Song Rig

Bad Horsie

Steve Vai · Alien Love Secrets · 1995

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

Steve's most animalistic tone — a wah locked in the cocked-wah position for an unusually nasal, mid-heavy attack, combined with the Ibanez JEM's high-output pickups into a Carvin Legacy at high gain. The result is a sound unlike any other Vai recording, raw and almost industrial in character.

Signal Chain

1Ibanez JEM7V (Dimarzio Evolution pickups, bridge position)
2Morley Bad Horsie Wah (locked in cocked position)
3Carvin Legacy VL100 (high gain)
4Marshall 4×12 cabinet

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume9

Bass6

Mid5

Treble7

Presence8

High gain with scooped mids — the wah does the mid-shaping work. The fixed wah position acts as a band-pass filter, so the amp EQ is set to complement the wah frequency peak rather than compete with it.

Technique

How to Play It

Aggressive alternate picking with the wah locked in a fixed, cocked position rather than rocked — this unconventional wah technique filters specific frequencies and gives every note the same vowel-like quality regardless of pitch.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Superstrat with hot humbucker → Morley Bad Horsie Wah (locked at half-open) → Boss MT-2 or Mesa Boogie high-gain amp. The cocked-wah effect is the defining characteristic; without it, the tone loses its identity.

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