tonymckenziecom | 5 years ago

The Ibanez 7VWH, also known as the Steve Vai signature guitar has been around for many years. Here we compare a 1998 version with a 2016 version and show all of the substantial differences between the two guitars. There's also playing in the video so you can compare the different tones of this guitar.

Get answers and info for questions like:

Why compare the guitars?
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Does Steve Vai really play one of these guitars?

I bought the 1998 Steve Vai 7VWH in 1999 but it was made in 1998 as shown on the top of the head-stock. At the time (around 22 years ago as I write) the Ibanez 7VWH was at the peak of its place in history and it sold many guitars. And its still around and for sale in different formats to this day. Then my grandson called around with a 2016 version of the exact same Steve Vai guitar and I wanted to check out whether the new version compared to the old version. I was so surprised at the differences in the guitars from the design through the hardware and wood work where really these two guitars are extremely dissimilar. But would that affect the tone of the guitars?

In this video review I show you exactly the differences between the two guitars (and there are many!). From things like the superb necks on these guitars right through to even the strap posts I cover along with Levi all of the incredible number of differences.

I also show the weird things about the 1998 version of the 7VWH Vai guitar compared to the 2016 version. Some of the anomalies might just be mistakes from Ibanez, but equally they might not, and replicate Steve Vai's weirdness about his guitar... who knows, and Steve is not telling.

Treat this video as a full review of the two guitars closely compared and we play them through a Mesa Boogie Road King II, a Marshall 1960A Cab and a Dunlop Jerry Cantrell wah wah pedal all with the same guitar lead. The audio was recorded in the studio using Presonus Studio One but there was little effort regarding the recording other than the same equipment. The microphone was an AKG 4033.

Other videos that are part of this series include:

I created this video because I have never seen anyone else compare these two guitars in the way that I would want them compared and played. No doubt all of the fake review channels will come along with something similar... that's how they work. They seem to be followers rather than innovators.

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