The three fretboard heroes will link up early next year almost three decades after they launched one of guitar's most influential events back in 1996
(Image credit: Ebet Roberts/Redferns/Getty Images)
Almost three decades on from the inaugural G3 Tour, the event’s leader Joe Satriani has reunited with his fellow flagship G3 electric guitar titans Steve Vai and Eric Johnson for a North American tour next year.
The G3 Tour was first conceived back in ‘95 by Satch, who, after tapping Vai and Johnson for its premiere event the following year, continued to organize and lead various follow-up tours across the 20th and 21st centuries with numerous A-list guitar heroes.
Throughout the years, Satch has continued to call upon the services of Vai and Johnson, and has shared the stage with this generation’s most notable players, including John Petrucci, Paul Gilbert, Neal Schon, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Lukather, Uli John Roth and countless more.
For G3 2024, though, Satch has returned to the event’s roots, recruiting the two guitarists who first helped him launch the concept 28 years ago.
“Reuniting the original G3 line up is a dream come true for me,” Satriani said in a statement. “I can’t wait to take the stage with Eric and Steve again.”
For Vai and Johnson, meanwhile, the overwhelming feeling is one of “honor”. While the Cliffs of Dover mastermind said it would be “an honor to reunite with Joe and Steve and do the G3 tour together again”, the Hydra master echoed, “It’s always an honor to contribute to a G3 tour, and to be with Joe and Eric again playing on stage is like living life to its fullest.”
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
Set to commence early next year, the tour will take place across January and February, kicking off in Arizona on January 23 and concluding in LA on February 10. At the time of writing, there’s been no official word on any potential guest stars.
When it occurs, G3 2024 will mark a significant full circle moment for all three guitarists. Indeed, G3 is one of guitar’s most well-known and influential feats of fretboard collaboration, and is the longest-running guitar-centric tour of its kind.
(Image credit: Press)
It’s become something of a guitar pilgrimage for many fans – and something that the original trio knew would be a hit among six-stringers.
“I said yes immediately,” Vai recently told Guitar Player when the three OG G3 guitarists sat down together last year. “The second Joe told me about what he wanted to do, I was in. And it superseded other plans I may have had, because the concept felt fresh.
“Plus, it was something that I thought was needed in the guitar community at the time. The idea was just fantastic.”
Johnson held similar sentiments: “I felt the same way. It sounded like a novel idea at the time. I remember my manager said, ‘I like this. It sounds really different and cool.’”
For more information on the upcoming tour, head over to the G3 website.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
