20 YEARS

Take a good look at that picture. History was made that day, October 4, 2003 to be precise.

I became “Ibanez artist endorser Steve Bello” that day.

There’s a LONG story as to how this happened but the short version is this: I helped Chris Broderick (then of Jag Panzer) get a deal with Ibanez by making one phone call. I didn’t expect anything to happen. And even though it did happen, I didn’t expect anything for me in return. I was 33 at the time, working in a music store (not the one pictured above), and my dreams of being a supposed guitar god were in the rear view mirror. But the guys at Ibanez had other plans.

They asked me “What guitar do you like?” and I said “The Steve Vai Universe” (seen above). When I received it, the rep Angelo asked me “Will you do clinics?” and I said SURE! Then he threw this at me: “You have any music to sell?” Guess I do now! Because of this, I made my first album TWISTED METAL in 9 hours w/drummer Darren Patrick (I played all the guitars and bass on it) and then was off to give my first-ever clinic at Rondo Music in Union, NJ. The store has long been defunct now.

After the clinic, I was told “You’re in!” In what? “You’re with Ibanez now as part of the team.” Really?! I was not signed, not touring, basically a nobody in music. Yet they got me in sideways, so to speak. (By today’s standards, I would NEVER stand a chance!) So in the blink of an eye, I went from feeling like hanging up my heavy metal hat to being an endorser with Ibanez guitars.

Twenty years on, I’m still pinching myself.