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
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
More
  • "She knew what she'd created": Back to Black
  • Trower's '80s supergroup
  • Music theory tricks
  • Stage Tour game
  • 95k+ free music samples
  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
Billy Gibbons with his Pearly Gates replica Les Paul Standard.
Artists Gibson has just made a forensic Custom Shop replica of Billy Gibbons’ Pearly Gates Les Paul
 
 
Ibanez Axe Design Lab Iceman ICMS721
Guitars Ibanez just weaponised the Iceman for metal and refreshed a bunch of its flagship signature models
 
 
Gibson Custom VOS Reissue 1971 Flying V Medallion
Guitars Gibson unveils Custom Shop reissue of a Michael Schenker and Kirk Hammett favourite
 
 
Steve Vai and Joe Satriani pictured with their signature Ibanez guitars
Artists Joe Satriani and Steve Vai officially announce release of their first-ever studio album together
 
 
Joe Bonamassa with his two new signature Martin acoustics
Artists Martin unveils a pair of Joe Bonamassa signature acoustics based on his 1937 pre-War vintage unicorn
 
 
MusicRadar Guitar Gear Round-up July 2026
Guitars MusicRadar’s July 2026 guitar gear roundup: featuring Orange Amps, Harley Benton, Epiphone and more
 
 
Latest in Guitars
Johnny Marr and Noel Gallagher
Guitars “It’s the only guitar that I’ve ever had stolen, and the neck was like a ’50s Les Paul. It was amazing”
 
 
Gretsch Electromatic Limited Edition Black Limba Jet and CVT
Guitars Gretsch’s play for hard-riffing rock players continues with the “exotic” black limba Jet and CVT
 
 
Blues legend Buddy Guy plays the 2023 Savanah Music Festival
Artists Buddy Guy at 90 – how the world’s greatest living bluesman transformed guitar
 
 
Queens Of The Stone Age pictured in 2026
Artists How QOTSA found their album centrepiece at 2am, a “little drunk” and ready to go home
 
 
Telstar Standard ST14 12-String review
Electric Guitars "Superb playability, a versatile sound set, and pretty unbeatable value": Shergold Telstar Standard ST14 12-String review
 
 
Lemmy in trademark mic action
Bass Guitars “Experience the gear that created their unmistakable sound”: Motorhead exhibition set to open with interactive element
 
 
Latest in News
Richard Jupp of Elbow performs at Day 1 of Pinkpop Festival at Megaland on June 12, 2015
Drummers “It meant stepping away from an identity": Richard Jupp on why he quit Elbow for sobriety
 
 
US rapper, singer, dancer and DJ, Benjamin Haggerty, known as Macklemore, performs at the Goldencoast Rap Festival in Corcelles-les-Monts, near Dijon, central-eastern France, on August 30, 2026
Gigs & Festivals “My message is for peace”: Pink, Joe Bonamassa and Foo Fighters are all drawn into Macklemore kerfuffle
 
 
Johnny Marr and Noel Gallagher
Guitars “It’s the only guitar that I’ve ever had stolen, and the neck was like a ’50s Les Paul. It was amazing”
 
 
Cartoon man with moustache singing
Singers & Songwriters “Meatloaf dippers, oh so light and yummy/Go on and warm your tummy”: Listen to Bon Iver's maddeningly catchy ad jingle
 
 
Tony Iommi sitting at a table
Guitarists “I didn't like the idea of: 'Now here’s another album'": Tony Iommi on Sabbath never recorded a follow up to 13
 
 
British singer, songwriter and musician Freddie Mercury, wearing a black leather jacket and red leather trousers, British bass guitarist and songwriter John Deacon, who wears a black jacket and red trousers, and British guitarist and songwriter Brian May, in a black shirt and black trousers, as British rock band Queen perform live in concert, circa 1980
Gigs & Festivals Could a Queen avatar show actually happen? “Sort of” says Roger Taylor when pressed in a Virgin Radio interview
 
 

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...