Ibanez Universe

Overview

The Ibanez Universe is a seven-string electric guitar developed in 1990 for the American guitarist Steve Vai. It was the first widely produced seven-string electric, adding a low B string below the standard six-string range. The design helped establish the seven-string as a viable mainstream instrument, especially in progressive and metal styles.

Origin & History

Steve Vai had been experimenting with extending the range of the electric guitar downward for some time when he worked with Ibanez to create a production seven-string. The Universe was the result. Early models established the basic format that later seven- and eight-string instruments built upon: a wider neck, a 25.5-inch scale, and a bridge engineered to accommodate the additional low string. The model has remained in the Ibanez range with various refreshes over the years.

How It’s Played

The Universe is played like a standard electric guitar but with seven strings tuned typically B-E-A-D-G-B-E from low to high. The added low B extends downward chord voicings and riff possibilities without changing standard six-string fingerings. The wider neck takes some adaptation, but most players coming from a six-string find the transition manageable. Locking tremolo systems on most Universe models allow extreme dive-bomb effects associated with Vai’s playing style.

Cultural Significance

The Universe’s launch coincided with growing interest in heavier and more technically demanding guitar music. Bands working in the early 1990s and beyond — including those that would later be grouped under “djent” and progressive metal — adopted seven-string instruments in part because of the path the Universe opened. Today seven- and eight-string guitars are common in many subgenres of metal and progressive rock.

Related Instruments

• Seven-string guitar – the broader category and history
• Fender Stratocaster – the standard six-string contrast
• Gibson Les Paul – another classic six-string
• Eric Clapton Stratocaster – another player-signature electric
• Cort MBC-1 – a contemporary signature model

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the extra string for?
The added low B extends the guitar’s range downward, giving access to lower riffs and chord voicings.

Was this the first seven-string electric guitar?
There were earlier custom and limited-production seven-strings, but the Universe was the first widely available production model and the one that brought the format to mainstream attention.

Is it hard to switch from a six-string?
Standard six-string fingerings transfer directly. The main adjustment is the wider neck and the presence of an additional string under the thumb side.

Image: photograph by Rachmaninoff, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons).