This video shows the creation of Steve's Woody Jem, for the Vai Academy "All About the Guitar" 2015 camp, made by master luthier Tak Hosono. Film shot by Mike Orrigo, edited by Taj Musco.
I agree! And his sense of humor comes through in his playing so often. His style is so turbo rad. All my favorite players have/had awesome senses of humor. Hendrix, Zappa, Vai, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, SRV.
Haha turbo rad. (laughing with you, not at you).. I love Vai too and the players your mentioned (and others). Actually, it's more of a rule that guitars players stay down to earth than it is an exception (in my experience). Also... dat JEM.... wow. \m/
@@ashscott6068 wow his accent was hilarious wasn't it mate! Great job pointing it out for us! That's totally not a cringeworthy comment to put your name behind.
@@JoeR203 na realidade ele não consegue Guitarras de Graça ele é pago em $$$ e ainda recebe Guitarras como parte do pagamento por ser um dos maiores vendedores indiretamente de guitarras da Ibanez,Muitos não digo todos conhecem a Ibanez especialmente por causa do Joe Satriani e Steve vai que foram e são a vitrine da marca
I love Tak's response when steve asks him if he had fun at 16:15 Its like he wants to say Fun? Fun? I spent a whole month working 24-7 on your damn guitar and you ask me if I had fun,Oh yeah I had a blast, a real cakewalk!
Hi Steve! Not sure if you will see this but thanks for putting this video up! I never really get to see my dad do his thing at work so vids like this really make me appreciate his talent. Thank you for inviting me to your Academy a few years back, I had an amazing time. I hope I can see you play some more soon! -Andrew Hosono
The skills of this Luthier are absolutely stunning, how he does almost everything freehand and gets that final result is just amazing...it is art itself.
I don't often watch a lot of UA-cam clips all the way thru. This was absolutely hypnotic to watch. There are so many incredibly talented professionals behind incredibly talented professionals.
240s are ok. I'd rather have a z31 with the 240 rear suspension. 240s are more stripped down. The z31 was a grand touring car. You can comfortably drive them all day every day. 240 not so much. The 240 is a bit lighter though. Really, it's all personal preference. I'm a big fat fatty so I want a bigger car. Not that the z31 is big, it's actually smaller than the s2000.
this is my favorite Jem. I'm definitely partial to figured wood though. I always prefer something like walnut, mahogany, spalted maple, or anything burled over any kind of paint or stain all day. There's something special about natural beauty.
Tak Hosono gave new life to and old great model. This guy is a master with his job. Thanks for sharing all this with us Steve. I hope you can keep asking him to do such great guitars and that inspire you to keep playing. I can't describe how beautiful this guitar is. Take good care of it.
Magnificent. That mighty guitar. He gave every minute of work. Congratulations to the whole team of ibanez involved in this project. Congratulations also to the genius Steve goes, which always strikes us.
I assume this is the same guy “Tak” who worked at Performance Guitar in the 80s. If so, he worked on my “Sanchez” Guitar designed by Sammy Sanchez. It’s a neck through made from Mahogany. The neck through block was made by Mike Tobias and Tak installed the wings and fingerboard and all the routing except for the pickups. I had a luthier friend cut out the pickups and get me started on the belly cut and arm contour. Pat Wilkins painted it Candy Apple Red. I myself shaped the neck and installed the frets and prepared it for painting. It’s an amazing guitar.
Tak has a very good point about mahogany that people either mistake or don’t know. Crotch mahogany is basically another name for Honduran mahogany. Honduran on a 24 3/4” scale guitar like a Les Paul can sound thick and chunky. The same wood on a 25 1/2” scale guitar can sound bright, especially when you use a maple neck. People often think you’ll get the best of both if you just make a 25 1/2” scale Les Paul or something similar, but they don’t often sound that great.
Whao whao wait, did he just rout those cavities freehand? That is like being able to draw a perfect circle! What a madman! No wonder Vai chooses him, he is legendary
What an amazing thing, to be a guitarist of such status and influence that you can get your sponsor brand to build an instrument more or less on demand to your wishes. I realise there's a difference between a one-off custom build and some signature model that is also intended for wide consumption, but still it's amazing. It's like the dreams in ones head are then realized weeks later by these amazing craftsman and luthiers.
I have been building guitars for most of my adult life and I never get tired of seeing other peoples work especially when its done by hand. CNC has its place in mass production and accuracy but NOTHING comes close to the feeling of turning a piece of tree into a guitar by hand and watching the new owners face when they see it born.
Tak Hosono is a walking CNC machine. At about a hundred different steps in the construction where Tak was free handing it, I would have turned the project into firewood.
What an awesome video to get to see inside the LA Custom shop and the man Tak at work! Still bugs me to see that Steve will always get the Backstop put in his guitars but Ibanez still refuses to make them commercially available for the public to buy.
There are two types of craftsman. Those that take an age and get it right first time and those that know how to cover their mistakes. Having a combination of both is the ideal because when you take on other peoples screw ups or do restoration the one you think is best, the first, really struggles.
A great luthier reveals the spirit in the grain of the wood by accepting that the spirit guides his hands. Much the same as when a musician taps into that cosmic vibration and translates his/her experience through his/her mode of expression. Had a similar conversation with a great man once named Timothy Leary. Thanks for this journey you captured here in video Mr. Vai.
its phareaking Goro~geous!!! Only Steve Vai would have luthiers in his arsenal do this. there is no way Mr Tak Hosono could keep up with the production demand in this manor aside from one off exquisite artistry. beautiful woods, beautiful luthiery and skill and pride. Great job!!
i don't know about you guys but while i was watching Mr. Tak making the guitars BY HAND, well, with the help of those machines, you get my point, but it's like watching a japanese swordsmith make a Katana. it's like a meditation ... wow, just wow.
JEM is The Guitar that I build for myself first time before 8 years....and I make 5....this is still my Nr. 1 guitar in The World....but this is crazy good!!!! Steve thank you for many years of inspiration!!
The wood is a fantastic beautiful living material. And the works must be sooo precise to get the shade exactly for the type of the guitar, to have a perfect neck, and to build the technology for high tech guitars like that. That must be calculated to the Mm... It's as sacred as building the church...
I always loved how Steve never took himself too seriously.
I agree! And his sense of humor comes through in his playing so often.
His style is so turbo rad.
All my favorite players have/had awesome senses of humor. Hendrix, Zappa, Vai, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, SRV.
Haha turbo rad. (laughing with you, not at you).. I love Vai too and the players your mentioned (and others). Actually, it's more of a rule that guitars players stay down to earth than it is an exception (in my experience). Also... dat JEM.... wow. \m/
Je confirme pour l'avoir rencontré en personne lors d'un concert qu'il avait donné à Lyon. Je le
My wife said..wow babe your guitar neck looks alot smaller than the one on the video...she said MAYBE THERE ELVES LOL
@@brucekirk5386 So yours isn't as big as Steve's Woody?
I always laughed at the fact it was called "woody" but the fact it's made with "crotch mahogany" is even funnier 😂
It's pronounced "cratch mahhaaahhay"...apparently
*woooosh
I was think of the same thing
@@ashscott6068 wow his accent was hilarious wasn't it mate! Great job pointing it out for us! That's totally not a cringeworthy comment to put your name behind.
Stephen V balls
Love the last scene " See how lucky I am being Steve Vai"
Babigila Steve yeah, I agree. It would be great to wake up and know you’re Steve Vai today.
"See how jealous you all are?" Yeah, must be nice getting guitars for free. I'd settle for a free pizza.
@@JoeR203 na realidade ele não consegue Guitarras de Graça ele é pago em $$$ e ainda recebe Guitarras como parte do pagamento por ser um dos maiores vendedores indiretamente de guitarras da Ibanez,Muitos não digo todos conhecem a Ibanez especialmente por causa do Joe Satriani e Steve vai que foram e são a vitrine da marca
Hes making almost every part of the guitar by hand thats amazing, master luthier Tak Hosono
Yea how he carves the neck is just unbelivable.
that would be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO easy to fuck up
Take has been doing Mr.Vai's guitars for a long time now. But , this one is spectacular.
you will never see him use a template hahaha
I love Tak's response when steve asks him if he had fun at 16:15 Its like he wants to say Fun? Fun? I spent a whole month working 24-7 on your damn guitar and you ask me if I had fun,Oh yeah I had a blast, a real cakewalk!
Hi Steve! Not sure if you will see this but thanks for putting this video up! I never really get to see my dad do his thing at work so vids like this really make me appreciate his talent. Thank you for inviting me to your Academy a few years back, I had an amazing time. I hope I can see you play some more soon!
-Andrew Hosono
The skills of this Luthier are absolutely stunning, how he does almost everything freehand and gets that final result is just amazing...it is art itself.
It's not freehand. When he is using the router there is a template underneath the body pushing up against a spindle to define his routing pattern.
@@Naregnemyes the man did say “almost” everything.
"You see how lucky I am, being Steve Vai?"
Priceless. 😂
(And yes, sir. Yes, I do.)
Love the fact Steve had specs handwritten on folded paper
He know what, the end result is.
Begin with the end in mind, or ear
"I've been thinking this for a long time. *opens notes* I want something excotic -- I want a mahogany body."
Riku Falck hey Riku, my solid mahogany body on the 1970 Gibson Goldtop is frigging heavy.... be careful what you wish for dude 😬🤘🏻
@@martinroskilly9994 unfortunately sir that's more likely to be the maple top underneath the beautiful gold. Maple is heavy!
lol when Steve Vai says he wants "something more exotic" I just have to laugh.
I swear, as a musician, I think the Japanese make their instruments like they make their swords. 100% craftsmanship, precision, and beauty.
Cringe lol
True. I love seeing them beign made.
@algol29 Bull****
Not gonna lie, gave me a woody.
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/01/Sheriff_Woody.png
:D
You are barking up the wrong tree!
A B - It made me think of "Wood-Yei" (Mia Farrows daughter)
me 2
😏
I don't often watch a lot of UA-cam clips all the way thru. This was absolutely hypnotic to watch. There are so many incredibly talented professionals behind incredibly talented professionals.
16:44 when Steve Vai makes the Lil Wayne solo
Fidozo15 Lil Wayne can't bend like that because Tendet Surrender, West Montgomery and all that jazz...
The fact that Steve pulls up in a car with the Universe colour scheme makes me love the man even more. What a legend.
An absolutely awe inspiring experience to watch every detail unfold throughout the creation of this beautiful guitar. Thanks for sharing Steve!
They cut a lot out of the build in the video unfortunately but, still a great video for sure.
I have always admired SV but I love the great person he has become
He’s always been a real great person, always wise, just gotten wiser with age
Steve vai: thank you so much!
luthier: yes, is only 15k usd !
16:24 Natural Wah Wah
OH MY GOD. Steve Vai in a z31. Day is made.
I was a Nissan tech in the 80's. I worked on thousands of these 300zx turds, but never heard of it called a z31
Chassis code.
240z-280z = s30
280zx = s130
first gen 300zx = z31
Second gen 300zx = z32
350z = z33
370z = z34
i love the s13 s14 s15 silvias
240s are ok. I'd rather have a z31 with the 240 rear suspension. 240s are more stripped down. The z31 was a grand touring car. You can comfortably drive them all day every day. 240 not so much.
The 240 is a bit lighter though. Really, it's all personal preference. I'm a big fat fatty so I want a bigger car. Not that the z31 is big, it's actually smaller than the s2000.
Angry Beard Man I know right ..couldn't believe that lol
A brand new guitar is always a great news for guitarrist! This JEM guitar is incredibly beauty! Amazing work! Wow! Loved it!!!!!
I love how he holds the guitar just like a kid holding his first guitar.
That is definitely the best looking Jem I've seen so far....
A true master craftsman!!
Beautiful guitar. I love his freehand routing skills. The "exotic looking wood" works great.
could watch these behind the scene's all day
this is my favorite Jem. I'm definitely partial to figured wood though. I always prefer something like walnut, mahogany, spalted maple, or anything burled over any kind of paint or stain all day. There's something special about natural beauty.
Just a great video on the process of building a high quality, gorgeous guitar. Thanks Steve and Ibanez!
Tak Hosono gave new life to and old great model. This guy is a master with his job.
Thanks for sharing all this with us Steve.
I hope you can keep asking him to do such great guitars and that inspire you to keep playing.
I can't describe how beautiful this guitar is.
Take good care of it.
Always love watching this build 🙌🏻
Instant favorite. Is it a guitar, a piece of art that's functional? Who cares, simply gorgeous guitar.
I love how the background music sounds like generic truck commercial stuff but with that touch of steve vai ridiculousness.
Magnificent. That mighty guitar. He gave every minute of work. Congratulations to the whole team of ibanez involved in this project. Congratulations also to the genius Steve goes, which always strikes us.
I assume this is the same guy “Tak” who worked at Performance Guitar in the 80s. If so, he worked on my “Sanchez” Guitar designed by Sammy Sanchez. It’s a neck through made from Mahogany. The neck through block was made by Mike Tobias and Tak installed the wings and fingerboard and all the routing except for the pickups. I had a luthier friend cut out the pickups and get me started on the belly cut and arm contour. Pat Wilkins painted it Candy Apple Red. I myself shaped the neck and installed the frets and prepared it for painting. It’s an amazing guitar.
Tak has a very good point about mahogany that people either mistake or don’t know.
Crotch mahogany is basically another name for Honduran mahogany. Honduran on a 24 3/4” scale guitar like a Les Paul can sound thick and chunky. The same wood on a 25 1/2” scale guitar can sound bright, especially when you use a maple neck.
People often think you’ll get the best of both if you just make a 25 1/2” scale Les Paul or something similar, but they don’t often sound that great.
I had no idea how much work goes into making these guitars. Makes their pricing seem like a deal now.
Simply the most gorgeous guitar that I have ever seen!
Wow!
I want one!
I love that the entrance has Steve's guitar along with Joe's and Paul's. Very cool.
Love the showcase of craftsmanship
Ah, to be an ace guitar player... What a beautiful axe.
It's almost to beautiful to play. A work of art.
I have impression Steve Vai would keep Woody at home and play there only, not touring :)
Just one of the best guitar series on the actual market, so beautiful and polyvalent... Nice job Steve and Ibanez team, you're just AMAZING!!
Whao whao wait, did he just rout those cavities freehand? That is like being able to draw a perfect circle! What a madman!
No wonder Vai chooses him, he is legendary
WOW!
I wish had an endorsement with a guitar company like that!
That is one beautiful guitar!
I would like to also see it with maple fretboard on it.
One hell of a gifted man who's gone great distances with an awesome company.
Handmade perfection! This reminds me of the breathtaking Ibanez USA line of natural wood finish of the 80s and 90s. Very tasteful. Congrats Steve!
Best episode of How its Made I ever seen. Sweet
I have to agree! Life doesn't suck when your Steve Vai! That is an amazing piece of art in it truest form
I thought Vai was going to come up with new specs, but all he requested was an exotic look for the same guitar he has already.
What an amazing thing, to be a guitarist of such status and influence that you can get your sponsor brand to build an instrument more or less on demand to your wishes. I realise there's a difference between a one-off custom build and some signature model that is also intended for wide consumption, but still it's amazing. It's like the dreams in ones head are then realized weeks later by these amazing craftsman and luthiers.
I challenge anyone to listen to tender surrender and still try and say he has no feel. Madness
It really is beautiful. I cant get over how perfectly finished it is... now I have a new muse for dreams
so gorgeous
I especially like how the vol/tone pickup selector all seem camouflaged by the grain on the plate.
Beautiful work,Beautiful guitar,Beautiful people!!!
Loved watching the process. Beautiful guitar.
Lovely. Great pleasure watching the process.
Seeing the work put into a guitar I have a new found appreciation for the guitar builders
Music selection was on point. 10/10
I have been building guitars for most of my adult life and I never get tired of seeing other peoples work especially when its done by hand. CNC has its place in mass production and accuracy but NOTHING comes close to the feeling of turning a piece of tree into a guitar by hand and watching the new owners face when they see it born.
Wow the combination of traditional tools/craftsmanship and tech is really cool
I love the star struck desk gal at 55 seconds haha :P
Tak Hosono is a walking CNC machine. At about a hundred different steps in the construction where Tak was free handing it, I would have turned the project into firewood.
Absolutely first class guitar.. mind blowingly beautiful to look at.. so cool to see the guys do their thing..
Love watching the build
What an awesome video to get to see inside the LA Custom shop and the man Tak at work! Still bugs me to see that Steve will always get the Backstop put in his guitars but Ibanez still refuses to make them commercially available for the public to buy.
This is one majestic looking guitar!
One mistake and it's ruined, master craftsman.
I was thinking the same thing. What if during the last stages, one of them messes up drilling a hole. Fark! It's ruined, it's ruined!
Only the best... Ibanez has some crazy people working behind the scenes for sure.
You'd be surprised at what a good luthier can repair and leave no trace that anything ever happened.
stew mac disagrees
There are two types of craftsman. Those that take an age and get it right first time and those that know how to cover their mistakes. Having a combination of both is the ideal because when you take on other peoples screw ups or do restoration the one you think is best, the first, really struggles.
A great luthier reveals the spirit in the grain of the wood by accepting that the spirit guides his hands. Much the same as when a musician taps into that cosmic vibration and translates his/her experience through his/her mode of expression. Had a similar conversation with a great man once named Timothy Leary. Thanks for this journey you captured here in video Mr. Vai.
Thanks for filming this Steve
The most beautiful piece of wood I´ve ever seen. Excelent work from Ibanez MASTERPIECE
The most beautiful guitar I've ever seen! Can't wait to play one!
incredible! And beautiful!!!
its phareaking Goro~geous!!! Only Steve Vai would have luthiers in his arsenal do this. there is no way Mr Tak Hosono could keep up with the production demand in this manor aside from one off exquisite artistry.
beautiful woods, beautiful luthiery and skill and pride.
Great job!!
This was beautiful. The process of how the guitar was made and how guitars are made in general is so fascinating!
Insane workmanship. A beautiful woody !!
Love all this!
Great video! Thank you Steve.
absolutely amazing video
i don't know about you guys but while i was watching Mr. Tak making the guitars BY HAND, well, with the help of those machines, you get my point, but it's like watching a japanese swordsmith make a Katana. it's like a meditation ... wow, just wow.
Great seeing the development of such a beautiful instrument ..
...The note the routing machine hit and held at 6:12 was really satisfying somehow.
Absolutely beautiful! I loved watching this. I've always fancied retraining as a luthier - perhaps when I retire!
This is absolutely an exceptional guitar with no more words
That's Ron Thorn, of Fender Custom Shop, I didn't know he worked in collaboration with the Ibanez LACS.
Absolutely Gorgeous.🎼Thank You Mr Steve Vai For Designing Such A Beautiful/ly Playing Guitar🌎🎓🎶
stunning guitar and a great video to watch
The Jem in it self is art like your music. thanks for sharing the fine craftmanship. I've watched a masterfull work and made my day
By far the best Jem I've ever seen!
So much work into a guitar Steve almost never played.
gorgeous!!!
This is awesome and just how good is Steve Vai's playing in the background, it's amazing.
JEM is The Guitar that I build for myself first time before 8 years....and I make 5....this is still my Nr. 1 guitar in The World....but this is crazy good!!!! Steve thank you for many years of inspiration!!
amazing... you make us happy Steve !
very very VERY cool video heaps of love to you @Steve Vai
Gorgeous!
steve vai comes off as a really nice guy many thanks for you and your music always a fan peace n love brother.
That is the best looking one to date in my opinion.
The wood is a fantastic beautiful living material. And the works must be sooo precise to get the shade exactly for the type of the guitar, to have a perfect neck, and to build the technology for high tech guitars like that. That must be calculated to the Mm... It's as sacred as building the church...
This has got to be the most beautiful jem I've ever seen
It`s a Dream for me.
I Love the JEM