No prizes for guessing who this little gem is named for. Yes, it's Mr. Vai again! The Steve's Special is a rather unorthodox approach to high-output bridge humbucker design. Most hot humbuckers concentrate the pickup's power in a narrow frequency range for maximum impact. The Special goes against the grain, spreading the sound over a broader range so bass and treble tones are boosted, while mids are cut. The result is a sound that's hot, clean, and open at the same time. It's highly effective for soloing through a mid-range heavy amp.