When I began writing for Guitar World in 2001, the job expectedly required a great deal of research, fact checking, etc. And the internet was really only a few years old. As I searched for details about various gear and artists, I frequently saw fans passionately arguing over the Jack Butler guitar. I couldn’t believe how many divergent opinions were shared about who built it, what happened to it, the likely specs, which pickups were in it, etc. Suffice to say, the online fervour rekindled my own passion for the instrument and began a mild-mannered pursuit that quickly morphed into a monstrous 20-year quest.
It seemed logical to start my search with the one person most likely to know the guitar’s history and progression of ownership: that’s right, Steve Vai – aka Jack Butler – himself. Of course, It wasn’t as simple as just picking up the phone, and I was keenly aware that leveraging my probationary position with the magazine – under the guise of writing an article that was not yet approved or even pitched – placed me on shaky ground.
This wasn’t quite as dishonest as it sounds, because any good journalist is going to research stories that might not be accepted/published. That was my prepared response, but I knew that if anyone actually bothered to call my bosses, it would be readily apparent that my venture was as much personal as it was professional. Undeterred, I
