Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Superbooth 2026
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
Blackstar Beam Mini: the super-compact desktop amp has AI stem separation and offers players access to over 200,000 user-created NAM captures
Guitars With AI stem separation, component-level modelling, and access to 200,000+ neural captures, Blackstar's Beam Mini “redefines” the desktop amp
Jake Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet rips a solo on his '61 SG.
Artists Jake Kiszka on the time he went shopping for the world’s most expensive guitar amp in Japan
Buchla Ziggy desktop analogue synth
Tech “An ‘instrument’ rather than a ‘synth’”: Ziggy is a desktop Buchla available for (just) under $1000
Harley Benton refreshes its Pro Series with 41 new Fusion-IV S-styles, mid-priced but offering specs such as quilted maple veneers, sculpted heels, EMGs and locking tuners
Guitars A sub-$600 shred machine with active EMGs and roasted flame maple neck? Harley Benton expands its Pro Series with 41 hot-rodded but affordable S-styles
A Strandberg Boden Original N2.6T headless electric guitar with a Fender Tone Master amp modeler
Electric Guitars “If this is the future of guitar, then sign me up”: Strandberg Boden Original N2.6T review
EVH Gear Wolfgang Special Baked Maple: the high-performance electrics are refreshed with baked maple necks, TOM bridges and Floyd Rose vibratos
Guitars Eddie Van Halen-approved baked maple necks? Check. Flagship pickups? Check. EVH Gear unveils stunning refresh of the Wolfgang Special
Jared James Nichols plays his Gibson Futura on a stage lit up in red-pink.
Artists “I felt like I was levitating off the ground. I felt like I was in Cream in 1968”: Jared James Nichols on why he switched to Marshall amps
Jackson Pro Plus Pure Metal Kelly
Electric Guitars “Everything a headbanger could want from a metal guitar – just as long as you don’t need a neck pickup”: Jackson Pro Plus Pure Metal KE1A Kelly review
Sterling By Music Man Joe Dart Collection, ft. the Joe Dart I [left] and the Joe Dart Vision – the bass with no controls
Artists No knobs? No problem – Sterling By Music Man takes bass guitar design minimalism to its logical conclusion with the super-cool Joe Dart Vision
A Harley Benton Fusion IV HH electric guitar lies on a white floor with a rug and guitar cable nearby
Electric Guitars “It certainly appears a lot more expensive than it actually is”: Harley Benton Fusion IV HH FR review
Neural DSP Darklgass Ultra
Bass Guitars Neural DSP unveils the Darkglass Ultimate plugin – a fully featured digital platform for studio-quality bass tone
Fender Godzilla Distortion
Guitars You’ve seen Fender’s Godzilla Strat, now here the comes the pedal – and it’s a monster op-amp distortion with city-levelling tone (and a seriously cool graphic finish)
Brian Fallon of the Gaslight Anthem demoes his signature '59 Telecaster Custom, a new for 2026 limited edition model from the Fender Custom Shop.
Artists Fender releases the Brian Fallon ’59 Telecaster Custom, a high-end replica of the guitar that built the Gaslight Anthem sound
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2026: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
Harley Benton JA-Baritone HH BK
Guitars Harley Benton drops a sub-$250 baritone that proves you can do low tunings at low prices – and stay fashionably offset
More
  • Superbooth 2026
  • Kate Bush Army Dreamers
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Theory of Feels
  1. Guitars

Replicas of Steve Vai's Emerald Ultra Guitar now available

News
By Joe Bosso published 18 September 2012

"At first I wasn't sure if I should plug it in and play it or crawl inside of it and fly it to Venus" - Steve Vai

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Replicas of Steve Vai's Emerald Ultra Guitar now available

Replicas of Steve Vai's Emerald Ultra Guitar now available

Last month, we brought you news of the Emerald Ultra guitar, the futuristic, otherworldly looking instrument that Steve Vai is playing for the song The Ultra Zone on his current The Story Of Light Tour.

The guitar was custom-built for Vai by Alister Hay of the Ireland-based Emerald Guitars. Hay based his design on Aaron Brown's illustration for Vai's 1999 album, The Ultra Zone, which depicts an "alien Steve" playing a guitar that could have come from a sci-fi film.

Replicas of the Ultra guitar are now available from Emerald Guitars. Each is an exact replica of the Ultra Guitar owned by Vai and will precisely maintain the same standard and specs as the one the guitarist is currently playing.

The Ultra guitar's body is constructed from a carbon/glass composite and its neck is carbon fibre. It features built-in lasers and what is said to be a "chameleon-like tendency to change color." The run of Ultra Guitars is limited to just 100 pieces. Each Ultra guitar comes with a hand-crafted “Pod” guitar case like Vai’s, along with a letter of authenticity.

The price is $8,450 USD, and orders can be secured with a $1,000 USD deposit. To pre-order and for more information, visit Emerald Guitars.

Page 1 of 6
Page 1 of 6
The Ultra guitar - front and back views

The Ultra guitar - front and back views

Page 2 of 6
Page 2 of 6
The Ultra guitar - plus "Pod" case

The Ultra guitar - plus "Pod" case

Page 3 of 6
Page 3 of 6
The Ultra guitar - snazzy lighting stand not included

The Ultra guitar - snazzy lighting stand not included

Page 4 of 6
Page 4 of 6
Steve Vai vibes out in rehearsal with his Ultra guitar

Steve Vai vibes out in rehearsal with his Ultra guitar

Page 5 of 6
Page 5 of 6
Designer Alister Hay with the Ultra guitar

Designer Alister Hay with the Ultra guitar

Page 6 of 6
Page 6 of 6
Joe Bosso
Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.

Read more
Gary Clark Jr plays his signature Cobra Burst ES-355 live onstage.
Artists Gary Clark Jr channels the King of the Blues for limited edition Gibson Custom Shop collab
 
 
The Gibson Michael Schenker 1971 Flying V Collector's Edition is a forensic replica of the guitar made famous by the former UFO and Scorpions guitarist – a guitar that is now owned by Metallica's Kirk Hammett.
Artists How a broken string, a loan from his brother and a fresh paint job helped Michael Schenker turn this Flying V into an icon of rock
 
 
Jackson Custom Shop Misha Mansoor Surfcaster
Guitars Misha Mansoor's Jackson Custom Shop USA Signature Baritone Surfcaster 6-string is finally revealed
 
 
Epiphone Futura Series
Guitars Epiphone’s Futura Series reimagines Gibson classics with Chromashift finishes, ProBucker Ignite 'buckers and stainless steel frets
 
 
Gibson Mark Ronson Les Paul Custom
Guitars Gibson unveils Murphy Lab replica of Mick Ronson’s Bowie-era 1968 Les Paul Custom
 
 
Derek Trucks [left] plays his Dickey Betts SG live onstage; [right] a portrait close-up of Jerry Garcia's Tiger guitar, which recently sold for $11,560,000.
Artists Derek Trucks reveals what it’s like to play Jerry Garcia’s record-breaking $11.6mn Tiger guitar
 
 
Latest in Guitars
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: Just in time for Mother's Day, we've found $700 off an unusual Gibson, $500 off a stunning Ibanez Prestige AZ2204, plus heavy savings on recording and live gear
 
 
Jared James Nichols plays his Gibson Futura on a stage lit up in red-pink.
Artists “I felt like I was levitating off the ground. I felt like I was in Cream in 1968”: Jared James Nichols on why he switched to Marshall amps
 
 
Roland Lydia Phase 2
Tech Project Lydia, Roland’s neural sampling stompbox, moves a step closer to becoming a finished product
 
 
IK Multimedia Tonex One Plus
Guitars The most mighty mini amp modelling pedal just got mightier as IK Multimedia offers full MIDI integration and wireless editing on the Tonex One+
 
 
Jackson Pro Plus Pure Metal Kelly
Electric Guitars “Everything a headbanger could want from a metal guitar – just as long as you don’t need a neck pickup”: Jackson Pro Plus Pure Metal KE1A Kelly review
 
 
Three new additions to the $99 JHS Pedals range: Glitch Delay, Bit Crusher and Ring Modulator – all compact stompboxes with white enclosures and three knobs
Guitars Meet the $99 stompbox that’ll crush your bits – JHS expands its affordable 3 Series with three exotic effects for your pedalboard
 
 
Latest in News
O'Flynn in the studio
Tech 5 things we learned in the studio with O'Flynn
 
 
Mike D head shot
Singers & Songwriters Mike D of the Beastie Boys breaks silence with debut solo single, Switch Up
 
 
Native Instruments InMusic
Tech InMusic confirms Native Instruments acquisition, bringing it under the same ownership as Moog and Akai Pro
 
 
Korg
Mixers Korg sneakily launches a new effects-packed performance mixer, the NTS-4, at Superbooth
 
 
Deals of the week logo
Tech MusicRadar deals of the week: Just in time for Mother's Day, we've found $700 off an unusual Gibson, $500 off a stunning Ibanez Prestige AZ2204, plus heavy savings on recording and live gear
 
 
Jared James Nichols plays his Gibson Futura on a stage lit up in red-pink.
Artists “I felt like I was levitating off the ground. I felt like I was in Cream in 1968”: Jared James Nichols on why he switched to Marshall amps
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...