Guitarist Steve Vai was born in 1960, and first came to prominence as a member of Frank Zappa’s band in the early 1980s. He achieved wider fame with his work with David Lee Roth and Whitesnake, and is now a major name in his own right.

Unlike many virtuosos, Vai does not favor vintage instruments, or “classic” Gibson and Fender designs. Instead, he had developed his own “JEM” range of electrics with Ibanez. The first of these were the three JEM777s launched in 1987.

The company described these instruments as “unique in form and function”. They incorporated DiMarzio pickups and ultra-fast necks, and a “monkey grip” handle hollowed out of their bodies.

The JEM555 debuted in 1994.