Guitar legend Steve Stevens is perhaps best known for his nearly 30-year association with ‘80s icon Billy Idol and his pyrotechnic playing on Idol tracks such as “Rebel Yell” and “Eyes Without a Face.” Additionally, Stevens boasts an impressive resumé of achievements as both a solo artist and sideman, working with a diverse range of artists, including such greats as Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Vince Neil and many others. In 1986, his contributions to the Top Gun soundtrack earned Stevens a Grammy Award. Considering his incredible experience, Roland approached the guitar legend for his take on our ground braking G-5 Fender Strat. Check out the video below for his thoughts and enter to win the featured G-5 Strat autographed by Mr. Stevens himself!

The G-5 features the following guitars and tunings:

MODE knob: 5 types

• N: Normal (non-modeling mode)
• S: Stratocaster
• T: Telecaster
• H: Humbucker
• A: Acoustic

TUNING knob: 6 types

• N: Normal tuning
• D: Drop D
• G: Open G
• d: D Modal
• B: Baritone
• 12: 12-string guitar

Review by Michael Hodge

A few years ago, Roland and Fender got together and offered a Stratocaster with a built in Roland GK Divided Pickup system.  I have one and love it for programming since I am better on guitar than keys.  You can also double stuff via MIDI and make cool layers behind chords and solos, adding synth tones to what is coming out of the amp.

Roland and Fender have teamed up again, and the result is really cool!

The G-5 VG Strat is to guitar synthology what the iPod was to mp3 players.  It is streamlined and does just a limited number of things exceptionally.  The G-5 comes in two models. One is black with a maple neck, and the other is sunburst with a rosewood fingerboard.  Both models have alder bodies, Fender vintage ceramic pickups, a 22-fret neck with medium jumbo frets and American inline tuners.  There is also a built in Roland GK-3 divided pickup and a synchronized tremolo bridge.  Focusing on just the guitar tones, the G-5 is powered by Roland’s Composite Object Sound Modeling (COSM) engine from the VG-99.

What is unique to this guitar is that you just…

Continue reading this review in the July/August issue of Worship Musician! magazine

Roland’s acclaimed VG Stratocaster® guitar is now available in a limited edition model made at the Fender® factory in Corona, CA. Featuring a gorgeous Candy Apple Red finish, it’s an authentic American Standard Stratocaster guitar through and through, with Roland’s amazing COSM technology onboard to give you fingertip access to a wide range of modeled tones and instant alternate tunings.

Learn more at RolandConnect.com.

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On Thursday, November 8th, Steve Stevens demonstrated his playing style and his use of guitar synths at the V-Guitar Experience event at Guitar Center in Hollywood, California. On stage with Steve were the GR-55 guitar synth and the G-5 Stratocaster®. The V-guitar experience tour consisted of 20 dates that started on September 22 through November 25th in various locations around the world.

Steve Stevens has long been a guitar synth advocate since the early 80s with his use of the GR-700 and GR-33. Steve explains that in his recent Billy Idol tour, he played all the keyboard parts with his guitar synth and completely eliminated the need for a keyboard player while Billy Morrison filled in as the second guitar player. Steve explained that his set-up worked flawlessly, even with keyboard heavy songs such as Flesh for Fantasy and Eyes Without a Face.

Published on Nov 9, 2012 by DANOV50

We found some really great footage from a member of the audience that night. Thank you YouTube user DANOV50 for posting these videos. The first video is of Steve Stevens being introduced by Roland’s product manager for guitar, bass, and BOSS pedals, Gary Lenaire. The second video of Steve is his demonstration of the G-5 V-Guitar Strat.

Published on Nov 8, 2012 by DANOV50

It was a real treat watching and listening to Steve demonstrate these instruments. He’s more than an average user, he explained how he really dives in to create his custom sound patches which he uses to perform and create material. Steve is also a song writer and producer and has toured with other bands and artists such as Michael Jackson, Juno Reactor, Vince Neil, and his own band of super musicians, Bozzio Levin Stevens. We say super musicians because the other two band members, drummer, Terry Bozzio and bassist, Tony Levin have a history of playing with some of the giants of music. Bozzio has played alongside Frank Zappa, U.K., Missing Persons, Steve Vai, and Jeff Beck while Levin has played with Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, and Liquid Tension Experiment.

In writing this blog post, we stumbled upon some great material and history of Steve and our products. Perhaps one if his most memorable projects was his appearance on the 1986 soundtrack to the Tom Cruise movie Top Gun, for which he collaborated with keyboardist Harold Faltermeyer on “Top Gun Anthem” which earned Stevens a Grammy Award for Pop Instrumental Performance that year. So with this, we leave you on the way back machine with with Steve Stevens.

Published by rockssiddiqui on Mar 25, 2011

Did we miss anything? Do you have any questions about our gear or Steve? Leave us a comment. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Related links and articles:

• Steve Stevens Demos The G-5 Strat
• The VG-99 Inspires
• Billy Duffy on How He Discovered His Signature Sound