General
It's really been more than 35 years since Ibanez and Steve Vai first started working together, and following up the legend that is the JEM, comes the fresh-faced PIA. Wise beyond its years and affectionately named after Vai's wife, this model boasts lush aesthetic detailing, from the ergonomic Petal-Grips that punctuate the sides of the solid-body (a softened echo of the Monkey-Grip of the JEM) to the detailed PIA Blossom inlay that delicately creeps up the fretboard, and the magnetic tremolo cover plate.
The PIA3761: Harmonic Elegance
Even the shaping of the alder body commands more elegance and has an incredibly snug feel as a result, while the extreme cutaways, coupled with the specially-shaped backside, give you all the space you need to grab chords and notes anywhere up to the 24th fret. Just like the JEM, the Steve Vai Signature PIA has a rosewood fretboard that's comfortably scalloped from fret 21 to 24, a set of jumbo stainless-steel frets, and to ease navigation in the dark, the side of the neck has been finished with Luminlay side-dots.
High Pass Volume, Edge Tremolo-Bridge and DiMarzio UtoPIA Pickups
The three HSH configured DiMarzio UtoPIA pickups have been specially developed for the PIA, and deliver immense tonal variation framed by a sweeter-than-average high-end that pulls back a little on the mid-range when compared to the Vai Evolution pickups. The gain has also been pushed a little further, and the low-end has been tightened up, and by popping out the stylishly finished volume pot, the high-pass filter is activated, giving precise transparency without getting too treble-heavy at lower volumes. To finish, an Edge-Tremolo bridge has been mounted for unleashing classic horse-whinny-style vibrato tricks using the highly comfortable Ultralite tremolo arm.