How do I get a Steve Vai sound?

[Burny Bird X]

I have a POD and I can't figure out how to make it sound right. I'm trying to get a steve vai sound can anyone help me?

 

[mrface2112]

How do I get a Steve Vai sound?

ummmmm.....hire steve vai?


(and WHICH steve vai sound?)


cheers,
wade

 

[apl]

Here's his amp, which may not be in the Pod's easy to find repertorie.

Maybe there's a Pod users forum with patches.

 

[Burny Bird X]

Like in bad horsie

 

[metalhead28]

Well, I'd like to say something like set it on bypass and plug it into a Carvin Legacy......but I'll spare you

I don't have a POD so I couldn't give you any specifics about that....someone else probably?

 

[metalhead28]

Like in bad horsie

well you're going to need to get you a "Bad Horsie"

 

[Burny Bird X]

and I was hoping for a straight out good industrial tone. Like heavy sounding but clear sounding at the same time. I'm having trouble making it sound not messy I can hardly ever get it to sound clear especially if I try chugging. *I'm not used to PODS*

 

[metalhead28]

I think you may be looking for something outside the realm of modeling......that's not too hard to do!

 

[espskully]

Crank the cheeze to 11.

 

[greenascanbe]

http://www.guitarport.com/

Free 30 day trial and you can download patches of tones based off of hundreds of players right into your Pod. Chances are there are a few Vai tones in there.

 

[ibanezrocks]

You do know that you need a wah pedal to sound anything like him right? I dont recall a single song in which he doesnt use the wah pedal. He also uses a lot of distortion for his sustaining solos, and I dont think he has a particularly clear sound, its mainly that he almost never plays chords. He also uses the floyd rose a lot. So you will atleast need a wah pedal and a floyd rose, then worry about the pod.

 

[WERNER 1]

Yep, the Carvin Legacy nails it right on! I should know, I've got one!

Sorry, I can't offer any help on the pod thing as I've never used one.......only amps.

Rick

 

[MrBoogie]

and I was hoping for a straight out good industrial tone. Like heavy sounding but clear sounding at the same time....

That's exactly how I'd describe his tone, too. IMHO, there's two key things about achieving that tone, besides the obvious "it's in his fingers":

1) The pickups in the guitar are critical. If you have something like gibson 500T or Lawrence L-500, you'll have lots of output, but not necessarily the clarity, and possibly not the percussiveness like when your amp is cranked and you rake the strings. I don't know what pickups Vai uses, but you could find out on his website I'm sure.

2) That kind of heaviness comes more from cranking an amp a bit and driving the power tubes than it does from using a preamp with lots of distortion.

I have the original pod, but don't use it much. It's so much easier to get a great sound out of a real tube amp playing out loud. I'd suggest using less gain than you might want to use, though.