Steve Vai news and features - page 7

Steve Vai (background, left) and Nile Rodgers recording the theme song for Halo 2

Watch Nile Rodgers shred up a storm on Steve Vai's Ibanez JEM in recently unearthed studio footage from Halo 2 score sessions

By Jackson Maxwell published 20 April 22

Posted online by Halo series composer Martin O'Donnell, the footage shows Rodgers and Vai taking the game's iconic theme in a more guitar-heavy direction

Steve Vai recalls the time he went to Paisley Park to jam with Prince – but Prince didn’t show up

By Matt Owen published 6 April 22

Vai, who instead jammed with Prince band members Sonny T. and Michael Bland, also revealed that lost footage of the fateful night is out there somewhere

Steve Vai names 5 contemporary guitarists who are taking the instrument to the next level

By Robin Davey published 4 April 22

The virtuoso picks 5 players who are breaking new six-string ground

Steve Vai plays his triple-neck Ibanez Hydra guitar

Watch Steve Vai wrestle with his insane triple-neck Ibanez in new Teeth of the Hydra music video

By Jackson Maxwell published 1 April 22

"I just started slowly, and it all began to unfold very naturally," the maestro said of writing a piece on the three-neck beast

Steve Vai's signature guitar, the Ibanez JEM

Steve Vai on how Frank Zappa inspired him to design the Ibanez JEM – and why the Japanese guitar builder succeeded where others failed

By Robin Davey published 31 March 22

“Ibanez said, ‘We want to make these for other people, too.’ And I’m thinking, ‘Who’s going to want this? It’s so weirdly idiosyncratic to me!’”

Steve Vai offers a guided tour of his favorite guitars

By Robin Davey published 23 March 22

How the guitar god went from a 1977 Fender Strat to the triple-necked steampunk-inspired custom Hydra

Steve Vai recalls playing to a crowd chanting Yngwie Malmsteen's name at his first gig with Alcatrazz

By Sam Roche published 17 March 22

Vai took over guitar duties in the heavy metal outfit following the departure of Malmsteen in 1984, but fans were apparently not informed

When Frank Zappa shut up ’n’ stopped playing guitar

By Noë Gold published 10 March 22

Tracking the great Frank Zappa’s on-again, off-again love affair with his guitar with Ahmet Zappa, photographer John Livzey, Steve Vai and Zappa biographer and filmmaker Alex Winter

Neal Schon of Journey performs onstage during the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival on September 18, 2021 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada

Watch Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Slash, Zakk Wylde, John McLaughlin and more wish Neal Schon a happy birthday

By Jackson Maxwell published 3 March 22

Paul Rodgers, LL Cool J, Dolly Parton, Sheila E., Huey Lewis and Narada Michael Walden also stop by to wish the Journey guitarist many happy returns in a video organized by his wife, Michaele

Steve Vai announces European leg of his upcoming Inviolate World Tour

By Sam Roche published 1 March 22

The trek will commence in Glasgow on June 4, comprising 34 dates in total and wrapping up in Barcelona on July 19

New Twitter account explores the creation of Steve Vai’s insane triple-neck Ibanez Hydra guitar

By Matt Owen published 23 February 22

From the internal wiring to the absurdly large case it resides in, the new social media channel documents the Hydra's journey from prototype to final product

Steve Vai: “I’m very fortunate in that whatever ridiculous ideas come into my head, the people at Ibanez can make them real”

By Joe Bosso published 22 February 22

After two serious surgeries, Vai could have simply packed it in. Instead, he gave himself some familiar-sounding advice and emerged with his most dazzling new album – and triple-neck guitar – in years

Steve Vai's hands will appear in Foo Fighters' new horror movie, Studio 666

By Sam Roche published 21 February 22

“Dave doesn't actually shred as a guitar player, and I live a three-minute walk from where they were filming,” Vai reveals

Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Guthrie Govan

Learn 60 years of legato guitar in 5 generation-spanning lessons

By Jamie Humphries published 16 February 22

Master the evolution of legato technique from the '70s to the present day, spanning Eddie Van Halen to Steve Vai and Guthrie Govan

Steve Vai tore a tendon in his shoulder while making pizza

By Sam Roche published 31 January 22

The injury-prone virtuoso made the admission almost a year after holding a chord for so long he had to undergo surgery

Hear Steve Vai put his bonkers steampunk triple-neck through its paces on Teeth of the Hydra

By Michael Astley-Brown published 28 January 22

The eagerly anticipated Hydra showcase appears on new album Inviolate, which is out today

Steve Vai reveals the most difficult aspect of playing Eddie Van Halen’s guitar parts

By Matt Owen published 27 January 22

Vai has detailed the challenges of playing EVH's “perfectly orchestrated” parts with David Lee Roth

Steve Vai shares video detailing insane, triple-neck Ibanez Hydra guitar

By Jackson Maxwell published 19 January 22

Vai will auction an NFT of the video – which gives viewers an up-close look at the combination 7-string guitar/12-string guitar/4-string bass – on January 28

Steve Vai performs live at the 2021 Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival on September 17, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada

Steve Vai postpones the start of his American tour

By Jackson Maxwell published 18 January 22

The virtuoso said he was "gutted" to move the tour back, a decision that was made due to an injury that will require surgery

From spectral folk to metal Muse: here are this week's essential guitar tracks

By Matt Owen, Sam Roche, Michael Astley-Brown, Jackson Maxwell published 13 January 22

Spice up your week with guitar goodness from Steve Vai, Shamir, Muse, Korn, Michael Romeo, Eve Adams and more

Get The Pick Newsletter