Five years ago, Michael Mesker in collaboration with RUFUS PUBLICATIONS, began a journey to capture the most expansive creative overview ever assembled of one singular guitarist’s collection of instruments. That subject being Steve Vai. A guitarist who has pushed the envelope of innovation consistently for decades.

The end result of Mesker’s crusade features over 100 of Vai’s most famous guitars captured in exquisite detail, and presented in a two-volume large format photography book. There are over 1000 full color pages, all photographed, designed and researched by Steve’s long-tenured Art Director Mesker, who first explored Vai’s famed guitar vault in December 2002 and marveled at the history contained within.

The book will be available in three tiered offerings. First, a Standard Edition which presents the 2-volume book housed in a slipcase encompassing 1000+ pages combined in a 9.5” x 13.5” (241mm x 343mm) page size with a retail price of $400.00. The Deluxe Edition, priced at $777.00, is a larger A3 size of the 2-volume book in a slipcase, signed and numbered by Steve Vai. It will be limited to 500 copies. The page size is 11.7” x 16.5” (297mm x 420mm). It also includes a selection of ten framable photo prints from a random assortment of the guitars in the book. It also includes “case candy” of used picks, strings, guitar parts all from Vai’s guitars and some random tour ephemera.

There will be an Ultra Edition, limited to only 14 units that includes all of the items in the Deluxe package, plus an IBANEZ JEM 77WFP “White Floral Pattern.” A highly limited edition run of these instruments have been hand constructed by the Ibanez Japan Custom Shop. The guitar will come with a signed certificate from Steve, who will also give each of the instruments a unique name which will appear on the documentation. This is the first Japan-made Ibanez Jem in five years, with an Alder body, a five-piece neck, rosewood fretboard, Tree of Life inlay, vintage white floral pattern fabric finish, DiMarzio Evolution pickups, LoPro Edge tremolo and matching Cliplock strap. Steve Vai will be bringing this new guitar out on the BEAT tour which will stage 65 appearances across North America from September 12 in San Jose through December 18 in Highland, CA.

Pre-order now at https://www.rufuspublications.com/rufusbooks/vai/.

All books and guitars will ship late March, 2025.

BEAT tickets are available today at 12 PM EST using the presale password BEATTOUR at beat-tour.com! That code will get you early access to the best prices and seats before the general on sale this Friday!