DiMarzio announces Steve Vai Gravity Storm pickups

Steve Vai has once again teamed up with US pickup producers DiMarzio to create a new set of signature humbuckers, dubbed Gravity Storms.

Taking their name from a track on Vai's new album, The Story Of Light (read our Steve Vai track-by-track guide to The Story Of Light), the shred ace's latest 'buckers are described as sweet and warm, but with an edge, and DiMarzio claims the neck model has "an unusual throaty quality that sounds like a cross between a humbucker and a single-coil."

For the bridge position, Vai reportedly told DiMarzio that he wanted a pickup that sounded, "like a thundering cloud of icecream", which in mortal terms means fat highs and big sustain. Check out the gallery for a closer look at both pickups.

The Gravity Storms are the latest addition to a formidable collection of signature gear, including his iconic Ibanez JEM series, Carvin Legacy amplifiers and several other DiMarzio pickup sets.

The current US MSRP for the Gravity Storms is $115 (approx. £73) per pickup and they'll be available from 15 August (via Guitar Center and Musicians Friend) and other music stores from 17 September.

Matthew Parker

Matt is a freelance journalist who has spent the last decade interviewing musicians for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.