscrazyshit]

egg sharts

[@andrew6978]

Tofu tarts

[@zachholt6830]

I knew it was gonna be him. NVM

[@ElmoRitter]

Why was he upset at the idea of a vai not using a tube amp? Is it a boomer thing? Is this one of those "i used walk to school uphill both ways barefoot in the snow" kind of things?

[@andrew6978]

Thought the same, stuck in the old 90s view of digital. Maybe he thinks modelling still sounds like a Zoom 505 pedal.

[@WilliamPayneNZ]

People just get used to seeing certain people using certain stuff. It’s not that one is better or worse. Everyone can look back at an artist and find a sound that they really liked.

[@StonyPointRd]

That Rig itself has more karisma than the 2 dudes talkin'

[@projectgoatse]

Bohlinger looking down on digital amp modeling all the time is peak boomer energy. It’s like grandpa complaining about not being able to use their smartphone because it’s too difficult or not being able to grasp that on demand streaming is better than cable TV.

[@cotyroberts]

Good tone is heavy and hard to carry -Tom Bukovac

[@projectgoatse]

@@cotyroberts I had to Google. And I don’t care what some random session musician thinks about tone.

[@yrmthr]

​@projectgoatse but you care what Bohlinger thinks about tone?

[@projectgoatse]

@@yrmthr I do not personally care about what he thinks. The problem that I have is that he’s constantly inserting his own old and outdated opinions about digital equipment in every single rig rundown that he does. It results in three things; influencing viewers into a certain narrow viewpoint, propagating and even glorifying ignorance as a result, and quite frankly inserting his own thoughts and opinions about other people’s rigs where it’s not wanted nor asked for. Rebecca Dirks was a much better host because she actually stuck to asking questions purely about the rig and would often go into detail on an order of magnitude more than Ace Ventura ever could.

[@cotyroberts]

everyone forms opinions for themselves.. Also, in my young opinion digital is trash. @@projectgoatse

[@HeathAllyn]

Ah snobby modeling prejudice. How disappointing.

[@HeathAllyn]

​@@aaronsinger I don't actually care one bit what anyone else thinks of my sound. I'm the only one who has to be happy with it. Though having been a professional full-time musician for 35 years, and playing constantly as a hired gun with pro bands, I'm pretty confident I know what I'm doing and my ears work great. It's just sad to see a source I normally respect being elitist snobs. Like you. As evidenced by needing to be a total jerk in a comment to a stranger. You don't listen with ears, you listen with archaic prejudice and obviously think that your subjective opinion is fact, which it most definitely is not.

[@HeathAllyn]

@@aaronsinger I could also point you to MANY well-respected, well-known, pro players who have gone to digital modeling but your attitude makes it clear that there is no good faith conversation to be had here. Have fun being a miserable, snobby jerk. Sadly there's no block button here (Edit: Ooh, but there is a mute option, sweet), but this will most certainly be the last interaction I have with you. I'm sure that behind your blank profile with no picture or videos, you're a very knowledgeable, guitar god whose opinion should mean a lot to me.

[@dryanbuchanan]

Well, they are a guitar gear channel. If everyone just used a axe fx it would get pretty boring. I don’t think John said anything negative about it. They have their place in the world. But the world is better when there’s more than just kempers and axe fx’s beijbg played. Lol

[@HeathAllyn]

@@dryanbuchanan he seemed pretty dismissive and said he was “disappointed” when he saw the modeler in there. And the tech said pigs would fly before Steve used modeling like it was a dirty word. But I do appreciate you being able to express an opinion in a conversational and not condescending manner and I agree. That’s what I hate is that the snobbery is one way. Though I prefer modelers for many reasons I wound never be like “Oh you use an AMP? Pfft. Have fun with that temperamental antique.” I’m 100% behind playing whatever you like and inspires you and let others do the same without being a snob or a jerk.

[@HeathAllyn]

@@dryanbuchanan and also another good point you make: I recently made a video about how if I was ever famous enough, my rig rundown would be pretty damn boring unless we wanted to talk about all the various virtual rigs and cool ways I can use digital modeling to do things like switch guitars, tunings, amps, cabs, mics, FX, and more all with one switch! And simultaneously MIDI control every aspect of my Nord Stage 3 keyboard as well!

[@andrew6978]

Why the "disappointment" at seeing the AxeFX? Honestly a bit embarrassing to still see such snobbery towards modelling on this channel in 2023.