As one of the world's most celebrated guitar virtuosos, Steve Vai is always chasing the perfect sound.
While Vai has mostly stuck to his signature Ibanez guitars over the years, he explained in a recent conversation with fellow guitarist R.J. Ronquillo that he loves many other makes and models for their unique qualities.
Vai is no collector, per se, but he does believe some guitars have a mojo in them — a unique feel and sound — which can be exploited for inspiration. During a conversation about tone with Ronquillo, the maestro recalled an early foray into the vintage guitar scene in which he was ready to drop a small fortune if only he could find a worthy axe.
"I have some 'vintage' guitars, but I've never really collected them because I like functional instruments that my ear responds to," Vai said. "I remember once I wanted to buy a really expensive [Fender Stratocaster], and I saved up for a long time — like $25,000."
He continued: "And I had all the stores on Sunset Boulevard bring me all their best vintage Strats. This was, like, in the '90s. I tried them all and I wanted to buy a really cool vintage, expensive Strat, and I bought a $500 Japanese Strat because it sounded the best. I recorded a song called 'The Boy From Seattle' with it."
He acknowledged that other players might not feel the same way. Different players have different preferences, and one guitar won't sound the same in different hands.
Vai noted earlier in the conversation that tone is unique to everyone. For him, that $500 guitar has "one of the greatest Strat tones" he's ever heard.
"What do I know about [the good] years and the whatever of Strats?" he asked. "...People think I know; I don't. I'm not concerned," he concluded. "I'm concerned with what [my ear] says. So that's what I mean by your best skill, your listening and your taste of what feels and sounds right to you."
It's unclear whether Vai ever bought a 'vintage' guitar after that experience at Strat hunting. There's no doubt, many of the guitars in his collection are 'vintage' simply because of their association with Vai and his career.
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