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Steve Vai
When the call came from Brian May's tech Pete Malandrone asking whether I'd be interested in working with Steve Vai on a custom Red Special, I nearly dropped my phone. Steve Vai had long been a massive hero of mine since his first days with David Lee Roth, the intro to Yankee Rose still holds up in my mind as a 'seismic shift' in guitar playing.
Once I had calmed down, over the next few weeks Steve and I got down to work re-imagining Brian May's famous Red Special. The first thing he asked for was a slimmer neck, something akin to his Jem guitars, but still retaining a touch of RS 'heft', also a 25.5" scale length. Upon creating the drawings it was obvious that the guitar would look a little imbalanced with the standard body size, so it was increased until it looked just right. When it came to woods, Steve had firm ideas of his own. Mahogany neck, birds eye Maple fingerboard and a quilted Maple veneer gracing the body. Electronics and switching were to match the original RS, but with the addition of a built in booster, and a series/parallel switch. The colour was a close 'toss up' between purple or green...green won! "I own a lot of guitars, but this one stands alone. Its soul and history are baked into it and topped with a healthy smattering of love. I will treasure it for the rest of my life, and yes, I’m taking this one to the grave with me."
Steve Vai |
Click on any of the images below to learn more on Steve Vai's re-design of Brian May's Red Special.
