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Auction: Steve Vai's Hamer JEM Prototype


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Posted

I wonder what kind of weirdness is happening below the monkey grip.

Posted
1 hour ago, santellavision said:

Steve Vai's Prototype JEM Hamer! Going up for auction. (No affiliation)

mar23-852e_lg.jpg

Who is that old man holding Steve Vai's guitar?  (Oh, never mind.  Do I look that old?)

Posted

I'd damn sure rather own a Chap than a JEM or pointy-ass RG, but kudos to Steve for creating his own product line/brand (and a mountain of money for Hoshino) and for his brilliant body of work. 

Posted
25 minutes ago, beezerboy said:

the hand hold thing looks stupid

C'mon man....Get a grip!

Posted

Interesting.  Some interesting observations about the guitar.  I thought the  prototype model for Vai  was red and had LED's and resided with Jol or something like that ?  Hopefully someone will post the results of the auction.  

Hamerica

Posted
3 hours ago, Dave Scepter said:

Why a 5 finger grip? 🤔

Squeeze it hard enough and it could be used for a ...

 

... 5 Finger Death Punch.

 

I'll see myself out.

Posted
1 hour ago, Hamerica said:

Interesting.  Some interesting observations about the guitar.  I thought the  prototype model for Vai  was red and had LED's and resided with Jol or something like that ?  Hopefully someone will post the results of the auction.  

Hamerica

There was another Chap made with a monkey grip, and I think it was Ferrari Red. Not sure if it ever  made it to Vai, but I'm pretty sure that's the one you're recalling.

Posted
6 hours ago, Dave Scepter said:

Why a 5 finger grip? 🤔

For the same reason the Ibanez JEM has 7 strings:  Because.  

Posted
16 hours ago, BadgerDave said:

I wonder what kind of weirdness is happening below the monkey grip.

A question that is often asked when looking at pics on dating apps.

Posted

It's really amazing to me that Ibanez was the only company that just made him exactly what he spec'd out. I would have been six or seven when that was all going down, and even I knew who he was by then. 

Posted
13 minutes ago, LucSulla said:

It's really amazing to me that Ibanez was the only company that just made him exactly what he spec'd out.

I was thinking the same thing.
There had to be more to the "deal" than just picking the best guitar because Ibanez, in a word, is not.

Posted
13 minutes ago, kizanski said:

I was thinking the same thing.
There had to be more to the "deal" than just picking the best guitar because Ibanez, in a word, is not.

They at least tried a little harder than taking a jig saw to a Chaparral and wedging a dirty dinner napkin in the hole.  

Posted
14 minutes ago, LucSulla said:

They at least tried a little harder than taking a jig saw to a Chaparral and wedging a dirty dinner napkin in the hole.  

And they were able to accurately ascertain the number of Vai's fingers.

Posted
2 hours ago, LucSulla said:

They at least tried a little harder than taking a jig saw to a Chaparral and wedging a dirty dinner napkin in the hole.  

Ha!  Actually, Vai did that - he wanted a different angle under his right hand.

Posted
2 hours ago, LucSulla said:

It's really amazing to me that Ibanez was the only company that just made him exactly what he spec'd out. I would have been six or seven when that was all going down, and even I knew who he was by then. 

Ibanez came through with a very unique signature instrument, and in addition to that, also offered an incredibly lucrative contract for Mr. Vai.  Hamer repurposed a Chap and didn't pay their endorsed players.

Posted
2 minutes ago, cmatthes said:

Ha!  Actually, Vai did that - he wanted a different angle under his right hand.

So he's the one who miscounted his fingers. 

Posted
Just now, LucSulla said:

So he's the one who miscounted his fingers. 

I was referring to the "dirty napkin" (which I think is a piece of foam, IIRC).  I've seen Steve play, and I'm pretty sure he has 7 or 8 fingers on each hand...

Posted

I had an older JEM for a while: desert yellow, tree of life inlay. The neck was so thin, I was afraid it would explode at any moment.  Another guitar I should have kept. 

Posted

I've got two late 80's Jem guitars, a Desert Yellow and a Floral.  The build quality, tolerances and fretwork are among the best I've seen and played.

Posted

The JEM build quality was superb. The aesthetics do nothing for me, however.  Vai was wise to take the cash and handmade customs.

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