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Benny
10-21-2008, 08:03 PM
I was digging through my file of old stuff and found photos of a guitar that we built on 12/15/86 for Steve Vai (DLR era). May I ask that we limit any questions to technical stuff about the guitar only. Thanks and Enjoy!
jarrod
10-21-2008, 08:10 PM
wow! thats different! what kind of trem thing is that? Thanks for posting this! Definitely keep em coming if ya have more!

Jarrod
Benny
10-21-2008, 08:31 PM
The bridge is a Floyd Rose, but Tom designed a spring loaded, hinged cover / hand rest to allow muting in addition to full-range dives and pull-backs. The hole in the cover is for the trem arm.
LearnedHand
10-21-2008, 08:45 PM
Really cool to reach in to the back of the vault and see what has been done in the past.
michaelomiya
10-21-2008, 10:05 PM
it'll be interesting to hear how Vai "responded" to Tom a few months after he received the guitar....
Benny
10-21-2008, 10:47 PM
it'll be interesting to hear how Vai "responded" to Tom a few months after he received the guitar....

Again, please just questions about the guitar.
Thanks
pipedwho
10-22-2008, 12:07 AM
So, what did Vai ... oops.
I mean, did Vai get to .... oops.
When did Vai ... oops.
Did TAG approach Vai or ... oops.
:p

Awww, ok, what pickups are in there? :)
funalij
10-22-2008, 04:13 AM
I had heard about prototype that Tom built to Vai, but I never saw it before.
Thanks benny to share with us.

Is it a basswood body, isnīt it?
I surprise with mapple neck, Vai uses to play more maple/rosewood neck than mapple only.
I know that is an incorrect political question but, Vai ask to Tom mapple neck fot prototype or there are more Vai dessign Anderson guitars (any pics)??
tom
10-22-2008, 10:31 AM
it is a basswood body and he was using maple necks then. we talked together about features and we built it for him. it was right before he signed with ibanez. he was very nice at the time. steve ripley, who we also made stuff for knew steve vai through eddie and the introduction was made. we were involved in along with toru nitono in the making of the crossroads guitar that got thrown to the floor in the movie as well. that was the end of our dealings with him.
sorry benny, i broke the rules.
bud
10-23-2008, 03:28 PM
wasn't guitarzan looking for an anderson with a monkey grip?
SonicGator
10-23-2008, 05:25 PM
Do I hear "reissue?" :eek:

:cool:
markus
10-23-2008, 06:12 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0QKbnCDW94

It's been a while since I've last seen this movie... I had almost forgotten how cool this duel is!!! :cool:
dannopelli
10-23-2008, 06:26 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0QKbnCDW94

It's been a while since I've last seen this movie... I had almost forgotten how cool this duel is!!! :cool:

Man that was SO cool to see again!
markus
10-23-2008, 06:27 PM
Also found this here:
http://www.vai.com/Machines/guitarpages/guitar070.html
SonicGator
10-23-2008, 07:05 PM
I remember that the Passion and Warfare songbook, which was collaborated with Steve himself, had an introduction where Steve stated he used his Tom Anderson guitar(s) for some of the rhythm tracks on the album.
pipedwho
10-23-2008, 08:21 PM
Also found this here:
http://www.vai.com/Machines/guitarpages/guitar070.html
It looks like there have been few changes made since Benny's pictures were taken. The trem cover was removed, the volume/tone knobs changed to white, the pickups changed and a string guide bar added at the headstock.

The only change that I can't understand is the pickups. Anderson pickups sound awesome. Maybe if Tom had supplied them in fluoro colourings? :D