Steve Vai lists California home for $11.8M, ending an era of working from his Harmony Hut home studio
Considering Steve Vai has been ranked among Rolling Stone’s Greatest Guitarists of All Time, it only makes sense that he’d live in one of the greatest homes of all time. For the last 30 years, Vai has lived in 10,000 sq ft of luxury – but he’s finally moving on, and his Los Angeles pad is up for grabs.
While it sits at an eye-watering price of nearly $11.8 million, the property seems to be the epitome of luxury. Situated within Encino’s gated Music Row community, the 5-bed house looks like the dream rockstar getaway, complete with a tennis court, gym, swimming pool, home theatre and even a fully-fledged studio out back.
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Fans might recognise the space as Vai’s Harmony Hut, the guitarist’s personal studio which has appeared in multiple YouTube videos. Originally a small cottage built to house the previous owner’s gardener, the home studio has played an integral role in Vai’s creativity for 3 decades, whether that be tracking parts for albums or recording live playthroughs of tracks (including a sick one-handed Knappsack performance).
The Harmony Hut has also housed countless iconic axes over the years. While Vai will certainly be taking his collection with him, the studio walls have been covered with guitars that have played a role in Vai’s musical history. The eclectic assortment features nods to every step of Vai’s career, starting from his first electric guitar, the Whitesnake Ibanez, to gifts from his collaborators and peers, like Yngwie Malmsteen, Mick Mars, Joe Satriani, and Frank Zappa.
Back in 2001, Vai took to his blog to explain the history of the studio: “There was a gardener that lived in the little shack out back while the house was vacant for 10 years. The poor guy died out there and was not discovered for 2 weeks when the neighbors noticed a funny smell. Ah, a perfect place to make beautiful music, right?”
“I added a small room to t and bumped out the front and put in a huge window, so now when I work at the desk I can look out over the backyard and see the kids, the sun,” he added. “It’s a very comfortable environment with various fabrics on the walls and coloured Tiffany-type lamps that set the room in a warm glow…”
He also explained how, despite the property being “vacant for 10 years” prior to his purchase, him and his wife “saw the potential” of the massive two acres of land.
Alongside the fully kitted out studio, the rest of the house is equally as impressive. From the skylit kitchen, with its open layout and hanging star lanterns, to the warm maroon billiards room, the whole house shows that Vai has pretty good taste. And it’s also got plenty of neat little perks, like a climatised wine cellar and a fire pit for late night conversations after a dip in the pool.
According to the San Diego Union Tribute, Vai relocated to San Diego’s Rancho Santa Fe last year. The sale of his Encino property seems to be the natural next step. “Right before [the Satchvai Band’s] European concert tour with Joe last year, a house came on the market in Rancho Santa Fe and [me and my wife] got it,” Vai explained earlier this month. “We just moved in about a month ago and it’s so quiet, peaceful, and the people are so nice.”
“I’m 65 years old now and I don’t want to grow old in Los Angeles,” he added. “My wife and I raised our family there and it had an energy and vibe that was perfect at the time. But now it’s time for something safer, cleaner and friendlier.”
Check out Vai’s property listing at Sotherby’s International Realty.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
