JEM7VP Steve Vai Signature Premium
White
The Vai signature, minus the Japanese price and almost none of the specification
Amazon rating
4.5 (18)Price band
Over $2,000
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The short version
The JEM7VP is the Premium-series version of Steve Vai's signature guitar, and the notable thing is how little was left out. It keeps the five-piece maple and walnut Wizard neck with KTS titanium rods running through it, the ebony board with the Tree of Life inlay, 24 jumbo frets, the full DiMarzio Evolution set in an HSH layout, the Edge tremolo and the Lion's Claw routing behind it that lets the arm pull up as far as it does. The parts that define how a JEM plays — the flat 15.75-inch radius, the exceptionally thin neck, the 24-fret access — are all present. What changed is where it is assembled and a handful of finishing details that separate it from the Japanese JEM7V.
Score profile
Six axes, scored 1-10. These are editorial judgements about what this instrument delivers for the money — not measurements, and not anyone else’s ratings.
- Build
- 9.0
- Tone
- 9.0
- Versatility
- 9.0
- Comfort
- 10.0
- Hardware
- 9.0
- Value
- 7.0
Scores are Fretline editorial ratings on a 1-10 scale. They are our own assessment and are not supplied or endorsed by Amazon or by any manufacturer.
Full specifications
| Brand | Ibanez |
|---|---|
| Model | JEM7VP Steve Vai Signature PremiumWhite |
| Body | |
| Body | JEM solidbody with Monkey Grip handle |
| Body wood | Alder |
| Neck & fingerboard | |
| Neck joint | Bolt-on |
| Neck wood | Wizard five-piece maple and walnut with KTS titanium reinforcement rods |
| Neck profile | Wizard, 18 mm at the 1st fret and 20 mm at the 12th |
| Scale length | 25.5" (648 mm) |
| Fingerboard | Ebony |
| Radius | 15.75" (400 mm) |
| Frets | 24 |
| Fret size | Jumbo, premium fret edge treatment |
| Inlays | Tree of Life |
| Nut width | 43 mm |
| Hardware | |
| Bridge | Edge tremolo with Lion's Claw cavity |
| Tuners | Gotoh machine heads |
| Hardware finish | Gold |
| Electronics | |
| Neck pickup | DiMarzio Evolution humbucker |
| Middle pickup | DiMarzio Evolution single-coil |
| Bridge pickup | DiMarzio Evolution humbucker |
| Configuration | HSH |
| Electronics | Passive |
| Controls | Volume, tone |
| Switching | Five-position blade |
| General | |
| Type | Electric guitar |
| Strings | D'Addario EXL120 (.009-.042) |
| Finish | White |
| Orientation | Right-handed |
| Case | Gig bag included |
29 verified fields. Specifications come from the manufacturer first, then the Amazon listing, then authorised dealers — sources are listed at the foot of this page. Fields the manufacturer does not publish are omitted rather than estimated.
The good and the bad
What we like
- Five-piece Wizard neck with titanium rods: extremely thin, and stable enough to stay that way
- Full DiMarzio Evolution set, not a house-brand substitute
- Edge tremolo with the Lion's Claw cavity, which is the reason the arm has such a wide pull-up range
- Ebony board, 24 jumbo frets and a 400 mm radius make it exceptionally fast under the hand
What we do not
- Evolution pickups are voiced bright and aggressive, and are unforgiving on clean settings
- Monkey Grip, Tree of Life and gold hardware are strongly styled and hard to be neutral about
- You pay a signature premium over Ibanez's own Prestige models with comparable hardware
- Very few owner reviews at this price point
Who it is for
Skill level
Styles it suits
What owners and reviewers report
This listing has 18 Amazon ratings — not enough written feedback for us to identify reliable patterns. We will fill this section in when there is something real to summarise.
The verdict
This is a professional instrument, and the case for it rests on the neck and the tremolo rather than the paint. The Wizard profile is one of the thinnest production necks made, and the titanium rods are why it stays straight; combined with the 400 mm radius it is about as fast as a guitar gets. The Evolution set is bright, aggressive and unusually articulate under high gain, which is precisely what it was voiced for and precisely why it will sound harsh to anyone who wants a warm neck-pickup tone. The Monkey Grip and the Tree of Life are not for everyone, and it is worth being honest that you are paying a signature premium. If you want this specification without the branding, Ibanez's own RG Prestige line gets close for less.
Sources
Amazon rating captured 2026-08-28. ASIN B07MCJ28GC.
Strings for this guitar
All stringsIt ships with D'Addario EXL120 (.009-.042). Staying at that gauge keeps the setup and the neck relief as the factory left them; going a step lighter makes bending easier, a step heavier gives more volume and tension. Anything more than one step either way usually needs the truss rod and the intonation adjusted.
- 8.3/10
Elixir · Strings
NANOWEB Nickel Plated Steel Electric
Standard .010s that survive a summer of gigs instead of a fortnight
- 7.8/10
D'Addario · Strings
NYXL1046 Nickel Wound Electric
The same gauge as an EXL110, with the tuning problem actually solved
- 7.7/10
D'Addario · Strings
EXL110 XL Nickel Wound Electric
The electric string most guitars leave the factory wearing
What else you need
All accessoriesThe highest-scoring option in each category that suits this instrument. If you have never owned a guitar before, the starter guide explains what each of these is for and what you can safely skip.
- 6.6/10
New Bee · Cables
The cable an electric guitar needs on day one, at the price of a coffee
- 7.8/10
Fender · Tuners
FCT-2 Professional Clip-On Tuner
The tuner to buy first, before strings, before a strap, before anything
- 8.2/10
Dunlop · Picks
The Delrin pick that replaced tortoiseshell, in the gauge most people settle on
- 7.4/10
GLEAM · Stands
The accessory that decides whether the guitar gets played at all
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Cort
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Jackson
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