Steve Vai was still building his résumé when David Lee Roth handpicked him to front the former Van Halen singer’s band in 1985. But as Vai now explains, it took the intervention of a seasoned pro to bail him out when his lack of experience put him in a pinch.
The gig came after some prophetic encouragement from Frank Zappa, who had promoted Vai from transcriber to full-time band member over the course of three years. Vai followed up his Zappa stint with a head-turning debut solo album, Flex-Able, in 1984.
But when he stepped into the role as Diamond Dave’s foil, he quickly realized his gear was better suited to experimental rock than the high-gloss bombast of Roth’s arena-ready world.
“When I joined Dave, I was embarrassingly inexperienced with what people would call ‘big rock guitar tone,’” the guitarist says in the new issue of Guitar World.
At that point, Vai was playing Jackson Soloists, which he paired with a Carvin X-100B tube amp. The 100-watt head was more commonly associated with bands like Jefferson Starship and Warrant than the high-gain antics of EVH’s Marshalls.
“The Carvins weren't cutting through for the more aggressive tracks,” Vai says. “Luckily, Steve Stevens was recording across the hall. I mentioned my tone troubles, and he lent me one of his favorite Marshall heads and cabs.”
Stevens, best known as Billy Idol’s guitarist and the mad genius who used toy ray guns to create an iconic guitar solo, was also a session musician. He was working with Ric Ocasek and contributing to the Top Gun soundtrack around the time DLR’s Eat ‘Em and Smile was tracked.
“Boom! Instant magic,” Vai adds. “I ended up using his rig for most of the album. He saved my bacon!”
Although Vai knew his time with Roth would be brief, it was a valuable launchpad for his career.
By 1989, Vai was walking out the exit, with a blossoming solo career and a stint in Whitesnake ahead of him. He became the first in a long line of future superstar shredders to be employed by Roth.
Elsewhere, Vai has recalled his hilarious full-circle moment with Brian May and named the guitarist he believes was more revolutionary than Jimi Hendrix.
Steve Vai’s full interview features in the new issue of Guitar World. Copies can be ordered from Magazines Direct.
