Steve Vai's ORIGINAL 777 JEM! Soloist actually.

[fatstrat]

last time I was in vegas, this was hanging in the hard rock gift shop in the worst location ever. you couldn't see it from the door of the store, OR the window. hidden like a piece of crap. yet they had three epiphone les pauls with a slash plaque overshadowing this. GAY!!! anyways, enjoy.

[neilli]

I'm torn about the HRC - I love the fact that the guitars are visible, but it breaks my heart that they just let them rot. Surely once a year they could just pay a local tech to come in to each location for a few days and clean the guitars and string 'em up...

[MetalMedal II]

Awesome pix! What is up with the strings?! It's like they're on there just for show with hexnuts at the Floyd nut and they don't even go to the tuners?! It's neat seeing the early lion's claw at the trem...which is completely pulled back against the body.

Vai needs to place her back in service.
Thanks for showing!

[fatstrat]

this thing is a jem! (no pun intended). it has so much history. his soloist actually shaped the ibanez jem! someone with a cool collection like neili should have this on their wall! the strings are just limp on the soloist. it actually made me mad to see it treated like A "first act" guitar!

[mr426]

Dang that neck looks huuuge..You can see the back side from the front side..ha

[DonP]

What type of singles are those?

I have a pair that are stamped Aria Pro II on them, but I was told Bill Lawrence designed them. The sound great, just wish they had a tiny bit more output.

[joshulator]

I've always thought that to be an amazing guitar, but these are the best photos I have seen BY FAR. How beautiful!!

[nhspike]

Nice find!
thanks for the pics.
They will get more appreciation here than the guitar itself hanging in the corner at the HRC

Shame though... damn thing should be taken care of as mentioned above.

[Radiohead]

I was in the Hard Rock a few months ago and saw this JEM. It about 10 feet up on a column inside the F***ing convenience store (if I remember correctly). Thing is, the main floor in the casino is full of memorabilia from tonnes of crappy bands and singers that have lost the 2 minutes already...

[Vass]

It's in remarkable shape for a Vai guitar. Guess he or someone swapped the neck & mid pup since the photo was taken.

Any idea what that mark in the paint below the strap button on the bottom is?

Love the way they have it hanging by 2 screws...the one on the upper horn looks like it's at an angle relative to where the hole for the strap button would have been. That's great, Hardrock.

[micha]

something about this guitars reminds me of spongebob... :think:

[fatstrat]

it cracks me up that this guitar is almost forgotten about, yet they have $100 kramer focus' in a HUGE case in the main lobby with an EVH gold album and pics of eddie van halen! lol. WTF?! I was SO tempted to take the soloist down and "ring it up" at the cashier. those dumb teenagers might have done it! lol
i'm going back there in a few months. i'll get some detailed shots from all angles. i'll even bug them for a step ladder. i'll say i'm from guitar world magazine or some shit. lol.

[shreddermon]

LOVE that guitar. And it's a damn shame it's rotting away in a gussied-up fast food restaurant.

[khabibissell]

Wasn't that guitar stolen years ago? I remember seeing a full page ad in one of the guitar mags about it (1986 maybe?).

Either way, cool guitar.

[toejam]

It's in remarkable shape for a Vai guitar. Guess he or someone swapped the neck & mid pup since the photo was taken.

They swapped the bridge pup, too. Look close as he's holding it... there's an X2N in it.