Really?!
Is this for real:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0119796160
STEVE VAI'S 1992 IBANEZ JEM PROTOTYPE! 1 OF 3 MADE!
I don't think so man... it's not my sale. I'm not gonna profit from it.
PROHIBITED TYPES OF CONTENT:
- Advertisements or links to live auctions, except for official Vai-related auctions or Vai.com charity auctions.
While this is not an official Vai-related auction... it does claim to be Vai-related. How else can Steve's peeps check it without a link? If it's copacetic... cool. If not and false claims are being made, they can have the auction pulled for false advertising. I've not see this guitar in the "Machines" section of Vai.com (did I miss it?)... though I'm sure it is not a complete roster of all the guitars Steve's had.
At least you've checked the forum rules though.
PROHIBITED TYPES OF CONTENT:
- Advertisements or links to live auctions, except for official Vai-related auctions or Vai.com charity auctions.
While this is not an official Vai-related auction... it does claim to be Vai-related. How else can Steve's peeps check it without a link? If it's copacetic... cool. If not and false claims are being made, they can have the auction pulled for false advertising. I've not see this guitar in the "Machines" section of Vai.com (did I miss it?)... though I'm sure it is not a complete roster of all the guitars Steve's had.
At least you've checked the forum rules though.

- notavirtuoso
- Member
- Posts: 587
- Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2007 9:56 pm
Well, based solely on the seller's history, if it's a fake they don't know it. 1062 transactions and only 1 negative feedback that's at least over a year ago. Been selling since 01, sold 19 items this month. Interesting. Whoever locks this thread, do you think you could confirm the authenticity of this?
A couple of the claims on said prototype, are that:
1) It is one of three used for Steve to compare different types of woods for the guitar body (this one is Bass Wood, the other two are claimed to be Mahogany and Alder) and a fixed bridge was used to keep things simple in the sound comparison between the guitars and also to speed the manufacture of these test guitars -- to get the final version ready for market sooner, with all the frills).
2) It is one variation (one of at least three?) of the low profile neck joint for Steve to evaluate.
The text of the ad is a good read... if nothing else (if this is BS... the guy knows some stuff, as was said before).
It's a claimed prototype of the Jem 7V series... NOT the first Jem prototype. It would have been used to fine tune new features on the new guitar like the neck access joint and possibly what wood to use for the body.
1) It is one of three used for Steve to compare different types of woods for the guitar body (this one is Bass Wood, the other two are claimed to be Mahogany and Alder) and a fixed bridge was used to keep things simple in the sound comparison between the guitars and also to speed the manufacture of these test guitars -- to get the final version ready for market sooner, with all the frills).
2) It is one variation (one of at least three?) of the low profile neck joint for Steve to evaluate.
The text of the ad is a good read... if nothing else (if this is BS... the guy knows some stuff, as was said before).
It's a claimed prototype of the Jem 7V series... NOT the first Jem prototype. It would have been used to fine tune new features on the new guitar like the neck access joint and possibly what wood to use for the body.
-
- Member
- Posts: 578
- Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 8:57 am
After reading that and the ad I think it's quite possibly real. If i was him I would contact Mikey and get Mikey to confirm.
I think earlier prototypes were actually made in Japan
And ... why would Steve have a fixed bridge proto?!
I remember the Ibanez guy who got Him the protos saying that Steve totally took apart those guitars before actually playing them, so I guess it would not have been a fixed bridge work if it was so "strange" to dis-assemble them!

And ... why would Steve have a fixed bridge proto?!
I remember the Ibanez guy who got Him the protos saying that Steve totally took apart those guitars before actually playing them, so I guess it would not have been a fixed bridge work if it was so "strange" to dis-assemble them!
Steve does have a couple of fixed bridge guitars.
http://www.vai.com/Machines/guitarpages/guitar021.html
The control and jack cavity looks to be the correct shape, as does the monkey grip. Definitely Ibanez parts and not knock offs....
I'd say it's probably a prototype... Interesting that LACS would engrave the serial number on it.
http://www.vai.com/Machines/guitarpages/guitar021.html
The control and jack cavity looks to be the correct shape, as does the monkey grip. Definitely Ibanez parts and not knock offs....
I'd say it's probably a prototype... Interesting that LACS would engrave the serial number on it.
The weird thing is that its got both a pickguard and the back cavities
I was thinking that they first just had the back routed out, but when they moved the volume knob they added the pickguard to cover the old hole....but that old hole is still there so I assume the pickguard was there from the very start..... performing the role of guarding the guitar from the pick
?...or is it that thing about Steve preferring the pickups to be mounted to the pickguard rather than to the body.

I was thinking that they first just had the back routed out, but when they moved the volume knob they added the pickguard to cover the old hole....but that old hole is still there so I assume the pickguard was there from the very start..... performing the role of guarding the guitar from the pick

Last edited by seljer on Fri Jun 08, 2007 7:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
That is interesting....
I didn't notice that at first.
That is not a front-routed guitar at all.
If you look where the p/u switch is at, you can see the body through the hole. A pickguard was added to a rear-routed guitar.
Why?
Why not just use a front-routed, like all the other JEMs?
Fishy.......
I didn't notice that at first.
That is not a front-routed guitar at all.
If you look where the p/u switch is at, you can see the body through the hole. A pickguard was added to a rear-routed guitar.
Why?
Why not just use a front-routed, like all the other JEMs?
Fishy.......