Steve Vai uses mostly signature gear, including his well known Ibanez Jem guitar, along with his custom Carvin amplifiers. His favorite amp is his signature Carvin Legacy version 1, although he likes to change to version 3 occasionally. Most of his effects originate from the Fractal Audio Axe-Fx, which is also used as a stereo split. He also likes to use a set of Carvin Legacy monitor speakers upfront by his pedalboard, which receives a direct signal from his amplifier. He prefers this setup over a traditional monitoring scenario.
