RRP $285 / £149.99
Ibanez have been keeping this project fairly quiet, but the long awaited Steve Vai signature distortion pedal is due to hit the shelves any day now. The man himself has been talking about the project for some time, and although unveiled at NAMM, details are still thin on the ground. This is the Jemini, Steve Vai's first signature distortion pedal.
Vai and Ibanez have developed a two channel pedal based on Vai's favourite sounds. The first side is geared toward the classic 'Passion and Warfare' tone, created originally with a BOSS DS-1, and the second is an updated TS-9 Tubescreamer. Each pedal has independent drive, tone and level controls, and the LEDs are extra large and extra bright for ease of use live... at the request of the man himself.
Resplendent in its 'Passion and Warfare' era swirl paintjob, this stomp box looks like a must for any Vai fan, and is well worth checking out for anyone in the market for a distortion pedal. I have both a DS-1 and a Tubescreamer, and this pedal replicates the capabilities of both with ease. Maybe the artist endorsement will alienate some potential purchasers, but be assured that this is a quality piece of kit built to last. The tones it is capable of range from mild overdrive to saturated hi gain, as you'd expect from Steve Vai, but don't confuse this with one of the 'signature sounds' pedals that have become so popular recently.
Although the Jemini will happily recreate Vai's tone (and at a fraction of the cost, given the wealth of rack kit he uses live) it will also put you in the sonic territory of many of the great guitarists who have used DS-1s and Tubescreamers over the years. Any tone from blues crunch to modern metal is available, and this has to be one of the most versatile single-use pedals I have seen in some years. Well worth checking out... and the RRP listed should be a little more reasonable out there on the street...
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