Ibanez Jem 77FP Floral Pattern 1989

This 1989 Ibanez JEM 77FP is Steve Vai's wildest ideas turned into a production guitar, wrapped in the unmistakable Floral Pattern finish. With its carved Monkey Grip, flowing vine inlay and fierce H-S-H DiMarzio setup, this is an early example of one of the most iconic shred machines ever built.

Ibanez launched the JEM in 1987 as Steve Vai's signature model, and it instantly redefined what a high-performance electric could be. The JEM 77FP was the flagship of that first run, famous for its Floral Pattern graphic, the carved Monkey Grip handle and the deep Lion's Claw cavity behind the tremolo that lets you pull notes up as well as down. Add the flowing vine inlay running the full length of the fingerboard and you have one of the most recognisable guitars of its era.

This JEM has clearly been played, and we wouldn't want it any other way. The finish shows honest signs of use and has been touched up in a few spots on the body, but the guitar is in very good overall condition and has obviously been well looked after. It still carries its original Edge tremolo (licensed by Floyd Rose), the H-S-H DiMarzio set with PAF Pro humbuckers and a JEM single in the middle, and the locking nut that keeps everything rock-solid in tune. In short: a real player, not a museum piece.

Plug it in and the JEM does exactly what it was designed to do. The basswood body gives a punchy, focused voice with plenty of midrange, while the PAF Pro humbuckers deliver a smooth, singing lead tone and the JEM single in the middle opens up glassy, quacky in-between sounds. The thin JEM neck profile, flat 20" radius and 25.5" scale make fast runs and wide bends feel effortless, and the Edge tremolo handles everything from subtle vibrato to full-on dive bombs and pull-ups without losing its tuning.

This instrument has been carefully inspected for originality, condition and playability, then set up to our Gold Standard by a luthier. We make sure it arrives in your hands exactly as it should: sounding its best, playing effortlessly and ready to be enjoyed from the very first note.