To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Steve Vai’s groundbreaking 1990 album, Passion and Warfare, Ibanez Guitars will release limited-edition Steve Vai Universe guitars in three different finishes.
You can check out all three finishes below.
These commemorative UV77 swirl-finish guitars made their debut appearance at the 2016 Winter NAMM Show.
They’re available in three multi-dimensional color combinations that depict the original color schemes of the Passion and Warfare album artwork—the UV77PSN "Passion" (Blue/Pink), UV77WFR "Warfare" (Orange/Yellow) and UV77SVR "Silver" (Silver/Blue). Production is limited to 77 guitars of each color scheme.
Specs:
Maple UV Neck
American Basswood Body
Jumbo Frets
Rosewood Fretboard
Disappearing Pyramid Inlay
Lo-Pro Edge 7 Bridge
DiMarzio Blaze pickups
Ultralite Tremolo Arm included
Hardshell case included
Certificate of Authenticity included.
For more about Vai's signature Ibanez models, visit ibanez.com.
Passion and Warfare features "For the Love of God," "Liberty," "Erotic Nightmares," "The Animal," "The Riddle" and several other legendary Vai tracks. Vai and Sony will issue a 25th-anniversary edition of Passion and Warfare that includes an entire bonusalbum, which Vai calls "the missing link between Flex-Able and Passion and Warfare."
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"What I’m working right now is the 25th anniversary release ofPassion and Warfare,"Vai told metallus.it. "I’m [including] an extra CD with material that’s never been released. It’s music the I’ve either recorded or written in betweenFlex-Able and Passion and Warfare. If you’re familiar with Flex-Able, it’s a very strange record: I recorded it when I was 20. And if you listen to Passion and Warfare, it seems [like] a completely different guy. So what happened in between? Where’s the missing link?"
The bonus album has a name—Modern Primitive. The disc, which was recorded and/or written between 1984 and 1990, features music that ranges from intense to delicate melodic chasms to some truly bizarre masterpieces. Vai is actually recording additional guitar parts and breathing 25 years' worth of recording advances and musicality into the songs.
In other Vai news ...
Vai will be joined by Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi for the Generation Axe tour. This not-to-be-missed “Night of The Guitar” will span 27 North American tour dates and will feature a variety of performances in different configurations by the five players.
Performances will include songs from their respective catalogs and classic songs played together as a full band, which will include Pete Griffin (Zappa Plays Zappa) on bass, Nick Marinovich (Yngwie Malmsteen) on keys and—as just announced—and Matt Garstka of Animals As Leaders on drums.
"The Generation Axe show is a unique performance of five fiercely talented guitar players coming together to create a six-string extravaganza that is sure to amaze and delight," Vai said.
Three separate Generation Axe VIP ticket packages are now available: a front-row package, meet-and-greet package and VIP tour package. Visit generationaxe.com for all concert dates and for tickets.
Look for the updated Passion and Warfare in mid-2016—and watch out for Vai on the Generation Axe Tour, which kicks off in April.
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
