I actually love how open he is to the nu-metal movement and how he's talking about Korn to a lot of people's disappointment. He's open-minded. Something a lot of musicians and people in general should think about improving on.
@@bobbyboucher-k9t bro its a 10 year old comment and the like you thing is super weird cringe and unfunny because there's zero context and you just sound like either a weird stalker alog or there was some joke I didn't see, either way :)))))))))))))))))))))))
I can't name one guitar player who has remained as relevant as Steve Vai and is still alive making music. Yes there are many guitarists that have left and impression on the guitar culture and some on the music culture as well but Steve is just so talented, so passionate, so loving and caring about what he does that he has survived in a way that no other guitar player ever has and I believe ever will.
Body is primed, any bare wood and screw holes are filled with wax, then they dip the guitar into the mixture you saw. It's water, borax, and oil base paints that float on top of the water creating swirls. Very cool indeed, and pretty easy to do but it's a crap shoot as to how the swirl will turn out so it may take multiple dips before you're satisfied.
People forget how much vai has contributed to world of guitar... not only is he a great player he also pioneered 7 strings floating trem hsh ... so much that we take for granted.. much like Evh and his humbucker on a strat... pure genius
I also remember being totally blown away when I heard Korn's first CD but I was lucky it happened through really loud and powerful car stereo speakers.
I bet Munky from Korn would be overcome with happiness if he hears Steve Vai saying that because he seems to look up to Vai even though he used the Universe for a totally different thing
I was born in 98 but I was introduced to Steve Vai before I was even in kindergarten and this is like THE GUITAR for me. To be more specific the one on the cover of passion and warfare or any of the swirl finishes.
this is great. Vai should do an hour long video of him just sitting with guitars and telling all sorts of guitar stories. Ideas he put in building guitars. Spinal tap moments etc... it would be really great.
It’s so cool of him to give the Korn guys so much admiration. Munky actually had Ibanez make him a one-of-a-kind 7-string JEM Guitar. They had to get permission from Steve Vai first and he was totally cool with it. Then Munky sent Steve a picture of it and he was so impressed by it that he wanted one of his own.
Very few things have changed my life in the way that ERG's have. Vai was my first as far as seven strings, when I discovered him through a friend I worked with in a restaurant back in 96. Being that I was only 15 at the time, buying a universe was out of my price range. So finally in 1999 I got a Schecter Avenger 7, and it was absolutely mind boggling. Now I own several 7's, a couple 8's, and one 9 string. All but one are Ibanez. And I just recently preordered another 8 string, which is a certain artists signature to be released soon. Vai and his trailblazing has changed the way I view and write music, I will be forever grateful.
Steve is the real deal. His love, his passion.... Sometimes I cringe, sometimes I'm laughing my fc*g a*s off (listening to the marketing mambo mambo) What really counts is though, he delivers and whether its his guitar masterclass or being a guest at Zappa plays Zappa, he is genuine and real beyond any shred of doubt.
I own several guitars but, there is only one I will never part with under any circumstances. I bought it used in 1993 for $350.00 from a friend who decided to move to Jackson guitars. I am and always will be the proud owner of a 1991 JEM, the most versitile instrument made, in my opinion. I love it more than my luggage. Save your bones and pull the trigger. If you play, you will never experience buyers remorse. Thank you Steve, for all the music and innovation over the years!!!!!!
It's a shame though that Vai didn't acknowledge Trey Azagthoth's (Morbid Angel) unique contributions in utilizing the 7-string, before Korn circa 1992/1993.
Transcending Music I think Vai doesn't/wasn't generally digging extra deep to find metal acts using it to be aware. I'm 99% sure if we went back to '94 and put the radio on, we'd hear Korn on hundreds of times before Morbid Angel. Kind of unfortunate and a shame, like you said. But hey, at least some credit went where it was due.
Nishad George Hi Nishad, absolutely agree that exposure had a lot to with it. Although in my opinion, exposure is merely a facilitator in discovery. Otherwise, I still maintain that an artist, especially one who is so proficient and such a master of their instrument such as Vai, should certainly be in tune (no pun) with other innovators.
Morbid Angel didn't use the 7 string until 1993's Covenant,which by that time Korn had already formed so it's hard to say MA was the first metal band using them. Besides, Steve probably hadn't even heard of them. He hadn't even heard of Korn before hearing one of their songs on the radio and immediately noticing the 7 string sound. So don't take it to heart.
@@MrSFblack Sorry I somehow missed this message. Actually, regardless of when they banded together, Korn FIRST utilized the 7-string on their Self-titled 1994 debut. Morbid Angel had already released Covenant by 1993.
I play 7th string guitar since 2000 and last year i got 8th string, these guitars change the way that i play guitar. I play a lot of tapping. Thanks a lot Steve and Ibanez to give us the seven string and 8th string guitars! God bless u!
Agreed I love the thick chords on a 7 string. The thick chords and bass lines are incredible. The down tuning is really cool too. the extra octave possibilities is like a whole new universe
While his style is not my cuppa tea, Steve Vai deserves respect for his skills. I saw him play with Zappa twice, and his legacy is deserved for that accomplishment by itself, ntm his full canon of work.
Hi Mr. Vai Im a big fan of your music, and a big fan of Ibanez guitars , actually I got two Ibanez, like a fan I think it would be a good idea in order to celebrate this 20Th Anniversary make these guitars more affordable, maybe around US 1,000.00 (just a suggestion) , so more people will enjoy this beautiful guitar. Thanks for making such an amazing music
7 string pioneer - jazz guitarist George Van Eps, I'm sure Steve knows him or about him. Of course, I thanks Steve for using the 7 string concept on Passion and Warfare, as it's one of my fav albums from him.
i still got the passion and warfare picture disc and the 'dipped' paintwork is still so recognisable! i wish i had one of those ibanez jems! An Icon with an Iconic guitar! what more could you ask for?
I didn't know you could put a string on the guitar that was higher than high E. I thought anything thinner than high E would be way too thin and break too easily.
it would probably break incredibly easily, and not to mention the pitch of it would be insanely high... but hey there's always room for experimentation!
A guitarrist that had a high seventh string was Lenny Breau. I'm not sure if he was the first to have one (considering there are Russian 7 and 8 strings that are used in popular music), but apparently the concept was so new that he had to use fishing line as that extra A string.
Alex Gregory who is more of a neo classical guy had a seven string strat with a high G (to sound more like a violin) although I don't think it was that durable. Most people who go for a extra high string go for an A normally using a shorter scale length than the Ibanez (something closer to a Fender Mustang) which means the string isn't a tight.
i have 3 of these in my possession... strung 0.20-0.70... tuned to drop E, like a bass... awesome!!! ... not only KORN used them, Meshuggah used them too... THNX STEVE
I like Vai and I have no doubt Ibanez makes him some fine instruments. But the newer ones I've played meant for us mere mortals are garbage. Cheap materials and finish that make them feel like 'Guitar Hero' controllers. I check out Guitar Center, guitar shops and pawn shops a couple times a month and since about 2009 the quality of the new Ibanez's has plummeted. Even the made in Japan line isn't on par with other manufactures offerings for entry level "real guitars." What a world we live in where Fender owned Jackson and Charvel have gotten better whereas Ibanez has gotten worse. Step up your game Ibanez.
To me it would seem odd to try the 7th string at first but once mastered, it would open new doors to experiment and create different variations of sounds to add to bass lines.
When this guitar was first released in the late 80's/early 90's, there was nothing like it that was mainstream. Sure there were 7 strings already around, but Steve Vai was one of the first guys to reall popularize it.
Gretsch made one for George Van Eps in the late 30's. It was a hollow body jazz guitar. That was electric. Fender did make one prior to the Ibanez Universe. Built Ibanez made the first commercially successful solid body 7 string. Look that up!
+Colin Plumb Always good to read the comment before shitting on it. He said that there were 7 strings already around, not that Ibanez built the first one. Smart ass.
My technical learning part of my guitar playing really took off after I started practicing from an article by Andy Aledort in '89 and I only learned recently that he was a student of yours, so thanks Steve! P.S., most of us can barely manage 6 strings. :)
Steve Vai never said that he invented it. Anyone who has a clue about guitar knows that too. Steve Vai's universe guitar was revolutionary, because it was the first 7 string that was commercially mass-produced.
Vai decided to go for the low string as opposed to the high A. It was also one of the first solid bodies. The others were either acoustic or hollow bodied guitars appart from Lenny Breau's idea of a solid body but was with a high A like the others. The guitar never made it past the prototype stages..
The Locking nut: keeps the guitar in tune - the is no need for a tuning pedal. Play a whole set without re-tuning. You are a guitar hero of mine SteveVai. After having bought and learned every guitar solo in those magazines, I duscoverd SteveVai. I still love cutting heads scene from the movie with Ralph Machio "Cross Roads".
yeah.And Gilbert,just so many amazing players it would be hard to say any one player is my fav..or label anyone as the "Best"..I think we are lucky to have so much talent to choose from.
Many people think that 7-string guitars were first used in metal music by Korn and other nu-metal bands, but this is wrong. Ibanez 7 strings were first used in Morbid Angel's 1993 album "Covenant". The songs "World of Sh*t", "Bloond on My Hands" and "God of Emptiness" in this album were recorded with Ibanez Universe UV7PWH and the tuning is set to A# standard. It is also possible to hear the sounds of Ibanez Universes in other Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse albums from the mid 90's. The Ibanez Universe series has a huge impact on low tune Death Metal.
Maybe one day soon, we'll see Steve wax poetic about the virtues of the 8-string like he does about the 7-string. I'd like to hear him use an 8-string on his next album.
He actually gave the original swirl guitar away... To Thomas Mcrocklin when he was a kid and did the audience is listening video. How cool of a guy is that when he must of known how iconic of a guitar that would become.
I hope to have one .... one day.... it truly is an awesome guitar.... literally AWESOME.... When I look at it.... it invokes AWE in me.... it's magnificant....!
On the 6th day, Steve created the 6-string guitar. On the 7th day he created the 7-string guitar, saw that it was good and took a well-deserved 15-mn break.
@TheFireball100 Naw, 7-String guitars were around long before the JEM series. My guitar instructor at Berklee played a 7-string (Summer of 1983). It was mainly a jazz thing for a long time before rock took a turn, so most 7-strings were hollow or semi-hollow jazz boxes. Bucky Pizzarelli played one for years (John Pizzarelli's dad).
My band Chemical Castration uses 7 string guitars, and our sound is enhanced so much by the way the 7th string handles low tunings. We tune GDGCFAD, drop-G, and this tuning is barely possible with a six string.Plus you get to keep your highest string. And i wonder if Mr VAI has heard the UNIVERSE 7 on Morbid Angels "covenant" record? That was in the early 90's ,well before KORN.
Steve as a son of LI NY myself and having been to and kinda lived at Matthews music I am sorry for the rude comments and knuckleheads that have no idea of the quality of Ibanez ( got my first at Sam Ash in Hempstead LI in 1978. Please forgive them for they know not what they say.
The first Jems to have the tree of life inlay were in 88 was the 777VBK and 77FP in 89 the 777VSK,VDY,and VBK and 77FP.But Ibanez was using the vine of life in some guitars since the 60's
I wish they would re release the white universe. My absolute favourite guitar of all time. They really would sell lile hot cakes as the originals are worth 10 + k. Steve! Make it happen!
They did re-release it but it was discontinued after only 2 years 2015-2017 oddly enough now the reissue while not as expensive as an original is also a rare guitar itself doesn't come up often its the UV71P thats the white universe reissue.
Come on steve comeback to play this 7 strings guitar on your new record we missed this low b tone on 7 strings guitar of course the last time was on story of light 2012 on passion and Warfare tour anniversary i miss the 7 strings guitar on the show only you played on drops !
@elavate7 He kind of tells you in the video what the seventh string is for. Plus, it doesn't have to be a lower string, your can also put a higher string if your into that kinda thing.
Vai youre a creative genious among men. Such a great person and musician!! You deserve the career you have but hope some day i will deserve to own one of your guitars haha!
Your right about the seven string being around for awhile. But on the tremolo i believe he was saying that it was not the first, but the first accurate up bomb (to a 3rd or 5th) ever put on one. I think anyhow...Peace
I love the RG body. I once bought a 87 RG 550 was Dessert sun yellow but whom ever had before me sand the body edges to look like a fender. I did restore it to its original color though only paid 160 for it sold it for 140. But I've always wanted a jem from day one.. thought sbout getting a kit and doing a custom paint job on it.
I love my Green Universe with the maple neck, the only one , I have never seen Steve Vai ever play? I have always wanted the swirl model. Surprisingly, It seems Steve rarely plays them? I still use mine occasionally, I currently use my Musicman Petrucci 7 strings, that have the stereo mag/piezo setup. I own 8, 7-strings now. Thanks for getting me addicted to 7- strings. Glad they are still widely used today. Now, you can get Schecter 7-strings with the sustainiac pickups now. For me, I want a Universe that has the piezo outputs.
And now 2021, they all sold out long ago, i can't even find one brand new in the whole world. Only some on ebay with doubled price. BTW, Steve Vai revolutionized so many things with Ibanez not many ppl realized it.
Thats it really,A 7string simply allows you to play in a smaller space.Like a Gmag scale would be played from the 3rd to 15th fret with 5 positions.On a 7string the same sale can be played on the 7th string 8th fret and followed through never changing postitions.Plus tonal options you dont have on a 6 string.
...I was not expecting Mr Vai to say Korn! They were the first "heavy" band I ever got into. I wanted a 7 string as my first guitar because of them. I'm glad I didn't though :)
@Aberinkulas Actually they're slightly tinted. Besides you can get glass clear UV protection. I used it when I had laser eye surgery. Steve just do it for the same reason that he put polka dots on his universe:)
I actually love how open he is to the nu-metal movement and how he's talking about Korn to a lot of people's disappointment. He's open-minded. Something a lot of musicians and people in general should think about improving on.
Like you it seems
@@bobbyboucher-k9t KEK k weirdo
@@stevai6732 see you refer to insults first thing :) still love you and I was just stating a fact :) much love and rock n roll buddy :)
@@bobbyboucher-k9t bro its a 10 year old comment and the like you thing is super weird cringe and unfunny because there's zero context and you just sound like either a weird stalker alog or there was some joke I didn't see, either way :)))))))))))))))))))))))
@@bobbyboucher-k9tYou’re insane
"A 7-string feels just like a 7-string aaaand... a 6-string feels like a 6-string"
-Steve Vai, 2010.
It is now 2021 and no Ibanez universe or passion and warfare 30th Anniversary I am Sad
I can't name one guitar player who has remained as relevant as Steve Vai and is still alive making music. Yes there are many guitarists that have left and impression on the guitar culture and some on the music culture as well but Steve is just so talented, so passionate, so loving and caring about what he does that he has survived in a way that no other guitar player ever has and I believe ever will.
The way of how the painting is done is fantastic.
Body is primed, any bare wood and screw holes are filled with wax, then they dip the guitar into the mixture you saw. It's water, borax, and oil base paints that float on top of the water creating swirls. Very cool indeed, and pretty easy to do but it's a crap shoot as to how the swirl will turn out so it may take multiple dips before you're satisfied.
He also created the atmosphere and the planets
Amen
Talk about moving some air!
And hallucinogenic mushrooms
People forget how much vai has contributed to world of guitar... not only is he a great player he also pioneered 7 strings floating trem hsh ... so much that we take for granted.. much like Evh and his humbucker on a strat... pure genius
I also remember being totally blown away when I heard Korn's first CD but I was lucky it happened through really loud and powerful car stereo speakers.
thank you Steve for making Korn what it is :)
meshuggah too!
Morbid Angel used it first!
@@Kevin.Kelly. trey azagthoth!!! amazing guitarist
@@Kevin.Kelly. Yea but no one outside of death metal circles knows of them.
TheCleansingx: Who cares. They used to! They were on MTV when you were in your diapers.
Just to hear the amazing PASSION AND WARFARE for background. Amazing album. Long live Universe and Steve Vai
I’m so happy with my original UVBK7 and so glad you signed it! It will always be my most cherished guitar.
Steve Vai.. Simply One Of The Greatest Musician This Century Has Ever Known.. Thank you for sharing your talent with us sir. i respect you.
I bet Munky from Korn would be overcome with happiness if he hears Steve Vai saying that because he seems to look up to Vai even though he used the Universe for a totally different thing
RuffisInc Vai would approve he loves seeing people take music into different directions.
It was so awesome to hear Vai shout out props to Korn
Steve has already met the guys from Korn so I'm sure he knows how much Munky and Head admire him
I feel like Vai should've given meshuggah some props for the none ep and destroy erase improve
Vstudios HD: Morbid Angel used it first
"And I put green polka dots on it..because I can!". hahaha
I felt the same about Korn's first album...groundbreaking sound.
Just having all those great guitars in the background tends to a delight for me.
I was born in 98 but I was introduced to Steve Vai before I was even in kindergarten and this is like THE GUITAR for me. To be more specific the one on the cover of passion and warfare or any of the swirl finishes.
this is great. Vai should do an hour long video of him just sitting with guitars and telling all sorts of guitar stories. Ideas he put in building guitars. Spinal tap moments etc... it would be really great.
It’s so cool of him to give the Korn guys so much admiration. Munky actually had Ibanez make him a one-of-a-kind 7-string JEM Guitar. They had to get permission from Steve Vai first and he was totally cool with it. Then Munky sent Steve a picture of it and he was so impressed by it that he wanted one of his own.
Very few things have changed my life in the way that ERG's have. Vai was my first as far as seven strings, when I discovered him through a friend I worked with in a restaurant back in 96. Being that I was only 15 at the time, buying a universe was out of my price range. So finally in 1999 I got a Schecter Avenger 7, and it was absolutely mind boggling. Now I own several 7's, a couple 8's, and one 9 string. All but one are Ibanez. And I just recently preordered another 8 string, which is a certain artists signature to be released soon. Vai and his trailblazing has changed the way I view and write music, I will be forever grateful.
Steve is the real deal. His love, his passion.... Sometimes I cringe, sometimes I'm laughing my fc*g a*s off (listening to the marketing mambo mambo) What really counts is though, he delivers and whether its his guitar masterclass or being a guest at Zappa plays Zappa, he is genuine and real beyond any shred of doubt.
Im seeing steve in a month im super excited!!!!!!! 😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄
How was it?
@@BreakingNVain it was an awesome show he played the entirety of passion and warfare. then 3 years ago i got to meet him
I own several guitars but, there is only one I will never part with under any circumstances. I bought it used in 1993 for $350.00 from a friend who decided to move to Jackson guitars. I am and always will be the proud owner of a 1991 JEM, the most versitile instrument made, in my opinion. I love it more than my luggage. Save your bones and pull the trigger. If you play, you will never experience buyers remorse. Thank you Steve, for all the music and innovation over the years!!!!!!
It's a shame though that Vai didn't acknowledge Trey Azagthoth's (Morbid Angel) unique contributions in utilizing the 7-string, before Korn circa 1992/1993.
Transcending Music I think Vai doesn't/wasn't generally digging extra deep to find metal acts using it to be aware. I'm 99% sure if we went back to '94 and put the radio on, we'd hear Korn on hundreds of times before Morbid Angel. Kind of unfortunate and a shame, like you said. But hey, at least some credit went where it was due.
Nishad George Hi Nishad, absolutely agree that exposure had a lot to with it. Although in my opinion, exposure is merely a facilitator in discovery. Otherwise, I still maintain that an artist, especially one who is so proficient and such a master of their instrument such as Vai, should certainly be in tune (no pun) with other innovators.
Morbid Angel didn't use the 7 string until 1993's Covenant,which by that time Korn had already formed so it's hard to say MA was the first metal band using them. Besides, Steve probably hadn't even heard of them. He hadn't even heard of Korn before hearing one of their songs on the radio and immediately noticing the 7 string sound. So don't take it to heart.
Taurean Mixing korn shits on morbed shit Angel,,,,really you need to cry about a band that only losers know? Angel haha not good enough you fucker
@@MrSFblack Sorry I somehow missed this message. Actually, regardless of when they banded together, Korn FIRST utilized the 7-string on their Self-titled 1994 debut. Morbid Angel had already released Covenant by 1993.
I play 7th string guitar since 2000 and last year i got 8th string, these guitars change the way that i play guitar. I play a lot of tapping. Thanks a lot Steve and Ibanez to give us the seven string and 8th string guitars! God bless u!
So Steve listened to the first korn record? That’s so cool
Agreed I love the thick chords on a 7 string. The thick chords and bass lines are incredible. The down tuning is really cool too. the extra octave possibilities is like a whole new universe
I still have my Ibanez les paul custom copy I bought in 1977 for $499.00 jet black with gold accents
Bet it still plays GREAT.
I have a Tobacco Sunburst. I love that guitar.
amazing craft and workmanship of this awsome ibanez reissue indeed and a mastermind behind the craft of the 7 string guitar...It absolutely rocks!!!
64 unlikes!!!!!!!!!! WTF???
Steve is God
dood he is more than God
***** whats the problem with Korn? They have a unique sound back in the days and they introduced a new style of rock.
Andy Benarjee Steve is not God. Jesus is. Repent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Obey Acts 2:38
WRONG! ADAM JONES IS GOD. STEVE IS JUST A SHOW OFF. ANYBODY THAT IS HALFWAY DECENT ON GUITAR CAN DO WHAT HE DOES.
While his style is not my cuppa tea, Steve Vai deserves respect for his skills. I saw him play with Zappa twice, and his legacy is deserved for that accomplishment by itself, ntm his full canon of work.
I've got UV7BK, getting UV777BK next week. Awwwww yeah!!
Hell 6 strings is hard enough!!!!
Correct! I think 7 is the max and only Meshuggah can use 8.
Still getting set up.
Doug Steele animals as leaders too ;)
Thank you father.
Hi Mr. Vai Im a big fan of your music, and a big fan of Ibanez guitars , actually I got two Ibanez, like a fan I think it would be a good idea in order to celebrate this 20Th Anniversary make these guitars more affordable, maybe around US 1,000.00 (just a suggestion) , so more people will enjoy this beautiful guitar.
Thanks for making such an amazing music
" How can you move your hands around 8 string ? "
Answer. Fredrik Thordendal and Tosin Abasi will show you that.
A Spanish guitar player thinks that’s light work 😂😂
Love all that you made and still make on those incredible guitars Master Steve VAI!
what does the pickups splitter do? connect the single coil to half of an humbucker?
Yup.
It does exactly that
Alberto Perez connects you to god
best one is the broken mirror/disco ball guitar with the white pickups, he used to use it during Whitesnake. I think it's the coolest one
why oh why did they go back to chunky square neck joint..the paint is a reissue but the all access neck joint should have been implemented
it actually makes a substantial tonal difference. makes sense given its the connection of both parts.
7 string pioneer - jazz guitarist George Van Eps, I'm sure Steve knows him or about him. Of course, I thanks Steve for using the 7 string concept on Passion and Warfare, as it's one of my fav albums from him.
Whats the intro song?
Erotic nightmares from the album passion and warfare
i still got the passion and warfare picture disc and the 'dipped' paintwork is still so recognisable! i wish i had one of those ibanez jems!
An Icon with an Iconic guitar!
what more could you ask for?
I didn't know you could put a string on the guitar that was higher than high E. I thought anything thinner than high E would be way too thin and break too easily.
it would probably break incredibly easily, and not to mention the pitch of it would be insanely high... but hey there's always room for experimentation!
A guitarrist that had a high seventh string was Lenny Breau. I'm not sure if he was the first to have one (considering there are Russian 7 and 8 strings that are used in popular music), but apparently the concept was so new that he had to use fishing line as that extra A string.
Alex Gregory who is more of a neo classical guy had a seven string strat with a high G (to sound more like a violin) although I don't think it was that durable. Most people who go for a extra high string go for an A normally using a shorter scale length than the Ibanez (something closer to a Fender Mustang) which means the string isn't a tight.
6672rock thinner strings are harder to break
i have 3 of these in my possession... strung 0.20-0.70... tuned to drop E, like a bass... awesome!!! ... not only KORN used them, Meshuggah used them too... THNX STEVE
I like Vai and I have no doubt Ibanez makes him some fine instruments. But the newer ones I've played meant for us mere mortals are garbage. Cheap materials and finish that make them feel like 'Guitar Hero' controllers. I check out Guitar Center, guitar shops and pawn shops a couple times a month and since about 2009 the quality of the new Ibanez's has plummeted. Even the made in Japan line isn't on par with other manufactures offerings for entry level "real guitars." What a world we live in where Fender owned Jackson and Charvel have gotten better whereas Ibanez has gotten worse. Step up your game Ibanez.
Disagree, I've been playing them for 30 years, and now you can get a real well made instrument for a much better price
I disagree. My RGs, for the money, are better than anything I've owned in the past 37 years. Put simply, I want more of them.
To me it would seem odd to try the 7th string at first but once mastered, it would open new doors to experiment and create different variations of sounds to add to bass lines.
Jeez Steve goes on like he invented pick ups.
When this guitar was first released in the late 80's/early 90's, there was nothing like it that was mainstream. Sure there were 7 strings already around, but Steve Vai was one of the first guys to reall popularize it.
No fender built the first electric 7 string. It's always good to research these things before posting online.
Gretsch made one for George Van Eps in the late 30's. It was a hollow body jazz guitar. That was electric. Fender did make one prior to the Ibanez Universe. Built Ibanez made the first commercially successful solid body 7 string. Look that up!
+Colin Plumb
Always good to read the comment before shitting on it. He said that there were 7 strings already around, not that Ibanez built the first one. Smart ass.
Colin Plumb
Fender
Lmao
My technical learning part of my guitar playing really took off after I started practicing from an article by Andy Aledort in '89 and I only learned recently that he was a student of yours, so thanks Steve! P.S., most of us can barely manage 6 strings. :)
I'm awful enough on 6 strings! Lol
This guitar is absolutely stunning!
George Van Epps played a 7 string guitar 30 years before Steve Vai "invented" it.
Steve Vai never said that he invented it. Anyone who has a clue about guitar knows that too. Steve Vai's universe guitar was revolutionary, because it was the first 7 string that was commercially mass-produced.
JW Corcoran Agreed.
i1.wp.com/www.classical-guitar-music.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/narciso-yepes-classical-guitar-10-strings.jpg?ssl=1
Vai decided to go for the low string as opposed to the high A. It was also one of the first solid bodies. The others were either acoustic or hollow bodied guitars appart from Lenny Breau's idea of a solid body but was with a high A like the others. The guitar never made it past the prototype stages..
The Locking nut: keeps the guitar in tune - the is no need for a tuning pedal. Play a whole set without re-tuning.
You are a guitar hero of mine SteveVai. After having bought and learned every guitar solo in those magazines, I duscoverd SteveVai. I still love cutting heads scene from the movie with Ralph Machio "Cross Roads".
I think Bruce Jenner took his new look from Steve!
@wilmaman Sorry, apparently you're a Bruce fan. I didn't think any of Bruce Jenner's new fans would be watching this video. 
@the holy father. It's Bruce.
***** Bruce
@ the holy father Who says I'm Christian? You're the "Holy Father".
I call him Bruce because that's what his parents named him. Look it up.
+The Holy Father. Thank you "Holy" one.
yeah.And Gilbert,just so many amazing players it would be hard to say any one player is my fav..or label anyone as the "Best"..I think we are lucky to have so much talent to choose from.
1.00000.000000.00000000 $
☝🏻To the 10th power☝🏻
Have you ever played a Jem? They sound incredible and feel terrific. Looks is an individual thing, but the tone can't be denied.
great great freaking great guitarist, but he has some of the ugliest guitars ive ever seen
your' dedication to the art of guitar is as admirable as your' talent. Love the new dvd.
seems like such a chill dude. not conceited at all either. a true artist if there ever was one
i have to say, the way that they paint those guitars is soo awesome
Great video, amazing guitar. Keep rockin' Mr. Vai!
Steve, seems like yesterday! What 2 great decades!!!
Many people think that 7-string guitars were first used in metal music by Korn and other nu-metal bands, but this is wrong. Ibanez 7 strings were first used in Morbid Angel's 1993 album "Covenant". The songs "World of Sh*t", "Bloond on My Hands" and "God of Emptiness" in this album were recorded with Ibanez Universe UV7PWH and the tuning is set to A# standard. It is also possible to hear the sounds of Ibanez Universes in other Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse albums from the mid 90's. The Ibanez Universe series has a huge impact on low tune Death Metal.
That finish just looks so awesome...
My IBANEZ UNIVERSE Still plays and sounds awesome , love the neck !
I really like my UV70P Green Dot. It plays pretty well. I'm good with that.
Maybe one day soon, we'll see Steve wax poetic about the virtues of the 8-string like he does about the 7-string. I'd like to hear him use an 8-string on his next album.
6:00 wow that’s amazing! That’s tight because they were using Ibanez Universes that’s awesome
Steve is so awesome, seems like someone who would be like a really laid back chill highschool music teacher or something haha
He actually gave the original swirl guitar away... To Thomas Mcrocklin when he was a kid and did the audience is listening video. How cool of a guy is that when he must of known how iconic of a guitar that would become.
I hope to have one .... one day.... it truly is an awesome guitar.... literally AWESOME.... When I look at it.... it invokes AWE in me.... it's magnificant....!
On the 6th day, Steve created the 6-string guitar. On the 7th day he created the 7-string guitar, saw that it was good and took a well-deserved 15-mn break.
I love the swirl on that reissue that he had
Shit, I remember this coming out as a 16 year old kid watching this over and over - wishing I'd get one of these
I have memorized every single note of Passion And Warfare in my head... Really!
wow that paint job, dipping it in that paint, its so cool!
yeah thank you steve vai for the 7-strings! i've own one of your ibanez universes and its my favorite guitar!
that is so awesome how its painted
@TheFireball100 Naw, 7-String guitars were around long before the JEM series. My guitar instructor at Berklee played a 7-string (Summer of 1983). It was mainly a jazz thing for a long time before rock took a turn, so most 7-strings were hollow or semi-hollow jazz boxes. Bucky Pizzarelli played one for years (John Pizzarelli's dad).
My band Chemical Castration uses 7 string guitars, and our sound is enhanced so much by the way the 7th string handles low tunings. We tune GDGCFAD, drop-G, and this tuning is barely possible with a six string.Plus you get to keep your highest string. And i wonder if Mr VAI has heard the UNIVERSE 7 on Morbid Angels "covenant" record? That was in the early 90's ,well before KORN.
Steve as a son of LI NY myself and having been to and kinda lived at Matthews music I am sorry for the rude comments and knuckleheads that have no idea of the quality of Ibanez ( got my first at Sam Ash in Hempstead LI in 1978. Please forgive them for they know not what they say.
The first Jems to have the tree of life inlay were in 88 was the 777VBK and 77FP in 89 the 777VSK,VDY,and VBK and 77FP.But Ibanez was using the vine of life in some guitars since the 60's
I wish they would re release the white universe. My absolute favourite guitar of all time. They really would sell lile hot cakes as the originals are worth 10 + k. Steve! Make it happen!
They did re-release it but it was discontinued after only 2 years 2015-2017 oddly enough now the reissue while not as expensive as an original is also a rare guitar itself doesn't come up often its the UV71P thats the white universe reissue.
@MCHH-ml2qq yeah mate, the Premium. I own one, it's a fantastic guitar and the only INDO Ibanez I own. The rest are Japanese.
Come on steve comeback to play this 7 strings guitar on your new record we missed this low b tone on 7 strings guitar of course the last time was on story of light 2012 on passion and Warfare tour anniversary i miss the 7 strings guitar on the show only you played on drops !
Sempre il migliore!!!Grande Steve!
@elavate7 He kind of tells you in the video what the seventh string is for. Plus, it doesn't have to be a lower string, your can also put a higher string if your into that kinda thing.
Vai youre a creative genious among men. Such a great person and musician!!
You deserve the career you have but hope some day i will deserve to own one of your guitars haha!
I so want one someday! Such an epic guitar!
Your right about the seven string being around for awhile. But on the tremolo i believe he was saying that it was not the first, but the first accurate up bomb (to a 3rd or 5th) ever put on one. I think anyhow...Peace
that's the beauty of being a great guitarist, his means of expression is effective and cool! .. i love this guitar, very good.. lol
I love the RG body. I once bought a 87 RG 550 was Dessert sun yellow but whom ever had before me sand the body edges to look like a fender. I did restore it to its original color though only paid 160 for it sold it for 140. But I've always wanted a jem from day one.. thought sbout getting a kit and doing a custom paint job on it.
I love my Green Universe with the maple neck, the only one , I have never seen Steve Vai ever play? I have always wanted the swirl model. Surprisingly, It seems Steve rarely plays them? I still use mine occasionally, I currently use my Musicman Petrucci 7 strings, that have the stereo mag/piezo setup. I own 8, 7-strings now. Thanks for getting me addicted to 7- strings. Glad they are still widely used today. Now, you can get Schecter 7-strings with the sustainiac pickups now. For me, I want a Universe that has the piezo outputs.
What a cool interview. What a humble dude.
I still love my '82 AR-300!
i love those pictures with that steves 80s 90's look!
And now 2021, they all sold out long ago, i can't even find one brand new in the whole world. Only some on ebay with doubled price. BTW, Steve Vai revolutionized so many things with Ibanez not many ppl realized it.
Thats it really,A 7string simply allows you to play in a smaller space.Like a Gmag scale would be played from the 3rd to 15th fret with 5 positions.On a 7string the same sale can be played on the 7th string 8th fret and followed through never changing postitions.Plus tonal options you dont have on a 6 string.
so great !!!! totally unique steve !!!!!!!
Thank you Steve
wow those are some good looking monsterous guitars , i would love to design my own one like that someday! :D
...I was not expecting Mr Vai to say Korn! They were the first "heavy" band I ever got into. I wanted a 7 string as my first guitar because of them. I'm glad I didn't though :)
@Aberinkulas Actually they're slightly tinted. Besides you can get glass clear UV protection. I used it when I had laser eye surgery. Steve just do it for the same reason that he put polka dots on his universe:)