Tender Surrender
Cleaner, with the volume knob and the bar doing the phrasing.
- Guitar
- JEM, neck pickup
- Guitar volume
- 6
- Guitar tone
- 7
- Amp — Gain
- 3
- Amp — Bass
- 6
- Amp — Treble
- 7
- Delay
- Medium
All musicians
SV
Solo / David Lee Roth
Steve Vai
Instrumental Rock1980–presentUSA
A JEM through a Legacy amp and a rack of pitch shifters, played with the whammy bar as a melodic instrument.
Known for: For the Love of God, Tender Surrender, Building the Church
4
gear entries
4
with sources
Rig rundown
Pedals
2DigiTech Whammy
PedalThe pitch shifts at the heart of his solos.
Boss DS-1 Distortion
PedalA staple of his board.
Amps
1Carvin Legacy VL100
AmpHis signature head, clean and articulate.
Guitars
1Ibanez JEM
GuitarHis signature guitar with the monkey grip.
Dial-in specs
What to dial in to chase Steve Vai's signature sounds — knob positions, pickup choice and amp EQ as documented.
For the Love of God
Sustaining lead with the whammy used for vocal bends and long delay.
- Guitar
- JEM, neck pickup
- Guitar volume
- 9
- Guitar tone
- 8
- DS-1 — Distortion
- 5
- DS-1 — Level
- 7
- Delay
- Long
- Amp — Gain
- 7
- Amp — Mid
- 6
- Amp — Treble
- 7